@phillyb , If you know what to do with electrostatic loudspeakers you can get all the volume and dynamic you could ever wish for with much lower distortion within the audio band. If they are designed as dipolar line sources you can minimize room interaction to a level impossible with any other type of loudspeaker.
Thoughtful evaluation is the path to a state of the art system. You identify the problems, find and implement the solutions. The problem most people have is that they are not sure what the target is so they are out to sea without a compass. Thiis is why listening to an assortment of State of the art systems or frequenting live acoustic performances is so important. Sitting three or four rows away from a string quartet is an amazing experience. If you want to know what imaging should be like there you have it. Violins are difficult to reproduce without sibilance. Is there any at a live performance? If not then there should not be any at home either. Sitting a few rows away from a double bass and drums at a jazz performance will tell you what bass should sound and feel like. They should sound exactly the same at home.
Anybody who tells you that any of this can not be done is a defeatist. Good hunting to all of you!