Any monitors clearly better than Pulsars?

This is interesting.  I recently built a speaker that is similar to the Pulsar using the 7" instead of the 5 1/4 " driver and it is a lovely speaker.  For $4K a pair, I can't believe how good they sound.  I have about 20 hours of time on them and they continue to get better but aren't quite the be all, end all in terms of ultra fine detail.  And they deliver great bass.  That is shocking in a little speaker.  

Interestingly, I have also owned a pair of Raidho X-1s which are a fine speaker as well.  Raidho's are all about soundstage and if you don't have 9' between the speakers and a solid 3' behind them, they don't deliver.  I was blown away by the Raidho's when I heard them setup correctly and could not replicate the performance at home.  Additionally, bass response is good, but not in the same league as the Pulsar.

What is interesting is that I have done A/B testing between my recently built stand-mount the Seas Excel drivers and my Verdant Blackthorns and I can say, the Blackthorns are clearly an upgrade.  It is all in the fine detail.  One of my benchmark songs has been Be Still My Beating Heart from Sting and the amount of subtle detail and layers of sound in that song are extraordinary.  You can here more with the Blackthorn.  It is obvious when you do AB testing.  The exception is in low frequency response where the Blackthorns bottom out at about 60hz and these new speakers hit close to 40hz.  

Each speaker takes a different approach.  The Seas Millenium tweeter is high mass and that mass I think is helping it resist internal resonances and outperforms most if not all tweeters I have heard in wood or MDF cabinets. 

In my Blackthorns, the cabinets are made from Carbon Fiber over a DuPont Nomex core.  Thus, a lower mass tweeter from Eton can outperform the higher mass Seas because of the strength of the cabinet.  

Both speakers use magnesium based, 7" drivers.  The Eton Arcosia is a composite where the Seas Excel is claimed to be pure magnesium.  Either way, they are both outstanding.

Caveats on this - My speaker is not a Pulsar.  I am using a 7" driver vs. the 5 1/4" and I have a different cabinet material (solid bamboo) and a different crossover.  

I would encourage you to checkout the Blackthorns.  They are a great speaker and below your budget.  I know they are about the same price as the Pulsars were new but that is more driven by my RTM model as consumer direct.  If I sold these at retail, they would be $11,500 - $13,000 instead of $7000-$8500 depending n finish.  

@gochurchgo  thanks for the note.  I will let you know when they are ready.  It may have to wait till November.  I need to reach out to Excelsior to see when they can fit me in.  

I will be getting the identical measurements that I have on my Nightshade and Blackthorn speakers.  

@gochurchgo  measurements will be done on my speakers in November.  Excelsior can’t get it done sooner.

I could do frequency response, impedance and SPL myself but I don’t like the idea of publishing my own specs.  And I can’t do max power and burst decay myself so I need to send it out anyway.  

The nominal impedance will almost assuredly be 6 ohms, the SPL will probably be 84dB and the frequency responses will look very much like my Blackthorn but about 15dB lower.  Will send you a PM when they are in 

@gochurchgo I will be using Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, New Order, Depeche Mode, Daft Punk and Shiny Toy Guns in demos at Capital Audiofest with my speakers.  The Bob Marley and Jimmy Cliff tracks I have sound good but not show demo worthy.   

I am using an asymmetrical crossover with the 7” driver.  The tweeter is second order and the driver is third order to help minimize cone break-up.  

Bass response at normal listening level appears to be crisp and precise down to the 40hz range.  It is impressive for a relatively small speaker.  

What is is definitely lacking compared to the very best monitors is the massive soundstage and ultra-detailed imaging that you get from my Blackthorns, The Kaiser Chiaras, Raidho’s, etc...  They all sound much bigger than they are.  

I have not tried these drivers in a more rigid cabinet (I.e., Carbon Fiber) so I am unsure if I am simply experiencing a limitation in terms of the drivers or that the drivers are limited by being in a less than perfect cabinet.  Bamboo has proven better than MDF in my testing but not at the same level as Fiberglass and a big step down from Carbon Fiber but other than aluminum and a few other materials, what isn’t.  

the Seas Magnesium drivers are great and what is unique is how much bass they deliver compared to other drivers at the same size.  Best in the world for off the shelf?  If bass is your motivator, almost certain they are.  Either these or the Graphene’s.  

If balanced sound (bass vs detail and soundstage) is your concern, Eton’s Arcosia is probably the best driver in the world off the shelf.  Massive soundstage with imaging that is off the charts.  

For just detail (who cares about bass) Acutons might be the best.  These might be the perfect midrange in a three way way speaker.  

Regarding tweeters, the Seas Excel is very nice.  The high mass makes it a good fit for these less rigid (non-composite) cabinets.  In a wood/plywood/MDF cabinet it is superb.  Not sure it would do much better in a more rigid cabinet.  

The Seas drivers are about as good as you can get for inexpensive (MDF, plywood, solid wood) cabinet materials.