@erik_squires ... LMFAO!
New Joseph Audio Pulsar Graphene 2
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.
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As I recall, JA did have some reservations about the original Perspectives, but I think it had more to do with the components with which they were tested. The review of the original Pulsars was mostly unequivocal as compared to that of the original Perspectives, which I found to be more in line with the issue of component matching than anything endemic to either speaker. After all, both of them use/used the same tweeter and midrange/bass units. IIRC, Jeff’s "Manufacturer’s Comment" sidestepped JA’s criticisms of the Perspectives almost completely, most likely because there was nothing wrong with them inherently, and it made little sense to make a mountain over a molehill with respect to the use of complementary components. |
kenjit, You can often find John Atkinson of Stereophile describing various deficiencies or oddities he's hearing in a speaker, whether he's reviewing it, or explaining his measurements. JA expressed clear reservations about the performance of the original Joseph Audio Perspectives - found them a bit too bright/unforgiving in the upper frequencies, and found the bass to be less defined than he'd like. So I'm curious if he will find the new version sounds different in those parameters. |
Great, thanks for letting us know darren. I get the feeling the new graphene models will have upped the popularity of the Joseph Pulsar/Perspective speakers. I'm really intrigued by what JA at Stereophile will have to say about the new Perspectives in the July issue. Apparently he's already written the review. |
I have not heard the Pulsar's but can comment on the Pulsar 2's as I am a proud new owner of them. All I can say is they are a stunning standmount speaker. The amount of bass that comes out of them is surprising. It just does everything right. From not to bright hi's and excellent mids to tight bass and large soundstage. I am using these in a room that is 15x12 with 8ft ceilings to an open staircase. They replaced PMC Twenty5.26's, which are great speakers in their own right. The Pulsar 2's just work better in my room. I am a bass guy so I added a PMC Twenty sub and I am floored by the sound. Best decision I made so far in this hobby wa going to the Pulsar 2's. |
Thanks Mark. Certainly a promising show report! Note that stereophile’s editor mentioned in the comments section that John Atkinson has a follow up review of the Perspective2 coming in the July issue. I’ll be VERY interested in that review as his earlier review of the Perspectives raised some eye-brows, seemingly a luke-warm review. As mentioned earlier in this thread Stereophile is also reviewing the Pulsar2s. |
Stereophile from Munich Audio 2019 on the Perspective2: This was my first sound demonstration at High End 2019, and it was a doozy: The soundstage was super-enormous and super-transparent. The bass was invisible until it appeared, and then it was succinct and as big as it needed to be. Tone character was spot-on, and images were precisely drawn. https://www.stereophile.com/content/joseph-audio-speakers-alluxity-and-doshi-electronics-purist-cabl... |
From the Absolute Sound AXPONA repot on electronics: Best Demos Depends what you’re into...fully immersive, in-the-room presence, or the visceral impact of sonic thrills over transparency? MBL 101 Es or Børreson 05/Aavik Acoustics or the Synergistic Research/Magico/United Home Audio room. The Joseph Audio/Rowland/Cardas Audio room also deserves a nod for fine sound and analog purity. Only the reviewer covering under $20K speakers missed them. |
Wow, "clearer" would certainly be impressive given the already super clear sound of the original Perspectives. Mark, can I take it that you still find the bass well balanced with the rest of the sonic spectrum? I bass gets too prominent that can bother me.The original Perspectives generally worked well in my 15' x 13' room (with a large opening to a hallway on one side), though with occasionally more bloom/bloat than say, my big Thiel speakers. I wonder if the Perspective2 bass would have altered in a way that is more likely to overpower my room...or perhaps go the opposite way and give even tighter bass. |
It is becoming clear that "low volume" is not sufficiently quantified. IMO the Perspectives and Pearl 3s sound their best when they pass the 65dB level as displayed on my Rowland Corus preamp. I'm running Rowland M925s (430W per channel at 8 ohms). I generally listen with the Corus set in the 66-75 dB range. Above that I need to be alone in my house because the music is going to dominate the rest of the house--and that rarely happens. So if low level volume is in the 60s dB range--I agree the Josephs sound great. Lower than that, they sound good--but in my system I don't they are performing at their peak. |
