I agree with Albertporter, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. However, it does matter how the stuff looks, especially in the case of a system in the living room, as opposed to a system in a dedicated HT room. I tend to like solid, well-built but functional looking gear without a lot of "bells and whistles," and I think some manufacturers go too far trying to present a "statement" look. Sort of like the PT Cruiser, the novelty can wear off over time.
