This is purely a personal choice. If the looks bother you a lot, don’t make yourself unhappy. But, if you value the sound a lot, and you cannot get that sound within your budget, it might be worthwhile to overlook the cosmetic flaws. I tend to look at this as akin to buying a new car, the first scratch might make one quite unhappy, but over time, the significance fades.
When buying used speakers are cosmetics important to you?
I have an opportunity to buy a pair of used Totem Element Metal speakers that retail at $20k for $5k. They are flawless from a performance perspective but have cosmetic imperfections such as surface scratches that are not visible from the listening position, thus the price.
How important are cosmetics to your purchase of used speakers?