New Joseph Audio Pulsar Graphene 2

I kept writing the same thing over and over again making myself think if I really got paid by Jeff to write:) I think if he paid me to write for speakers that I didn’t like, I would have hated my job. 

I first heard JA speakers at CES in the late 90s. It was good but nothing special that drew my attention. Then last year at FL Audio Expo and it still didn’t do it for me.

Two weeks ago, I went to FL Audio Expo again. So, we were passing in front of Jeff’s room but since I am biased and think they’re not for me, I told my wife “Nah, skip it”. Well, we had to pass his room again because it was on our way back to the other floor. My wife convinced me this time and I was floored how real the sound was. I couldn’t believe it. We left the room and before we left the show, I had to go back because I had to make sure it wasn’t just that moment/track. Well, I liked it even better second time. It was unreal how beautiful and live the sound was. I swear you could close your eyes and think you were in a church when he was playing a track had pipe organ in it.

I have heard speakers from A to Z. I own Harbeth SHL5 and Falcon LS3/5As. And I hadn’t heard or read about them before either. I came across the Harbeth’s at a dealer and heard the LS3/5As at FL Audio expo last year. When I audition speakers, I never pay attention and try to evaluate them. They find me. If I hear something very different from the speakers, then I turn my radars on. 

There aren’t many speakers that could do that for me. The JA Perspective2s, did this for me in the most realistic way. Probably the best speakers I have ever heard.

emailists,
Correct.  I do sound design (not a mixer - editor) for film/tv, so yes was referencing room tones and air tracks.  I'm often either mixing and matching room tones I provide, or matching the room tone audible in between the dialogue in the production track .  Especially if they are keeping the original dialogue recording and there is an artifact, e.g. room hum or the very particular buzz of the lights in that room, I will try to match it.   Same with exterior "air tracks" - I may have to select or adjust tracks I place in to exactly match the timbre of something in the dialogue tracks, be it background traffic, an industrial hum of some sort, or any other artifacts. 

Sometimes I'm balancing and carefully mixing up to 60 separate tracks of sound or so - minute volume changes, eq, processing to make some stand out, some blend in.   It always cracks me up when a fellow audiophile has no other resort but to try to diagnose someone's hearing acuity over the internet to call his ability to perceive audible differences in to question.  Especially someone in my vocation.  I'd love to see how some self-designated golden ears who profess to hear differences with every tweak would do if their ability were *really* put to test in my editing seat ;-)

celo,

I kept writing the same thing over and over again making myself think if I really got paid by Jeff to write:)

Ha, I've had the same feeling as I've written so much about the JA speakers for quite a while here, and elsewhere.

I think if he paid me to write for speakers that I didn’t like, I would have hated my job

That's how I felt.  I did a little audio reviewing in the late 90's and had no interest in reviewing speakers I didn't...or even might not like.  So I only took the gig if I could write about the speakers I wanted to write about.  Basically, I wanted to select out the speakers that excited me so I could tell others about those speakers.

The slightly paradoxical thing for me is that I simultaneously love audio and checking out high end gear, but when it comes to "would I want to own this?" - particularly speakers - the list is vanishingly small.  It is the rare speaker that has a magic factor for me.  Most hold my interest just long enough to get a gist, and then I don't feel compelled to keep listening.  It's the ones that keep my butt immobilized wanting to hear track after track that are keepers.  (Which of course is how many other audiophiles feel about auditioning equipment).  The Joseph Perspectives did this every single time, without fail.

I have a friend who reviews who is much more suited to being an audio reviewer.  He can appreciate a much wider range of equipment.  Whereas most of the speakers he reviews have me interested for moments, and then I wouldn't want to have to keep listening to them much longer.

@radiohead99

Great user report.

And wow, nice speaker list of the ones you let go.   I'm curious what you'd have to say about the PAP Horn1 speakers.  They seem very different from the Josephs.

I agree on your assessment of the Joseph sound.  It's so rare to hear a speaker that has as open, sparkling an vivid upper frequencies which are at the same time so relaxed and smooth.   I have sensitive ears and worried somewhat that the vividness of the Joseph Perspectives, especially the originals that I bought, might be fatiguing over time.  I found the opposite.  I was able to listen more comfortably to loud levels than probably any other speaker I've owned.  The Perspective2s would be even more comfortable, from what I've read and what I heard.
And, as you mention which I've said as well, the JA speakers seem to do well with a wide range of music because they have that exquisitely refined midrange and highs which give you wonderful tone for acoustic music, but also that juicy, punchy bass that keeps the fun factor for rock, funk, pop or whatever. 


There's a track on the Collateral Soundtrack - Korean Style - that I heard on the Perspectives years ago and it completely grabbed me with it's swirling array of synths punching in and out, going through envelope filters that move the sound from thin/bright to opening up to lush and thick.  This is where that beautiful timbral pallet of the Josephs paid dividends beyond acoustic music.  That track is just so vivid and juicy on the Perspectives.  I haven't found another speaker that quite does it justice like the Perspectives - it's "fine" on other speakers but "wow that sounds amazing!" on the Perspectives.

@prof I agree. Today, there are so many gear choices, it is ridiculous. There are $400 speakers sounding amazing. There are $100K speakers sounding meh. However, still they all sound fine. I mean they’re good. But to find that “special” one is hard. I swear, at the FL Show, there was systems that cost $500K and it really didn’t do it for me. I don’t want to name them here but JA should cost at least ten times more than most “high end” speakers at the show.