Experienced audiophiles best speaker

I have heard the Spendors and Dynaudios but not the Harbeths...yet I wonder if your description of analysis and dryness comes from their use of metal dome tweeters (in most models).

Metal domes (in any speaker or application) sound analytical and dry to my ears. Yet the Spendor and Dynaudio models only use soft domes and I wonder if their more forgiving sound is a buy-product of that decision.

That seems to make sense, I would think that metal dome tweeters carry a signature sound different that soft-dome, I just haven't picked up on it (at my age that might make sense:() Similar overservations made by listeners of Theil speakers (which many love)....

Thanks Paul, Kara's electronics have a lot to do with the sound. Check out this blog from the dagogo show in San Francisco.

http://blog.stereophile.com/cas2010/

We are dealers for Kubala-Sosna, deHavilland, Sonist, Wilson Benesch & Esoteric.

Thanks for posting that link. I didn't think the show was going to be as hugely successful as it was. I had a lot of fun there. My top 3 rooms:

1. DeHavilland: Kara took advantage of a diagonal set-up and analog tape playback to create an exceptional listening experience.

2. Salk Sound: Jim's speakers are incredible values. Great guy too.

3. Tonian Labs: A $6000 system, and that accounts for $5500 speakers, never sounded so good to my ears. It's enough to create a paradigm shift in how we as audiophiles approach evaluating equipment and equating cost with quality sound.

I'd also like to mention the Simplifi Audio room as the most fun experience I ever had at a show.

I have heard metal domes in many speakers like the Epos M12.2, Thiel, Monitor Audio...even though I prefer a silk dome any day, these speakers with metal domes do not sound analytical to me, they do sound bright and a tad hifi-sh though. I somehow feel it is the mid-bass driver of the Harbeth which has a dry but thick midrange...what a rare combination !!!