Joseph Audio Perspective2 vs Harbeth SHL5+
I currently own Harbeth SHL5+ and I’m generally very happy with them. I’m driving them with Audio Hungary a50i tube amp (50 watts class A) and don’t feel that the amp struggles at all. I have an opportunity to buy a used pair of Joseph Audio Perspective2 Graphene in excellent condition. Just wondering if anyone has had a chance to compare the JA Perspective2 with SHL5+. From what I understand they sound quite different but I’m not sure how. The Perspectives are obviously quite a bit more expensive than the Harbeths but I understand that this doesn’t automatically imply that they are better. Someone told me that the Perspective 2 is more in Harbeth 40.x league instead of SHL5+.
As good as the SHL5+ are, I do sometimes yearn for a wider and deeper soundstage with bigger bass (although I have a pair of REL S/510s to supplement). I would really appreciate if people who have made the move from SHL5+ to JA Perespective2 Graphene, or vice versa, can share their impressions.
Note: My room is 20 x 15 with 12 foot high ceilings. The speakers will be placed along the short wall. I can pull them out by 4 feet from the front wall and about 2 feet from the side walls. My room is treated with GIK panels. My biggest concern is whether my AH Qualiton a50i will be able to drive the Joseph Audios well.
The JAs allow quite a wide spread, yet you still get good imaging. One time I put them almost entirely to the sides of my room and the soundstage was ridiculously massive, and still good imaging. Putting both speakers too close to the side walls did introduce a bit of thickness in the bass so I found a nice position with a wide stage and evenly balanced sound.
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arafiq: Reviving this old thread! ;) I had both SHL5+ for about a year, then I sold them and bought the JA Pulsar II Graphene which I loved, but got the itch to try a pair of JA Floor-Standers which I am buying off of a friend. So thank you for your review as it helped me on my expectations as I love the sound of JA, as I have always had a pair of JA in my house over the years on and off and always seem to come back home to their house sound that my ears like. Another Speaker Brand that I feel the same way about is Dynaudio as I own a pair of Confidence C2 and they seem to liked to be toed in a bit more. |
@gandalf Just reading your post now. You didn't specify which JA floorstander, but I'm assuming you're referring to JA Perspective2 Graphene? Although, I don't own them anymore I still have fond memories of that speaker. If you like a modern, crisp sound then this speaker is hard to beat at that price point. I had been on a journey and changing speakers not because there was anything wrong with them but just that I wanted to explore different designs out there. I moved on from the Perspectives2 to Harbeth 40.2. They are very different in their presentation so it's more a matter of preference. For my taste, I preferred the Harbeths and just fell in love with the beautiful midrange and vocals. However, they were not as transparent and fast as the Perspective2's. Plus the bass was not as punchy either. I briefly flirted with Magnepan 1.7s and 3.7i's but ultimately couldn't live with the many deficiencies. I currently own a little known brand, at least in the US, called German Physiks Unicorn II. Single, wideband driver, omni-directional. I feel it provides the right balance between something modern and fast like the Perspective2, the midrange magic of the Harbeths, and the three-dimensional soundstage of Maggies. These will probably stay with me for some time. Anyways, I still remain a fan of Joseph Audio. The Perspective2's are, IMO, better than many similarly priced speakers like Focals, Sonus Fabers, or the smaller Wilsons. Just my opinion. The Pearls remain on my wish list ... maybe some day. Good luck and let us know what you think once bring them home.
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