the smoothest sounding speaker

OHM Walsh for use with SS amps.

since a speaker is connected to an amp one must consider the combination when answering this question. personally, i think a pair of apogee duettta sigs with a cj mv 125 is the epitome of smoothness.

My ATC SCM7's are pretty smooth, even with cheapo Behringer amps.

Having chased audiophile nirvana for about 30 years now, I have grown to associate "resolution" with fatigue.

In college, I had a pair of Magneplanar MG II b's which although lacking the ribbon tweeter of later models, still had enough resolving power to thrillingly reveal all sorts of faint weirdness, voices and sound effects in Pink Floyd records.

They never exhausted or fatigued me, however, and I don't recall ever thinking or saying: "I like these speakers, but if only they were a bit more 'transparent'.."

mrtennis, my Apogees, although mere Stages, were indeed very smooth, even with an Aragon 4004 MK II.

I would imagine with your CJ, even better and more smooth.

To everyone, please do suggest more s-m-o-o-t-h speakers, or for that matter, any smooth components.

I am now wondering if the new Harbeth mini monitor might be worthy of hall of fame of smooth.

Happy New Year,

Cwlondon: FWIW, the most resolving speakers I have owned are also the least fatiguing - the Ohm Walsh 2000s. I have heard more fine detail from some kilo-buck speakers, but in many cases, that came with the kind of stridency that brings on fatigue quickly, IME. The Ohms, with which I am about 3 months into a 4 month trial period, lack any of the congestion, stridency, brittleness and edge that makes me want to shut off the music and watch a movie before I get through a single album. IMHO, this is due to the absence of a crossover in the critical brightness range of 4-8kHz. The Ohm Walsh crosses over to a supertweeter at around 8kHz, much higher up than conventional multi-driver dynamic speakers. Of course, good design also plays a part in this.

As for other "smooth" components, amplifiers I like are Odyssey Audio Stratos (which I own), the Butler hybrid amps, and any current model by Moscode. All are very smooth, yet dynamic and resolving.

how can a component be smooth and resolving when they are adjectives having opposite connotations ?

I think that depends on what you mean by smooth and resolving. How would you describe those terms as it applies to audio?

Mrtennis - until one has heard a system that is both smooth and resolving, it is hard to conceptualize. I have been fortunate enough to hear a few systems that are highly resolving of fine detail, yet produce no grit, glare or edge in the music. I do not equate smoothness with an overall excess of warmth and lack of fine detail. I think most people consider a system smooth if it lacks those unwanted artifacts of grit, glare, edge and sharpness.

I consider myself extremely fortunate in that my own system has evolved over the years to the point where I experience just that combination of excellent detail resolution without any of the downsides usually associated with such systems.

How about refined and resolving ? Some components can sound either grainy or they can sound what I would call raw. I am currently auditioning a mighty fine sounding interconnect, which on first hearing I described as smooth yet beautifully nuanced and/or detailed. Upon reconsideration, I decided refined was a better description, since unlike the common association of loss of detail with "smooth", I hear plenty of information.

Vienna Acoustics...Nice and smooth

Smooth and resolving do not have opposite connotations, we just think that because in audio gear there tends to be a trade-off. But when I go to Symphony Hall or the Wang Center, I hear rich, vibrant, resonant (hihgly resolved)music that doesn't irritate or fatigue(smooth). Occasionally a product comes out that pushes the existing smoothness/resolution state of the art. Products like Spica TC50s, pass Labs Alephs, and the latest AtmaSphere amplifiers (these had always sounded a bit fatiguing to me unitl the latest rev, but now sound highly resolving and smooth).

Have any smooth seekers tried the Harbeth P3SER?

Smooth and resolving - Harbeth all models

Smooth and not resolving - Sonus Faber Grand Piano Concerto(rolled off highs with a blanket on the midrange, which is good for those who don't care for detail and transparency)

IMO

Ryder,

In 2004, I see you described your profession as an "engineer".

So you are not a Harbeth dealer? Do the images on your system link belong to Harbeth?

Re not smooth, I would agree regarding Sonus Fabers, I had a pair of Cremonas once, and kept them for about 3 days.

Others may differ.

Cwlondon,

I am an avid Harbeth user who bought the speakers from a Harbeth dealer and the images on my system page are actual photos of my system. A friend of mine who owned the Cremonas described them the same way I felt about the Grand Piano Concertos. He moved to the Harbeth as well.

Everyone hears things differently so there will be others who may have a different opinion.

Jean Marie Reynaud speakers probably also fall into the category of "smooth and resolving" when paired with the proper electronics.

Beyond that, they are amazing musical and engrossing.

Polk lsim707  listed for 3,999...got returns for 1,400 that was with shipping n tax....Smooth  as  ice cream.....

Smoothness in sound to my ears has equally, if not more to do with lack of smear, low distortion and ease of reproduction. A sibling term could be that of liquidity, and combined these traits are found in particular in well-executed and horn-loaded, high efficiency speakers. Moreover, switching recently to a fully active configuration aided smoothness as well; passive speakers in general sound a bit “thicker,” softer and slightly more veiled compared to an active speaker set-up that is typically more transparent, smoother and with cleaner, sharper transient edges.

don't blame cd  or speakers for for harsh sound ,sometimes the problems are in amplifiers,many of them are tuned with harsh highs in order to make illusion of clean sound