Do you care about speaker looks / appearance?

[theREALdotnet]

Acoustic engineers ; so you're an ATC man?

Can’t say I know much about them. I’d say more along the lines of Kingswood Warren

 

[617]

Atc has engineers?

Acoustic engineers ; so you're an ATC man?

 

[kemmler3D]

Realistically speaking: for how long after purchase you will actually look at it? 1 week? 2 weeks? do you want to stay married? It only really matters if impressing visitors is more important to you than your only pleasure. anyone in your household cares how your house looks.

There, fixed it for you.

 

[bluefuzz]

The Blades are also in a category that is still financially attainable for normal people.

LOL! I think your definition of normal is different to mine ...

 

[benanders]

LOL! I think your definition of normal is different to mine ...

Yeah. Scaled for the world population, precious few hifi speakers would be considered financially attainable by “normal” people, if normal is to imply average (income).
We still live in a world where many of the folks who work in the factories producing great kit scrutinized on websites like this, cannot afford nor have a home fit for, the very devices they make.
Just to be clear my stance = those of us who ticked any response other than “No.” are darned lucky folks.

 

[Waxx]

LOL! I think your definition of normal is different to mine ...

indeed. +99% of the people can't afford it down here; Ir may be money they have, but they need it for other purposes. A few grands for a speaker is mostly already seen as very expensive and luxury down here. Most spend less on speakers, more like a few hundreds. An average yearincome is about 40K€ in Belgium, so a pair of blades is half if it.

 

[bluefuzz]

those of us who ticked any response other than “No.” are darned lucky folks.

Having an appreciation of the æsthetics of a loudspeaker says nothing about whether one can afford it. Nor does it follow that expensive speakers necessarily look better or are better designed than inexpensive ones ...

 

[bluefuzz]

An average yearincome is about 40K€ in Belgium, so a pair of blades is half if it.

Yes, a pair of KEF LS50 Metas are probably near the high end of what I would consider a 'normal' person could afford ...

 

[benanders]

Having an appreciation of the æsthetics of a loudspeaker says nothing about whether one can afford it. Nor does it follow that expensive speakers necessarily look better or are better designed than inexpensive ones ...

Yawn.

 

[napfkuchen]

LOL! I think your definition of normal is different to mine ...

Of course, this consideration is essentially limited to North America, Europe and parts of Asia as well as Australia (which reflects the regions of users of this forum). And I don't want to generalize, of course it's not possible for everyone in these countries, and certainly not every year, to put a pair of Kef Blades in their living room. But even for someone who can save around 500 euros a month, these speakers are within reach. Instead, many people decide to "invest" their money in monthly leasing of a pile of mobile metal that actually has nothing to offer other than a high loss of value. To some extent it is a question of priorities.

indeed. +99% of the people can't afford it down here; Ir may be money they have, but they need it for other purposes. A few grands for a speaker is mostly already seen as very expensive and luxury down here. Most spend less on speakers, more like a few hundreds. An average yearincome is about 40K€ in Belgium, so a pair of blades is half if it.

Yes, a pair of KEF LS50 Metas are probably near the high end of what I would consider a 'normal' person could afford ...

40K€ is associated with very different purchasing power depending on the country, even depending on the part of the country and personal circumstances. A pair of LS 50 Meta costs around 1000 euros, which is just 2.5% of this... And yet some (I'm not saying all) with such an annual income decide, for example, to smoke, order food every day or buy new furniture regularly. I have nothing against it at all, but again: priorities.

 

[Doodski]

many people decide to "invest" their money in monthly leasing of a pile of mobile metal that actually has nothing to offer other than a high loss of value.

I have been so very disgusted paying the monthly loan expense for my new vehicles. I hated it. Motorcycles I paid cash for all of them and they never bothered me because the fun factor is so outrageous and extreme.

 

[Penelinfi]

Atc has engineers?

They say they are lol

 

[benanders]

View attachment 361242
They say they are lol

I seriously thought there was Arabic script at the bottom of that blue graphic (I cannot read Arabic). Enough backward-glancing from the seemingly-poorly-matched rights circle and I finally realized it was a case of “duck or rabbit,” “candlestick or two people facing each other.”
Now I cannot unsee the three letters. And to wonder how much speakers might benefit from eclectic cabinetry…

 

[kemmler3D]

indeed. +99% of the people can't afford it down here; Ir may be money they have, but they need it for other purposes. A few grands for a speaker is mostly already seen as very expensive and luxury down here. Most spend less on speakers, more like a few hundreds. An average yearincome is about 40K€ in Belgium, so a pair of blades is half if it.

It's really similar in the US to be honest, the avg. income is about $60K and people tend to have high expenses before they get to think about luxury speakers. I think most people in the US could get them if they took out a loan, but most people here couldn't really just go pay cash for some.

 

[Sal1950]

Indeed - I don't mind the looks of these Wilsons at all but I'm pretty certain I'm in the minority as anytime a pic of them is put up there's a barrage of posts exclaiming how awful they look

I've no problem with the high tech look of Wilsons. I think their price/performance level gets
them in trouble with the measurement sensibilities here.
The ones I would never own are the art/deco designs such as Vivid Giva's or the B&W Nautilus. OMG, no thanks.
JMHO

 

[fredoamigo]

There are designs like this Avalon that will never fit into my home..the only positive point with these speakers is that children naturally move away from them.

 

[Talisman]

Indeed - I don't mind the looks of these Wilsons at all but I'm pretty certain I'm in the minority as anytime a pic of them is put up there's a barrage of posts exclaiming how awful they look

I think I had a nightmare where those guys come to life and chase me to kill me...
I hate the way Hi end speakers seem to scream "HEY YOU, LOOK AT US, WE'RE EXPENSIVE"
Having said that, I wouldn't want ugly speakers even if they sounded great because for me the view is also part of the enjoyment of sitting down to listen to music. I wouldn't want genelecs in my living room, so to speak.

 

[Tell]

Yeah no I would never have any of the above speakers in my home no matter how good they might be, nor those Kef Blade or any Genelec either.
Speakers should come in wooden boxes (tapered is fine) with relatively traditional looking drivers (big black woofers are always sexy like hell). They should melt into the room with the rest of the furniture, not stand in the middle of a room like big expensive status symbols.

 

[Doodski]

Yeah no I would never have any of the above speakers in my home no matter how good they might be, nor those Kef Blade or any Genelec either.
Speakers should come in wooden boxes (tapered is fine) with relatively traditional looking drivers (big black woofers are always sexy like hell). They should melt into the room with the rest of the furniture, not stand in the middle of a room like big expensive status symbols.

So you like these?

 

[Sal1950]

There are designs like this Avalon that will never fit into my home..the only positive point with these speakers is that children naturally move away from them

Luke, I'm your father.