Many higher end preamps are dated and ugly, why is this?

now I am making (outsourcing to several companies) an exclusive enclosure for the power system.
Bronze , bone , exotic wood ... development at the jeweler , foundry , CNC milling ...
It turned out to be quite expensive! - the mass market, on the contrary, is trying to save money (for this reason, the external design is very modest)

My Zesto Leto is sexy as hell,  but I bought it because of the rear panel

@ghdprentice +1 

As a group the people that can afford high end audio components we dictate through purchases what manufacturers can sell profitably.

As I like to say, we vote with our wallets. 

Visual appearance is probably more of a factor with speakers than with electronics, which are often tucked away in a rack or cabinet. 

Some manufacturers believe sound and value are more important than looks to many including I. Wyred4sound is a perfect example of that and I thank them.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, as they say.