As for the wife, it is easier to ask forgiveness than permission.
I relieved myself of this step in the process of all aspects of life a few years back, traded her for more rewarding interests.

There was a mild verbal confrontation one afternoon when she came into the workshop as i was bondo-ing my just completed A7 cabinets. In short, she ended up issuing an ultimatum that it'd either be "her or those damn speakers"(in retrospect she was f@$#ing nuts, and there was clearly a lot more wrong than just a pair of speakers), i thought the choice was obvious. The VOT's are easier to live with, look better, sound better, and can be put in storage when you become bored with them.