Joseph Audio Perspective2 vs Harbeth SHL5+


I currently own Harbeth SHL5+ and I’m generally very happy with them. I’m driving them with Audio Hungary a50i tube amp (50 watts class A) and don’t feel that the amp struggles at all. I have an opportunity to buy a used pair of Joseph Audio Perspective2 Graphene in excellent condition. Just wondering if anyone has had a chance to compare the JA Perspective2 with SHL5+. From what I understand they sound quite different but I’m not sure how. The Perspectives are obviously quite a bit more expensive than the Harbeths but I understand that this doesn’t automatically imply that they are better. Someone told me that the Perspective 2 is more in Harbeth 40.x league instead of SHL5+.

As good as the SHL5+ are, I do sometimes yearn for a wider and deeper soundstage with bigger bass (although I have a pair of REL S/510s to supplement). I would really appreciate if people who have made the move from SHL5+ to JA Perespective2 Graphene, or vice versa, can share their impressions.

Note: My room is 20 x 15 with 12 foot high ceilings. The speakers will be placed along the short wall. I can pull them out by 4 feet from the front wall and about 2 feet from the side walls. My room is treated with GIK panels. My biggest concern is whether my AH Qualiton a50i will be able to drive the Joseph Audios well.

 

128x128arafiq

 

Good stuff ewert.

As much as many of us might imagine how great it might be to own some flagship speakers way out of our price range, one thing to note is that Joseph speakers have very often over the years been deemed "best sound of the show" by tons of attendees and reviewers, almost no matter what model Joseph displayed. Sure show conditions aren’t decisive, but it does indicate that one is getting top tier sound with Joseph speakers.

As to power requirements, good to see your Luxman is working well with the Perspectives. It’s an interesting situation with the impedance of the Perspectives, since...from my meager understanding of these issues...the Perspectives don’t go down to 4 ohms so with solid state I presume you don’t get the benefit of power doubling in to those lower ohm ratings. Which is why the higher ohm ratings are good for tube amps (helpful because tube amps don’t double their power if the ohm rating goes low).

140w of tube power drives my perspectives certainly much louder than I can handle.

And we agree about the Perspectives with drums. As I wrote in my other long speaker comparison thread, one of the things that attracted me to the Devore O/96 speakers was how they sounded with drums - the way kick drum power seemed to come out and roll over you like the real thing, vs lots of audiophile speakers where the bass sort of sits back in the soundfield, holographically.

The Perspectives have some of that Devore-like bass quality with bass.   Yes bass imaging is quite precise, but there is a roundness and warmth that reaches out and rolls along the floor, so you get the feel of what the drummer is doing on the bass drum. And snares have surprising heft as well on the Perspectives.

I’m looking forward to @arafiq dropping back here to give us his detailed report!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comparing Persperctive2's to Harbeth SHL5's is is probably not a fair fight (like taking a knife to a gun fight).

 I'd be interested to hear how the Perspective2 compares to Harbeth 40.2 / 40.3's.  Having owned 40.1's for about 8 years and now owning 40.2 Anni's, I can say the 40.2's are better than their predecessors with drums and transparency, but the 40.1's are a touch better with female vocals and are more full bodied and rich sounding. 

 

pdreher

Yes, that's true "pound for pound."

On the other hand, of one prefers the overall Harbeth sound to Joseph Audio, I can see liking the SuperHL5plus better than the Perspectives.

For me, though, the Harbeth couldn't offer me the thrill-factor of the Perspectives.

The Harbeths were wonderful and cozy to listen to, I really liked them.  But the transparency and purity, and wall-melting imaging show...and punchiness...of the Perspectives just took things to another level.  Almost hallucinatory on some stuff.

 

Sorry folks I’ve been traveling for work. Hopefully, I’ll share my impressions in a day or two. 

Sorry folks I’ve been traveling for work. Hopefully, I’ll share my impressions in a day or two.

 

If you have some free time I would appreciate if you can visit the Digital thread as I was seeking your opinion on the Luxman DA-06 vs Denafrips Pontus 2. Thanks.