kenratboy Posted March 8, 2003 Share Posted March 8, 2003 If you were getting some custom speakers made and you could have ANY finish on them, what would it be? Wood, rock, metal, etc. Something like solid gold is just dumb, so keep it real. I would either go for some Bird's Eye a la Dynaudio: or just some sort of tough, synthetic black coating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frzninvt Posted March 8, 2003 Share Posted March 8, 2003 Brazilian Rosewood, Zebrawood, or Teak in a lacquer finish in that order. Preferably on a Klipsch Heritage speaker! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BBB Posted March 8, 2003 Share Posted March 8, 2003 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audible Nectar Posted March 8, 2003 Share Posted March 8, 2003 BBB, how shagadelic I personally like the rosewood - I've seen klipschorns in rosewood, and it looks gorgeous! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynnm Posted March 8, 2003 Share Posted March 8, 2003 That Bird's eye maple is lovely stuff. I once saw a large desk veneered in that finish - Gorgeous. My KLF30's are finished in mahogany. The funny part was that the dealer told us that he didn't have any available in oak or cherry but he could supply mahogany if we could live with that. My wife and I both nearly giggled because mahogany is our favourite wood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Invidiosulus Posted March 8, 2003 Share Posted March 8, 2003 I'm rather particular to the oiled walnut on my JBL's Peace, Josh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheEAR Posted March 8, 2003 Share Posted March 8, 2003 My Aerial SW12 is in bird eye maple. And soon the Dynaudio Special 25 will join the SW12 Anything else is just cheap vinyl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prodj101 Posted March 8, 2003 Share Posted March 8, 2003 I'd take some nice big 1 inch thick aluminum cabnits, painted that black color that almost seems to absorb reflections. sorta anti-gloss almost. I like the indestructable look metal audio equipment has, and I like to keep things simple. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenratboy Posted March 8, 2003 Author Share Posted March 8, 2003 Also, I like the finish on some pro speakers. It is basically a matte black epoxy sprayed over the cabinet and it makes it feel like it is made of stone. It has a nice feel to it and is very unobtrusive. I am not a HUGE fan of wood, but I was looking at the Polk LSi9 a few days ago in the cherry finish, and it was sure nice, but if I bought them, it would be ebony. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted March 8, 2003 Share Posted March 8, 2003 my FAVORITE finish is an oiled finish on Rosewood, black walnut, etc...anything highly figured with an appropriate bookmatch in the veneer. It is hard to beat a classic fine-furniture wood with a classic finish on it, IMHO! But...the most easy to maintain finish is satin urethane. If maple, then I prefer tiger-stripe over anything else(preferably sealed so that it remains blonde over time)...it just "comes alive" as your eyes move or with lighting changes in relation to its position! It really adds something special to the decor, IMHO! My preference lies in traditionally used solid wood and veneers for fine-furniture over the last few hundred years...too bad that many don't realize that some finishes and woods just wander in and out of popularity...making them "classics", while others just remain popular for a short time...and never resurface to that point again! In the next few decades, we will again have a small but growing supply of increasingly-old-growth native American Chestnut available...it is on the road to a comeback right now...thanks to the American Forestry Association's efforts to supply the nuts to interested growers the last two decades or so after the "discovery" of a few stands of these trees that are obviously naturally blight-resistant. When that happens...some of you folks who have NEVER SEEN the beauty of highly-figured American Chestnut used in fine furniture and veneers will be in total awe of the sight of it!! Trust me on this!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenratboy Posted March 8, 2003 Author Share Posted March 8, 2003 HDBRbuilder: intersting info on trees. I guess you can't have veneer ASAP, got to wait for it to grow In my dream house, there would be lots of stainless steel, maple, and black stone/painted/finished surfaces. Until I can afford that, I have to stick to black particle board furniture. I am so going to be a goth by the time I am 25 :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted March 8, 2003 Share Posted March 8, 2003 KRB, There has always been a very limited amount of native American Chestnut available since the blight swept across North America in the 1930's, but in the last 50 or so years that has come mostly from very old telephone and telegraph poles that were made from the straight-grained trees way back then...or from other sources, such as some old log structures that were discovered to have been made from that chestnut. Contrary