Curtis, My objection to the appearance of the 170s never involved the finish, or the fact that they were simple boxes. I have no complaints about either trait. There was just something about the proportions of the 170s that I didn't care for. There is no logical reason I can offer for feeling that way. It was just something visceral from the gut.
I look at the 340s and I find their proportions attractive. And with the stands, I think they look great. Appearance isn't that high up on my list of priorities when it comes to speaker choice. As long as they are above this illogical, totally subjective line between unacceptable and acceptable appearance, it's the sound quality that matters. The 303 with or without stands are above that line. For some dumb, illogical reason the 170s aren't. DUH!
Tom, you make a great point about the M60s. They do seem to be the preferred choice of many here, myself included. But, that doesn't necessarily mean they are the best Axiom speaker.
