There is no reason to believe that a standard rectangular design is necessarily the best. But there is also no reason to believe that a bizarre design is any better. In the end, I'm with you - I want my speakers to disappear both sonically and visually. I don't think I would ever buy a speaker that sounds great but is constantly screaming: "Hey look at me!!!"
Odd shaped speakers
How can a speaker shaped like a ham be taken seriously? How about one that looks like a giant version of the horn usually associated with Nipper? Or the ones with so many modules and a rack type thing you wonder how the sound can be integrated when the sources it comes from are so disparate? Am I the only one who is satisfied with boxes properly finished or what?