The best looking speakers
The latest T+A Criterion looks superb finished in whitewashed oak. The speakers are refined and lowkey enough to pass as designer furniture IMO. https://www.ta-hifi.de/en/loudspeakers/criterion-ctl/criterion-s-2200-floor-standing-speaker/ |
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Wilson Benesch Vectors in various finishes. Form follows function fabulously. http://wilson-benesch.com/vector-floor-standing-loudspeaker/ |
Taste being subjective all I could contribute is what are the best looking speakers to me. I actually think the Thiel 2.7 speakers, which I now happily own, are about as close to "perfect" for speaker aesthetics as I can think of.They depart from the boring rectangle shape, yet aren’t a crazy, gauche design, but very sleek and contemporary with gorgeous wood finishes (mine being ebony). A really beautiful piece of furniture which IMO enhances a room. I also really like the Joseph Audio Perspectives - just a bang-on combination of slender proportions that combined a modern-with-classic look with impeccable wood finish work. Also love the Devore Fidelity O/96 speakers for a great combo of comfy-classic styling made contemporary. |
lukaske, ’Less Is More" indeed... $ that is. ;) Nice to see that omnis are having a bit of a renaissance of interest and attention on the tech side. I’m down with that. *S* But....I think I’ll stick with my DIY Walsh. Certainly less impact on the budget for this more modestly moneyed mortal. About 1/500th of the Magister (if we’re talking cost in US$....even with my labor added I'm still far less than 30K anything...). That, and I’d be more impressed if Ilumnia had ’doubled down’ with an omni tweeter as well. I have. Zero phase distortion, too... |
If you can find a pair for sale, the Jadis Eurythmie................The ’96, N.Y. Stereophile audio show, at the Waldorf, was their introduction to the US market, along with some other Jadis gear. I was part of that exhibit, as the music playing host. Many significant others, who seemed to be dragged to the show by their nerdy audiophile spouses, lol, wrote on comment cards handed out by the importer, on how beautiful they were, and how much they looked liked giant butterflies ( no kidding, and no comments from the majority of them, about the music being played ). Those music comments were left by the nerdy audiophile spouses, again, lol. |
I have to disagree with the opinion "Magnepans are the ugliest . . ." They have such a pure simplicity they look more beautiful than speakers costing five or even six figures. Magnepans sound to me more like live music in the opera house I go to than the kind of speakers only a television evangelist, who is probably incapable of empathy with composers who are inspired by genuine light (not physical Maxwellian photons in this world) from some higher world, would buy to show off how much he can spend. Wife acceptance factor is helped because they are light enough to be moved out of the way when not in use. Just mark the floor where they sound best. |
mijostyn, you wrote { Believe it or not K horns are usually well accepted because they fit tight into a corner, are made of handsome veneers and don't look like speakers. Unfortunately, most of us do not like the sound as is. } Have you even heard a pair of Klipschorns? If you have and didn't like them they probably weren't set up correctly. I agree they probably are the most beautiful speakers extant and recently there's a newer version that's redesigned that doesn't have to fit tightly in the corners. I'm ordering a pair after my house is built and with my H.H. Scott tube amp I'll be in heaven again! Incredible bargain!!! |
LOL...Jadis Eurythmie: my wife would kick me out of the house if those showed up.
