Most speakers are built into large square boxes. This poses a problem for home theater buffs without much space to spare. JBL’s Control Now speakers are quarter-round, which means that four of them can fit together to make one round speaker.

The $250 indoor speakers come in black, and the $270 all-weather outdoor model comes in white.

But how do you mount these? They can fit on a wall or in a corner, or sit on a bookshelf. You can also suspend the speakers from the ceiling on a rod, creating a circular cone of sound with a look reminiscent of a high-quality train station announcement speaker. Very futuristic.

The speakers have three-quarter-inch tweeters and four-inch woofers and weigh 6.6 pounds apiece.

Clearly these odd-looking speakers are not for everyone. JBL recommends them for interior designers who might want to hide speakers in places where average speakers cannot go.

Geometry buffs might like to know that the Control Now is a quarter-toroid, a shape we rarely get to enjoy. JOHN BIGGS