White cabinet popularity?
From what I remember not many American companies have offered white cabinets for their various models. I think more European companies do this. But they remain a modest number of what is offered.
As we all know WAF can be a serious consideration with many audio purchases, particularly with speakers. It seems to me that white cabinets can often be less obtrusive, particularly in larger models.
I recently purchased a pair of MoFi Sourcespoint 888s with white cabinets. I'm loving the sonic presentation, but have been surprised by the number os positive comments I've received from visitors. That is initially from the visual impact, and they age good sized floor standers. I'll add the sonic comments have been uniformly positive when I provide a demo, even by those not involved in the audio hobby - "I'd so clear and detailed, it sounds like they are right in the room.".
Anyway, this makes me wonder if more models, particularly large floor standers, could be more acceptable if offered with white cabinets, or other (neutral) pale colors?
How about rainbow? Purple, pink, orange? After all, it's Pride month. Kidding aside... white is a refreshing clean look. In the right room they look amazing. I believe the color and style should match the room. For example, a modern white speaker doesn't fit well in a very traditional room where a wood finish would be a better fit. In a bright, open airy contemporary room white would be stunning and blend in perfectly. |
| Post removed |
Assuming a space is predominately white-ish (walls, ceiling), white has a minimal visual weight. It does not dominate or draw attention. Especially if the room is small or there's a lot of stuff in it, lighter items add way less to visual clutter than if they were dark. While I get many people want to showcase their audio kit, there are some of us that want it to attract as little attention as possible (I get the combination of a small space and a wife!). I also really love tasteful/minimal component design where the physical items are very aesthetically reserved, but yield an audio quality that cannot be ignored and gives the listener no other option than to say or think "this sounds amazing!" |
A couple of additional thoughts. First, I'm not against natural wood finishes. I've owned a few that were very attractive. So i'm not suggesting all speakers should be white or other light colors. My curiosity was if more companies included white, beige, tan, etc. alternatives for cabinets if more people might be interested in buying those if they "blend in" with personal decor, particularly larger models. Regarding visitor comments, over the years very few visitors have commented one way or another about my speakers, unless it was something like, "Wow, those speakers are big!" But then I don't think many people have been exposed to speakers larger than a shoe box, if any in a home at all. The recent positive comments have come unsolicited. |
I’m currently finalizing my kitchen remodel contract. White Oak is the current rage. My son is a realtor in Denver, all these 70 year old 1600 ft houses going for $1M, all remodeled in White, White, White. My wife wanted Taj Mahal white and gold Quartzite counter tops. I told her it would look like an industrial lunch room. Unfortunately it’s the current “ You Must Have “. BTW nice choice for speakers. Feeling your pain , Mike B. |
shoot, go beyond and pick from 120 colors... https://www.genelec.com/theones#popup-nBtb59saaFoJ-3Z0pgq0wsUOxTcpgfgcG1j |
I had a pair of Verity Leonore in White and they were beautiful. Paired with my Leben cs600x they played with style. The words nimble, rich, detailed come to mind.
I soon went after the newer Otello. These had a better foundation and I found more engagement through the mids and a more active high end. Verity always strikes the balance between a lively performance and an experience that leaves you breathless. |
