Black Ash.....

I have a pair of Aerial Acoustics 7B towers in black ash. I did not choose the finish. And don't really care. But they are extremely well done. Looks and feels like fine furniture. Seams at corners and edges are imperceptible to touch or sight. Finish is not overly dull or shiny. 

I might not have chosen that finish if I'd been buying new........but it certainly does not seem like anything to get worked up about.

And in the wrong application some fancier finishes, even when done well, seem to shout "look at me"......which is not exactly what I'm looking for in a speaker.

My low end Polk Audio Monitor 70s at my cabin are in black ash........vinyl. That's a whole other story.

mine are black oak... slightly more rich texture but still black

Firmly Against, for practical reasons: changing out one black box for another (much more) expensive black box is 'stealth upgrading'. No-one in the family will have the faintest idea what just happened.

Haven't really given much thought. I guess I'm not too put off by black ash.