the smoothest sounding speaker

For me, a little extra mid bass (or a little underdamping), combined with the falling FR through the presence region mentioned by Duke, defines "smooth".

Vandy's model 2 meets the description pretty well, so I assume that this is what you're after.

I own the Verity Parsifal/Encore and it's a textbook example of this. FR falls app. 5db (anechoically) from app. 2khz to 5khz and the bass will, in most rooms, be a bit elevated between 75hz and 150hz. While this may horrify some folks, the result is IMHO very, very musical.

Many of the older Sonus Fabers also feature this tonal combo, but the Cremonas, while retaining a bit of the mid bass bump, are much flatter through the presence region than were some of the vintage models.

I have owned both speakers for many years, so this post is based on extensive personal experience. However, as always, YMMV.

Good luck.

Marty

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.