Diamond Case Theater Tech TT-400 Credenza Review

TT-400 First Impressions

Furniture. Sometimes it can make or break a home theater. As often as not, the one that is picking the equipment is not in charge or picking the furniture. This leads to some, shall we say, interesting combinations. We've all seen the pictures of holiday figurines on top of speakers. We've all cringed. We've all swore up and down that we would NEVER allow something like that to happen to our home theater. And then one day we come home from work and it looks like Christmas threw-up all over our listening room. And though you'll never admit it, you bit your tongue and said, " Looks great honey. Now, that subwoofer I was telling you about..."

So, what's the solution? Most home theater "furniture" looks like it belongs in a dentist's office or that was built in metal shop by high school students. Some of us like that "industrial" look, but when you are trying to convince your significant other that upgrading your perfectly good speakers for ones that look remarkably similar but cost three times as much - you need to make concessions. But that doesn't mean that form and function are mutually exclusive.

First Impressions

The literature about the TT-400 Credenza got me excited about the unit. Integrated fans? Remote controlled lights? Removable back? The whole thing's on wheels? For many people, they just plug their stuff in once and forget about it. When they upgrade, it is not just one piece, it is the whole HTiB. But for a reviewer or someone that likes to tweak their system, the ability to easily get behind your entertainment center to access your equipment is a godsend.

The delivery company did not have the ability to deliver to my home (more on that later) so I had to meet them and load the piece into my small SUV. Yes, it hung out the back but it was a short drive (in the rain) so it wasn't a problem. As the driver opened the back of the truck, a bunch of blankets fell out and the unit was sitting askew. I was a little worried about damage as I thought it might have fallen. The first thing I noticed about the unit was the heavy duty casters on the bottom. I was expecting plastic or those 70's style spherical ones but these seemed more suited for industrial settings. Definitely heavy duty and considering the amount of equipment I planned on placing in/on this unit, I was glad for it. There were also metal/nylon levelers that I later learned could be used to steady the unit if it was placed on a hard, uneven surface.

The bottom of the unit looked to be made of high quality plywood and had absolutely no give. I carefully inspected the bottom edges of the unit and confirmed that there was no veneer used. The stain was well penetrated and uniform. The unit was heavy, but two reasonably strong adults (or me and a very strong guy) can pick up and move the unit.

TT-400 Build Quality and Optional Equipment

Once I got the unit flipped over and out of the box, I stood back and took a good long look at it. In a word, the TT-400 Credenza is gorgeous. The clean lines and simple accents allow the beauty of the wood and the finish to shine. The skirt around the bottom of the unit completely hides the wheels and in a longer pile carpet (like mine) you'd have a hard time convincing anyone that it is movable. And it does move. Easily. The casters roll very well - even in my carpet, fully loaded, with 150+ pounds of plasma and base on top. Be careful when moving those flat screens though. They want to tip.

The weight of the unit ensures stability even though the wheels don't lock. I didn't ever worry that it might fly across the room if my kid ran into it. On a hardwood floor, I might feel differently. While I was transporting all the components from my beloved hand made (by me) rack to the TT-400, inevitably, a stray power cord or wire would work its way out of my hand and hit the top or side of the unit. The finish was resistant enough that even close inspection reveal zero nicks. This is not to suggest that the unit is impervious to harm, but it does seem fairly resistant to minor contact.

Speaking of the top of the unit, did I mention it was thick? You can see from the pictures the top of the doors. One would think that when you opened the door you'd find the top a bit hollow. Not so. The top of the door indicated the true thickness of the top. I measured it at over 2 inches! According to Diamond Case, they specifically engineered a double top design for Theater-Tech (all of which is tongue and grooved and glued together) to provide the ultimate amount of strength for the design. All the wood front and back was finished completely. Something you rarely see in mass produced furniture nowadays. The attention to detail doesn' t stop there as all the wood is A-1 or Select Grade panel for the best possible grain patterns. Personally, I loved getting close to this piece as my appreciation for the attention to detail only increased. Anyone who has shopped for furniture of any kind has had the experience of seeing a piece across the showroom and thinking that it looked nice. Unfortunately, upon closer inspection flaws and imperfections are easily identified. With the TT-400, the only thing closer inspection brought was a sense of the love and care that went into the piece. The fact that the doors were finished completely on both sides and the inside was completely black to help hide wires and such only confirmed the attention to detail. If you want to see unfinished wood on this unit, you will literally have to pick the unit up and turn it over (see the picture of the caster above).

