Joseph Audio: Perspectives and Pearls

Thanks for sharing your experience with the Perspectives. In looking at your system, I noticed that you are running subs in addition to the JAs. I do not have (or plan to get) subs, so that may be a factor in how the Perspectives fit the bill for you. This is not to dispute your thoughts on my room and the Pearls, but it could be a factor. 
 

I am hoping to hear the latest Perspectives tomorrow or Sunday and will certainly report back. Many thanks as always to this great community. 

So ever since I got the Perspectives I’ve disconnected the subs. Need to put them up for sale soon. If you have good and powerful amp, you don’t need subs with these speakers. 

I have heard the Perspectives at a dealer’s showroom. We initially came for a friend to listen to another pair of speakers and the dealer had us sit and listen to the JA driven by a huge The Gryphon integrated.

Well, I was shocked: easily one of the best sound I’ve heard, and definitely the deepest soundstage EVER (there was a battery solo in the recording, and the battery was like 8 feet behind the speakers, crazy) BUT in that large-ish showroom at what I call moderate levels (comfortable, but less loud that many big systems at audio shows) I could hear the woofers bottoming out on some impulses. That didn’t seem to bother the dealer. I guess the room was a bit too big.

The Perspectives are interesting. Cannot find the sensitivity spec on their site? I think it may be low, based on the Pearl model. JA seems more like an assembler sourcing drivers and cabinets externally. Does Mr Joseph build his own crossovers or do they come into his shop assembled? Part to part wired or circuit board?

I assume Mr. Joseph designs each speaker and simply uses suppliers to build to his design specs.

I do like the aesthetics of the speakers and know they have a solid reputation for sounding very good.

grannyring, the Perspectives were measured to around 84dB sensitivity at Stereophile, with a generally even "tube friendly" impedance.

The Joseph speakers had long used a proprietary "infinite slope" crossover design (created by Richard Modafferi).  So not off the shelf in that regard.  Apparently the crossover design has been tweaked over the years and I'm not sure it still fits the original "infinite slope" design.  But it's still quite steep, I believe.

Personally I have no problem with a speaker designer like Jeff Joseph taking the best parts he can find to create his speakers.  Driver makers like SEAS are among the best that exist - they have so much history and expertise.  Some speaker companies brag about creating their own proprietary drivers, but that's certainly no guarantee they are better than a top shelf driver from a far more experienced company like SEAS.