There was a time when consumer electronics were statement items, designed to resemble quality furniture that would be shown off as a centerpiece of the home. Televisions in ornate wooden cabinets, or ...

Faced with an old console stereo from the 1960s that was barely functional, [Sherman Banks] aka W4ATL decided to upgrade its guts while keeping its appearance as close to the original as possible.

Just as CDs, records and even cassettes give music a physical presence, a new era of elaborate console and cabinet design is returning to hi-fi to counter the ethereal blankness of ultra-compact ...