Middle Atlantic 28W16SP28DP RFR Rack E0 - RFR-1628E0

Middle Atlantic RFR-1628E0 16RU Reference Furniture Rack — Biltmore Cherry

Overview

The Middle Atlantic RFR-1628E0 is a 16RU reference furniture rack finished in Biltmore Cherry wood veneer — purpose-built for boardrooms, executive offices, and AV integration projects where exposed equipment enclosures are not acceptable. At 35 inches tall and 27.3 inches wide, the RFR-1628E0 delivers a UL-rated 350 lb load capacity inside a piece of furniture that blends into premium interior environments rather than announcing itself as a rack. If your project spec calls for rack infrastructure in a client-facing space, this is the enclosure category to be looking at.

Middle Atlantic's RFR furniture rack line is a long-standing standard in the AV integration industry — used by installers who need the structural integrity of a proper equipment rack without the industrial aesthetic of a standard open-frame or vented steel cabinet. The RFR-1628E0 (often searched as RFR 1628E0) sits at the 16RU tier, which fits comfortably between smaller credenza-depth units and the deeper, taller RFR variants used for full system builds.

Key Features

• 16 Rack Units / 28-inch Usable Height: 16RU of 10-32 threaded rail space translates to 28 inches (71.1 cm) of usable height — enough for a mid-scale AV or security system: switcher, amplifier, streaming encoder, power sequencer, and patch panel without crowding. Plan around 1.75 inches per RU when calculating your gear stack.
• UL-Rated 350 lb Load Capacity: The 350 lb (158.8 kg) UL load rating is a verified structural specification — not a nominal estimate. That headroom accommodates dense equipment loads including heavy amplifiers and multi-drive NVRs without stressing the cabinet frame. Spec this against your actual equipment weight with margin to spare.
• 23.31-Inch Usable Depth: Usable depth of 23.31 inches (59.2 cm) within a 28.25-inch overall depth accommodates full-depth 1U/2U rack gear — most enterprise switches, NVRs, and media converters are 17–20 inches deep, so you have clearance for equipment plus cable management without forcing tight bends at the rear.
• 19-Inch Panel Width / 10-32 Rack Rail: Standard 19-inch (48.3 cm) panel width and 10-32 threaded rails mean every standard rack-mount unit installs directly — no adapters, no custom brackets. Mixed-vendor equipment racks without compatibility questions.
• Biltmore Cherry Wood Finish: The Biltmore Cherry wood veneer finish is designed for rooms where the enclosure is visible to building occupants — conference rooms, executive suites, hotel AV rooms, house-of-worship control positions. The finished exterior reads as furniture; the interior is a full rack.
• Monitor Mounting Support: Factory-configured for monitor mounting, which matters in presentation rooms where a display needs to be integrated into the same furniture piece as the source equipment. Eliminates the need for a separate monitor stand or wall bracket in tight layouts.
• 27.3-Inch Overall Width: At 27.3 inches (69.3 cm) wide, the RFR-1628E0 fits standard doorways during installation and positions naturally alongside credenza furniture without overhang. Measure your access corridor before delivery — 134 lb shipping weight on a 35-inch-tall cabinet warrants a two-person install.
• 134 lb Shipping Weight: The 134 lb (60.8 kg) shipping weight is consistent with solid wood furniture construction — not a lightweight flat-pack. Budget for two installers and verify elevator and doorway clearances on multi-floor installs in advance.

Integration & Compatibility

The rack enclosure accepts any standard 19-inch rack-mount equipment using 10-32 hardware — the most common threaded standard in AV and security integration. Rack-mount power strips, PDUs, network switches, NVRs, and media converters all install directly without modification. The monitor mounting capability supports common display integration scenarios in conference and presentation rooms. For cabling-intensive installs, pair this with a horizontal or vertical cable management panel to maintain clean rear cable runs within the enclosed cabinet space. A 1U or 2U rack power sequencer or PDU is the standard complement in furniture rack builds — controlled power-on sequencing protects amplifiers and displays from inrush damage in rooms that may sit idle for extended periods.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How many rack units does the RFR-1628E0 provide, and what is the usable height?

A: The RFR-1628E0 provides 16 rack units (RU) of mounting space. The usable height is 28 inches (71.1 cm). Each rack unit is 1.75 inches, so plan your equipment stack accordingly.

Q: What is the load capacity of the RFR-1628E0?

A: The UL-rated load capacity is 350 lbs (158.8 kg). This is a verified UL specification, not a nominal estimate — suitable for dense equipment loads including heavy amplifiers and multi-drive NVRs.

Q: Will standard 19-inch rack equipment mount in the RFR-1628E0?

A: Yes. The RFR-1628E0 uses standard 19-inch (48.3 cm) panel width and 10-32 threaded rack rails — the universal standard for AV and security rack gear. No adapters are required for standard rack-mount equipment.

Q: What is the usable depth, and will full-depth rack gear fit?

A: Usable depth is 23.31 inches (59.2 cm). Most enterprise 1U/2U rack equipment (switches, NVRs, media converters) runs 17–20 inches deep, so full-depth gear fits with clearance remaining for rear cable management.

Q: Does the RFR-1628E0 support monitor mounting?

A: Yes. The RFR-1628E0 is factory-configured with monitor mounting support, making it suitable for conference room and presentation environments where a display needs to be integrated into the same furniture piece as the source equipment.

Q: What finish and material is the RFR-1628E0?

A: The RFR-1628E0 is constructed of wood with a Biltmore Cherry veneer finish — designed for client-facing spaces such as boardrooms, executive offices, and hotel AV rooms where an industrial rack enclosure would be visually inappropriate.

Jerry Tildsen

The RFR-1628E0 comes up regularly when I'm spec'ing AV racks for conference rooms or executive suites — specifically because that 350 lb UL load rating holds up under real equipment stacks, not just light AV gear, while the Biltmore Cherry finish keeps the enclosure from looking out of place in a $500/sq-ft interior. The 23.31-inch usable depth is the spec I check first: it's tight enough that you need to account for rear cable management, but generous enough that most enterprise gear fits without issue.

Technical Highlights:

• 16RU / 28" Usable Height: Fits a complete mid-scale system — amplifier, switcher, encoder, PDU, and patch panel — without stacking gear so tight you can't maintain it. 1.75" per RU, plan accordingly.
• 350 lb UL Load Capacity: Verified UL rating, not a marketing number. Handles dense builds including multi-drive NVRs and heavy broadcast-grade amplifiers without frame stress.
• 10-32 Threaded Rails: Universal standard means zero compatibility friction — every rack-mount vendor's gear installs directly. No cage nut conversions, no special hardware.

Deployment Considerations:

• At 134 lbs shipping weight and 35 inches tall, this is a genuine two-person install. Confirm elevator and doorway dimensions — 27.3 inches wide clears most standard commercial doorways, but measure access corridors on upper-floor suites before scheduling delivery.
• The 23.31-inch usable depth leaves roughly 5 inches of overhead versus overall cabinet depth — budget that space for horizontal cable management, not additional equipment. Rear cable runs that aren't managed will cut into your actual usable depth on full-depth gear.

This unit is the right call for a boardroom or executive office AV build where the integrator is expected to deliver a finished-furniture aesthetic alongside full rack functionality — not for a back-of-house telecom room where a standard steel open-frame would do the same job for less.