Looks are certainly important to some and it is something to consider.
A fellow by the name of Toole did some reasearch a while back that showed that most people prefer speakers that conform to like:
Flat frequency response with a slight roll off on the top end, off axis frequency response that is as close as possible to the on axis (up to 12Khz I think??), low distortion... Many Canadian manufacturers including PSB, Paradigm, and my favourite, Axiom, used this research to design their speakers and all make a fine product.
You can start with
this site that gives 3rd party speaker measurements as a way to help narrow down the search a little. Their list is not all inclusive, but its a start. The measurements can also help you eliminate some manufacturers that get a lot of buzz, but where the speakers just do not measure well.
Or... you could just buy Axioms, be happy, don't worry...
