If speaker engineers ruled the auto industry, we might all be driving Jeeps. For decades, audio engineers designed their products almost solely for pristine sound, rarely imagining how they might look in a living room. No longer, though, does the audio industry ignore the visual side of its creations. Distinctive styles have pushed aside the traditional black rectangular box speaker, relegating it to use among a handful of hardcore enthusiasts.

While designers have drafted their ideas on computer screens for years, new manufacturing innovations now allow them to turn on-screen brainstorms into working prototypes in mere hours. It is possible to build models, and even finished products, almost as easily as printing out a spreadsheet. As a result, designers enjoy a newfound luxury of experimentation, aided by the freedom to use materials that only a few years ago might have been too difficult or costly to work with.

A perfect example of this new wave lies in the Tangent Prestige, whose elegantly bowed, precision-machined side panels actually enhance its sound. The curves of the panels both slim the profile and stiffen the cabinet, while braces inside the speaker conform exactly to the arcs and further solidify the outside. This construction eradicates extraneous vibration so the listener can enjoy a clear sound—and a clean look.

Orb Audio takes curves a step further, crafting its speakers from steel spheres. This shape strengthens the cabinet and eliminates edges from which sound can reflect. Available in single-, double-, and quadruple-sphere configurations, the speakers may be mounted on stands, placed on tabletops, or attached directly to a wall or ceiling. Black, white, steel, copper, and bronze finishes are offered. A subwoofer provides the bass and can be tucked into a corner, out of sight.

In order to make a speaker that is slim enough to complement today’s 1.5-inch-thick flat-panel TVs, James Loudspeaker has eschewed bulky wood panels in favor of computer-machined aircraft aluminum. The result is the Toccata, a wall speaker measuring just 1.45 inches deep. Customers can accentuate (or downplay) the Toccata’s unusual lines through careful choice among James’ 200 color options.

Several other manufacturers also believe in the magic of metal. David Wiener Collection’s limited-edition 107-pound Ferrari Art.Engine, for instance, is machined from a solid block of aluminum. The unit’s 16 woofers, two tweeters, and four 200-watt digital amplifiers can fill even a 10-car garage with clear, robust sound. Gemme Audio’s new Phenix series combines sculpted metal pieces with gorgeous wood accents—its Manticore model precisely personifies the new design direction. And while Hansen Audio’s curvaceous speakers may look metallic, they are actually crafted from an exotic, proprietary composite material, and coated with automotive finishes.

Perhaps the most radical of these revolutionary new speakers hail from Italian firm NACSound and are distributed in North America by Southern California–based Sonance. Not one of these speakers resembles others you have seen, but the most striking models in the line are surely the Omni and the Kayak. Crafted from ceramic cones, each emits an omnidirectional sound using drivers that fire into a double-cone-shaped wooden reflector. The Omni hangs vertically or sits atop a stand, while the Kayak is designed to be suspended between two walls or the floor and ceiling. Fourteen finishes are available, some reserved and some audacious (one option is zebra stripe).

These examples are merely the vanguard of this revolution, as designers explore the limits of their imaginations and build on each other’s ideas, and as more consumers come to the realization that competent sound and stylish design can indeed coexist.