I love the way some audio gear looks, and visual aesthetics is part of what creates desire for a given item. Pintrest keeps sending me photos of beautiful listening rooms, and I do look at them. Audio porn.
But...as it happens, my large listening room, which is also my living room, opens under a stone arch to the entry foyer of the house. The speakers, which are real beauties, stand on either side of that arch—and nothing can be placed between them without blocking entrance to the living room. Fortunately, there is an alcove behind a custom made chair on the left, between the left speaker and the wall. That's where I have the electronics, just as Jim Smith recommends. The remotes can "see" what they need to from the sweet spot, but I can't; my view is of those gorgeous speakers, the stone arch, and the complicated but graceful geometry of the foyer (walnut floors, carved wood door frames, stained glass...). Kind of a gothic "gentleman's club" atmosphere that contributes to enjoyment of music or conversation or just a fire in the fireplace. Fortunately, the acoustics of that room are better than anywhere else I've ever lived. Of course, I've taken care to conceal wires as much as possible.
The downside is putting an LP on the turntable or a CD in the player. I need to kneel on that custom made chair, lean over it, and fiddle, while my backside is sticking out into the room. Undignified. But, hey; every peak comes with its valley. To quote Leonard: "There's a crack in everything; it's how the light gets in."
