Floorstanding speakers, the large rectangular ones normally found in corners of living rooms or studies, are usually designed to blend into the background, or at least not draw too much attention to themselves.

A cursory google search for these hi-fi devices turfs up row upon row of upright speakers in various materials, almost in black, white or a wooden finish. As with so much hi-fi kit, design takes a firm backseat to the audiophile-level technology, when of course there is no reason why the two cannot go hand in hand.

Take the BeoLab 90 from Bang & Olufsen as a great example of this. Yours for £27,000 a speaker, each boasts no fewer than 18 individual drivers, each located with precision to offer 360-degree audio, so no need to sit in a conventional “sweet spot” for aural pleasure. This driver location gives the speaker its arresting, angular design, one that can generate an astonishing 8,200 watts per BeoLab 90.

Another fine new example of eye-catching design for floorstanders comes from Linn, which is surprising in itself as this high-end brand was firmly part of the “clad in wood” camp – until now.

Linn has joined forces with Glasgow-based cutting-edge textile and interiors design studio Timorous Beasties, to launch the Series 5. The Series 5 consists of two systems, the 530 and 520. Each are active floorstanders using the brand’s lauded Exakt technology, so no need for a separate amp. The 530s are three-way speakers with 100W amplification per channel, crammed into a 30-litre cabinet. The 520s are two-way speakers with a 20-litre cabinet.