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Opinions: Joseph Audio Pulsar vs Dynaudio Conficence C1 vs Totem Element Fire vs ?????

Seeking opinions on these speakers or suggestions for others....  Recently moved, likely for the long term (down sized) and my previous floor standers just overloaded my new, smaller room despite trying some bass traps, positioning, etc.  The room is  11 X 14 X 8 with a cement floor.  As much as I would like to listen to each of them it is not likely to happen.  I live in west Texas and the nearest dealers are 350 miles away.  Joseph Audio doesn't have a dealer in Texas,  they Dynaudio dealer doesn't stock the C1, and the Totem dealer is a home theatre place that doesn't have anything to demo and doesn't seem to have any real interest in 2 channel audio.Given these obstacles, I am looking for your comments and advice on these or other speakers.  I am in my mid 50s and listen mostly to 70s rock, singer/songwriter acoustic stuff,some  blues, some big band music, but very little classical music (mostly small ensemble type stuff, no orchestral). My equipment is a Hegel H360 integrated, a Pro-ject 9.2 table with Grace F9E ruby, and a Berkeley Audio Design Alpha USB/Alpha DAC s2 driven by a PC based server using JRiver.  I don't need huge bass, but it's important to me that voices are right and acoustic guitars and cymbals sound right.  I like the presentation a little more front and center, but not fatiguing.  If you can give me any help that would be great.    Once I get enough info maybe I can make a trip somewhere that has a couple of things to listen to.  Oh, and budget is up to $7500.  Thanks in advance
julian
avanti1960
1,519 posts
 
I was heavily auditioning speakers for the past year and was listening to everything ~ 6K or so.  I just wasn't happy with what I was hearing- KEF, Harbeth (except the SuperHL5), GoldenEar, Dali, etc.  
Then while at my dealer I wandered into their back room where the Joseph Audio Pulsars were being driven by a Rogue Audio RP-5 and Stereo 100 amplifier.  
It was quite literally a revelation.  I sat down and listened for an afternoon, the dealer associate and myself just listening to music and talking audio.  
The clearest, most transparent, cleanest open resolute sound I had ever heard, and plenty of bass as well.   I am not exaggerating when I say everything else sucked by comparison.  
The last speakers you should ever want.  
Now- about your amplifier- I am not a Hegel fan.  They have a very closed sound IMHO and are somewhat bass heavy if not bass relentless. While the JAs will still sound good, you will not be getting your money's worth with that amp.  I would recommend a tube amp at some point in the near future.  
I also heard the Joseph audio Profile recently (floorstander ~ $7K).  To me the Pulsars sound much better.  
If you are thinking Harbeth- Super HL5, etc- be warned that the combo with the Hegel amp and small room- bass will be excruciatingly overbearing.  
Pulsars are amazing and worth whatever you need to do to get them.  


everest_audio
285 posts
 
Same size room, same Hegel 360....speakers ATC SCM19. Disclosure, I'm an ATC dealer in Canada, but maybe someone near you in Texas carries them. Sounds like the perfect solution for you. Being sealed, it is way more room friendly in this smaller room than most speakers. I should know as my room is 11.5 X 14.5 X 8, so almost identical. I think some of the other options you mention will excite the room modes from 40-50Hz more. The ATC SCM19 has some rolloff at these frequencies, so it works quite well. But, the rolloff is gradual, so you still get some bass response from them in this size room down to 30Hz. I've had trouble with a lot of speakers working well in this room and this has probably worked out the best for me over the years. I'm now also augmenting with the matching ATC sub, but the SCM19's work great on their own.

You can check out the full system here if you like:
http://www.everestaudio.com/products/System-1-Hegel-and-ATC-ssi.htm
ebm
9,311 posts
 
Pulsar will give wonderful sound in your room.

jackmonster
25 posts
 
A couple years back at Axpona , the Pulsars were teamed with a Hegel H20 amp.  Very, very nice sounding.  Very open sound.The H20 Hegel is not an integrated like the H360.  It's a  very underrated amp.
julian OP
3 posts
 
Thanks for all the responses thus far.  Sounds for sure like I will have to find somewhere to hear the JA Pulsars.  Still very curious about the Dynaudio and Totem Element Fires as well.  Many of the other brands are even smaller dealer network, may be hard to hear, but maybe I will get lucky.  Can anyone recommend a dealer that may have more than one of the models we are discussing in the same place?  Would really save me time and money.   I don't really have much vacation with my new job and my daughter is going back to college so I really have to watch the budget.  Thanks again for your opinions, keep 'em coming.

Julian

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