I agree, if coherence is what you're looking for, put your reluctancy against subwoofers aside and try a good dipole sub. The quality of bass reproduction is so much better than what even the best esl system can offer. Not only will it give you much cleaner and deeper bass, but it will also increase the max output of the esl's and reduce their distortion. When done properly it will lift your esl's truly to another level.
