My techncal knowledge on speaker design is pretty minimal: I can read specs without knowing how relevant they are - ultimately I'm just a punter who buys what he likes the sound of. I understand where Richard is coming from simply because the speakers with the simplest crossovers seem to be the ones I like to listen to, past and present (Royd, Allison, early Snells, etc).

However, my other bug bear is the box itself: no matter how you damp it (or indeed, don't damp it, allowing it to become a musical instrument in itself), I'm aware of the "box" characteristics in so many designs. My own speakers are very good (Neat Ultimatum MF7s), but even with these you cannot escape the point source effect, no matter how good the dynamic impact. It's why I love the ESL 57s: they don't do all things well, but they can do fabulous imagery, soundstaging, and the sense that music is not coming from a fixed source, but all around you.

The only modern production version I've heard recently that give me that lack of boxiness is the Jamo R909 dipolar speaker. These are simply astonishing in the soundstage and dynamics they portray, with the bass impact so needed for rock/jazz music, and a total freedom of box effects. I absolutely love them, and when I next rob a bank, I'm going to buy some. I've no idea what the crossover is doing, but I don't really care - these speakers work - IMHO

http://www.jamo.com/eu-en/products/r-909-description/