Thanks for the feedback! There are no Joseph dealers anywhere near me, so their sound is a mystery to me. However, I went to a local Focal dealer and listened to the Diablos and they sounded superb. I got a good deal on a pair here and ended up going with them. I got the Diablos in red lacquer, which my wife LOVES as we are in a modern condo in Miami. As soon as I hooked them up instead of the RM25XL's, it was a huge difference in the high end and midrange -- much more expansive. Since I have a big subwoofer, the bass was not an issue. It was a little brighter sound than I am used to, as all of my music is FLAC on a server, and not as forgiving on less than good quality recordings. So I added MIT S3 cables, which really made a difference in the soundstage, I thought, and added a NAIM NDX streamer/DAC. I have to say that I have obtained audio perfection again. The system sounds exactly the way I like it. I guess I never know how the Pulsars would have fared until I find a pair to listen to!
@soix, what preamp would you suggest? I need one with a home theater bypass as they are used as my front speakers (JA Cynergy 5.1 center, FYI). I have a Plinius M12 preamp, but I'm not sure if I can rig up an HT Bypass for it (although I read somewhere that the Tape inputs could potentially be used. I also thought about a Devialet 200 or 250 and eliminating the Plinius amp, but it is a pretty pricey piece of equipment, on top of everything else! Suggestions?
@soix, what preamp would you suggest? I need one with a home theater bypass as they are used as my front speakers (JA Cynergy 5.1 center, FYI). I have a Plinius M12 preamp, but I'm not sure if I can rig up an HT Bypass for it (although I read somewhere that the Tape inputs could potentially be used. I also thought about a Devialet 200 or 250 and eliminating the Plinius amp, but it is a pretty pricey piece of equipment, on top of everything else! Suggestions?