[johzel]

I'm seeing a number of loudspeakers with beautiful automotive finishes nowadays.  Thought I'd start this thread:  "What's your favorite automotive finish?".

Two of my favorites recently are: Mercedes Desert Grey and Mercedes Sepang Brown.  I know, pictures would be better.

[DS-21]

British Racing Green.

[BobM]

I think some colors work better on certain styles of speaker than others. For instance, big tuba-like horns can carry off most anything from Ferrari red, to BR Green, to Mazarati Yellow, to plain white. In fact they look better in almost any other color than black.

But a standard speaker in a box lends itself to basic colors like black more easily.

A panel can get away with something more challenging, like a pearl blue.

What I take away from my observations above is that the larger the speaker presence in the room the more it becomes a centerpiece of the room's decor, and therefore can be used as decoration with some bold colors.

[WireNut]

Black Purple

[JackD201]

Sepang Bronze is a BMW color. That was the finish of my last pair of speakers.

Hmmm. I'd love to have Ferrari Rosso Fuoco 

For blue maybe Lambo's Blue Monterey

[Peter J]

This may be off somewhat off topic, but perhaps some here could reap something from my experience.

 Some years ago I was painting speakers intended for TV room. At the time, I thought it would be wise to just go look at cars and choose the color based on what struck my fancy...which I did. Corvette Anniversary Red. Beautiful burgundy color with incredible depth of tone. Saw it on a car lot and just thought WOW!



This is three stage paint; base, candy, clear. If you've never bought automotive urethanes and associated primers, hardeners and reducers it ain't cheap. North of $500 for material alone, as I recall. Proceeded to finish them, cut and buff and they're just looking gorgeous and I'm just thinking WOW!

Install them in the dimly lit room I call my "lab" and the depth and nuance of the color is all but completely lost because they're not seeing much reflected light like you'd get outside or in a room with pinpoint lighting or lots of windows.

My take away was this; just because it looks good on a car doesn't mean it will translate well into a speaker enclosure inside a home. The environment is a big factor. Don't get me wrong, I still love the color, but so much is lost in the shadows I could've gone with a much simpler finish and gotten 90% of what I wanted to achieve.

[johzel]

This may be off somewhat off topic, but perhaps some here could reap something from my experience.

Not off topic at all.  And your experience IS appreciated.  It looks like I'm going to have the opportunity to choose the automotive finish for my next set of speakers . . . and so am looking for insight and ideas. 

[TF1216]

Would any of you guys buy a speaker if it had electroluminescent paint?  I think well placed designs, edging, or stringers would look other-worldy. 

http://lumilor.com/

[BobM]

Would any of you guys buy a speaker if it had electroluminescent paint?  I think well placed designs, edging, or stringers would look other-worldy. 

http://lumilor.com/

Call ghostbusters to exorcize the demons out of that glowing speaker!  -> 

[HsvHeelFan]

There is a fairly new Porsche 911 Carrera S in the parking lot at the office.  It's in a dark, deep, metallic midnight blue.

Absolutely stunning color.

HsvHeelFan

[paul79]

Avus silver. Silver with a touch of blue.

[Vapor Audio]

Install them in the dimly lit room I call my "lab" and the depth and nuance of the color is all but completely lost because they're not seeing much reflected light like you'd get outside or in a room with pinpoint lighting or lots of windows.

It takes some experience to look at a color and know if it will 'pop' in artificial light or not.  Most metallics that explode in sunlight simply will never do that in a home environment, artificial lighting just isn't intense enough to 'light' the metal flake.  Typically you need larger flake for it to still pop and have depth in a home.  The black we often use looks almost gunmetal in sunlight, there's so much flake.  But in a home you can just barely see it, just enough to differentiate from jet black. 

There are things you can do as a painter, extra flake can be added in any color or size you choose.  You can buy just flake suspended in acetone and mix it with paint or clear.  Also with candies if you put the candy layer on a bit thinner than typical, the flake underneath will show through more. 

Putting paint in a home can be tricky where everything is predominantly earth tone.  But right now we're seeing a resurgence of metallic browns and bronzes that look fantastic, and blend in a home setting. 

BTW, Sepang Bronze is a BMW color - Sepang Brown is a Merecedes color.  The BMW color is more champagne with very small flake that doesn't light well indoors.  The Merc color is darker with more color flip and larger flake, IMO better for a speaker indoors.  Here's a great shot that shows the contrast and flip in Sepang Brown.