Best suspension setup to smooth out small bumps?

[squelchy451]

With a lot of OEM setups, I find that the smaller bumps often feel harsh but OEM setups do handle larger bumps better than lowered setups.

I've had a mk5 GTI where the best suspension setup was this custom monotube shocks (some tuning company outsourced it to Sachs) and linear lowering springs (0.75" lower) that made it so smooth on moderately imperfect roads but could not handle larger bumps very well.

I then went back to stock and then various shocks paired with stock (Koni Yellow and Bilstein B6) which have not lived up to expectations.

The only OEM setup I liked was that in the 2009 Benz E350. It struck a very good balance between handling and comfort, and the smaller bumps (while I could feel them) felt like they were being smoothed out. Not so with the 528i or the various setups on my mk5 GTI.

What do I need to do to get a smoother ride over smaller bumps?

And by smooth, I mean it should feel better dampened, not that it just glides over them.