I have not heard the Joseph Audio Perspective but like their other models a lot, still had an old pair of JSE's (from their designer). The Aerial 7T's are an awesome speaker too, tough choice! Trust your ears, bring them both home and see what works best I'm your room with your gear and decide for yourself! |
Tough call. I'd go with the Perspectives just because I really like the other JA speakers I've heard, but then again Magico just released the S1 in that price range that I would also want to hear as well. Best of luck and let us know how it turns out. |
Even though I've listened to the Aerial 7T's, I have only heard the Joseph Perspectives on YouTube where their is about half a dozen videos Jeff taped at the shows including RMAF and Axpona. Jeff did a good job recording and the speakers sound very good through my digital headphones, but I think the price for the Perspectives at
$13K a pair is a burn and a rip off. Each speaker weighs just 80 pounds and are 36" inches high and each have $600.00 worth of drivers with solid wood side panels with MDF cabinets painted piano gloss. More companies that are selling factory direct should discount to the consumer by at least 20% off the retail price since retail stores get a standard 40% off. No wonder their are very few Joseph Audio dealers in the country. Jeff is laughing all the way to the bank... |
I have only heard the Joseph Perspectives on
YouTube where their [sic] is about half a dozen videos Jeff taped at the
shows including RMAF and Axpona. Jeff did a good job recording and the
speakers sound very good through my digital headphones
Is it April 1 already? And then your brilliant analysis of value based on weight and size. Oh wait, aren't you the guy who maintained that the better artist is the one who sells more records? |
"Aren't you the guy who maintained that the better artist is the one who sells more records?"...Nope..not me..
Richard Nixon made that statement at a Love Fest he attended in Central Park in August, 1971. He was a hard core Audiophile
who loved Crosby, Stills and Nash... |
Tricky Dick could play the hell out of a piano, too! |
Fairly different presentations, though I like and respect both brands.
Joseph Audio speakers tend to be more liquid and relaxed, whereas Aerial Acoustics are more forward sounding. I wouldn't characterize things in strictly yin/yang terms, but which you prefer obviously depends on your tastes and needs.
Not sure it factors into things, but Aerials tend to present a fairly demanding load to their partnering amplifier. |
I have heard Ariel 7T driven by Karan amps. IMHO, they are very high value for money speakers. They neither do anything offensive sonically, nor are they at the top of the speakers pyramid. I will give them a 8.5/10 for cost/performance ratio.
The letdown on the Ariel is ths quality lapse on the finishing of the cabinets which are made in China. Some tiny nooks and crannies were not sprayed on properly because it is assumed that no one will see it, but I did.
I believe the Jospehs are better finished with costlier materials, or at least they seem so. But I have not had a long audition with Joseph lower range speakers before. I do like the Pearl 2 tho... |
Hamburger..Michael Kelly last year dropped the source in China making the cabinets for the 7T's due to inconsistent quality in the finished cabinets and now uses the Hornslet company in Denmark that makes the cabinets for Aerial's top models. The Hornslet company also makes cabinets for Dali and other well known speaker companies. |
my comments are limited to the 7t's. have never listened to the Joseph Audio Perspective. having owned 7b's for several years, i consider myself an Aerial fan and was looking forward to hearing and maybe even upgrading to the 7t's. i listen to all types of music and the 7b's do well with all of them. can't say they "shine" with any particular category but they do seem to do everything well imho.
recently listened to the 7t's and was a bit underwhelmed. was expecting to hear obvious improvements but that never happened. yes...they sounded just as good as my 7b's and might have had slightly better base extension. but other then that...i couldn't see spending that kind of money for such modest improvements.
not bashing the 7t's by any means. i love my 7b's and the 7t's sound just as good if not a tiny bit better. it's more a matter of paying $8k for them. purchased my rosewood 7b's used several years ago for $2200... with the optional base's. thinking 6k extra should yield me more then marginal low end improvements (ok..to be fair...i am comparing used too new so it's not apples too apples).
for the money...i'm sticking with my 7b's. the 7t's don't bring enough to the table imho to justify the huge leap in expense. especially when the 7b's sound so good for much less. lots of loot left over to buy other shiny things with =). |
Trelja..your comments are spot on describing the sound of the Perspectives based on the limited set up I heard them through on my headphones. The culprit could very well be that the Perspectives have a low sensitivity and are 8ohms,
which were common specs with speakers during the 1970's. I have always felt that speakers from that time period sounded better. Buy the late 80's speaker companies started jumping on the 4ohm band wagon due to the rise of digital and home theater systems. I wish that 8ohms would've become a universal standard with speakers. As long as you have a Preamp with a higher voltage output between 8 and 12 volts, you won't have a problem with a low sensitivity 8ohm speaker getting the volume you need. It appears that the reason the Perspectives sound better than the Aerials, is that Richard Modaferri with Joseph Audio is a much better crossover designer than Dave Marshall at Aerial who has worked with Michael Kelly since 1974 when they were at A.D.S. |
Had 8b's. Loved them. Went and listened to 7t's and got the pitch that they were going to blow away my obsolete speakers. It never happened! I was definitely underwhelmed and not as impressed by them. I'm willing to try again, maybe it was the room set-up. FWIW, I was blown away by both the Pulsars or Perspectives. Yes, I acknowledge the bass extension difference, regardless my new direction is Joseph Audio. I loved the imaging, the depth of the sound stage, the separation of the instruments and vocals, and the emotional impact I felt while listening. |
Quicke-
me as well. I really wanted to like the Aerial 7t/6 models, but was under-impressed. The gear in question was Classe' and Mark Levinson (no slouch there). Cables/cords were Transparent Opus (another no slouch).
In comparison, Joseph Audio is the better speaker and plays well (no pun) w/ both SS and tubed gear. These speakers give the best vocals to date, IMO. Bass is a little lean, nothing that cannot be solved w/ a small sub.
I would like to demo a pair of Joseph Pearl 2/3 speakers.
Certainly a step up in performance and price! |
For me, hands down it's the Joseph Audio sound. Absolutely lovely, and a speaker you can listen to for hours. I've heard the Pulsars many times, the Perspectives and the Pearl II's and loved them all. The Pulsars are giant killers if you don't need concert hall volumes.
I've also heard different Aerial Acoustics loudspeakers over the years and respect them for very good products. For me, they are probably a bit too analytical and I'm sure I'd be turning them down or walking off based on their more lean sound.
Good luck if you haven't bought anything yet! |
