I am looking to upgrade from Klipsch RF-7s to Zu Essence but would also like to consider B&W. Any thoughts on how the Essence compare to 803s or even 803d? I listen to mainly rock and singer song writer (Avett Brothers, Bealtes, David Gray, Floyd, Stones)
Macallan7
good grief! The Zu speaker is so different from the B&W because of the driver technology & the overall design philosophy that it wouldn't be right to make a comparison. Or, atleast to me, the comparison would not be meaningful.
It appears that you do not know which way you want to lean - full range driver speaker OR multiple driver speaker. Maybe you need to decide that before you start making a short list??
Or, if you have the chance, go listen to the Essence & N803 or 803D & see what you think of the reproduced sound...