The only damage I saw on the unit from transport was inside one of the doors where the shelf had scored the edge. You could not see it from outside the unit and it was only semi-noticeable with the door open. This really highlighted the difference between a stained hardwood and a veneer. A veneer would have ripped or torn while the stained hardwood just dented.

Set Up and Usability

Unlike this new wave of Ikea inspired FiB (Furniture in a Box) home theater equipment, the only "set up" this unit required was wiping off the wheels, flipping it over, removing the box, wiping it down, and installing the shelves. The back of the unit is secured with six screws. The screws thread into inset metal receptacles so there is no fear that repeated removal will harm the unit in any way. The rear of the unit sits off the back about an inch. This allows wire to pass through at nearly any point. The upside is that there is no need to thread your wires through wire tracks that may or may not be the right size or in a convenient location. It also makes it easier to follow the path of a wire. Once you remove the back, everything is laid bare. You can see everything.

The metal shelf pins are tipped with a concave piece of rubber that literally suctions itself to the shelf. The pins were already installed in predetermined places. Of course, I decided that I wanted a few shelves moved. That proved to be harder than I expected. It took pliers to remove the pins and a hammer to reinstall them. While it is theoretically possible to do this with your bare hands (I did one before I gave up) I wouldn't recommend it. The upside is that once installed, you can feel secure knowing that a room full of subwoofers won't shake those pins out of their holes.

The middle shelf was 1 inch black MDF while the equipment shelves were perforated metal. I really liked the idea of the perforated metal as it increased airflow (as did the semi-open back). The metal shelves were very light and easy to work with. They seemed very strong and I wouldn't have a problem putting most components on them. I might think twice about one of those boat anchor amps or a flagship receiver. Honestly, equipment that heavy tends to be quite large and would probably end up sitting on the bottom of the unit anyhow. The only downside of the metal shelves was that they tended to vibrate if left empty. If you are not going to use one of these shelves, I would suggest removing it from the unit. Better yet, issue it as the perfect reason to add a new piece to your home theater!

The two side doors had windows and the center had a black screen. Both were framed in wood and held in place by rotating plastic tabs. The glass frame was dampened with tiny pieces of foam that were only visible from the back. This should reduce the chance noisy subwoofer induced vibrations. Both were easily removable if they needed to be replaced. Personally, I LIKE seeing my equipment. Maybe that is just me. There is also an option for solid wood doors. Diamond Case will install an IR repeater system if you choose to go this route. The black screen was completely opaque unless you had a component inside. Then you could barely make out that there was a display lit up, but you couldn't read it (you also couldn't control it with an IR remote). I installed my center channel in there as well as a Sony DVD player (the reasons for this are numerous but cable length was also a major factor). The black screen is thicker than most and feels like it would resist the casual contact one with pets (like dogs or kids) could expect. One thing to think about is the location of the IR receiver on your components when choosing a location within the unit. On the bottom shelf, the wood frame around the glass/screen may block low set IR receivers.

From the back, wiring the system was as hard as you made it. The unit's open architecture is extremely forgiving. Basically, when you take the back of the unit off, all the shelves are open to you. You don't need to run wires between the shelves through channels or specific points because the screws that connect the back to the unit are all on the edge. The blacked-out interior makes the rats nest you conceal behind the removable back generally invisible. The depth of the unit is enough to accommodate most components with room to spare. I used that room to house extra wire lengths or additional wiring that I know I'll need in the future. The space behind the center channel is especially useful (and plentiful). All that extra cabling that ran from shelf to shelf was rolled up and secured there.

