Ugliest Component of the Year 2024!

I’d say its a toss up between that laughable Tekton speaker pictured above and the supreme joke of Tralfamador...actually I think the real prize should go to complete system composed of Mac separates with Tektons as the main left and right with Tralfamadors as the surrounds with a phantom center. Anyone support that notion? And now for the real question: Who among you could walk into a room filled with a system like I just described without laughing out loud?

The ugliest thing about the McIntosh is that it lacks MDMI.  Something that is reportedly fixed with their forthcoming pre-amp!  Who cares what the form factor is if there's no function

It is amazing to me that people got paid real money to come up with these designs.  On top of that, the designs most likely had to be approved by multiple people at these organizations.  The wadax is the least offensive to me.  Tectonic and McIntosh are close but Tekton gets the edge because I could put the Mc in a cabinet to hide.

I find a lot of hi-fi component design to be lacking in design. I think some of that is driven by the fact that most manufacturers are aiming for somewhat "standard" component dimensions for given typologies but there is a lack of creativity in even the front panel of most components. There is something to be said about the timeless beauty of some of Dieter Rams' audio designs for Braun or B&O's early Beo turntables and speakers. I have yet to see a tub pre/integrated/amp that tries to step out of the proverbial box that when I look at it, I get a little design lust. The same can be said for many of the solid-state stuff out there.

Speakers are another thing altogether. Few manufacturers make anything other than boxes with some grille tweaks and veneer choices. I'm not asking that every speaker be a one-off thing, but I also think some thought about aesthetics should trickle down from flagship models into lower models. I think that's why I like PS Audio's current speaker line up. There is a consistency of aesthetic follow through all the way down the line. Sonus Faber is another that make beautiful speakers.

 But...I also don't want components trending in the opposite direction where every design is aping Apple bevels and rose gold tone choices either. 

I think aesthetics is important as much as sound quality. Especially if you have the Wife-Acceptance-Factor to consider. 

I suppose it's a blessing in our industry that those component designers with a bad eye for aesthetics may be brilliant in their ability to make sonically amazing gear.  On the flip side I've experienced components that look amazing but sound like crap.  At the end of the day, I'll take the former condition.  Now if you can get both aesthetics and performance that's a bonus!