Faceplates Silver or Black???????


What is your preference? Or, does it even matter?

The preferred 'faceplate color' pendulum sweeps back and forth over the years. Often, leaving us with a mixture of components.

Does anyone else take aesthetics into account when deciding on component selection?

Would you consider NOT purchasing the piece you know you want or know you should have, but couldn't pull the trigger because it didn't match your system?

Any other "sick puppies" out here?

Thoughts on where the trend is taking us now?
bhpedalpusher
Black, no doubt about it. I don't care for silver or gold faceplates or trim. I don't want my equipment screaming out for attention aesthetically. I don't mind a component calling attention to itself for performance reasons.
Personally, I find silver more pleasing. But I never think about it. No, I'm not saying that I'm too good to think about it. I'm as shallow as the next guy. But for several years my equipment has lived in a closet, so I never see it. Hence I never think about it.

My system is a hodgepodge of black, silver, modern, retro, pro audio, and mass market. Even when my gear was visible, I didn't buy things because of how they looked. I've never been a fan of the look of Pass amps or Parasound Halo amps, but I currently own both.

Come to think of it, I really like having all my equipment out of sight. It's not because I don't like gear. It's because I DO like gear. I just don't want to be thinking about it when I'm listening to music.

Bryon
At night I like to see glowing tubes and the "output needle" setting on my Squeezebox Touch (unless it's off...then it displays a colorful analog clock thing). I have 2 Pangea power supplies with extremely bright LEDs that I put behind a little Bravo II plexiglass headphone amp to dissipate the brightness viewed from my listening spot. I use a Littlite mixing board light with a red filter on the top of the heap. I think all amps should be required to have some sort of moving needle or something to indicate life...I'd buy a Pass, McIntosh, or D'Agostino (!) just for that.
Black. Can't stand silver. Bought some, tried to like it, got rid of it.

Trick to make black gear look really good: wipe down with Windex. No kidding. Got that from a well respected manuf.

Oh, silver knobs & switches are fine.

Now, when it comes to the garage system, anything goes, since I don't have to sit there & look at it.