i think the art is "art" of reproduction.
i think the appearance of a component is partly a marketing effort and partly functional, especially with respect to speakers.
if a designer thinks that thick aluminum face plates with toggle switches and a plexiglass cover will increase the probability of a sale there is a good chance that the component will look like that.
is there a relationship between sound and appearance. for speakers, i would say so, for other compoents, especially amps with heat sinks, to a lesser extent.
i wonder if a manufacturer would admit to deliberately selecting materials, not to enhance the sound but to make it more attractive cosmetically and more likelty to sell
it is also possible that a manufacturer may deliberately attempt to have a component as a work of art in case people don't like the sound. people can always donate an expensive neat looking component to the museum of modern art instead of selling it.
i think the appearance of a component is partly a marketing effort and partly functional, especially with respect to speakers.
if a designer thinks that thick aluminum face plates with toggle switches and a plexiglass cover will increase the probability of a sale there is a good chance that the component will look like that.
is there a relationship between sound and appearance. for speakers, i would say so, for other compoents, especially amps with heat sinks, to a lesser extent.
i wonder if a manufacturer would admit to deliberately selecting materials, not to enhance the sound but to make it more attractive cosmetically and more likelty to sell
it is also possible that a manufacturer may deliberately attempt to have a component as a work of art in case people don't like the sound. people can always donate an expensive neat looking component to the museum of modern art instead of selling it.