We normally talk about hi-fi equipment on these pages, but today I want to talk about the furniture used to arrange and display this hi-fi equipment. I have three hi-fi furniture suggestions for everyone, two of which I think most people would consider “affordable.” None of the three were designed for hi-fi. They just arrive at adjust hi-fi equipment. Before I get to these suggestions, I need to tell you the story. You know, the most important context.

When I moved to Berlin in 2016, I started with a dedicated hi-fi rack called the Slimiine Podium Reference made by the Hifi Racks in the UK (since acquired by Atacama). It cost me around €500 and I bought it because I had enjoyed a Podium Reference in Australia. Later I bought a Podium Reference to use in Berlin, but this time I put it on wheels.

I then upgraded to a double-wide version of the Podium Reference in white (and on casters). It’s now in my office in Portugal, but over the years I’ve found the visibility of the cables more and more irritating. And very few hi-fi racks allow us to hide these cables. This is the main reason I switched to everyday furniture. The second reason was that furniture dedicated to hi-fi was often look at “specialist” and is more difficult to integrate visually into a normal living space. The third, as we will see, was money saved.

Long-time readers of this site will know that, since 2019, I have been using dedicated hi-fi racks alongside ordinary furniture. These same readers will also know that I have experienced three different buffets in the last five years: two Since Maisons du Monde and A by Tikamoon. I gave one to a YouTube fan and the other two were redeployed elsewhere in my Berlin apartment.

I have also used the IKEA KALLAX from time to time. It’s the gold standard for affordable vinyl storage and half-width hi-fi components. The downside is that KALLAX can look a bit cheap, especially when it comes to supporting amplifiers and DACs that sell for several times their extremely low asking price. For me, the best version of the KALLAX is the 4 x 1 with the two additional slots on top. I’ve been using one in Portugal since January 2024 and have run all kinds of amps, DACs and CD players through its top slots.

BUT! Last week I made some major changes to the furniture I use for hi-fi equipment in Lisbon. These changes were based on the furniture I now use in Germany. You may have seen some of them in our recent videos.

USM Haller Lowboard/Buffet (€1,400 and more)

Several YouTube commenters have asked about the large beige buffet that currently sits between my speakers in Berlin. It’s a USM Haller sideboard. What’s confusing is that some dealers call it a Lowboard. Never mind. It is a Swiss design that is also modular. I have two replacement top plates waiting in the wings should I scratch one. Being a full-time hi-fi reviewer, I move equipment around frequently and a scratch is not an “if” but a “when.”

The USM Haller Lowboard is 1.5m wide. That’s wide enough to comfortably fit two full-width hi-fi components on top. As a reminder: a full-width component in the world of hi-fi is 43 cm wide. And two full widths can be inserted into the slots below, where the height limit is 17.5cm. Drop-down doors at the front of the USM Haller hide storage spaces high enough and deep enough for a row of vinyl records. However, the depth of the unit is only 38cm – so it might not accommodate some of our larger amplifiers and DACs – like the Cambridge Audio Edge W amplifier or the Hegel H590 integrated. I often add a IsoAcoustics ZaZen isolation platform whose offset feet add a few extra centimeters of depth and keep the aerial vibrations away from the turntables. For what? Because the USM Haller is made of metal.

The depth and construction materials of the USM Haller are two compromises to keep in mind, but I won’t venture into the landmine of dedicated audio furniture that sounds better than regular furniture in this article.

Another compromise is price: in its drop-door configuration, the USM Haller Lowboard retails for around €1,700. And this price is one of the reasons why I don’t have a USM Haller in Lisbon yet. The other reason is the delivery time: in Germany I can have a USM Haller device delivered to my door within three days. Delivery time to Portugal is a staggering six weeks.

IKEA BAGGBODDA (€69)

Also available within days of ordering is the IKEA BAGGBODD, whose vintage-style tubular metal frame supports a pair of wide, deep storage shelves for just €69. They are wider and deeper than we need for almost any hi-fi component. And I repeat: 69 EUROS. The trap? Availability on BAGGBODA may vary. At the time of writing, it was sold out throughout Germany but available in Portugal. I have one unit in Berlin and two in Lisbon.

I don’t just like the price of BAGGBODA. I like how the height of the internal shelf (at 29cm) is tall enough to accommodate a Cambridge EDGE W power amplifier and a stack of EDGE NQ preamplifiers – and with space to spare on the sides. And under the bottom shelf there is room for a AudioQuest PowerQuest 303 power conditioner. And at the top? In Lisbon I have a Technics SL-1210GR and in Berlin a FiiO R9, a MOONDROP CD player and – to sound the alarm – a Noguchi lamp.

Zara Home Dark wood side table (€249)

And yet: I think my best find this year was the “dark wood side table” from Zara Home. Check out those curved corners! Such visual elegance. The two internal shelf spaces are wide enough for a full-width component and, in some cases, tall enough for two stacked components. The height of the internal shelf is not indicated on the Zara Home website but I measured it at 25 cm. There is also space on top for a turntable, but with a depth limitation of 35 cm. Again, an IsoAcoustics isolation deck adds a few extra inches to keep a Thorens TD124 turntable from tipping over in the back.

Can you spot the irony? The IsoAcoustics ZaZen insulation platform sells for as much as the Zara Home side table itself. In Germany, this represents €249. In Portugal, €200. I bought one in each country and both arrived within 3 days of ordering. In the context of furniture dedicated to hi-fi, €250 is a good deal. The only thing I don’t do it As with the Zara Home piece, there is the open area at the bottom that exposes the cables and power adapter on the floor – but I will soon add another AudioQuest power conditioner to plug that hole.