To make a generalization, the size of your midrange drivers has quite a bit to do with it. I liked the tone that came from the single 10" drivers on my Zu Omens, but a cone that big will never "disappear." I could always close my eyes and know that the good tone I was hearing came from those two drivers in my room.
My B&Ws, by contrast, have double 5" midrange drivers; on good recordings, I close my eyes and perceive musicians playing instruments in space, not speakers pushing soundwaves from two points in my room.
My B&Ws, by contrast, have double 5" midrange drivers; on good recordings, I close my eyes and perceive musicians playing instruments in space, not speakers pushing soundwaves from two points in my room.