Why is black so popular for components?

Matt black best for heat dissipation.

Personally I like champagne with wood side cheeks and cherry speakers and rack.

My old Quad is dark grey but at least looks pretty when it lights up and has red and ivory switches. Like you said silver was big in the 70’s but at least it was brushed aluminium and often wood sides. Then it all went black before the dreaded silver everywhere but crummy painted plastic (ironically black underneath).

Car colours are so boring the mo- first the dreaded silver craze (coz it’s safe, easier to sell and ’easy to keep looking clean’) now white, black (ironically hard to keep clean) and the dreaded silver or even worse grey. Interiors the same story- first proper wood/ metal, silver painted plastic and now black with the dreaded touchscreen of annoyance and fingermarks probably because it’s cheaper to make than buttons.

Furniture at one point was all beech and silver then overnight went to light oak. Same with kitchens- seems to be ivory everywhere.

Is it fashion or a lack of imagination? We seem to live in a very monochrome world at the moment. People think the 70’s was brown (OK we had a gorgeous metallic brown Chrysler Avenger and I had a brown velour tracksuit top with cream stripes down the sleeves) but I’m sure there was far more colour then apart from the rash of denim everywhere.

At least Nord keyboards are a cheerful bright red. I also have a metallic blue soprano sax with gold lacquer keys that's 'flash as a rat with a gold tooth'

On this topic. My living room is all wood, on the lighter shades of cherry. Black is anathema in that room. Even my speakers/subwoofer set are in light cherry. 
For the last few years I've been trying to add another sub into the system, but I can't. Why? Because just about every damned sub made is black (at my price point). I've been wanting a 12" that matches the lowest spec of 22 db as my sub in my systems. With 400 to 600 watts. Guess what you better come up with $2000 or more if you want one. 


SVS has one that would match the specs I'm looking for (2000 Pro), black, black, and more black.  Jesus man, speaker companies used to at least offer the fake wood patterns vinyl paper speakers and subs. Some were so good looking that you would think they were real wood veneers, all under $1000. This is the main reason why I haven't bought a speaker in over 12 years. No choice of color, unless you have $ 2000 or more.

robert_1,

"My living room is all wood, on the lighter shades of cherry"


Yes, that light and bright natural look.

Growing up I can remember just how 'busy' curtains, carpets and wallpaper used to look back in the 70s. Tons and tons of hallucinigenic flowery patterns everywhere.

Hardly anything coordinated.

I guess life is faster now and our environment doesn't have to be.

The word decor was omitted. My living room is not all wood. The decor is what's wood: chairs, dining table, entertainment center, speakers, etc. And yes...that's the wife acceptance criteria: speakers must match the overall decour in the room, and I agree with her. Luckily for us we both have the same taste.

I generally dislike black components because it obscures the details of the faceplates.