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The Cyclicality of Black Vs Silver


Lately, I can't decide if I prefer the silver or black faceplates which are available for my various Audio Research components.

This reminds me that just like car manufacturers, audio companies seem to go back and forth between silver and black cases, no doubt to try and grab the market's attention with something "new"?

Personally, I can't stand silver or chrome trim on any cars made after about 1975, but I notice that some new cars are going back to chrome trim around the windows.

What are your thoughts on silver? Black? Or God forbid, iPod or 1980's Adcom white?

What makes for the most timelessly stylish audio components?

Happy Thanksgiving,
cwlondon
cwlondon OP
1,210 posts
 
Hoping we don't lose focus on the black/silver debate, we could add red vs. blue vs. green LEDs to this discussion.
unsound
7,318 posts
 
Was it Fred Kaplan that suggested that the differences we attribute to the sound of components were actually influenced by the color of their face plates?
tom6897's avatar
tom6897
1,484 posts
 
Listen in the dark and it will not matter:@
unsound
7,318 posts
 
Tom6897, some people have front projectors.
sfar's avatar
sfar
1,756 posts
 
This is somewhat of a tangent to the main question and a rant, besides, but one of the things that drives me nuts about faceplates, both black and silver, is that in the pursuit of nice 'design,' the labeling of controls often seems to be designed to frustrate the user.

I have a Peachtree Decco which is a very nice piece of gear except that all the lettering on the brushed silver faceplate is in gray. It's not an exaggeration that you have to get down on your knees with a flashlight to read the labels. I've had the same problem with gold script lettering on black faceplates.

Why do they do that? I don't want to have to wear a headlamp to operate my gear.
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