Zu Audio Essence vs Klipsch Cornwall

I wouldn't upgrade to the Essence from your Cornwalls if you listen to hard rock and metal. The Essence sound better with lighter type music. I would though upgrade to the Omen Defs since these are dynamic and have a more raw sound that would do well with rock and metal. Your Cayins are plenty enough to drive the omen defs to crazy volumes.

I had the Essence and Cornwall and the Essence will give you every tiny detail will remaining phase coherent. The speaker I eventually settled on was the Zu Def because it has 95% of the detail of the Essence with a ton more dynamics. The Cornwall was a great speaker 20 years ago but if you listen to it next to the Zu Omen Def the Cornwall sounds broken. Without phase coherency your system will always lack emotion and truthfully it is the emotion that a speaker portrays that separates a great speaker from the pretenders. My goal is the Zu Definition Mk4.

Stick with the Cornwall, nothing provides better hard rock and metal sound. Horns, horns, forever.

different, but certainly sideways.