@rlb61 Did Jeff Joseph happen to say if this upgrade is planned on the entire Joseph line of speakers?
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Full disclosure. I am a Joseph Audio fan. I've heard them at shows in medium sized rooms and small rooms. At home, I have run Perspectives and now run Pearl 3s. I've compared them directly to other speakers with the idea that if I heard something I liked more in the same price range or somewhat higher, I would consider changing speakers. So far, I haven't heard anything I enjoyed more. IMO Jeff Joseph's build quality, beauty and sound quality are very high value at their comparative price points. That doesn't mean they aren't expensive, but it does mean that they truly compete with other brands that cost significantly more. |
Once anyone says that their DIY speakers sound as good or better than a commercially produced speaker, I'm interested in knowing who else has heard them and agrees with the builder's assessment. I readily admit that ownership of a particular brand reveals an inherent positive bias towards that brand. But, the ultimate bias is for one's own creation. If others aren't asking the builder to make them the same speakers after they hear them, then the speakers might not be as good as the builder believes. |
At AXPONA this morning Jeff Joseph's room featured the new Perspective 2 speakers that have the same upgraded features as the Pulsar Graphene 2. I asked Jeff if he expects to do the same on the Pearl 3 model and he said that he does but that will be in the future. The new Perspective retail price is $15,000 USD. |
@rlb61 is correct. Jeff told me today that Perspective owners will be offered an upgrade path. He just doesn't have the pricing nailed down yet. |
I think it is helpful to hear a lot of different speakers even if they are beyond your budget. Sometimes when you hear what you really like, you can then determine whether the manufacturer make a different model closer to your price point. Or you can wait for a used pair to come up for sale. It might take a while--in this hobby patience is often rewarded in the used marketplace. But, if you haven't heard it, then it is hard to pull the trigger when a good deal pops up because you don't have personal knowledge about how the speaker sounds. |
+1 fsonicsmith When I walked into a AXPONA room and liked the sound of the setup, I would then ask if they would play me something I knew well. Every room I asked, honored my request. First, I would look through their LPs and then I asked for a digital version of the same recording, if it existed. Only one AXPONA room told me they didn't have that capability. I was in lots of rooms where the room attendant would ask a newcomer what they wanted to hear and lots of times the newcomer would say, "You pick." IMO this is a bad answer for the reasons @markalarsen points out above. |
@rlb61 I honestly can't tell you. I heard them a few years apart. Sorry I'm not more help on that front. |
I have read every post on this thread. I have heard the Pulsars, the Pulsars 2, the Perspectives, the Perspective 2s and the Pearl 3s. I have heard the Pulsars and Pulsar 2s in a hotel room. Not an ideal environment...and they sounded really good both times. I have heard the Perspectives 2s in a hotel room. They sounded great. I have heard the Perspectives in a hotel room on two separate occasions and then in my home for the last two years. They positively connect with most listeners who hear them IMO. Beautiful full sound that resolves without edge and manages to provide instrument separation without deconstructing the musical whole. This means bands sound like bands as opposed to a collection of folks playing different instruments. Symphonies remain cohesive even as the listener can distinctly hear the different sections while experiencing believable timbre. Voices, male and female, exhibit nuance and character that sounds realistic. Oh, and the sweet spot is not narrow--a group can listen to these speakers and not have to worry that they didn't get adequate time in the primary listening position. To do all these things is hard for most speakers. Especially at the Perspective price point. I have heard the Pearl 3s, first in a hotel room and now in my home for the last month or so. Simply sublime. Everything I just said about Perspectives but more so. The point is I haven't heard any of these three Joseph models every sound pedestrian, even in difficult venues. I'm no expert, but I have heard a fair number of speakers and read almost every sentence I can find on the internet from a Joseph listener who chose to comment on what they heard. It appears I am not alone in my assessment of this brand and the models mentioned above. Not everyone has to like the Joseph sound or the Joseph price point. But, it is rare to hear someone say that the Joseph brand doesn't deliver a rewarding musical experience while providing its owners true value.
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@markalarsen Thanks for the post above from Absolute Sound. I will note that Jeff Joseph was using the Rowland Corus+Aeris DAC+PSU to play his digital music. I happen to own this combination. I think if more folks heard the combo all together it would have a bigger following. This year at AXPONA both rooms featuring Rowland gear featured this combination and it sounded superb IMO. |
@fleschler I second prof's comment above. The Pearl 3s really shine when they get juice (your 130W tube monos is plenty of power) but they need the volume up somewhat--it doesn't need to be outlandish but you've probably been spoiled on low-level listening with your highly efficient speakers. Everything else (wide listening area, imaging and depth) is positive. |
It is becoming clear that "low volume" is not sufficiently quantified. IMO the Perspectives and Pearl 3s sound their best when they pass the 65dB level as displayed on my Rowland Corus preamp. I'm running Rowland M925s (430W per channel at 8 ohms). I generally listen with the Corus set in the 66-75 dB range. Above that I need to be alone in my house because the music is going to dominate the rest of the house--and that rarely happens. So if low level volume is in the 60s dB range--I agree the Josephs sound great. Lower than that, they sound good--but in my system I don't they are performing at their peak. |
IMO an often overlooked positive feature of Joseph speakers is their ability to match well with many different amplifiers, tube and solid state. |
With the Joseph Perspectives I think it would be difficult to overload a medium-sized room simply because the rear porting comes with plugs that you can adjust to your taste/needs. If memory serves me correctly the Perspectives manual recommends the front baffle be 36" or more from the wall behind the speakers. So, if you have that much room to play with, you're going to be fine with Perspectives IMO. I have no experience with Pulsars. I'm currently running Pearl 3s (which have small rear port on the "satellite" and large bottom port) approximately 69" from the back of the shelving directly behind the speakers. The room probably measures somewhat more than 4500 cubic feet taking into account the open stairwell with high ceiling that feeds into the listening room itself.
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FWIW Jeff Joseph just showed his new Pearl 3 model with the Graphene upgrade at RMAF 2019. This model will now be called something different (I think Pearl 20.20 but that could be incorrect). Jeff hasn't determined what it will cost current Pearl 3 owners to upgrade.
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I agree with @markalarsen above.
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@goose Yep, the price tags in this hobby are perplexing. Having said that, for me, I haven't heard a speaker in the $35K-50K price range that I like better. I like the Vivid line of speakers but their profile is never going to get my spouse's approval...and I don't blame her.
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Rich, this post makes me happy. Let us know when you obtain the Perspectives. I'm waiting on Jeff Joseph to tell me what the graphene upgrade cost is going to be on Pearl 3s.
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@djones51 When I ran JA Perspective speakers I found the more power I fed them the better they sounded. I never ran them with tubes, only SS.
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