Just wanted to update my prior thread where this topic may have gotten lost. As many of you may know by now, Joseph Audio has come out with the new Pulsar Graphene 2. This new iteration of the venerable Pulsars has a graphene coated magnesium midrange-woofer cone, and the drive motor, suspension system, etc., have been revamped. From what I have been told, the upgrade is pretty significant ... the sound is fuller and has greater ease, yet is very resolved. Jeff Joseph advises that an upgrade path will be available for existing owners of the Pulsars, too. Also, note that the price quoted in the Soundstage piece was in Canadian dollars ... Jeff informs me that the price in USD is $8,999 per pair. I am eager to hear the new Pulsars.
I’ve gone on record that I am for dealers contributing to the forum.
But frankly its just a bummer how this turned in to another audiotroy thread, full of the usual pumping up of the Paradigm speakers and finding every opportunity to list more of his fine inventory. Saves going to his web site I guess, but it’s just a drag that a Joseph Audio thread is taken over by this stuff.
audiotroy, If someone speaks ill of the Paradigm speakers a thread predictably becomes an audiotroy-defends-paradigm thread, sprinkled with items you sell. For instance in this thread:
Our current line up of high quality integrated amplifiers includes Naim,
Micromega, Anthem, Nad Masters, Synthesis, T+A and a few others ..........
We sell the Quad Z2 monitor a $2,000.00 speaker with proprietary drivers
and they sound amazing, their ribbon tweeter is extraordinary, we would
be happy to go against a LSA product any day of the week,
I didn't come to this thread to read more about your inventory. You contribute some good stuff, but there's also a reason why you have a reputation among some here for being reflexively self-promotional.
First Jersey City is the most populated City in NJ so there will always be more crime with a greater population density. As per NJ.com crime in Jersey City has decreased.
As per Living in Old Bridge/Pennington or Lambertsville those towns are in the sticks so please enjoy your isolation in the woods.
Secondly what brands are Mainstream for US customers? Do you mean Bose, or B&W, or Mcintosh?
We sell many mainstream products: Kef is mainstream, Naim is pretty mainstream, so is Anthem and Nad, before that we had Cambridge audio, we also sell Parasound also pretty mainstream, Paradigm is pretty mainstream as well.
We have said before we have a new website that is in development we are considering a name change as we get repair calls all the time not to mention there is now The Audio Doctor as well.
As per T+A a major CA dealer was disenfranchised so most of what you see is his old inventory and there is not a lot of that left and when did resale have anything to do with high end audio? Buy a brand new BMW drive it for two years and see how much you lose 20-30% of retail willing to bet.
As per reviews certainly seems there are a lot of reviews from the Absolute Sound, Soundstage and Positive Feedback that really like the T+A gear and hold it in very high regard.
In the Absolute Sound review an $18k T+A integrated amp was found to compete with $120k worth of CH Precision gear that is a pretty bold statement isn’t it, read the review we didn’t say it Allan Taffel did.
Don’t let its unassuming appearance mislead you. T+A Elektroakustik’s PA 2000 R is a first-rate integrated amplifier whose modest power rating should be taken with a grain of salt. It proved to be an unflappable partner for challenging both two-way and big, efficient three-way speakers. It’s also as neutral as they come. Its most alluring talents, however, are its three-dimensional midrange and its butter-smooth treble extension. From top to bottom of the audioband, it is a complete integrated amplifier, whose sound quality is matched by its impressively solid aluminum build. For a reviewer prone to cast a skeptical eye on everything that comes through his listening room, I’m at a loss. This thing is faultless.
After a Reality Check stage that, as noted, somewhat curbed my enthusiasm, I decided to set all that aside and listen afresh to the T+A combo playing either CDs or hi-res files via SPDIF. The sound, once more, just blew me away. I invited fellow TAS writer Karl Schuster to drop by and have a listen. He summed things up perfectly when he described the sound as “spooky good.” That spook factor stems from how eerily close these units come to the sound of far costlier Swiss gear. And that, I realized anew, is really the bottom line here.
For $13,500, the MP3000 delivers tremendous versatility and, on its best sources, sound that rivals digital playback from components that cost six times as much. Not all of its sources are up to that standard, so consider your own listening habits and decide if the MP3000 is for you. Similarly, the $17,000 ($18,500 with phonostage) PA3000 not only competes directly with integrated amps that run all the way up to $50k, it holds its own against $120k worth of Switzerland’s best separates. This is a component that’s not to be missed.
