Does a stereo receiver have to stay flat on a shelf or can I tilt it on it's side?

Question

A space saving idea, not sure if it'll work correctly

Answer 1

Airflow is by far and large the biggest concern you should have when positioning or orienting your receiver. Depending on the system, you could overheat and damage the unit by not allowing for proper airflow. Best bet would be to try it out, by placing the unit in its desired location and playing something at a relatively high volume. Keep a close eye on the unit and hold your hand close to it and see if it feels anything warmer than, well, "warm". Let it play for a few minutes and if it doesn't get too warm, then you should be ok.

FWIW, most modern receievers have a circuit breaker that will shut the unit off if it overheats. Of course, it's never a great idea to rely on these things. That's a bit like crashing your car because it has a seat belt.

Answer 2

Since modern receivers have no moving parts, it should work. However, I'm not sure it would be a space saver. You need to leave ample room around the top and sides of the receiver to allow air to move through it so it doesn't overheat.

Answer 3

It should be fine prodiving that the side you're lying it on does not get too hot to the touch and you can allow for enough ventilation (at least a couple of inches of space on each side) around the rest of the unit.

Besides that, you might start to get a crick in your neck after awhile. ;-)


H a p p y
H o m e
T h e a t e r i n g !

Answer 4

All you can do is try it, unless its a CD player, then no, because it'll scratch your Cd's and not play, but if its just an AM/FM receiver than its fine.

Answer 5

Seems to me it would work, but it will be a little odd.
Make sure it would be well ventilated lying on it's side to prevent over-heating. Good Luck.

Answer 6

Should'nt matter...Unless it has tubes...

Answer 7

doesn't matter... just allow for airflow

Answer 8

Try it.