I confess to caring about visuals, certainly including speaker finish. My speakers are in my living room, so like it or not, they are part of the furniture in my main living space.
Like Notec, I find birdseye maple appealing, but I agree with the general sentiment here that it is much too light to blend well into many rooms.
If you are dealing with a small manufacturer, one fun possibility would be to see if they would let you supply your own veneer. Certainly Wood (http://www.certainlywood.com/) has an incredible selection, and they are very helpful. My guess is that for most speaker sizes, the added cost would not be that substantial, depending, of course, on the veneers selected. After consulting with Oprah, I settled on the Figured Walnut, which is interesting without being obtrusive, and I have been quite pleased. John
Like Notec, I find birdseye maple appealing, but I agree with the general sentiment here that it is much too light to blend well into many rooms.
If you are dealing with a small manufacturer, one fun possibility would be to see if they would let you supply your own veneer. Certainly Wood (http://www.certainlywood.com/) has an incredible selection, and they are very helpful. My guess is that for most speaker sizes, the added cost would not be that substantial, depending, of course, on the veneers selected. After consulting with Oprah, I settled on the Figured Walnut, which is interesting without being obtrusive, and I have been quite pleased. John