High end UGLY speakers to be banned by end of 2009

[admin_exported]

It’s unacceptable to pay 1000, 2000£ and even 3000£ for a set of speakers that sound amazing but look extremely Ugly, unfortunately this seems to be the general rule in this industry, I totally understand that what counts the most is Sound quality however Speakers manufacturers should pay some attention to the aesthetics and Colours of their products, after all these are massive and/or expensive objects that will end up sitting in the middle of the house for a long period of time,

Do not misunderstand me, I am not talking here about radical changes in designs, all I am asking for is a small attention to details like the colours and “exterior” quality of the enclosure, I don’t want to start mentioning names most of Tier 1 players are included (check whathifi 5 stars rated speakers to know what I am talking about.)

I’ve been looking for speakers for the last 6 months and this afternoon I started narrowing my list, I was chocked that the last 3 speakers (priced between 800 and 1800) looked so awful or shall I say Super good/ Super Ugly.

Definitely I’m not buying any

 

[Anonymous]

Well, they wouldn't be producing these unless there was demand for it?

 

[Anonymous]

so ... Le Robert ... what car do you drive?

 

[Anonymous]

le robert you should buy sonus faber and audio analogue

not bright, perfect for jazz and look good

 

[Anonymous]

what is ugly for some is not ugly for others ... can be seen in fashion etc on a daily basis

 

[idc]

Define ugly. Will ugly be decided by consensus or a committee? How will you differentiate between ugly and unusual and designer?

 

[chebby]

Le Robert:
It's unacceptable to pay 1000, 2000£ and even 3000£ for a set of speakers that sound amazing but look extremely Ugly, unfortunately this seems to be the general rule in this industry

Tannoy don't do so badly if you want traditional....

Or more modern.....

Then there is Bang & Olufsen....

Spendor......

(Not my cup of tea but some think them stylish.)

With a bit of imagination your £1000 - £3000 quoted budget could get you some excellent speakers that will be domestically acceptable in most environments.

 

[Anonymous]

is that Wenge on the baffles of those Spendors?

 

[matthewpiano]

Love the look of the newer Tannoys but those Spendors are UGLY!! I wouldn't give them house space no matter how good the sound.

 

[Anonymous]

As previously stated Iam not criticizing the size nor the shape, i am talking about manufacturers who produce 1 color or the veneer work is poorly done and doesn't reflect the technology and high sound quality that thesespeakers are capable of,

2 of the most recommended speakers coming from 2 different manufacturers are available in light Oak ? if you have your own listeningroom you wouldn't mind furniture mismatch, but if you have to setup your system in your main room , sorry for gentleman who got offended ,these speakers will look ugly (by universal standards.)

And by the way I am notthe 1st one to highlight this issue, even the pros at what hifi criticize the look at the end of their reviews but they don't emphasize much on it.

All I am saying is that the Veneer and Wood quality should reflect the high quality( high price) of the speaker , more than 1 color should be available .(full stop)

 

[Andrew Everard]

Now I am very confused...

 

[roten]

I totally agree. Wanted to buy the new Monitor Audios, but the wife looked at them for two seconds, then turned towards me and stated that they were the ugliest things ever. I have a feeling loudspeaker technology needs to look at speakers like Artcoustic as apartments are getting smaller, wife getting more of a say in what comes in to the living room etc. I have chosen monitors and sub, as this is the only thing I can fit in my living room without furnishing around the speakers.

Get household design in to speaker manufacturing!ÿ

 

[Anonymous]

Roten has pushed the Envelop 🙂 , he is discussing designs , a piece of advice if you want Mrs Roten to feel better about the Monitor audio show her the PCM GB1i or DB1i; Splendor SA1 (not the piano black) A5 light oak, looking at ATC will make the MA RX6 look gorgeous, JBL and JAMO looks good , but we don't want to dwell on the look issue since sound is the most important criterion.

 

[JoelSim]

Surely there's a speaker to suit everyone's tastes. My Kudos look great.

 

[Anonymous]

ps let's not forget that I mentioned the category of speakers spreading between 800 and 3000 GBP, No doubt most speakers that cost 5 digits look awesome regardless of their size.

 

[Frank Harvey]

You can't please all of the people all of the time.

We're all so individual in our tastes that what one person hates, another person will love. Unless manufacturers offer a few different cabinets styles for each model, they'll only ever suit one type of person - the ones that love that specific style/finish.