How Much Do Aesthetics Factor Into Your Decisions?

If I'm paying for it and have to look at it, I want it to look good.

Many of these questions are already addressed by manufacturers. In Europe and other areas there is a tendency to like aesthetics more and companies often cater to that sense. Europe has many audio engineers and design professionals in audio companies who start from the ground up to make a more visually pleasing product. Americans don’t care that much, this is probably due to the fact most are undereducated in art and design and aesthetics take a back seat to budget or at the other end "I just have to have the best!"

@oddiofyl ,

You better bring that in before it rains...

I give very little consideration to how something looks.  That is why I have no trouble with the custom builder who made my amps and linestage using VERY old industrial equipment cabinets which he repurposes.  I used to run a pair of Audio Note Kageki amps, which i turned around so that the back faced forward for convenience (power switch would otherwise be in the back).  I really had no idea how the thing normally looked.  I was once at a dealership and heard a fantastic sounding setup and asked the proprietor what amps were running the speakers.  He frowned because the amps were Kageki's, which is the same model he had sold to me, and I didn't even recognize them.

My priorities are: sound quality, cost, and remote controllability.

Sound is the ONLY factor.