In 1973, when I started out in HiFi, there was considerable variation in the color scheme of products. Yamaha launched their line with a brushed aluminum, a clean new look, and that became trendy, with Pioneer particularly following...albeit with less design detail. A few years later, Nikko launched the first all black line. Sansui had black amps and tuners earlier, but not receivers. My recollection is that Nikko marketing tried to associate their image with the precision and pro credibility of Nikon F series cameras. Anyway it took off and soon, as hickamore states black was all but ubiquitous.
Why is black so popular for components?
A current post about the looks of gear got me thinking. How did black become the most popular color for audiophile gear? I can see it being popular for home theater where the gear might be at the front of a room where you want it as dark as possible but black was the color of choice well before home theater. Maybe it is as simple as people just like it but if that were the case I would think it would also be the most popular in other consumer items such as motor vehicles. I remember when I wasn’t always fortunate to have a dedicated stereo room and my wife would ask me why I purchased black equipment because she thought it was ugly and I agreed with her but usually, I had no choice. For manufacturers offering additional colors may be costlier but I am willing to pay for it. Fortunately , some companies that I like offer silver usually in the face plates which works for me. Odyssey Audio has numerous color options available for their faceplates for a nominal fee but as far as I know they are an exception. A lot of speaker manufacturers offer different colors which is great, especially if you have to place them in a communal space like a living room. So in summary why did black become the color for stereo gear ? How many of you would prefer color options?
- ...
- 96 posts total
- 96 posts total