I don't listen to my audio systems at low levels, but a minimum of 70 db to a max about 100 db on rare peaks. Sometimes I have friends and want to have music as background levels but retaining the tonal richness and dynamic contrasts. I hope to hear the Joseph speakers at the June LA/Orange County Audio show. Luckily, both of my parents high end Panasonic plasma TV haven't developed burn-in, after about 8-10 years use. Yes, the LG burn-in issue was a consideration from show and news logos staying on for 1/2 hour to 2 hours. |
@fleschler The fletcher Munson curve (ISO 226:2003) is the primary problem with low level listening. I have no scientific explanation why the perspective2s sound so much louder than the measured 2+ dB. I think this positively impacts lower level listening. Next time I hear is the pearl3s, I will come home and listen to the perspective2s at a similar low level volume and report back. BTW, We purchased an LGOLED TV. You made the right decision but maybe not for the right reason. The LGOLED TV is subject to burn in, similar to the problem plasma TVs experienced. |
@fleschler I second prof's comment above. The Pearl 3s really shine when they get juice (your 130W tube monos is plenty of power) but they need the volume up somewhat--it doesn't need to be outlandish but you've probably been spoiled on low-level listening with your highly efficient speakers. Everything else (wide listening area, imaging and depth) is positive. |
fleschler, Honestly I wouldn't be expecting the Joseph speakers to have the same kind of low-level-listening performance as something like a 98db efficient speaker. In fact if anything I found the Joseph speakers could use some volume to get them to open up dynamically. Mark reports more satisfactory performance at low listening levels for the "2" version, so that sounds promising. I'd certainly welcome that. |
I waited 3 years until I decided to purchase a new TV, a 75" Sony 940C over the LG OLED, both top of the line. The Sony gives me at least 30 degree excellent picture quality and combined with the size, five people can easily have a great picture 12' away. (The LG had issues with brightness limitations and judder). Prior to that, I purchased plasmas over LCDs for my parents because the LCDs looked worse and had limited viewing angles. I really hated the head in a vise ML Quests and only slightly better larger Monolith IIIs. I should audition the Joseph Pearl 3s if they also have a wide listening area, good imaging and depth. Although they are low in sensitivity, they have an easy impedance. I would use my 130 W tube monoblocks with ample current to drive them. I just hope that they have a wide dynamic range and that I could enjoy listening at quiet levels as well as loud levels (like I do with 98db efficient Legacy Focus). |
One of the reasons I love the Pulsars is the horizontal off-axis response ... almost any position is a sweet spot. I had the original B&W N804s for many years, and the horizontal off-axis response was awful ... move a millimeter in any direction and everything collapsed. The Pulsars are in a completely different league. |
I've also never liked a narrow sweet spot. And it's not only about allowing more than one listener to experience good sound. I find if a sweet spot is really narrow it's just bothersome in of itself. It's why, when plasma and LCD TVs were duking it out years ago I much preferred plasma, which looked essentially the same from all angles, where the LCD technology shifted tonal/colour/contrast balance when you moved even a bit off axis. Something about the sheer finickiness and unsteadiness of that effect irked me. Similarly I dislike head-in-a-vice speakers, Martin Logan stats being a perfect example (I've heard the majority of ML models and my pal has ML hybrid stat speakers). The "illusion" is just so easily collapsed with even mild movement of the head. So pretty much all speakers I have bought over the years have maintained similar soundquality/imaging over a relatively wide sweet spot. (Audio Physic, Thiel CS 3.7/2.7, Waveform, Hales, MBL and many others). Though I still harbor background thoughts of Devore speakers some day, one sticking point was the more directional high frequencies for those speakers (due to the beaming of the woofer and waveguided tweeter). The Joseph speakers are a good match for my circumstances as I have some pretty limited set up possibilities in terms of distance to the listener (between 6 1/2 to 7 1/2 feet or so). The Josephs are flexible and don't need much distance at all to sound coherent. |