Which, again, I can predict some women I know including my wife would think look odd and sort of like robots. "Why doesn’t it just look like a speaker?" And even though my own wife’s aesthetic judgement of speakers is to some degree predictable, it’s not entirely predictable. She has liked the looks of some speakers I’ve had in the house much more than others, where I would have predicted the reverse. Point being: All this "best looking speaker" stuff is highly subjective. I’m not sure how the subjective all-over-the-map suggestions from other people can help, unless one has no taste of one’s own. |
This " best looking speaker " subject, is generally, when a husband, spouse, or roommate ( the audiophile buyer ), does not have a room totally dedicated to him / her self. Somewhat unfortunate, as, the music enjoyment, which we all agree, is the 1st and foremost basis, for purchasing any and all equipment, to satisfy the ears, hearts and souls. And yes, as in speaker choice for listening, it is highly subjective, with the cosmetics / room decor thing. |
mrdecibel I don't quite agree. Though my wife has her opinions on the looks of speakers, I actually can buy pretty much whatever I want within my budget, and the looks of the speaker are up to me. Aesthetics are very important to me. I'll be looking at those speakers a lot, and it will be a piece of furniture whatever room I put it in. I want a speaker to look really pleasing, not a crappy DIY-looking collection of drivers in a box or whatever. I find ugly aesthetics detracts from the experience. Fortunately the options for speakers are so varied I don't have to sacrifice sound quality in order to also have a good looking speaker. |
I have been quite impressed with my Focal Sopra 2’s in Imperial Red. I own a modest ranch home and my living room is also my listening room (for now). My system occupies the majority of one wall and the fact that I am a single woman means I don’t have to answer to anyone but myself for design sense, taste, cost or volume!! I am fortunate in that sense. I had listened to the Focal’s off and on for several years, comparing them to other speakers in the same price range, and was, again, fortunate to have a brother-in-law in the business and a few friends to guide me. The Focal’s look great and sound better. I listen to vinyl and cd’s with vinyl being my preferred. I’m older now so this will be my last system and I couldn’t be happier. |
First, I don’t think there is a right or wrong. I’ve really enjoyed the varying opinions and learned of some other options. Speakers are awesome, all of them are lovely in their own way. The boenicke look really cool. Still a huge fan of Devore and Zu audio. everyone has their own style. Asking questions and listening to various answers is a great way to learn. |
Altec Capistranos. 1950s design with solid wood top. Incredible piece of console furniture and terrific sound quality. I had a total furniture restoration done so mine are like a brand new pair. Reversed the baffle board on one so they are a mirror-imaged pair since these were originally sold as one in the monophonic days. Original owner did buy two so they are close match. Years ago, I used to have a pair of lacquered Mahogany Khorns w white cane grills, and those were pretty unbelievable to look at. Had to weigh in on this discussion. Don |
As some other have said: Sonus Faber Are great looking. I also like Totem and Boenicke and my wife would be ok with all of those. I happened to mention Kii Three to my wife, more as dream speakers than something to buy right now. My wife took one look and said they were the ugliest speakers she has seen and that they would never come into our house. My dream was shattered. |
prof....good for you, as, it should be.....The point I was making was based on me, and my experiences....Great example. My ex wife ( we were together for 34 yrs ), did not like the look of many speakers I have owned ( not just speakers, such as cables, elevated, on wood / ceramic blocks, etc ), but appreciated my listening habit ). I always had my own dedicated audio room, which was pretty much used by me, and listening buddies visiting. I was never " limited " to what was brought into " my space ". This was also an agreement the ex and I had made ( sort of like a prenup, lol ), prior to our engagement. When she visited my, at that time, current home, during our dating period ( I was 24 ), it was quite clear, she was not as " accepting " as your wife. I helped hundreds of listeners over the years, in putting systems together, and there were more conflicts, than not, when it came to the " looks " department. I do appreciate, as well, the fact that you need to be pleased, visually, with your speaker choices. I would own an " ugly " speaker, if it gave me the performance that satisfied my enjoyment of listening. I suppose, my modified Klipsch Lascalas, and the subs I had built, would not please many, on a visual level. Again, these have been my experiences. So, I do understand, not " all " spouses, are like yours.......Enjoy ! MrD. |
