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...and that nobody would want real wood veneer on their speakers?

The question was never about whether or not prospects want real wood veneers. It was about whether they'd pay a premium for wood veneers. In the post below, Alan explains Axiom used real wood veneer but "...dropped that because of competitive pressures and lack of demand." As explained by Ian, wood veneer prices became comparable to vinyl and hence we're able to enjoy real wood veneer now.

https://www.axiomaudio.com/boards/ubbthreads.php/topics/195052/speaker-construction

House of the Rising Sone
Out in the mid or far field
Dedicated mid-woofers are over-rated