I own speakers that would more than likely be considered as 'ruthlessly revealing', a 2-channel/HT set-up comprised of ATC speakers. They employ the same design standards as their highly regarded studio monitors. In spite of their 'ruthlessly revealing' character, they are not the least bit harsh. I think Newbee has a point in that many people seem to equate a highly revealing speaker with potentially bright, even harsh, sound and at the very least will repeat the "only sound good with great recordings" mantra. I might have thought so as well prior to my experiences with ATC, but contrary to this notion, I find the sound of everything from pristine audiophile-grade recordings to gritty punk-rock bootleg quality tracks to be all around deeper and more musically involving.