System that sounds so real it is easy to mistaken it is not live

dogberry, No one, least of all me, is dismissing full range ESLs. That’s exactly what I listen to in one of my two systems, Sound Lab 845PXs, with no subwoofer. One reason for no subwoofer is my disinclination to clutter up the listening room any further, since it is also our living room where we entertain guests after dinner in the adjoining dining room. Three turntables, front end electronics, the huge 845PXs, and two large monoblock Atma-sphere chassis’ are enough. Other reasons for no subwoof, related to the first, are my own cheapskate nature, the wonderful deep bass I get from the panels with no augmentation, and the fact that I believe I would have to spend quite a lot of money to find a subwoof that can keep up with and blend with an ESL. However, I do not argue with those two guys who describe the putative benefits of a subwoof. In principle, they are correct.  However, I take exception to Mijo's endorsing Doppler Distortion as a compelling mechanism for crossing over at a relatively high frequency (100Hz or higher).  Because I doubt "Doppler Distortion", which is a real thing but not really due to the Doppler Effect, is much of a factor with a huge planar speaker that has a much shorter excursion than does a dynamic speaker and spreads the frequencies among a myriad of unitary panels of different sizes so as to distribute resonance.

Jonwolf, I heard the Volti Audio Rivals at the Capital Audiofest. I thought they were excellent, far better than many much more expensive speakers that I heard at the show. In fact, in many ways I thought they were better than the older big brother Volti speakers at $20K, which were owned by my neighbor and which I heard at length at his house. Good choice.

Thanks Lewm. I heard the Voltis at last year’s Capitol Audiofest in MD & I bought the pair at the show! Don’t need a sub , nice looking, “normal”, well finished boxes that are easy to place & easy to drive. I’ve been very happy with them for a year now. So much fun!

I think Mr Volti was a furniture maker before he went into the loudspeaker business.  His cabinet work is certainly first rate.

@rauliruegas , That Evolution sub is absolutely nothing special and will resonate it's a-s off. The only subwoofers that have a prayer of performing at state of the art levels are those with a balanced force design. This is the only way to neutralize Newton's forces and keep the whole affair from shaking. After this subwoofer performance depends entirely on the construction of the enclosure which has to be absolutely stiff and non resonant. I have figured out how to do this in a small attractive package. Laugh all you want, the last laugh will be mine.

The physics of line source and point source speakers are well know and not a theory. Your system has a fractured radiation pattern and will sound correct and image properly at one single distance assuming no significant room interaction then they will not sound right or image at all. 

Scintillas are perhaps a little less fragile than Divas because they do not have a 1/4" tweeter. But the high frequency ribbon rapidly becomes loose and "flappy" The woofer can be dented with a light touch. They were also responsible for destroying more amplifiers than the Divas. The company did not last long because of these problems. Properly driven Acoustat 2+2's, where a much better speaker overall and virtually indestructible. 

The only SL speakers I fully support are the ones that are floor to ceiling. The shorter versions like the A1s have the same problem your speakers have. They are line sources at some frequencies and point sources at others fracturing the radiation pattern and causing room interaction at exactly the frequencies you do not want it, the mid bass and down. Floor to ceiling ESLs are way more powerful and no other speaker in existence can project a realistic life size and exquisitely detailed image. No point source speaker can this and the multiple driver line source speakers like the Near Field Pipe Dreams have uniformly been awful.

Dear @mijostyn  : I'm not laughin of you or any one else, that's is never my attitude.

Some of the subs I named comes with that balanced forces that you loved even one of them comes with four woofers.

My subs does not shake as you said and as my ADS are internally painted with the Acoustical Magic antivibration blend.

The internal bracing was not my original idea but I took when I had to ask advise to the ADS self designer on something about a little change I wanted to do, he told me that I can't do that change but ( he continue tell me. ) what you can do to improve the ADS whole performance is to bracing both woofer inside " boxes " and I did it and he was so rigth about and from here I did it in my " infamous " subs.

And you know what? My " infamous " point source ADS and subs performs awesome.

With all respect I don't want to follow talking with a gentleman  that is so " entitled " to subs but at the same time was unknow the main target to use subs in an home stereo system ( @lewm  , including your SL. ):

this is wat you posted and my answer to you:

"" When dealing with a dynamic speakers it will only be the range of the woofer that is cleaned up. ""

Not really because when you cleaned up the woofers and lowers its IMD then the mid-range and high frequencies really shines as never before due that the woofers " dirty/trash" harmonics already gone ! ! and this is the main issue/target about. Obviously with other additional advantages.

R.