I only read up to page 5, but I have to chime in. I spent a week in Newport NJ which is adjacent to Jersey City. Jersey City was okay, Newport was superior. I felt relatively safe in Jersey City downtown at night. I'm from Los Angeles and was a commercial real estate appraiser for 32 years. I know when I should stay away from an area. Jersey City was okay to me. Long Island City is undergoing a Newport like reconstruction. Maybe the adjacent Queens area will evolve to be more like Jersey City. The discussion which includes posters who think that 2 way speakers should be cheaper because they are less expensive to manufacture lack bottom end and dynamic sound are out to lunch. My friend who is a cable manufacturer has a smaller size listening room 18X15X8 and filled on the front and side walls with gear and LPs. He built a pair of quazi-folded/transmission line monitors with a dome tweeter and 5" mid-woofer. His bass response is down to 27 Hz -2 db. You can almost feel the deep bass. Imaging is superb. Dynamics are as much as the room allows for. My 5 way Legacy speakers have a bigger sound in a much bigger room. They don't image as well, don't have as extended highs and the bass drops off rapidly under 30 Hz despite 6-12" woofers. His design, materials and execution are obviously superior to $13K speakers retail. Why shouldn't he sell his speakers for at least half as much? I've heard some outstanding monitor speakers in moderate size rooms. Why can't more large speakers sound as good? I've heard big speakers I crave for but are really expensive ($50K+) (P.S. Never heard a Magico speaker I want after hearing them 15+ times, never want to go back to stats after 20 years, 5 pairs, don't want inefficient speakers). |
Back on track: the horizontal off-axis response on the Perspective2s is excellent. My Perspective2s are in a large room used for multiple purposes. They sound great no master where you are sitting, standing or walking around. There sound-the-corner test from “Get Better Sound” passes with high marks. The reason I mention this is that it is a huge advantage over electrostatic speakers. I love Sound Labs and Sanders 10e, but the sweet spot is very narrow, sometimes like placing your head in a vice. You move half a foot and the SQ is lost. |
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Again, nyaudio98...what's the matter with you? This is a thread on the topic of the new Joseph Audio speakers. Everyone knows other competing speaker brands exist. No one cares what you think is better. Start another thread if you want to talk about other speakers. Did you actually pass the capcha tests before posting? |
Agreed bubinga. I too have probably read everything anyone has said about the Pulsars/Perspectives on the web (part of being obsessed with a speaker I want to buy). The comments about hearing the speaker in shows, demos, friends, or owners are *almost* universally positive to one degree or another. Usually very positive. Certainly reports from shows indicate almost universal praise. As this writer put it:
https://audio-head.com/joseph-audio-announces-updates-to-his-pulsar-and-perspective-loudspeakers-axp... |
This is response to the "kanjit" post on Page One. Six from the top. He states that the original SEAS mid bass driver costs $50 and the SEAS graphene $200. Madisound sells the original for $260 or so and the new graphene model for around $500. I wonder where people get their information from. And another of his posts on this page. "A true hi end speaker has no identifiable characteristic". Having owned several "hi end" speakers over several decades (see my above post on this page), this is absolutely untrue. He appears to have a bias against Joseph Audio and I would guess he has never heard the specific product under discussion. I also suspect he has limited knowledge regarding the overall costs that go into making a hi performance product and has an anti hi end bias in general. And FWIW, this is one manufacturer that has received many compliments from the audio press exhibiting at various audio shows. I was talking to a friend who owns the Martin Logan CLX Art speaker (MSRP $25K) with dual subs and Audio Research electronics. I mentioned in an e-mail that I had the Pulsars and he replied that he had just been to the Axopana show and felt the demo was one of the best of show. |