We could go on. Riaa you really need to get your facts straight.
Profi
Kenjit is extolling the virtues of a cheap LSA loudspeaker we heard them and they were indeed very good, how can we draw comparisons to other products in a similar price point that perform to a very high level without naming them? We go out of our way to constantly seek out very high dollar for sound products stating Quad is giving a comparison of an excellent product that competes with LSA for similar money.
Last point the Paradigm Persona aren't for everyone, however, when setup correctly they can sound amazing and can compete with way more expensive loudspeakers, their driver technology is extraordinary and the bass response out of the little 3F is amazing considering the size of the loudspeaker for these reasons we are very found of them, we also love Legacy which has different attributes but still represents outstanding value for the money.
I did not mention the Paradigm Persona speakers. I have not heard them and have nothing to say about them. You just viewed the mention of any other speaker brand as an excuse for invasion.
Old Bridge is in the Sticks? Population 70,000 with Route 9 (Born To Run), Route 18, Exit 11 on the Turnpike. Ever hear of RACEWAY PARK (Probably not). Talk about getting facts straight. LOL
Kenjit is extolling the virtues of a cheap LSA loudspeaker we heard them and they were indeed very good, how can we draw comparisons to other products in a similar price point that perform to a very high level without naming them? We go out of our way to constantly seek out very high dollar for sound products stating Quad is giving a comparison of an excellent product that competes with LSA for similar money.
Sure. How can you enter an audiophile forum to comment on other products, without constantly comparing them to products you sell while extolling their virtues?
As Yoda might put it: "A convenient problem, you have."
Why would ANYONE buy a pair of monitor speakers at this price range rather than a full range speaker costing the same amount?
@larry5729 -- because "more" isn't always "better." Go hear the Pulsars before you assess their value based on size alone. Plus, the Pulsars produce prodigious bass for their size such that they get pretty close to many floorstanders. Again, go listen before you judge.
@audiotroy -- don't waste your time with Kenjit. His reasoning and logic are extremely flawed and distorted as per prior threads, and his head is like a brick wall so no chance of getting through. Don't encourage him by trying to debate him -- it's fruitless and it just derails this thread for no reason.
Marklarsen we didnt start this our initial post never mentioned any of our brands it was others that caused this derailment.
For the record we have nothing against Joseph Audio we like their speakers just not enough to want to carry them and we like our existing product lines.
You keep bringing up property value....whats up with that? The closer you are to ANY major "market" city the property values go up. I have friends in North Jersey who live in 1250 Square Foot homes that are 70-80 years old that go for 400K. I wouldnt live in those shacks for Half that amount. Whats your point?? House Value and Population size = Quality of Life??? LOL
Havent lived in Old Bridge for 25 years But it was a wonderful SUBURB to grow up in. Guess you think East Brunswick, Woodbridge, Marlboro, Freehold are all "in the sticks". Too Funny. By your metrics EVERYTHING south of Jersey City is "the Sticks" except for Trenton I guess.
As for Route 9 + 18. No virtues....Don't know many 3 and 4 Lane Highways to be "in the sticks".
As the OP here, I find it mindboggling that my thread about the new Pulsars has devolved into a retailer's defense of products he sells as well as extolling the purported virtues of Jersey City (Bleh!). Can we now all simply play nice in the sandbox and return the topic of this thread? Thanks to all.
As I mentioned earlier, Mark would be a pretty valuable resource for threads like this, as he's the only one in a position to have compared the old version with the new Graphene versions.
I look forward to any more detail Mar provides down the line as he gets a handle on the new Perspectives.
On that note: Question for Mark:
You mentioned the new Perspective were smoother. The stereophile show report mentioned the Perspectives giving a mellower presentation than his home speakers. And rlb61 says he's been told the new versions have greater "ease" to the sound.
So I'm curious if the new perspectives are mellower than the previous versions. Do they lack any of the "aliveness" or dynamics or has some of that been rubbed away?
Mellow is not a good word to describe them. They are richer and simultaneously more detailed. They are more accurate and detailed, while being silky smooth and dynamic.
I am not running these with subs because they have plenty of bass, but my guess is the bottom octave rolls off a bit as did the original Perspectives.
I am thrilled with these speakers. I consider the system finished, having followed a number of great suggestions from this website.
