New Year Swap... or not exactly?

2022 will certainly be better than the last few years, but for me it started with a new problem. My wife asked me why I haven't made any changes to the living room audio/video system in the last few months...? Strange question indeed. On enquiring, I discovered that she was actually waiting for the time when my beloved Audio Exklusiv Tubular Bells would go. Turns out she just can't stand them. Nothing new, really, as she's always been a tower speaker hater. But this time I thought the excellent sound had convinced her... No, it hadn't.

Now, as much as I like the sound, I think I will change them. In fact, the wife and kids use the system more often than I do. And she's very interested in furniture, design and decor. Certainly more than me.

First thought was to swap speakers: Audio Exklusiv Tubular Bells will go in the home office system and Acapella Duke's in the living room system. But I might choose differently. Something simpler, with less cables and fewer boxes, would be more suitable for the living room. I think each system should be "site specific" and the architecture should come first. So why not leave the Dukes in the home office with the Tubular Bells and buy active Bluetooth speakers for the living room? They would also have to have S/PDIF inputs for the TV and Blu-ray player and I'd have to work out if a remote control would be necessary or not, but if I have to make the compromise of the 'bookshelf' installation again (not optimal for the sound in my living room, as in many others) then the simplest route might be the right one. So much for the notion of a 'definitive' system. S3 (living room) is changing again! And S4 (home office) too!