The media shelf is easy to set up and held a fair number of DVDs (I got 58 in there). It felt secure and sturdy. On the right side of the unit where the media shelf was housed I also had an additional shelf for a component. This necessitated the need for a window (or an IR repeater). While I liked looking at the pretty glowing lights of my components, I didn't really like looking at the back of the DVDs. My suggestion to the potential buyer is to either house your media outside the unit or opt for either the solid wood or black screen option.

The directions clearly state to test your equipment before you install the back panel. Please, please, PLEASE do this. I didn't - well I did, but then I connected a few more things and didn't re-check. I already had it in place and then had to move it back out - twice. I don't want talk about it.

Optional Equipment

My unit came with two optional "pro" features, an automated micro lighting system and an automated ventilation system. Other optional features not included but offered are an IR repeater system (for control of components behind solid wood doors) and a surge protection system, The ventilation system consisted of twin whisper fans in a push-pull configuration. For those of us with equipment that runs hot, this is a must have. The open architecture of the rear of the unit encourages air circulation but that may not be enough. Diamond Case suggests plugging these fans into the back of your receiver so that they are only activated when the receiver is on. In my case, I left them on all the time as one of my components is a HTPC that is always on. I didn't want it to overheat. At the highest setting, the fans were mostly audible from about 10 feet during normal playback. I had to turn them down to their lowest setting and even then they were noticeable at very low volumes (between songs). I could probably get away with 25% power but I'd hear them during the quietest scenes and between songs. And that would bug me.

Author's Note: Even if you spring for the optional ventilation system, you should still keep a close watch on your gear at first. Experiment with different fan settings and speeds and test to see how hot your equipment gets. Most equipment will shut down if it overheats but you can never be too careful.

The optional lighting system is, in my opinion, just too cool. Diamond Case supplied me with an appliance module that basically uses the electrical wiring in your house to transmit a signal to turn on and off the lights. The keypad can be used manually (in needs to be plugged in) or it serves as an IR receiver. Diamond Case also supplied a universal remote that can be programmed to control the lights. You can program any universal or learning remote to control the lights as well. All you would do is set up the keypad someplace near the front of the room (near, but not in the unit - it won't work in the unit) and you are good to go. I plugged the keypad in behind my seat and just reached back to turn on and off the lights whenever I felt like it. My son still doesn't understand how it works (Daddy is magic).

All the wiring in the optional equipment is tucked out of the way with black wire tracks. One of the wire tracks had fallen in transport and was hanging loose. One side of the wire track was sticky so I reinstalled the wire and stuck it back in place. I was skeptical but so far it has held.

TT-400 Delivery and Conclusions

I receive a lot of deliveries. A lot. Not all of them are as large as this unit but it just so happens that only a week before this unit was delivered I received a bed delivered from the same company, Plycon. The bed delivery was a thing of beauty. The drivers were courteous, friendly, careful with my purchase, and set up the bed without making a huge mess. I went so far as to call the manufacturer of the bed to compliment Plycon on the delivery.

This delivery was slightly different. I live on a street with low hanging power lines. A whole lot of fun during hurricane season. Before the furniture was shipped, I informed Diamond Case that a semi-truck, their preferred method of delivery, would not fit into my neighborhood much less down my street. Still, Plycon called and said that they could not find a smaller truck to deliver the unit. They asked if I could meet them with a truck. I have a small SUV that the unit wouldn't fit into so I said "No." I waited over a week for them to deliver when they finally called back saying that they were going to give the semi a try.

Needless to say, it didn't work. The driver called me and asked me to bring my SUV. Wanting to emulate an actual customer (who probably would be anxious to get his furniture) and not a reviewer (who would be perfectly happy to wait a month or more) I set out in the rain to get my delivery. This is what was told would happen and what did happen (in bold ).

