Zu Essence vs B&W

I have never heard the Summit but the word over at the Martin Logan forums is that the bass integrates much better on the spire.

Anyone familiar with the RF-7 and the Essence?

I have B&w 802D but for your musical taste I would go with tannoys all the way.

i had a chance to go listen to the Spire's yesterday. I was actually disappointed. They did some things great, vocals were very upfront but so was everything else. They sounded interesting but not real. It seemed like the drums, guitar everything was on an even plane about a foot in front of the speaker. Also the sound off axis was a dramatic difference much more pronounced than the folks on the Logan forum care to admit. It was set up properly using an Ayre front end and they did sound good, just not what i was expecting.

What i was impressed with was the new 804 diamonds, they looked tiny in comparison but sounded just as big as the Spires. In fact they actually imaged higher and seemed more disconnected from speakers themselves. The bass was not as powerful but i think a sub could cure this. I had never thought about the 804ds but they are top on my list now. Would a sub cure the lack of slam?

Why don't you just audition the Essence in your own home? Zu offers a 60 day 100% refund guarantee. All you pay is shipping. Would give you the perfect opportunity to audition them in your room, with your gear. That's the best sort of listening test you can have to see if it fits your personal tastes. Get 'em with a standard finish for the audition, and if you like them, either keep the standard finish, or send them back and get an upgraded finish if you like. I took advantage of this with Zu, and I have no intention of sending the Essence back to them. Just a really nice match with a tube amplifier. You're talking about spending almost five grand on new speakers. Paying 360 something for shipping should be considered a bargain to see it it's the right speaker for you.