I’m thinking in reworking the crossover Jeff may have shelved down the upper mids/lower treble in the Perspective 2 just a tad as that seems to be one area where the house sound differed between the original Pulsars and Perspectives -- and the Pulsars seemed to have a smoother overall response. Make any sense @markalarsen?
@soix ... I'm not necessarily sure that reworking the xover in that way is such a good thing. The original Pulsars have a liveliness which is very seductive. Eliminating that may not be an improvement.
I do not have the technical skill to answer the question with any degree of certainty. What I would suggest is that the 6 inch drivers are slightly more efficient, reducing the relative output of the tweeter by a few dBs.
That however would not account for a few of the major improvements, such as the increase in resolution and fluidity.
I also wondered if perhaps the new Pulsars smooth out the slightly "overwarm mid bass" (as reported in Stereophile).
One of the reasons I changed direction from the Pulsars to the Perspectives when auditioning the JA speakers is that, as great as the Pulsars were, I could detect that bit of midbass coloration, especially in lower male voices. The Perspectives seemed more linear in that part of the frequency response.
Not sure Jeff Joseph would deliberately smooth away that midbass warmth as it may be part of what makes the Pulsars sound so complete and rich for their size, on lots of music.
The much less expensive lsa speakers are as good. If not better then the pulsars. Lsa went to 2 excellent people and had the speaker made to beat pulsars, several at show agreed. New lsa much better
Mellow is not a good word to describe them. They are richer and
simultaneously more detailed. They are more accurate and detailed,
while being silky smooth and dynamic.
It is easy to understand when you hear them. Songs sound better, the lyrics are easier to understand, and notes are cleaner. The very fast opening guitar rift on “Feel it Still” by Portugal. The Man lets you hear each of the notes. @prof you should hear Everything but the Girl. Fink’s Trouble’s What You're In is rich and clean. Amazing guitar and the vocal is the best I have heard it in this system.
@markalarsen ... very glad to learn that you are satisfied with the new Perspectives. I am really curious to hear the new Pulsars to see whether there is a "need" to upgrade my originals or whether the point of diminishing returns has been reached. Enjoy your new Perspectives!
On Easter, I was at my father-in-law’s house helping him set them his Pulsars. Once locked into the room, they sound great. I, however, would recommend the upgrade. On the other hand, he is waiting, but is careful and slow on this type of decision.
"Too expensive" is a relative term. I listened to A LOT of different speakers before I bought the Pulsars. The Pulsars and the rest of the JA line sounded the way I like to hear music. As a musician, I know how instruments should sound, and the Pulsars convey a realism that I have found lacking in other speaker brands. The Pulsars ain’t cheap, but cheaper speakers that were hawked as being "really good for the money" just didn’t do it for me.
Nice to see this thread back on track. I bought a pair of used Perspectives and sent them to JA for the upgrade which he assured me would make them indistinguishable in sonics from the new version 2. I have been reading about these speakers on various threads for about a year as well as professional reviews and it seems they got great accolades from all over.
@nyaudio98 something is only to expensive if no one is willing to pay the price that doesn't seem to be the case here.
With shipping costs that would be roughly 50% of the cost of a new pair. Maybe it would make sense to sell yours and buy new again? Just food for thought.
That would bring the total cost to $10K (i.e., $7,700 list plus $2,300 for the upgrade). Yikes! It's likely cheaper to buy a brand new pair and sell the existing ones.
If the new Pulsar2 are $9K, it depends on how much your original Pulsars generate in net cash, after the AudiogoN fee and how much of the shipping or PayPal fee you absorb. Add shipping to JA in New York.
I had very seriously contemplated buying second hand Josephs and decided I couldn't do it at this time, financially and for some other reasons. Just really bad timing for me.
To take the sting out, some part of my rationalization was also adding up the cost of buying used, shipping, then shipping to JA, updating....and the cost getting ever closer to a new pair of the JA 2 speakers. JA speakers are such eye-candy "audio jewelry" in terms of build quality and looks I do like the idea of buying pristine new speakers.
That said, I can see why it would also make sense to grab a pair of original perspectives second hand. They are amazing speakers as they are, you get them much cheaper then new, then if you find you really love them later on when finances permit you can have the updated to the new version.
So, I can spin the idea of buying used or new either way. But if you don't absolutely need the latest update right away and like the idea of getting a JA speaker for less money, second hand sure seems to make a lot of sense if you can find them.
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