WAF??? WTF!
Agreed. I was going to reply that WAF can certainly be overcome - with the right "W".
Then I read lemonhaze's comment and decided there was no need because......super. 😉
Integrating speakers into contemporary decor - can WAF ever be overcome?
This is a topic I'd like to see discussed more. Not a speaker issue per se, but it's speakers that usually cause the problems. My partner is a hard core interior design/aesthetics type. We will shortly be combining households with all the benefits and challenges that this presents. We're both fans of a "Music In Every Room" (MIER) lifestyle, so that's a good start. But we quickly diverge. And to be clear, we're not talking about giant screens on the wall or home theater. This is audio only.
Anyway, her idea of MIER is built-in speakers or, at most, tiny Sonos units on a bookshelf or behind furniture. I had some of that in my house albeit BlueOS stuff. That's OK to a point. But my LR had KEF LS50's on stands. Obviously difference in sound is dramatic, and she admitted it. But she doesn't care. For her the improvement in sound quality is negated by aesthetic horror of visible speakers.
It's worth mentioning that the decor/design aesthetic in question is basically high end transitional with mix of contemporary stuff, Asian antiques, some colonial antiques, large format abstract oils, etc. It's >not< traditional or frou-frou, really a look where the right speakers could easily be interpreted as industrial design pieces that mesh well with the rest. The LS50s fit that description I think.
So, getting to the question here... Has anybody had any luck convincing spouse that speakers can be a part of the decor? To think of them as some kind of sculptural elements, not "just ugly speakers?" That they're industrial design elements that somehow add to space? Have links to pix of living spaces that integrated speakers into the look? Any help or ideas would be great. Thanks for reading, a kind of odd topic, I know. Cheers,
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If you’re working around your OP’s situation where you have furnishings already in your possession like his Colonial and Chinese pieces, that’s a difficult situation to design around without your speakers clashing with your belongings and being eyesores. I had an acquaintance who parked his prized motorcycle in his living room. Needless to say he was single. If your wife/partner is into having an attractive home environment, way too many great sounding speakers are definitely not going to cut it any more than that motorcycle. Having speakers that are not ostentatious like his KEF's on stands is helpful, limiting the palette of your components too, and having furniture and decorative items that draw your eye away from the speakers and other components also helps. It's not difficult to work in a small bit of industrial design (i.e. the KEFS and a flat screen) into a part of a room which ends up providing a nice contrast for your antiques. If you google your KEF speakers under Google Images you might get a couple of ideas. Music Direct has a picture there you might like. Mike |
Wow is this timely. My wife and I are moving, from a nice eclectic home to one with a different feel. See the pictures. I have black Linn speakers. If they sound good in the new house then I think I need to sell them and but white to appease. They do sound great in this current house but in an earlier house they did not, I preferred my Totem Forests in the bigger space. So not sure what I will do.
But want suggestions on placement. I doubt I will get them in front of the book shelves so am thinking the left wall for my set up. Thoughts anyone? Or is there a bookshelf option that could equal floor speakers? The house does have Sonos ceiling speakers and I will get a sonos Arc and base for tv sound.
Now, how do I post pictures? |
@lbarbish Have a look at these that’ll likely sound much better than your current Linns (I used to sell Linn gear) and might work well with your new decor. Good luck with the move and the speakers! https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649985660-joseph-audio-perspective-2-graphene/ |
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