Since I spend more time in the kitchen than I would like,constantly doing dishes throughout the day & night(since I don't do any dining out),I felt the need to make my time in the kitchen more pallet-able.
Akai....was always a favorite brand name in my youth...in terms of hi-fi consumer electronics and they have made some interesting pro gear over the years.
One of the more recent of which,is their RMP3 reference monitors.The RPM3's are one of the most amazing budget pieces of musical gear I have ever come across,as not only do they scream out tunes with a sound of a pair of monitors twice their size,but are also feature-replete!The RPM's are very modestly sized(D x W x H)5 3/4" 5" 71/4")and housing a 3" bass driver.There's a multitude of audio inputs,which are 1/8",TRS & RCA inputs.It's also a 16 bit audio interface and all for a mere $73!Of course though,my purposes are comprised only of the entertainment variety...via an MP3 player.Although the RPM3's impressed the hell out of me in my kitchen,I don't know how they would fair as a recording & mixing tool,but in a dire emergency,I would be happy to give them a go in the studio,if the need ever arises.
In my quest to find the proper shelving to house my beloved monitors & keep them out of harm's way in the kitchen,I immediately thought of the L-shaped metal brackeets-but alas...no hardware store in the immediate vicinity,Since the Home Depot a few miles from me,put my local mom & pop shop out of business. 
I thought about screwing a couple of plastic crates to the wall,but that was a bit to "ghetto" for my taste.I then went to my local Kohls store(which is a department store that focused mainly on clothing and houswares),but they do sell some handy & decorative wall shelving.
Problem with Kohls however,is that they sort of "role-play" as a discount retailer,but constantly having "sales" on their merchandise....but their game is painfully transparent; 50% mark up and everything...even sometimes 100% mark up,& then sell it for nearly the same price as their competition.
Anyhow...I came across a two-piece,wooden decorative wall-mount set,which is 12" X 9" inch,& the surface area is about 6" X 8'...roughly.
They had a buy one-get one free deal,but not only did I obviously not need two sets,but the f**king single set costs $50!!
It then occurred to me,that K-Mart would probably have the metal brackets I wanted and sure enough,they did.A $1 a piece,along with some Loc-Tite adhesive($3) and a roll of mounting tape($4) & I was well on my way to making a home for my kitchen-entertainment center.
Still,one problem had remained...I have the supports,but needed the platforms for the speakers.A long,a typical wooden board across both brackets was out of the question,so I had to pull a "MacGyver".
I had foam rubber & cardboard materials laying around the apartment-which separately,are flimsy...but adhered together,they made the perfect speaker platform.
Not only were they more than stout enough to support the weight,but they also provided the ideal absorption & grip,so as to not slide of the platforms,during loud music play.
The end result,was a kick-**s shelving unit,for a cost of a mere $11.Now I can actually enjoy doing my dishes and in fact,I now makes excuses to spend more time in my kitchen,just so that I can rock out to my new audio-culinary toys!
-Thom
