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Joseph audio perspectives, magico a3, ATC scm40 v2

I am deciding between three speakers for my livingroom setup:

Joseph audio perspectives (v1)
Magico a3
ATC scm40 v2

My living room area is 15ft by 24ft. I need to place the speakers very close to the back wall so i was considering closed cabinet design.

previously i was using ATC scm40v1 and enjoyed its midrange especially male vocals and live music presentation. My setup is prism sound dream da1 as DAC, conran jhonson pv5 tube pre (about to get a schiit freya plus in Aug) and still deciding on amps.

One option for me is to get the ATC40v2.

I auditioned Magico S1 mk2 and Magico S3 mk2 but not yet the A3. S1 and S3 are wonderful sounding speakers with tons of details, great 3d imaging and dynamics, but sometimes a bit too refined and analytical. I would say the mids are just different flavors in S1 and S3 compared to ATCs, but not necessarily better. Also a3’s appearance and weight are not too appealing to me.

I found a used pair of joseph perspectives for $6k. I heard good things about joseph audio perspectives. They look great and are perfect in size and weight for me. Can anyone share their experiences with sonic performance of the joseph perspectives compared to ATC40s, especially in the vocals presentation? Thanks a lot!
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yuhengdu_tiger's avatar
yuhengdu_tiger OP
87 posts
 
@prof  thanks, this is really helpful! My listening area is a open space combination of living room and dining room which is 15ft by 24ft or so. It is really hard for me to put speakers 4 ft from the wall since my kids are going to run into them. 

I was really intrigued by the properties. The size and aesthetics would fit me perfectly. And i really think its characters was what i would be enjoying.

Do you have any suggestions of alternatives that would suit me in the scenario where I have to put them close to wall? I like musical mids that sounds magical while still keeps the clarity and extensions. I feel like reading from your experiences of properties it does well in those ways. 

Much appreciated it.

Yuheng
djones51
4,947 posts
 
I have my Perspective 2 about 20 inches from the back wall it’s a matter of no choice. I don’t find them boomy in the bass and I am not a bass fan. But I do run some DSP to attenuate the lower frequency that might be an option for you.
hedwigstheme
138 posts
 
Gradient Revolution was designed for placement against a wall.
cd318
2,636 posts
 
@yuhengdu_tiger

'I need to place the speakers very close to the back wall so i was considering closed cabinet design.'


Depends upon what you mean by 'very close'.

Almost every speaker I've had was designed to placed close to or up against the wall. Every single one of them benefitted from a couple of inches of space between them and the wall. 

Even the 2 Rega bookshelf models began to harden up a touch when pushed up right against the wall - and they were designed to be placed against the wall!

I think it depends upon the design and the boundary reflections.

As far as I know, there aren't many large speakers that don't need ample room (12-18 inches min) behind them.

My Tannoy Berkeley's need more than the 6 - 8 inches currently behind them for optimum performance so I probably only get around 90% performance from them. Unless I got some wheeled stands that's the best my domestic circumstances will allow.

In any case, at this level you should still make sure the sound fits you first and then the room - and not the other way around. I wouldn't be too surprised if the 3 that you mention all sound quite different, and you might have a strong preference for one over the others.
yuhengdu_tiger's avatar
yuhengdu_tiger OP
87 posts
 
@cd318 I am talking about 10in or less against the wall. Had a couple of email exchanges from Jeff Joseph and he suggested me to try them at home first. I showed him my room and since there are two windows on the wall behind the speakers they can be used to vent the base. Maybe also use some bass traps materials. 

"In any case, at this level you should still make sure the sound fits you first and then the room - and not the other way around." Thanks for the suggestions. I do feel that the magico (s1 and s3) a bit too clinical for my liking and it draws my attention away from the music. I was hoping that the perspectives can do the magic for me. But it is hard to demo them somewhere local. For ATCs I am already familiar with their sounds signature, for the 40 v1 I feel the highs and lows extension can be better. They have really great mids though.
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