BrianM - If Ben Franklin said that, he most certainly did so before Einstein did.
Every speaker designer who employs a crossover strives to make it sound as if it isn't there.
In the beginning, all speakers were single driver. They were used for voice transmission and they did that adequately. When the reproduction of music was attempted, it was discovered that a single driver could not convey a wide enough bandwidth, so specialized drivers emerged. Larger drivers could reproduce lower frequencies convincingly but were too slow to reproduce high frequencies. Tweeters were designed for higher frequencies, etc.
In order for this system to be optimized it was necessary to limit the reach of specialized drivers so that they performed only in their area of specialization and didn't muddy the sound of other specialists. This became more important as the number of drivers in a system increased. Three way, four way and five way systems were created. For this purpose a frequency dividing network was devised. However, new problems arose because it was difficult to synchronize the launch time of the various drivers and nearly impossible to guarantee that they all operated in phase at all times. That is still very difficult and it remains one of the most daunting obstacles a designer must overcome.
All of this can be circumvented by returning to the single driver and addressing the original problem of insufficient bandwidth. Zu has created a driver that provides seamless reproduction from 40 Hz to 12 Khz. That range represents almost all of the bandwidth of your music. However, even their entry models provide a supertweeter which performs from 12 Khz to inaudibility. Their larger models incorporate subwoofers to reach from 40 Hz. down.
George has said in this very thread that one cannot experience anything conclusive in a show demo but he has dismissed the Zu Definition on the basis of a brief show encounter.
I haven't ever been to a show as a visitor (except for Chicago in 1976) but I know that listening when I am the only one at home seems like a more profound and defining experience than when my family is here. This may say something about my ability to concentrate, but I think that the crowd energy and the ambient noise fatally compromise show evaluations.
There is also a tendency, which I am exhibiting right now, to adore what you own. This validates your decision to buy it but it also makes sense that you would want others to be as satisfied as you are.
All I can say about Zu is that they are doing something different and doing it well. To me the other suggestions sound like going further down the wrong road. Even though you are moving forward, your movement can hardly be seen as progress.
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