The best stuff I've found for fit/finish can be seen at this site: http://www.thlaudio.com/casebpwrE.htm The company is in Taiwan.

Velleman also has some nice items in their High-Q series: http://www.velleman.be/kits/gpbox.htm (bottom of page) (i'm having trouble finding more links with colour photos.

Also some from par-metal: http://www.par-metal.com/ (the 10 series)

Lansing: http://www.lansing-enclosures.com/techdata.html

Sescom: http://www.sescom.com/enclosure/

Those are the only ones I've found so far on the web. If anyone has any other suggestions for pre-made solutions (that can be modified as these can) let me know.

Bruno

check out http://www.markertek.com

I just picked up one of these Middle Atlantic Products CH-2 boxes for my home empeg component box. It's solid, no holes drilled anywhere, nice black aluminum. exactly what i was looking for. That site has tons of perfect connectors and switches for this type of project. Check 'em out.

Middle Atlantic seems like they have the biggest market in the U.S. for commercial A/V cabinets/racks. Dang, if I had seen that CH-2 box, especially at that price, I would have used that (but I'll get over it!)

Not A/V oriented, but the other U.S. rack company I like is Chatsworth . They have the best rack screws!

Interesting on that SES outfit...one of their box options is for custom punch-outs (DB9s, power, etc.) Not sure if Middle Atlantic or that MA reseller offers that service, but that would have saved me a lot of time with a file!

[edit: never mind, I just saw the $60 setup charge for SES custom punching. OTOH, if 10-20 people wanted a rack-mount box, you could spread the cost across the group]

I stumbled on the MAP stuff later last night after more searching. A place called Sweetwater has some pretty good prices.

It was extremely hard to find any really cool enclosures though. Most manufacturers are either in Taiwan/China or Europe (Velleman).

I also found a cool diagram on a DIY speaker page: http://www.t-linespeakers.org/oddsends/box/ This shows a very nice and simple box made using wide U-channel extruded aluminum. This is what I'd like to do for a custom project (see the projects forum). Now I just have to know where to source that design of extruded alum.

Bruno

This message prompted by last comment in Loren's recent post to the General forum... And in followup to my own post in this forum about extruded alminum. I have decided to make my own component box out of aluminum U-shaped channel. Three layers, 1/2", 2" and 1/2". This allows the mounitng of the empeg without having to cut a "hole" into a larger flat front panel. It should also give the box a nice finished consumer-electronic look. I won't have any materials exposed on the front or top except aluminum (and the empeg's own plastics). I'll have to figure out how to put some simple aluminum caps on any buttons I show.

I bought all sorts of small parts yesterday. Got panel-mount RCA connectors (they're all in singles so they'll look very nice on the back panel). Bought one 1P1T switch with low travel and a big flat square button top - to which I'll try attaching an aluminum top/cap for a snooze button (I have to talk to Tony/ynot about support for this feature in his alarm application). Next I have a nice 1P2T switch with rectangular LED that I want to use for my standby switch/indicator. I also bought a pretty standard IEC male socket. Of course I already have a small power supply from an old drive case (12/5v 4.something AMP output). I won't even need to solder anything because the power supply already has some nice insulated spade plugs to attach to the back of the IEC power socket. I also bought a small power connector (same size as the empeg one). So I'll be able to use it to force the player into home mode, though I'll be using the dock for power.

I also bought a small 30" aluminum sheet-metal bender/brake that I've wanted for a long time. I may also get a rod bender which might come in handy.

I know McMaster Carr has all the aluminum stock I need in all the right sizes. Now I just have to find the stuff locally to avoid having it shipped. And I alread have a set of PC component speakers chosen to use as well (but I'll take a run by Costco to see if I can find similar for a lower price - these seem to be the bulk of the cost right now at $99 Canadian).

Bruno