Article: Impact of Color on Perception of Loudness

[ernestcarl]

I recall reading a paper on a study done by the National Research Council of Canada, who were doing quite a lot of hi-fi basic research at one point. They took two identical 2-way speakers - made identically and also tested to measure within 0.5 dB of each other at any frequency 20-20,000 Hz- and played them for an audience of testers. One speaker's cabinet was painted red, the other was blue.

To a high degree of statistical confidence, listeners reported that the red speaker sound warmer, more emotional. The blue one was neutral, analytical.

My speakers are white, and I can change their sound by wearing colored glasses.

White is cool, but I prefer my speakers invisible if possible. Black seems to be the closest.

 

[milosz]

I had some invisible speakers. Couldn't hear them, though.....

 

[eliash]

I like the sound of my speakers best with eyes closed, even if they don´t look explicitly ugly in their maple veneer...but sometimes I have the subjective impression their enclosures add a sound texture a bit like a violin or double bass body...

 

[ernestcarl]

I had some invisible speakers. Couldn't hear them, though.....

Speaking of invisible speakers:

Probably a common phenomena, but I occasionally dream with music in the background — like a never-ending soundtrack to accompany my thoughts. Sometimes, it turns out my headphones or the speakers were actually left on playing while I fell asleep. Other times, nothing playing in the background at all. I seem to have a record player with a random library of various music stuck in my head — some of these songs I haven’t heard in decades, or since childhood, and it would just pop up out of nowhere in a dream or thought — ear-worms or something.

 

[majingotan]

This video is the living proof that the brighter colors tend sound louder = better. Then again, the Modi MB is definitely played at lot louder than the Modi 3 DAC and that bright pink tint made enhanced that loudness perception even better