Phase Coherence or Time Alignment: Which More Imp?

The speakers in our room were not the Pearls but a new model called the RM55LE. I am glad to hear that you noticed the excellent image focus of our design - something that low order fans often cite as a benefit of that approach!

The sense of musicality is hard to define - it is by and large a subjective topic. I think for some it means a softer tonality or euphonic balance.

What it means to me is to experience the full expression that is part of the musician's interpretation. Dynamics and subtle details that rivet your attention not on the mechanical aspects of reproduced sound, but on the human heart beating within the performer(s). Another poster mentioned that when he listened to an LP on our system that the system itself seemed to "go away" - and that is the highest compliment one can hope for.

A euphonic system will sound more pleasant on poor recordings, but it can never sound real enough to bring the performance back to life.

I just wouldn't focus so much on design. I would focus on what I thought would satisfy me over the long haul or you will be one of those with speakers for sell every few months. This debate about time and phase coherent speakers vs steep slope will go on forever with nothing being accomplished. Everyone is in a camp and will probably stay there until they gain enough experience listening (and becoming a critical listener)to understand what they are hearing and why.
I am in the time and phase camp and got there after many different speakers and years of analysis and listening.
Technically, ALL speakers are a trade off of one sort or another. However, phase and time aligned speakers come closer to reproducing the input signal than other designs. Steep slope speakers may swoon the listener but they have scrambled the output signal compared to the signal coming in. Would you buy an amp that screws up phase and time domain (actually high global feedback amps do this)?
Time and phase speakers are not perfect and there is lots to understand but for me, they simply sound more musical. Are they right for you? Only you can answer that.
Now, with all that said, one has to decide on what it is that they are after, wether it be dynamics, transparency or whatever. It is not arrived at easily. As your experience grows (and I actually think age plays a factor here)things will change and you may appreciate other designs.
So just don't get so caught up in all the design BS. It confuses the issue and will ultimately lead you to disappointment. Find something you like and go with it.
Also, no disrespect to Joseph Audio, but do you think he would recommend something he doesn't build? It would be like a Ford dealer telling you to buy a Toyota! If someone really cares about your musical enjoyment, they would tell you to satisfy yourself. It is you that has to be happy not them!

Bigtee,

I went into the speaker business because I believe we have something special to offer. I think if you look at our track record, "best sound at show" year after, "speaker of the year"
excellent reviews, and a loyal group of Joseph Audio speaker owners who wouldn't give them up for anything else.

I care deeply about musical enjoyment, enough to want to share it with others - enough to bet the farm on others being able to hear it for themselves.

I have no doubt you build a quality product but so do a lot of others who believe in them as much as you. It's good that consumers have choices. If everyone liked the samething then we wouldn't need but one manufacturer! I'm all for driving the economy. But, who is to say what is right and what is wrong when it comes to listening on a personal basis? Nobody can sure decide which slope to use. Seems the best is whoever is doing the talking.
All I can do is relate my experiences in these threads for better or worse. I have been at this over 35 years. Based on that experience, it is wise that people go out and listen for themselves just as I have done(and the fellow who started this thread.) Does this mean I'm an "Authority?" No, it doesn't, but I do know what sounds good to ME and the point of these threads, I thought, was to share our personal experiences, not those who scream loudest get heard.
Most of the population has no clue to what crossover design is all about. I'm not so sure they need to know. Most don't know how a car is designed. They base their choice on looks and performance just as most do with speakers. I think here in the US, we boarder on false advertising way too much. It then makes everyone suspicious of every claim.
All I'm saying is you must satisfy oneself. It's your money and your satisfaction at stake.
Go out at listen for yourself and make a decision based on ones personal wants and needs (ie; does it look pretty or whatever.)
This "Best of the show" stuff is a little free advertising in these threads don't you think? Is that why these threads are here? Or is it for you to justify a point?
Your participation is always welcomed as any manufacturer would be but don't use it as a free format for advertisement. It just proves my point---your design based on your opinion is the one to go with. Hell, it may be but buying based on a show, review or especially advertisement is risky business at best. Tell people to compare your speakers side by side in the same room with the same electronics. Be confident enough to say comparison is welcome and recommended. That's all I'm saying.

How is it possible to build a phase-coherent speaker using 1st order filters?
I learned in electronics that a 1st order filter (ie 6dB slope) shifts the phase between woofer and tweeter by 90deg;a second order (12dB slope) by 180deg; third order (18dB) by 270 and a 4th order (24dB) one by 360deg.
This should mean that it is impossible to create phase-coherent first order systems, in a system using second order filters you'd have only to invert one driver to achieve coherence, a third order system again is impossible whilst a fourth order system is always in phase as it has been shifted by a full 360degrees.

Now, when it comes to to transient response and xover "ringing" ( electric resonance) a first order filter is unbeatable as the transient response is helped by having fewer passive components and the filters total inability to resonate. But for phase-coherency they are, together with 3rd order, the worst possible solution. You can fix 180 and 360 degree shifts, but theres nothing fixes 90 deg shifts, other than active electronics like in better bass-management systems for HT.