I definitely like the colour, just don't feel they mix well with the furniture. Maybe it was the initial shock of the colour but I am getting used to them now, especially with the grill on.

The boston cherry would actually have matched the furniture more closely, but i think the wood look contrasts each other fairly well and the black grills bring it all together with the black tv.

I wasn't overly thrilled about the cherry finish Tannoys i bought some time back. They had that 'orange' tint rather than a more rich red that i was looking for. I still consider changing them out for the Rosewood or more rare, Walnut finish but the cost isn't worth it.

Have you considered using Rust-oleum Cabinet Transformations on them? You could verify whether it works well and then report back to your friend.