Performer-in-Room Quality with Speakers?

My Maggies do what you are looking for  (3.6's). The source equipment is critical. I use all tubes. Also speaker placement is critical. I use the LiMage/HK setup. Electrostatics like Martin Logan can be very real but again need the right equipment in front of them. 3 Pieces that sound like live music to me are Shindo preamps, David Berning power amps and Audio-GD Master 7 Dac. Of course what sounds live to you is subjective and may not be the same for me. Also listening in the near field gives a greater sense of realism. Good luck
Alan

OGOgre,

I think you would do yourself a great disservice if you do not take a serious look at the Omega Super Alnico Monitor (SAM) or its floor stander version (http://omegaloudspeakers.com/home.html).  Single driver, ported, very good bass, fantastic imaging, detail and dynamics.  While they continue to amaze me with all types of music, they especially shine with acoustic instruments, combo jazz, and vocals.  Many owners use SET amps with these, and I am using an integrated hybrid with 12au7 preamp section and ss power amp section.  I cannot get over how really good these speakers sound!  They are available in a variety of finishes - mine were done in cherry and they look fantastic.  Both the look and sound have gotten nothing but the highest wife approval factor, and she was especially taken by the sound.  As a point of reference, I went from Spendors (BC-1 and s5e) and was ready to buy the much more expensive Harbeth M30.1, but then heard the Omega SAM.  With the free 30-day home trial, you can't lose.  I went this route and have not looked back.  

OGOgre,
i’ve found what you are looking for with only 1st-order x-over time-coherent speakers no matter what the type of driver. Some examples of such types of speakers are (these I’ve personally heard/owned): Green Mountain Audio (cone drivers), SoundLab (electrostatic), Sanders Sound Systems (ESL again).
From the list of speakers that are 1st-order x-over & time-coherent that I have not listened to: Vandersteen, Eminent Technology, some older Quads & there were a couple of older Martin-Logans.
There are some other brands than either member Nonoise or Onhwy61 shared with the group in the "Is DEQX a game changer?" thread but I cannot recall them right now.
Some A’gon members have found what you’re looking for by investing in a hardware-software package called DEQX (you have to buy their hardware & install their software on your computer, let their software measure your room & let it build a frequency correction profile such that your speaker becomes time-coherent, it does real-time processing to make your speaker time-coherent as you playback the program material). My understanding (from the "Is DEQX a game changer?" thread) is that, when done correctly, the results are superior & all those members who partook in DEQX are shaking their resp. heads as to how much better their sonics have become with DEQX activated.