Stiff springs and soft dampers or the opposite?

[notepad]

I'm wondering, which setup would generally make a better result - stiff springs with relatively soft dampers or stiff dampers with softer springs?

[cptsideways]

What do you want to achieve?

[garagewidow]

generally,dampers are there to control the spring oscillations.

most common or garden 'adjustable' dampers control rebound only so if you rely on the damper for roll resistance with a weaker spring,on a rough surface you may find yourself riding on the bump stops as the damper compresses more and more but the spring hasn't the energy to compensate and overcome roll and extend the damper.

you could use softer springs if you uprate the anti roll bar and keep damper settings slightly softer for a better ride but this will alter the balance of the vehicle or use dampers with adjustable 'bump' and 'rebound' to fine tune the settings further depending on tyre ratio and use of the vehicle.

me,i would get the best compromising spring rate then fine tune with the dampers.
too hard dampers can be very tiring on a long journey,i had some coilovers with spherical ends and the ride was ok for about 20 miles but then became unbearable as you felt every crack and stone on the road.

[one eyed mick]

Soft ish springs firm damping as chapman and many others proved

[Kozy]

The best is to use the correct spring with the damping matched. Obviously.

[Nick1point9]

For mechanical grip springs should be soft, and the damping rate should be set such that the tyre remains in contact with the road, too soft and the load put on the tyre through the suspension will drop too much, too firm and the load that the tyre applies to the road will drop off.

The question almost seems as though you think you have to have one firm and one soft, why do you think this?