Duevel bella luna always looked good to me, never heard them though. Speakers more than anything need to be tried at home and I don’t have the room for them. http://www.duevel.com/Produkte/EBLdia.shtml |
When I brought home the Magnepan MG20's my wife said, "They're ....... Doors! After hearing them, she said "They actually blend in with the decor". Thankfully, WAF can be improved somewhat with better sound, if they can hear the difference. The Maggies have actuall expanded her appreciation of different genres of music. Happy listening, Butch |
These are sweet. I hung a black v-shaped shag carpet between them to lock in the center image and it worked well, but for some reason I kept getting really horny while sitting in the sweet spot... https://aer-loudspeakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/aer-pnoe-3-mont-www.jpg |
I love the look of the timeless classic box designs (as long as they're no darker than maple/cherry to rosewood - no zebra sriped ugliness please). Big Spendors, JBL L100s, Tannoys, etc all look good to my gaze. The Harbeth SLH5s stand out for me. Their grille and particularly their geometry just looks damn near perfect to my eyes. However as beautiful as these designs look, the perfect loudspeaker for me would ultimately be the invisible loudspeaker - and I'm sure my wife would probably agree. |
...look at new, Gershman Acoustics speakers: modern pyramidal, architectural-looking (except for their studio monitor) from the Avant Garde up. HIGH WAF, easily blends into almost any environment... THE BIGGER QUESTION MAY BE YOUR DECOR: The problem I think you have is the "breathing room" needed by most higher-end audiophile speakers. You may need to consider new or vintage speakers designed for corner placement, or placement close to a rear wall... |
I agree the Gershman Avant Garde have a nice contemporary shape, though I always disliked the out-of-place-looking yellow driver. Looks like the "Grand" Avant Garde has some more interesting grill covers though. But their top of the line "Posh" speaker....egads! Saw it at a show and it was one of the most off-putting, industrial "shop prototype" looking speakers I’ve seen. The cobbled-together aesthetic is a real eye-sore IMO. cd13, I love the look of the timeless classic box designs (as long as they’re no darker than maple/cherry to rosewood - no zebra sriped ugliness please). ..... I feel the same way about a well-proportioned old-school speaker. And the Harbeths are particularly nice for their wood finish and the way they are designed with the grills in mind, so the grills sit neatly and deliberately inset in to the front, where many speaker grills break the aesthetic flow by looking like something you just add on afterward. But it’s also the case, at least for me, that a speaker has to look comfortable in a room. I bought the Harbeth SuperHL5plus to downsize from big Thiel 3.7 speakers. Since I liked the aesthetics of the Harbeths, and they were so much smaller, and I was dealing with a somewhat small listening room, I figured the Harbeths would win the aesthetics battle. But it turned out not to be the case. My room has a contemporary look, and speakers have to be pulled out pretty far in to the room. The Harbeths just looked "wrong" in there, out of place, jarring. Even though the Thiels were far larger, they had a more sleek, modern look, though with a comfy nice wood grain. Both my wife and I and others felt the big Thiels looked more "right" in the room. Even more so for my current Thiel 2.7s. As for "zebra striped ugliness" if you mean for instance the ebony finish on the Harbeths (or other speakers) there we depart. I love a good rich ebony and I deliberately sought out that finish in my Thiel 2.7s which make them match the room beautifully (the rest of the room is in deep brown, black, and cream colors). Maple is usually dull to me and, aside from the obvious atrocities of oak or black ash finish, cherry is my least favorite finish. I remember when cherry-wood was the rage in the 90’s and everyone did cherry. To me it’s simultaneously a boring wood and brings to mind the time of "Shabby chic" furniture and neon windbreakers of the 90’s. But...hey...that’s just one audiophile’s grumbly opinions ;-) |
My Lansche 4.1 with elegant and real wood finish. It also has beautiful purple eyes (plasma tweeter). Ha Ha https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipMtNSB4H5MbCvLRW_yUOEOl3WRBxcf--Jdo_iBJFwEeTH1i-rg4WsWWn5tp03-W... |
Love the look the classic/modern Nova’s from SF... http://www.sonusfaber.com/en/products/olympica-nova-iii/ |
IMO none of the major brands come close to Jim Salk's speakers. His custom finishes look like museum quality furniture. His speakers often have attractive finishes to be sure. Not always in love with the rest of the design. For me finish and overall shape/aesthetics have to go hand-in-hand. (And Salk does have some that do both I think. Some less so). |
