The best "imaging" speakers?

Since sound from the speaker radiates around the edges of the speaker then you inevitably get edge diffraction which interferes with imaging.

There are two ways to deal with this:

1) Small narrow baffle so that the edge diffraction occurs very early in time and does not interfere with our ability to determine the precise source of the sound. A small box like a Bose Acoustimass achieves this and so do triangular and narrow baffle speakers to a lesser degree. Generally most speakers do not image well at certain frequencies due to the interference of the baffle dimensions.

2) Infinite baffle. This requires building the speakers into a wall or technically a "half space solution". In this case there is no longer an edge diffraction problem and the imaging should be unimpeded or as good as theoretically possible. (Of course an infinte wall is impossible so ultimately the imaging may be impeded by the side walls, ceiling and floor - in practice if you can keep about 4 feet away from the walls then imaging will be about as good as it gets)

realistic dynamics are beyond current techology)

It would be fairer to say that realistic dynamics is extremely rare in most small elegant tall home speakers but you do find realistic dynamics with some significantly large speakers and often horns with several 12" or more woofers are excellent in the dynamics department.

Lrsky,

Harry Kames Sheffield has realitistic dynamics - I am not surpised it compared well to the real thing. MOst o fteh problem with playback is the way the studios compress the music for distribution to the public (especially true of drums which sound like a mere shadow of the real instrument but everything percussive such as a piano will suffer too).

that exaggerated vibratto, I really loved it

A trumpet player calls this "sizzle" - it is a complex form of non-harmonically related overtones that metal horned instruments can generate...and I agree with you Harry James has awesome "sizzle".

The drumming is also very enjoyable on this disc...lots of transients/dynamics allow you to hear detail but with everything still sounding "light" even at high SPL's

I find the systems used in most public venues "harsh" and sloppy to my ears-to say the least.

True i many cases - although not so at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club. They have an excellent sound system.