1. The credenza will be delivered by a 2-man team (true) that will utilize a lift gate to lower the furniture from their van/truck (no, it was a semi)

2. They should either carry the furniture or use a furniture dolly when delivering into your residence/facility (they never entered my "facility". They called me to bring my small SUV to meet them. They loaded the piece into the SUV with my help. They then asked for directions out of the neighborhood and left)

3. The casters will be a bit dirty from riding in the back of the truck; ask the delivery men to wipe them clean before bringing your furniture inside. As an extra precaution, if you have light colored carpeting or hardwood flooring, you may want to request that the delivery men lay down some protective covering to avoid smudges or soiling. (They are a bit dirty but I didn't get a chance to ask them to wipe them)

4. Once the furniture has been unwrapped, inspect it carefully. Should you notice any damage, it's most important to make a note of it on the drivers' paperwork before he leaves and give us a call, as well. (I was asked to sign the form without unwrapping the furniture. When I said that I didn't know if there was any damage or not because it was still in the box, the driver stated, "Well, it's probably fine then.")

When I arrived with my SUV, I waited for 10 or 15 minutes while the driver talked on his cell phone. When I asked his assistant who he was talking to, he said the company. He added that the driver was only supposed to go from warehouse to warehouse and not to residential areas (obviously, he drives a semi). I took from his statements and demeanor that the driver was upset about having to deliver to me. I specifically asked if there was anything else that they were supposed to do after they loaded the piece into my car and the driver said no. By the time I got home with a piece of furniture sticking out of my car and no way to get it out, I was pretty steamed. Why am I mentioning all this? Because if your street doesn't allow access to semi-trucks, you need to realize that you may not be getting the white glove service that I know Plycon is capable of giving. Instead, you may be stuck out in the rain staring at the back of your car wondering how you are going to get that huge thing out by yourself. Or your delivery may be delayed quite a bit beyond initial expectations.

As Diamond Case is a factory-direct company, this is an issue which needs attention. Were they to only work with dealers, I wouldn't even mention this, but since it is a real-world possibility for some, consumers will need to triple check to ensure their deliveries will go smoothly.

Suggestions and Recommendations

I find it easier to make suggestions for good products than bad ones. For bad products, my suggestions usually entail "try not sucking" or "do what you say you can do." In this case, the TT-400 delivers. These recommendations are meant to improve upon an already superior product.

• The optional lighting system runs a little hot. I'd look into cooler running lights, perhaps LED technology.
• I wouldn't mind seeing more lights. The lighting is a little too one-sided within the door. Lights on each side of the window would make the effect more balanced.
• While the removable back works well, the screws are time consuming to remove. A quicker system for releasing the back would be welcome.
• Adjustable shelves shouldn't require tools
• The open architecture is great but some integrated wire management system, even as an add-on, would be appreciated. This would help manage longer wires that aren't cut to length and help separate power cables from interconnects.

Conclusions and Overall Perceptions

Delivery issues aside, this is one fine piece of furniture. The beauty of the TT-400 is that it satisfies your need to house and tweak your equipment and your significant other's need for a fine piece of furniture that stands on its own. Make no mistake; this is a no-compromises solution. It is pricy but so is Ethan Allens' and they know next to nothing about home theater. In this case you really do get what you pay for. Rarely do I review something that works as good as it looks. In this case, I have. The finish is gorgeous and damage resistant. The access to your equipment is unparalleled. The fit and finish is beyond reproach. Honestly, once you get it in your house, I don't know how you couldn't be happy with the TT-400.

The Score Card

The scoring below is based on each piece of equipment doing the duty it is designed for. The numbers are weighed heavily with respect to the individual cost of each unit, thus giving a rating roughly equal to:

Performance × Price Factor/Value = Rating

Audioholics.com note: The ratings indicated below are based on subjective listening and objective testing of the product in question. The rating scale is based on performance/value ratio. If you notice better performing products in future reviews that have lower numbers in certain areas, be aware that the value factor is most likely the culprit. Other Audioholics reviewers may rate products solely based on performance, and each reviewer has his/her own system for ratings.

Audioholics Rating Scale

• — Excellent
• — Very Good
• — Good
• — Fair
• — Poor

Metric	Rating
Build Quality
Ergonomics & Usability
Features
Appearance
Performance
Value