So you're still going to have a couple of ugly wires on your desk

I have not tried the "hard wire" 3.5mm connection, so I can not offer an opinion on whether the bluetooth connection is inferior to a direct wire, although I have absolutely no complaints regarding sound quality using the bluetooth.

Are they going to live to my high expectations after reading so many brilliant reviews?I connected my iPhone thru the 3.5mm cable - since sound quality is better than bluetooth with hard wires

The speakers and sub-woofer are ABSOLUTELY hard-wired

The sound quality is amazing both from bluetooth and hard wire.

If I were still within my return window I would exchange them for the cheaper wired version

Both wired and wireless will work simultaneously