Lately, I can't decide if I prefer the silver or black faceplates which are available for my various Audio Research components.
This reminds me that just like car manufacturers, audio companies seem to go back and forth between silver and black cases, no doubt to try and grab the market's attention with something "new"?
Personally, I can't stand silver or chrome trim on any cars made after about 1975, but I notice that some new cars are going back to chrome trim around the windows.
What are your thoughts on silver? Black? Or God forbid, iPod or 1980's Adcom white?
What makes for the most timelessly stylish audio components?
I always seem to gravitate to black. Recently purchased an Usher amp amd pre amp insilver. My OPPO blu ray and Rega CD player are black. I like having both together. They don't seem to clash. Glen
My current system is pretty much all black. Except my speakers, they have a cherry wood finisgh.
My prior system was pretty much all silver. At the time I never seemed to mind the silver but now much prefer the black. For me I like the subdued, understated look that black provides.
An exception is that I like the Conrad Johnson colors.
I prefer black on components because it seems less obtrusive visually to me. Absolute Sound had an interesting article back in the 80's about the color of components in connection with how we perceive their sound, vide, do black components have a "dark" sound, or do gold colored components have a "warm" sound. Interesting stuff. And to Lou whose response is above mine, when I took a quick look at your handle, I thought you were Greek until it dawned on me what your handle really meant-lol!! (Laughing at my own inadequacy, not about nationality!)--Mrmitch
I think its all component dependent and what you are used to seeing. Certain products have certain colors, just like certain teams. Minn Vikings look way better in purple jerseys, the Cowboys look way better wearing white jerseys. Whenever you see Dallas in dark uniforms or Minn in white, you always think to yourself that they are going to lose because they are wearing the wrong jerseys.
Likewise, cj tube preamps in black, would probably sound awful. Old Yamaha analog recr's in black probably would sound awful too. Sansui AU-717 & TU717 in silver (could be cool, but that's a violation too). Spectral in black is just plain wrong...Counterpoint gave you your choice and looked good in either color, but did one color sound better than the other? Meitner in Oak - I'd bet if Mapleshade listened to Meitner amps in Oak or Maple, they would conclude that Meitners sound much better in rosewood. Motif in black just wouldn't look right either...Threshold did both black and silver and I'll bet their silver faceplactes sounded better than their black ones. Adcom in white sold for more money than Adcom in black and I believe sonically it was far superior as well just as the Vikings play better in purple than they do in white...Perreaux in black, old Hafler in silver...we could go on and on here....any other violations when it comes to team colors or component colors? The 76ers in black was another violation too...
when the component is just a box, i prefer black. when the component has exposed tubes and the like, i prefer the solid silver faceplate. kinda weird, huh?
A customer rep of a famous brand of very high end audio gear tells me that the silver models outsell the black ones substantially. This surprises me as I vastly prefer black. (Or maybe it should NOT surprise me :-o ) Anyway, FWIW. Art ps: they do have to charge extra for the black, which might explain part of the difference in sales, except that in their price range the color differential cost is probably in the noise.
James Tanner of Bryston said that black sells more in 2 channel, and silver sells more in home theater. He didn't know why, but that's what his sales figures were.
I had a black faceplate on my Bryston B60. Recently moved and my system is in the living room, in a cabinet with all silver/sliverish stuff - cable box, XBox, and Apple TV. Changed the B60's faceplate to silver and it looks a lot better.
I use to like black, but I guess I'm going through a silver phase. Now my DAC sticks out like a sore thumb being the only black component in the cabinet.
a) bought an Audio Research DAC 5 in black not because I needed a DAC, but because what the heck, it just seemed so cheap and might make a fun toy, and
b) Later, I jumped at the chance to erase any discount when I spotted a silver faceplate for sale
I hope I don't get flogged for this, but I think that an Arc component listed on Audiogon with the silver faceplate will sell a lot faster than the same component with a black faceplate.
I have to jump in here, as I only have black pieces in my system and feel silver is a distraction. The rack is between the spkrs, so it's right there in full view.
I've tried to compromise by having silver gear w/black knobs & handles (ARC) and wooden knobs (BC) but eventually let the stuff go.
Additionally, my TV, DVD & VCR are next to the rack in its own rack & all that stuff is black too. I'm looking for a replacement TV & it has to have a black cabinet.
Timelessly stylish audio components? In a way, the not so stylish black box is, because it just sits there & doesn't attract any attention to itself. Maybe that's more a definition of class? One of my all time favorite stylish looks is the Pass Aleph amp.
I have chrome bumpers on my pickup but it's an '86. Chrome on motorcycles is great.
This is somewhat of a tangent to the main question and a rant, besides, but one of the things that drives me nuts about faceplates, both black and silver, is that in the pursuit of nice 'design,' the labeling of controls often seems to be designed to frustrate the user.
I have a Peachtree Decco which is a very nice piece of gear except that all the lettering on the brushed silver faceplate is in gray. It's not an exaggeration that you have to get down on your knees with a flashlight to read the labels. I've had the same problem with gold script lettering on black faceplates.
Why do they do that? I don't want to have to wear a headlamp to operate my gear.
Was it Fred Kaplan that suggested that the differences we attribute to the sound of components were actually influenced by the color of their face plates?
I like equipment that combines the best of both... black with silver controls or vise versa. Some components can pull off using a touch of fine wood also. Quality and pride of ownership can make owning a well conceived mixture of components very rewarding.
That Audio Research silver faceplate; there's something iconic about it. I think it's the American standard for hi-fi equipment styling. Kind of like the Coca-Cola logo.
WAF makes more of a difference. A while back some studies suggested that wife's choice was black. I am sure it has something to do with 'the little black dress'. I know, letting your wife choose the color is a cheap way to get acceptance of your high price toys, but if you don't do that your purchased are not going to continue. When it comes to speakers, forget the black and white, it all isabout rich, woods. I am sure we have all heard wife's sound off about those 'black' things. Me, black and rosewood.
I really like the black finish better. I wish that all companies would offer a gold or champagne finish. I know that cj still has this color. It's kind of right in the middle between black and silver.
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