There are litterally a GILLION speakers out there that have the whole "transparency" thing down, as most people understand the word. Most readily recognizable speakers that come to mind are Wilson's, Theil's,Maggie's, Verity's, Talon's, Merlin VSM's, Apogee's, Piega's, JM's Eutopia's, and the list goes on. These speakers personify "tonal transparency". And most are very detailed overall.
However, as most people understand the term "transparent", I think they don't understand what most audiphile speakers AREN'T DOING, that keep them lacking TOTAL TRANSPARANCY as an accurate transducer (if there is such a thing)...and that's in the area of DYANMIC TRANSPARENCY!!! Most speakers fail in the perceived transparency department, and thus "realism of sound", in the are of dyanmics, yes. This is the very reason why speakers which much greater efficiency offer more dynamic realism (and the apparent missing "soul" and rythem of the sound), speed, impact, and pressence to the sound, than others! I think this is the great defficiency in most audiophile speakers today...regardless of how tonaly correct they may be.
So when someone speaks about one of the above mentioned speakers as being "transparent sounding". I think to myself that that's not a completely accurate assment of what those speakers produce sonically.
However, as most people understand the term "transparent", I think they don't understand what most audiphile speakers AREN'T DOING, that keep them lacking TOTAL TRANSPARANCY as an accurate transducer (if there is such a thing)...and that's in the area of DYANMIC TRANSPARENCY!!! Most speakers fail in the perceived transparency department, and thus "realism of sound", in the are of dyanmics, yes. This is the very reason why speakers which much greater efficiency offer more dynamic realism (and the apparent missing "soul" and rythem of the sound), speed, impact, and pressence to the sound, than others! I think this is the great defficiency in most audiophile speakers today...regardless of how tonaly correct they may be.
So when someone speaks about one of the above mentioned speakers as being "transparent sounding". I think to myself that that's not a completely accurate assment of what those speakers produce sonically.