Hi-fi and luxury have always been intertwined, but is style as important as sonic substance?

Here at What Hi-Fi?, as Faith No More iconically sang, we care a lot (about audio quality).

So much so that we’ve dedicated our professional lives to hunting for the finest hi-fi money can buy and then reporting our findings to you, our discerning readers. We put a heavy focus on audio in every review we do as a result.

Whether it’s a pair of cheap earbuds or a Temptation-level pair of premium floorstanders, they need to deliver the goods sonically if they’re going to get a five-star recommendation from our reviewers. In that you can trust.

But, we do factor other elements into our scores; durability, value for money, and more are all key things we consider when reviewing.

On this long list, one of the most controversial, which has frequently led to “heated” discussions in our listening rooms, is the importance of aesthetics.

We all agree they matter and that, given the choice, we would prefer our hi-fi to look nice, or at the very least discreet.

And we know we’re not alone. Brands like Bang & Olufsen openly focus on making products look eye-catching and occasionally even artistic, and have a big following because of that.

But recently, the trend seems to be growing, with more and more of the hi-fi brands we cover talking about the efforts they put into making their products “look” as well as sound nice at the various launch events we attend.

Which is why we want to know, how much, if at all, do you care about looks when buying hi-fi?

Do you want your speakers to look like a work of art, akin to the Bang & Olufsen Beolab 90, or have the stylish trappings of Fyne’s Vintage range?

Do you look for a product that will match your listening room's decor and are willing to make minor sacrifices to audio quality or features, to get it?

Or, are you a purist who doesn’t give a monkey's how your hi-fi looks, even when spending Temptation level money?

We want to know your thoughts!

Any comment you leave might be used to create a wider responses column at the end of the month. So remember to keep your responses PG-13 as we’re a safe place for people of all ages and backgrounds. No swears or nastiness allowed.

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