what is the best super speaker and why?

Bioman, go with what sounds best to you. It appears that audiophiles either love the Avantgardes or hate them. I am going to try to audition them so I can form my own opinion. It is too bad that they and most other speaker manufacturers don't provide frequency and dispersion responses for their speakers. This would help to weed out a lot of the subjective BS IMHOP.

Well, Albert and Bio, FWIW I don't care a whole lot for either of your choices. No matter what is being played on Avantgardes I hear "Winchester Cathedral" in the back of my head. Purely psychological, I'm sure. God knows they're gorgeous beasts.

With the Soundlabs, I swear that I can hear comb filtering effects if I move vertically while a constant tone is being played. I betcha if I had a good mike and a good RTA/scope I could prove it. That membrane is just too big and my ear is too small. That's not to say the sound isn't luscious as long as you sit still.

You know, I just re-read my post and it sounds like I'm really slamming those speakers. Not so...at least that isn't my intention. They are both clearly world class. But both have, in my view, little flaws that keep them from being absolutely on the top of the heap. Very close, tho.

Bishopwill, nothing is on the top of the heap. There are flaws in every speaker ever built. Each listener must decide how many flaws and which type can be tolerated on a consistent basis.

I agree with your comments about Avantgarde, but as for the comb filtering sound you mention concerning Soundlabs, you must have heard an early model.

Soundlabs now utilizes "Distributed Resonance" (their buzz word) , that eliminates membrane resonance and dipole energy cancellation. The diaphragm is sectioned where instead of comb filtering or resonant peaks, different sections of the diaphragm resonate at different frequencies in a graded fashion."

This essentially makes dozens of phase matched micro panels that are combined in the quarter circle radial pattern that Soundlab is famous for. The design is in fact, a giant electronic microphone in reverse. Much like the microphones used to record most of what we discuss in these forums.

If there were a cone speaker built that was phase accurate full bandwidth, and with as low distortion as Soundlabs, I would be interested in them. The (gross) dynamics of cone speakers are superior and that is their strength. The Soundlabs phase accuracy, speed and ultra low distortion is its strength.

Albert, I must admit that it has been a number of years since I heard a Soundlabs system up close and personal. Your point is well taken.

will