Wow....what a great unbiased review. Very helpful. Thanks!
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.
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your first mistake is putting your system on the short wall you should be firing it down the length of the room the second mistake is not isolating your speakers from all vibration, get the Townshend podiums, they get rid of all the room problems so you won't have to waste time putting up all that crap around your room. |
I use Pulsar 2, and had been running them on a PrimaLuna Evo400i. now so moved to Feliks Envy preamp into a Benchmark AHB2 power amp. I believe they moved up to a whole other level in precision, especially bass, imaging, instrument separation, everything sounds better. Due to their low sensitivity Joseph speakers require a lot of power and I believe, while your A50 will make them sing nicely, you might feel the bass a bit lose. they need to fire down the long wall, they have huge energy, though if the short wall is long enough it would probably work as well. Positioning is key, they need space behind and from the side walls. Someone I know moved from Harbeth to Pulsars and they are most satisfied. cheers |
@prof and @arthur1260 -- thank you for taking the time to provide such detailed and helpful replies. I truly appreciate it. The truth is that I'm quite happy with my SHL5+ and have come to appreciate the qualities that Harbeth brings to the table -- and I say this after owning and auditioning several speakers. That's why it has been such a difficult decision. But like @prof said, there are always tradeoffs. And sometimes the only way to find out is to try something in your own house. I will try to listen to the speakers in the seller's house as best as I can, but I understand that it's not quite the same as experiencing in your own setup. Unfortunately, buying from a private party means I can't just return the speakers if I don't like the sound. It's unfair to the seller. I also want to address the concern regarding which wall (short or long) is going to be more suitable. Keep in mind that even the short wall is 15 feet wide, and I can easily place them about 2.5 feet from the side walls and 4 feet from the front wall. Given the layout of the room, and the fact that it doubles as a media room as well, I don't really have a choice but to utilize the short wall for this purpose. However, I have had other speakers in this room and I feel the short wall just works well. IMO, distance from the front wall is much more important than the side walls, especially for rear-ported speakers. Plus I've treated the first reflection points quite well. But I guess there's only one way to find out. BTW, my SHL5+ sound fantastic in the same position. Reading the responses above, my fear is that I might lose the amazing vocal reproduction and that special texture that made me fall in love with Harbeth in the first place. I just hope I don't end up regretting my decision. But it's encouraging to read all the other qualities that JA Perspectives bring to the table. I also don't like thin sounding (especially in the midrange region). That's the reason I never liked Focal or B&W type of speakers. Not saying that they are thin sounding but they do sound that way when compared to Harbeth or other BBC-inspired speakers. If that turns out to be the case, then I definitely know I wouldn't be able to live with them long term. I'm going to go listen to them on Friday. I'll keep you guys posted. Again, thank you for your very helpful feedback.
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