Planars/ Electrostats benefits over box speakers?

A major difference is the "waveform Launch" of a big Magnepan Vs a cone speaker!

If you want "punch" of heavy rock a long throw 12" cone works best, and is identical to what rock bands use.

If you want the "tone" of a big acoustic standup bass, or even a cello, a six foot tall panel launch is much more realistic.

Panels also give "Big" realistic images that boxes do not.

One of the couple of best systems I've ever heard was a pair of big SoundLab ESL's driven by big Atmasphere amps. I think the SL A1 or A3 was a favorite of J. Gordon Holt. For my money much preferable to Martin Logans, with Quads in the middle. But now Roger Modjeski of Music Reference/Ram Labs is making a direct-drive (no transformer) ESL/amp system that I'd love to hear.

"A major difference is the "waveform Launch" of a big Magnepan Vs a cone speaker!"

That is a common difference.

The difference between a wide range omni and either planar or cone speakers is even greater. Some will love it and never look back. Others might not ever take to it.

Most people are conditioned towards the sound of box speakers at home. Those with good ears who are also well conditioned towards what non-amplified music sounds like live are most likely to take to the omni sound. IMHO of course.

But when talking about "waveform launch", its important to note that other than in an anechoic chamber, the surroundings/room plays a very significant role.

I tend to find that when a good speaker of each unique type is set up well, with room acoustics properly factored in, that they all tend to sound more similar than different in presentation.

I tend to think in terms of listening to teh music in my room, not what is coming out of the speakers, though that cetrtainly is the source. I try to use my room and then perhaps tame it slightly as needed whereas some choose to more "fight" the room after the fact of having placed a system that does not sound right in there in the first place.

Its all a matter of what players are involved and how one chooses to play the game. In the game, it can all work out similarly well. The variety of systems out there that all sound really good are the proof.

I have never heard anything like ESL's myself. I feel you have to spend 6 figures for a box speaker to get the sound I get from $8k stats. It costs alot of money to get that cabinet out of the way. And alot of technology.