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?
Black, silver sometimes gold. If I like the look of a component itself it does not have to match the rest of my system.
On some brands the nomenclature is more visible on one over the other and that would have me choose black or silver.
Aesthetics are a factor, I appreciate the sound the build, feel and the look of my systems. Pride of ownership and listening covers many factors for myself.
I switched from black to silver about 5 years ago and I'll probably continue on that path. I'm considering a new integrated and black is not a choice from the manufacturer. I actually liked how my old black gear got dusty because then I cleaned it more often.
Black. *Ahem* no, Silver. But when I am honest, Silver and Black... you know that kind of darker silver .... but black is also sometimes pretty good .... some say "Black" sounds better than silver (Blacker Background)...but the silver can have this enthusiastic dynamic range...I mean..from optics..the Eye listens too...*Ahem* well... yes!
I once sold a perfectly fine working Butler amp for a slight loss because I *had* to have a black one to match the rest of my components. I am still glad I did.
And the Butlers are no longer available in black, making mine a collector's item - hah!!
For me silver-I like the look of the black faceplate but find the lettering difficult to read in low light. For components with few controls power amps and the like, black is great.
Started with silver two years ago, now everything is black... What happened? Didn't think cared but now I like the consistent and dark, shadowy look of the system. Hope I can stick with black for a while, even if I change gear.
Silver (my preamp is silver as there was no other option) is easier to find if stumbling around in the dark, and absorbs less heat in direct sunlight when outside, which it never is. The rest of my stuff is black, because it's more slimming and makes me seem like a better person than I actually am, so there's that. Also, on an unrelated note, I just bought a new motorcycle that is black and silver and chrome. A win win win.
I can go with either color as long as it has a matte finish. I never liked the shiny stuff, except for knobs and buttons for that added contrast. What would be better is a matte finish contrasted with a satin finish for the controls. I prefer subtle over flashy.
Used to go black, now everthing silver. Must easier to see the lettering as my eyes get older. I went so far as to sell my Black SimAudio LP5.3 and purchase the same thing in silver because I got its external power supply in silver. Now I use a Musical Fidelity NuVista M3 integrated, although mine doesnt have all the gold accents and MF A3/24 DAC. My Oracle Delphi V SE and Transrotor Fat Boy are as shiny silver as can be, but my Sota Cosmos IV is African Rosewood. My project turntables will likely all have wood grain plinths, but some will have silver top plates and some Black. I guess as I get older, the silver is jus easier to read and lighter feeling instead of the black techy look. If I had a choice, however, I would probably go for the Titanium grey finish that my old Carver Receiver 2000 had. Very pretty unit. Oh, speakers are black.
Most of my rig is silver face plate, e.g., linestage and CDP. The phono pre has a black face plate. I just jumped from the ARC PH-7 to the ARC PH-8. Ordinarily, I would have gone with a silver face plate.
But, my PH-7 has a black face plate. I had to special order my PH-8 to have a black face plate to match the old PH-7. Otherwise. my wife would pick up the change in one nanosecond and my life would be worth "bubkas" (nothing of value; junk).
Aahh, what one has to do to maintain "shalom bayis" (peace in the home).
My PH-8 should arive any day. I bought it from John Rutan at Audio Connection in Verona NJ. I'll report back on how it sounds after I break it in -- or my wife breaks it over my head if she figures out what I did. In the meantime, my PH-7 is listed for sale on the "Gon" and eBay for a very fair price. It's a great phono pre -- it really is. I've just heard so much hype about the PH-8, I had to try it. But believe me, the PH-7 sings!!!
Do you plan to listen, or look at it? All things being equal, I prefer silver. Its never a deciding factor for me though. I currently have both in my systems.
To sum up: Gear color is a matter of choice, and "Notbananas" does not want his wife to know he buys cosmetic-free women based on performance.
Also...United Home Audio (sounds like a socialist hifi movement) puts Asian patterned stickers on some well regarded reel to reel tape machines. It's true. I'd like to see more wood veneered audio stuff (like a nice dashboard) or maybe Pass Labs or somebody could come up with a fake fur covered amp...but make it a good one so purists would buy it. Astroturf power amps...something...anything...
I don't mind the colour but I care about the design. Take the new Rega Osiris integrated for example - I could *never* buy it, no matter how magical it sounds. I mean, wt* were they thinking?
Elizabeth, you need to stay out of the Goodwill stores as your place will quickly look like a branch of a Goodwill store. However, I must admit I too visit on a weekly basis. Beats yard sales.
I heard a rumor that some NASA engineers (we know, lots of them are Audiophiles) are working on a STEALTH Paining in a Bottle (or is it from Byebeeh /Submarine protection, ultra secret, smuggled out from the Lab), available for Audiophiles later.... you can spray it around your units and waves / resonances will be absorbed. Not launched yet, because it absorbs light, too at the moment, but they are working on it... Tested on Preamps with truly spectacular results (silver front from what someone told me).... and you can listen to your music with higher volume based on that .... stay tuned ... there will be also a WAF version available... from Clive Christian .... (Number OnePointOne....but that is a rumor at the moment)
Prefer silver matte finish when possible. At this point all visible components are silver so I'm pretty happy. Hey, let's have a thread on which color LEDs we prefer.
Please note that I recommend "cruelty free" fake fur to cover components. Cruelty to people is fine, as there are too many of them anyway.
Stealth paint from NASA would imply supporting the Military Industrial Complex and could result in the deafening of whales while listening to your over-hyped Adele album.
Hey "Wolf-man," right you are, but I'm more concerned about playing my favorite Linda Ronstadt albums too loud, especially "Living in the USA." That's the LP with the pic of Linda wearing her roller skating shorty shorts. She was definitely one cuty-pie back in the day. My wife confiscated the album for a week when I first got it.
P.S. I wonder how she'll sound when my stealth PH-8 comes in??
Elizabeth, gotta love your style! When Louis Vuitton starts making amps sounds like you'll be first in line. Logo'd brown leather? Think of the possibilities!
I own a Dolan PM1 from back in the day. It was offered with a brass or black faceplate and I had the brass. I've always had black gear so I opted to switch out the brass for the black. I regret it to this day! Even though the preamp is in the 'spares' closet right now, it was a primo-looking piece of gear with the brass!
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.
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.
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