Perhaps you wouldn't laugh at the transparent horn speakers when you realise they cost over £17,000.
I don't find any of them 'ugly'. Not the sexiest, but not ugly. What does annoy me is you never see an advertising photo of a speaker with wires going into it.
In the 'stongehenge speaker' pic my guess is they took the prototypes out of the garage to photograph them.
My least favourite speakers include the dali-esque and organic designs, and the original Quad electrostatic wasn't a looker...