What type(s) of finish do you prefer for your speakers/AV cabinets, also do you prefer black or silver on amps, receivers, etc.

Basic black for components.

I went through the "silver electronics" phase once in the 80s already.

Bren R.

Once you go black, you'll never go back ... so I've been told.

Black here, 'cept what little silver there is on the Rotel amp and the H/K AVR635.

Black. Unless it's a real brushed aluminum, which most aren't these days.

I also mentioned speakers, etc. (Unless you meant black there too)

Oh, a woodgrain of some sort. I have 3 different ones!

Vermont Maple on my towers (M80s, M50s) and center (VP100), Mansfield Beech on my surrounds (QS4s), and HG Burled Walnut on my Audiobytes.

Black seems to be the theme in my cave (including the couch). I can even buy black leather curtains.

I liked the Mansfield Beech for all my Axioms.

My Edirol nearfield monitors at work look kind of like Axiom's Cinnamon Beech.

And my in-garage speakers at home are in carpeted boxes.

Bren R.

Brown oak cabinatry, rough cedar walls and ceiling, boston cherry axioms, black textured nht super one xu's, black components, charcoal vintage carver amps and pre, and a black leather lazy-boy. I think I may need some coler.

I like things that are not attracting attention to themselves (but I like them being visible when you are actually looking at them) so I prefer black for equipment. For speakers, I like a wood-like finish, but with black grills covering most of them (for that, Axiom's Boston Cherry finish is perfect for my taste).

ADDENDUM: I would not mind hiding all the electronics if I they all had some XML-based, bi-directional interface I could access with a small PDA for configuration and control.

My preferred finish is whatever Ian would like to throw my way...

I'm undecided on speaker finish preferences. I went with Boston Cherry because real wood was more than I wanted to pay for. As for why I chose Boston Cherry over the other vinyl choices, I don't really know.

I've been going with black for my components just because I don't really want to draw attention to them. When I move my system into the basement, I'll probably hide them completely during movies. I have a ledge running the perimeter of most of the basement. It's a convenient place to put my electronics, and I'll probably have a curtain I can pull in front of it, if I don't go further with sliding doors or something. Depending on the color scheme that's chosen for the basement, I may decide to trade up to a different finish for my speakers. I'll probably go the cheaper route and match the color scheme to my existing system, however.

You can be like me and go for variety. I have boston cherry M22s and a VP100, maple QS8s, and a black EP-500.

I still prefer the brushed aluminum look for components, must be my age. Having said that everything I have is black.

For speakers I am slowly switching over to a Cherry/Chestnut/Semi-Gloss Finish. I've currently got the M3s ( 2channel/tube setup) the VP150 and EP350 in wood.

As for my existing cherry/vinyl M60/VP150/QS8/EP350 setup, if they were being placed on a yacht, they would be described as "for sail". Lets hope I haven't sailed beyond the forum rules with that one.

I am in the minority here, but I like the look of silver components. I like the look of my Music Hall Maverick player and my Belden surge protector. I have a black Denon amp but would love to add a silver Cary SLI-80 (I will admit that I would take the Cary in any color offered). I am not too particular about the speakers as I have a mixture of Boston Cherry and maple speakers.

Black is out, passé.
Metals and woods are back in.

As long as they all match my shoes...

Component colors don't matter to me. There all tucked away in the next room, out of sight.

I run a set of Boston Cherry fronts with the Maple surrounds that I retro-fitted with some white speaker grills. I like how the rears blend into the off-white walls better this way.