Well, Richard's input in to this thread is fascinating!
I personally have nothing technically useful to add, just personal anecdote.
I own both Thiel speakers (had the 3.7s, now own the 2.7s), with their concentric drivers and time/phase coherence, AND I own the Joseph Audio Perspective speakers (Infinite Slope).
The difference I hear between the two designs is that the Thiels have an imaging precision and density none of my other speakers have ever had, including the Joseph speakers. They "disappear" just that much better than most speakers, but without sounding ghostly or insubstantial in the imaging. Tonally they sound very "right" to my ears. And I would but the Thiels as the most coherent multi-driver speakers I've ever owned (or, I think, heard).
The Joseph speakers though seem to offer even lower apparent distortion in the signal, with a sense that a fine layer of "hash" heard in most speakers seems removed, so the timbral quality of instruments seems even more revealed. (They are also very punchy and fun and image/soundstage great!).
As for other time/phase coherent speakers, the old Dunlavy's also impressed me, doing something very similar to my Thiels.
And yet, having also heard the newer Kii Audio Three speakers a couple of times (DSP speakers time/phase coherent), I didn't find they had the same magically believable tone as I hear in either the Thiel or Joseph speakers. I found myself having to "work" to unravel various instrumental timbres in the mix, where with the Thiels and especially with the Joseph speakers, this is effortless. Don't know why.
I personally have nothing technically useful to add, just personal anecdote.
I own both Thiel speakers (had the 3.7s, now own the 2.7s), with their concentric drivers and time/phase coherence, AND I own the Joseph Audio Perspective speakers (Infinite Slope).
The difference I hear between the two designs is that the Thiels have an imaging precision and density none of my other speakers have ever had, including the Joseph speakers. They "disappear" just that much better than most speakers, but without sounding ghostly or insubstantial in the imaging. Tonally they sound very "right" to my ears. And I would but the Thiels as the most coherent multi-driver speakers I've ever owned (or, I think, heard).
The Joseph speakers though seem to offer even lower apparent distortion in the signal, with a sense that a fine layer of "hash" heard in most speakers seems removed, so the timbral quality of instruments seems even more revealed. (They are also very punchy and fun and image/soundstage great!).
As for other time/phase coherent speakers, the old Dunlavy's also impressed me, doing something very similar to my Thiels.
And yet, having also heard the newer Kii Audio Three speakers a couple of times (DSP speakers time/phase coherent), I didn't find they had the same magically believable tone as I hear in either the Thiel or Joseph speakers. I found myself having to "work" to unravel various instrumental timbres in the mix, where with the Thiels and especially with the Joseph speakers, this is effortless. Don't know why.