| Kazaam's Blog / December 02, 2007 |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
| Enough With The Glossy Black Plastic!!!
When we began to see some silver-colored electronic components toward the end of the 1990s, I thought it would be refreshing. Those 1970s receivers with the silver brushed aluminum front panels have always had a somewhat high-end look to them, at least in my eyes. And after fifteen years of more-or-less solid black, I was ready for a change. But, unfortunately, when I realized this new wave of silver components would simply be regular plastic with a cheap silverish gray paint job, I was disappointed and seemingly waited in vain until the day came that I could finally buy some electronics, such as inexpensive universal SACD/DVD-A players, in a nice boring black. It took a while, but it seems black, perhaps coupled with a slight hint of silver trim, is the standard color for most everything. Close enough, I says. Even those Panasonic plasma sets finally abandoned the cheap silver paint job with this current year's lineup of products. Everywhere I turn, from the video section at Best Buy to the audio rack in my own home, it seems all is well. Or is it? It's black, yes. And that's good, no denying it. But there's a strange force at work trying to ruin my happiness and I don't know if there are enough Brian Wilson records in the world to combat the feelings I have regarding this new trend du jour. It's what I like to call "glossy black plastic". A few short years ago, back when silver paint was king, there were a couple of manufacturers who were giving us components that had an upscale, piano-gloss black finish. I'd go to the stores and marvel at how expensive-looking those Pioneer Elite audio/video receivers and plasma televisions were. (Well... They were expensive, so I suppose that should make sense!) Similarly, I read with great enthusiasm about NHT loudspeakers and how a prospective owner probably needs a pair of white gloves in order to not leave fingerprints all over their beautiful finishes. Not surprisingly, there was a small trickle from other manufacturers that began to release products that tried to replicate that high-end look. One of the first products on store shelves from these copycat manufacturers were the upper-tier video products from Samsung. I bought one of their plasma models, complete with its square box corners. It's certainly not high-end, but still I think it has a certain "classiness" that comes very close to those of the great Pioneers. Looking elsewhere in my home, I find my HP notebook computer. At the time, I bought it because I thought its glossy black exterior looked cool. And, I guess, it still does; but I'm also starting to think the computer looks a bit cheap. You see, glossy black plastic has proliferated to the point where it's in everything. My PlayStation 3? Yep, cheap glossy plastic. My HD-DVD player? Yep, cheap glossy plastic. I wouldn't have bought the PS3 and HD-DVD in that color except for the fact that glossy black plastic was (and is) the only choice. In fact, it's seemingly the only choice for many current electronic devices. It's overkill. We got too much of a good thing and now all I see is "cheapness", not high-end. And, in fact, I wouldn't be surprised if some of these devices really are cheap and crappy. When I look at a new Sharp AQUOS dvd player, I feel as though it may crack if I look at it the wrong way. So I say it's time to stop it with all this "high-gloss black plastic" crap. Now! The idea I'd like to promote, instead? Let's just get back to enjoying the understated elegance of a flat-black color scheme. It's time to start releasing new products with plain, flat-looking blacks. If nothing else, it will serve to make the one or two glossy black components we keep as "special". Almost high-end, if you will. Even if they're not. **** Edit 05/24/08: When will the madness end?!! Today, I noticed Target brought in some new Sony flatscreen televisions. Were the colors flat and muted like last years models? Nope. They're glossy! |