to popular myth, it was NOT the blight that destroyed the MAJORITY of the trees, but scared timberland owners. As the blight swept across North America...the telephone and telegraph and railroad companies told the timberland owners to cut them and sell them to them before the blight hit their area. In doing so, these timberland owners likely destroyed a huge number of these trees that MAY have been NATURALLY blight-resistant to begin with!...further SERIOUSLY dwindling the numbers of these trees and their chance at an easy comeback over the years!! American Chestnut was (and is) extremely rot-resistant, and insect-damage-resistant...so it was highly favored for use in telephone/telegraph poles and railroad ties...this factor also led to its being used in many log/beam structures in the old days...and that has been the primary source of it for lumber and veneers the last 5 decades or so...but generally-speaking...those trees used for those purposes were PRIMARILY tall, straight-grained ones...NOT the highly figured and wide-crowned "yard trees" that have alot of crotch wood and such in their grain structures and lead to the most beautiful of the veneers! As the American Chestnut tree makes its comeback over the next few decades...there will be a steadily-increasing healthy mix of both the tall and straight-grained "deep woods" trees and the wider-crowned "yard trees" to draw upon for furniture and veneer making. Not only that...but the comeback will bring with it the delicious nuts from these trees...they are much sweeter than European chestnuts and will be yett another holiday enjoyment for our descendants. Just look upon this comeback in relation to the comeback of the bald eagle...it is happening and our future generations will be the better for it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robB Posted March 8, 2003 Share Posted March 8, 2003 When i worked at the Audio store, my boss had Klipschorns at the house ,in Zebrawood! It compares with the finest furniture out there,in terms of care and finish. I agree with JOsh too, the JBL speakers had a beautiful American Black walnut finish that looked awesome. We carried their pro line of studio monitors and even the little 4301 had that finish. Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenratboy Posted March 8, 2003 Author Share Posted March 8, 2003 HDBRbuilder: you know fat too much about trees for your mental health - good info. You need to make some Heritage series with the industrial finish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt1stcav Posted March 8, 2003 Share Posted March 8, 2003 I'm not particular. I equally like walnut, birch, teak, mahogany, oak, popular, rosewood, even pine and cedar. As long as it's finished properly to a "fine furniture" appearance. And it's not vinyl veneer! I'd rather spray paint my cabinets flat black or battleship gray than use cheap, nasty, artificial-looking vinyl veneer! Dammit, how I hate that stuff! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted March 8, 2003 Share Posted March 8, 2003 KRB, My family has been timber folk for at least 300 years back...ever since coming to North America, anyway...it is a tradition with us to know about what timber does or CAN grow on our bottomland. As for textured finish on speakers...or any COLORED paint on speakers...my attitude is that putting paint on wood is like smearing bullcrap on a fine old Auburn boat-tailed speedster(I know...way before your time...but before mine too...I just know what I like!)..it just doesn't belong there unless the wood is so pitifully damaged or whatever that it can never be restored to have a finish on it that can show its grain off! To each his or her own! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minn_male42 Posted March 25, 2003 Share Posted March 25, 2003 flat black Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skonopa Posted March 25, 2003 Share Posted March 25, 2003 I like the black ash myself - that way the speakers seems to disappear when you turn the lights down to watch a movie, but at the sametime, they look like a nice piece of furniture. For speakers to use in a music only system, I am for one of the others. I am kinda partial to Cherry or Walnut myself. Rosewood is certainly pretty. The local Tweeter has a pair of the Vienna Beethovens in Rosewood on the floor - gorgeous looking speakers. They also have a REL Storm III in Rosewood - I wanted to trade my Cherry one in for the Rosewood one - had I known, I would have gotten the Rosewood one ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomac Posted March 25, 2003 Share Posted March 25, 2003 I had dining room corner cabinet made out of curly maple. That wood makes my oak Quartets and walnut Forte IIs look "just ok". What I'd give for a pair of Cornwalls in curly maple. Even the boss lady would go for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cluless Posted March 26, 2003 Share Posted March 26, 2003 dont mind me, just cleaning house. great idea minn-male! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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