Integrating speakers into contemporary decor - can WAF ever be overcome?

Some people may find this article helpful: https://hometheaterreview.com/its-complicated-understanding-a-womans-relationship-with-av-gear/

In it, author Adrienne Maxwell make three generalizations that may apply to many women, including:

1) Women put a high value on practicality and convenience

2) Women care more about the result than the process

3) Women who work at home may find it difficult to de-stress at home (they want to go out to de-stress)

Whether you agree with her or not, it’s important to understand your partner’s needs, ideas, and motivations. Applying the above three key points might look like 1) if we move ’audio’ into the main room of the home, we can repurpose that old ’man cave’ for something else, 2) show some examples of main living areas incorporating AV that are highly appealing (show some potential end results), and 3) consider how watching movies at home can save money and help bring the family together. For example.

Approaching the idea together, and really listening to what she wants and needs, can help create areas of consensus, help you understand their motivations and interests, and help derive paths to solutions.

It’s not always about the aesthetics, though that can also be important. Speakers that don’t look like ugly black boxes (or boxes at all), that only come in black or ’woodgrain’, and speakers that don’t look like space-age tech objects, can also be helpful. It’s where we started. (https://phillips-design.com/)

It may also help to drive toward the 'practicality and convenience' notion to have a simple, minimalist system - a simple two-channel setup for audio and TV, with a power amp, DAC, and one single streaming device for music, movies & TV (Roku, AppleTV, etc.). Add to that a good screen, a good pair of speakers, and a single remote. (We like the AppleTV + Gustard X16.) You'll have a convenient, simple system with fewer components and cables, great sound, and you can even Bluetooth your phone to it.

Again, focus on the end result, not on the process or the gear minutiae...

Here is my situation and how we worked it out:

100 year old house. 10’ ceilings. Living room is fairly formal. Crown molding. Formal looking fireplace. Oriental rug. Eclectic furniture. Mostly traditional but some contemporary. Nothing particularly fine. Eclectic art. Audubon to abstract.

My wife of 35 years has excellent taste in such matters and like this living room the way it is.

I already have a music room of sorts.

Then I inherited a pair of Aerial Acoustics 6T towers. Piano black. To me they are ’pretty’ speakers. Very elegant. I do not need them in my music room but I wanted to keep and use them.

She was not thrilled especially when she envisioned a large multi component system like my primary one.

When I told her I would make the components invisible she consented to the speakers.

So, I got a Sonos Amp. Sure, beneath the dignity of the speakers. BUT, we already had Sonos throughout the rest of the house so it made sense....AND it sounds surprisingly good even compared to a Bryston amp. It is under a side table so essentially invisible. Plus, she can use them since she already uses Sonos.

As for the aesthetic question I think the speakers look pretty good in there. Grills off so people won’t think they’re room air filters etc. I wondered if wood grained speakers would be less intrusive but in reality you can’t hide 4’ tall towers anyway. In that regard I think the piano black looks like a design choice and not camouflage.

So consider various compromises. Consider speakers that are ’elegant’ in appearance. Consider a Sonos Amp or something comparable for invisibility. Or something like this if invisibility is not an option:

Finally, tell your wife how important it is to you and (sincerely) tell her that you are confident that with her good taste and ability she can make something work.

WAF cannot be overcome but is subject to negotiation. 

This is a silly post. If you have the ability to build your own dedicated listing room in the basement, problem is solved. As long as you have one optimized room, for listening, they rest, should be totally negotiable!