The lightning rod of controversy! Bose 901's! But how do they really work?

What does the required equalizer actually do and how do they get away with all of the tiny little drivers?

I've had them before, hooked up to my all-Carver system from the mid-90's and I thought they weren't too bad but I really just want to know besides the "direct-reflecting" stuff, how exactly are they different from a "normal" speaker?