Black Ash.....

For those inclined, you can use Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and Chalk Paint Wax Clear finish on cabinets that you may want to hold onto for awhile. I have some older Monitor audio RS6’s with yellow oak finish that I really don’t care for and really clashes with our beach gray decor. My amp stands came out beautifully. Merchants that sell Annie Sloan paints with brick and mortar stores many times are also local artists and can refinish the cabinets for you or and/or match perfectly your room decor. Antique it, beach it, almost any effect you want.  Also easy to diy and save a bunch. Just practice on some old furniture for the effect you desire. WAF goes up unbelievably. 

I like my black ash b&w 803D

For some reason, strange to me now black (vinyl or veneer) was the colour of my first 3 speakers. In fact most of my Hi-Fi was in black, apart from the NAD stuff I started with. It just never occurred to me that other options were viable.

Then one day about 15 years ago I underwent a radical change of heart. All of a sudden I wanted my environment to be more friendly with more reflected light. This shift in outlook was complete when I developed a yearning for a more organic look in loudspeakers. Wood grain was no longer ugly to my eyes.

Then all of a sudden cherry, light oak, mahogany, white ash etc all started to look good. Even walnut became preferable to black.

Electronics in chrome, silver, or best of all gold became infinitely preferable to the standard black. So much so that I now feel that the best way to listen might be to have the equipment disappear or fade into the background (white) as much as possible to reduce distracting effects.

I know you can do a similar thing by drawing the curtains and turning down the lights in the evening but that's a bit of a hindrance in the day.

@big_greg

All I could do is laugh as I looked over my sea of black ash speakers, subwoofers, and about 3 dozen flat black record crates.

We can't be friends.

But hey, at least I've got wood paneling in my house, that must count for something on the classy scale.

Oak?

Black ash can look great. In fact, I'd choose it over most finishes.