@markalarsen Thanks for the post above from Absolute Sound. I will note that Jeff Joseph was using the Rowland Corus+Aeris DAC+PSU to play his digital music. I happen to own this combination. I think if more folks heard the combo all together it would have a bigger following. This year at AXPONA both rooms featuring Rowland gear featured this combination and it sounded superb IMO. |
The Absolute Sound just published this: For the past few years, I’ve been impressed with Joseph Audio’s show presentations. I’ve been able to play 15ips tapes (a safety mastertape and transfers from my vinyl) that I use to evaluate music playback on tape decks. The occasional vinyl LP is also played at times during show evaluations in this room. The system has had tube electronics from Doshi Audio and solid-state electronics from Jeff Rowland Design Group driving the speakers (the tape preamp has always been Doshi). This year, Joseph Audio introduced the new Perspective2 Graphene($14,999) speaker. The new speaker is a legitimate upgrade over the Perspective it replaces—I had a very nice technical discussion with Jeff Joseph during a brief overlap of morning breakfast about the level of redesign work he put into this new speaker. This year, I listened exclusively to the digital playback and the system, again, sounded excellent. Each aspect of the sound was captivating and as open as can be in a show environment. Once again, Joseph Audio impressed this listener at another audio show—this time it was the new Perspective2 Graphene—the company must be doing something right. AJ’s Digital Best of Show: |
No problem. As I said earlier, I'm gonna wait until this upgrade shakes out a bit. Given the numerous reviews about how great the original Pulsars sound, and based on my own experience to that effect in my room with my system, I think it's gonna take a lot to convince me that the upgrade is a significant improvement. We shall see. |
I have read every post on this thread. I have heard the Pulsars, the Pulsars 2, the Perspectives, the Perspective 2s and the Pearl 3s. I have heard the Pulsars and Pulsar 2s in a hotel room. Not an ideal environment...and they sounded really good both times. I have heard the Perspectives 2s in a hotel room. They sounded great. I have heard the Perspectives in a hotel room on two separate occasions and then in my home for the last two years. They positively connect with most listeners who hear them IMO. Beautiful full sound that resolves without edge and manages to provide instrument separation without deconstructing the musical whole. This means bands sound like bands as opposed to a collection of folks playing different instruments. Symphonies remain cohesive even as the listener can distinctly hear the different sections while experiencing believable timbre. Voices, male and female, exhibit nuance and character that sounds realistic. Oh, and the sweet spot is not narrow--a group can listen to these speakers and not have to worry that they didn't get adequate time in the primary listening position. To do all these things is hard for most speakers. Especially at the Perspective price point. I have heard the Pearl 3s, first in a hotel room and now in my home for the last month or so. Simply sublime. Everything I just said about Perspectives but more so. The point is I haven't heard any of these three Joseph models every sound pedestrian, even in difficult venues. I'm no expert, but I have heard a fair number of speakers and read almost every sentence I can find on the internet from a Joseph listener who chose to comment on what they heard. It appears I am not alone in my assessment of this brand and the models mentioned above. Not everyone has to like the Joseph sound or the Joseph price point. But, it is rare to hear someone say that the Joseph brand doesn't deliver a rewarding musical experience while providing its owners true value. |
Few rooms are ideal to evaluate speakers. Even the homes of many audiophiles. I can get a good gist of the character of a speaker when listening in a store, so long as the set isn’t terribly compromised. (The speakers I heard today sounded pretty much as they did in a previous audition in a dedicated room). the it factor is distortion. youre identifying a characteristic that is there on all tracks you play through the josephs. Funny...live acoustic music seems to have a similar "it" factor when I listen to it ;) A true high end speaker has no identifiable characteristic. In someone’s dream world perhaps. In reality, every single speaker I’ve ever heard, bar none, has ultimately homogenized the sound of reproduced music. |
