New Speakers ... Can't Stop "Listening"

Here's the problem...one to two years from now, your system becomes "the norm" and you start looking for a better/bigger this and that.  And when you get the next item into your system, you start listening to all your music again...hearing and enjoying things you never heard before.  It's never ending!

+1 @seahheis1.  Two great designers and two great speakers using top components.  Interesting that they come to about the same price point indicating -- despite what others might think -- neither is overcharging given they both sell through dealers.  Free markets do work even in high-end audio. 

clarinetmonster2 said " Hmm. The guy that claims the SF Olympicas are in another league vs the Joseph’s...only if you value rolled off, polite sound based on my experience with the Olympicas."


If you heard the Olympica 3 sounding to polite and rolled off it was not the speakers fault. I would say it was the fault of the equipment used and/or lack of proper set-up. As I stated,the Pulsars are a great little speaker and can create a very musical and involving performance.. but having listened at length to both in my system,I much prefer the 3’s. They just cover all the bases for my needs and my tastes. Of course,as always..horses for courses

Clarionet:  not sure what components were mated with the SF Oly 3's you listened to, but I can share my experience with you - mated with a Pass Labs X250.8 and a First Sound PD III tubed pre amp, the SF's are anything but 'rolled off', nor 'polite' (read:  boring, veiled, uninvolving). Smooth?  Yes!  Musical?  In spades - big time emotional connection with the music. Big sound stage? Absolutely!  Detailed?  No question.  Refined?  Does the Pope wear a funny hat? Uh, yeah, he sorta does (no disrespect). Yes, very refined.  If I have a complaint about my SF Olympica III's its that in my acoustically challenged, oversized listening space the bass can get kinda lost.  In smaller to medium sized rooms the Oly 3 bass is more than up to the task, very satisfying and tuneful, very effective.  These speakers will pin you to your chair and put your head on a swivel, causing you to move your eyes to look at spaces in the huge soundstage from where instruments and vocals erupt.  It's all a matter of personal taste of course, no right or wrong, but give the X250.8 an hour to warm up and I can listen for hours, at almost any volume level, to virtually any (reasonable) music genre and be satisfied.  You want to hear chatter between musicians, and between musicians and patrons on a live jazz recording in between songs?  Check.  You want to hear the slightest drumstick taps on cymbals?  Check.  You want to hear vocalists inhaling their next breath to belt out the next lyric?  Check.  You want to hear the difference between a steel string vs. a nylon string guitar?  Check.  You want to hear whether there are 2 or 3 or 4 back up singers on stage?  Check.  You want to play loudly and rock out?  Check. Sounds like the key to making the Olympica III's sound their best is to mate them with top end, high powered, high current power amplification and a premier pre amplifier.  Works for me!     

markmendenhall...I couldn’t agree more with your findings,they match mine to a tee. Oh,and the cavernous soundscape with the highly organic and oh so natural musical/emotional presentation is to die for...just amazing!