I heard the Russell arrays at RMAF and I don't think they suck either. I found myself drawn into the music, especially if it was highly dynamic music, and they were good with the softer stuff too. I suspect pulling them out from the wall would have enhanced the soundstage depth too. I wouldn't pay $19K for them given the other arrays that are available at and below that price, and would choose a two way with ribbon tweeters instead. But I still believe this would be a great sounding speaker for the price if you DIY it, and I've been tempted to build a pair using Tang Band drivers. Only problem is I would have to sell a pair of Theater Three Pi's to make room for them, and I can't bear to part with the Three Pi's.

My present reference arrays are the Selah Audio XT-8's in a ported configuration. I have heard speakers that have greater resolution along with more authoritative and extended bass (Wilson, JM Labs, Acapella, Garshman Acoustics, etc), but I haven't heard anything I would prefer to have in my listening room more than the XT-8's.

My "fun" arrays are the silly cheap ART arrays that are described elsewhere on this forum. All I can say about these is that you have to hear them to appreciate how good $350 can sound, especially with a low power tube amp.