What's he going to do when the speakers are out of date and he wants to upgrade them? Maybe that will make him think about spending the money to redo it?

Sorry about that...it's always good to vent! Happy to read and vent with you, since I'm sure I'll be venting about something, in the future :)

Thanks for the reminder that spouses are not always aware of the "right way" to do stuff. I bought these beautiful flat wall sconces in an art glass style that were sort of Art and Craft scenes of sunsets on the water. Sounds weird but they aren't. I wanted them wired separately for using them as mood lighting. My husband had the electrician wire them to only come on with the overhead can lights! And we were unable to change it by the time I noticed. He said he hadn't wanted to have a huge bank of wall switches. [Big deal!] Twelve years later I fume every time I think of it. Those pretty scenes are barely noticed in the well lit room. Ugh!!! The best laid plans...

Communication is the key! And try not to freak out!

I hear you! Guys who are into sound systems often don't pay any attention to visual aesthetics at all. For 25 years I lived with four HUMONGOUS old-fashioned speakers in my living room that dictated how the room could be arranged and made it impossible to ever really decorate the room. He wouldn't get smaller ones because, according to him "they don't make good speakers like these anymore." When I started designing the new house, I told DH that he could put those speakers in the media room or in his man-cave but that, in the rest of the house, we were getting new speakers were going to be tiny and placed up high in the corners of the rooms or else set into the roof or wall so that they were NOT NOTICEABLE.

Well, guess what, when he started investigating new speakers for the living room, DH decided he really didn't want to keep those old speakers after all. The new ones sounded so much better!

Moving speakers is NOT that big a deal. Yes it will cost you a little bit but do it anyway. They don't have to tear out the sheetrock or the insulation. They have special tools that let them pull the wire using small holes that aren't that difficult to patch. Besides, I don't think you get the best sound from speakers right in the middle of the wall anyway. You really need paired speakers set nearer to the edges of the walls for balanced sound. Think how the speakers are placed at concerts. And they make some really nice looking and great sounding SMALL speakers these days.

I say stand your ground and make DH get the speakers moved. Just keep burning his dinner and then crying and telling him you were just thinking about how those speakers smack dab the middle of the wall will ruin all your plans for a nicely decorated room and you forgot all about paying attention to your cooking. He'll come around. Even the most dedicated audiophile loves his stomach more than his ears. LOL!

Bevangel- LOL!!! I almost fell out of my chair, laughing, when I read your response....excellent suggestion! :)

Move them. My electricians had to move some light switches and plug-ins in this house. It really wasn't very expensive. The drywall guys know what they are doing and can make it look like they were never there.

You might look into moving and/or replacing them with "frameless" or "invisible" speakers. The frameless often have grills that can be painted same as the wall. The invisible are completely concealed (you mud them over), but these may not satisfy the hard core audiophile.

Unless you have an odd ball texture on drywall it is very easy to make repairs, and a good repair is not visible.

DH is back to "Dear" again. He graciously offered to have the speakers moved...without me having to burn too many dinners! So I'm a happy camper again. Thanks for listening and encouraging me stick to my guns. The speakers are still on the wall, but are moved up to the ceiling. Hardly noticeable now.

Thanks.

Congratulations! :)

so happy for you! V-day is coming up. Suggest you do something extra special for DH to show him how much you appreciate what a kind, thoughtful, generous-hearted man he is. Positive reinforcement and all that.

So glad this worked out, it would have bugged you forever (at least if you were me). I have had an air return to stew about for a few weeks. It is right in a highly visible place which I have told the electrician and others to stay clear of because it is my "beautiful wall." I said no switches, etc here. Didn't think to mention it to the HVAC guy, and there it is. I finally asked my builder if it could be rotated 90 degrees so that it faces the mudroom vs. my "beautiful wall." I walked through yesterday and it is turned --- thank goodness. My heart did a little leap when I saw that return in the mudroom. I had no idea just how relieved I would feel until I saw it moved! Don't know why I didn't just ask sooner!

It's amazing how these little things can absolutely drive you crazy. And we're probably the only ones who would ever notice. I honestly think I would have "lived with it" if I hadn't gotten the encouragement from you guys to verbalize my disappointment and ask for it to be moved. DH really made my day.
Bevangel, I'm taking your advice :-). Thanks!

Glad it worked out for you and all is well again.