Joseph Audio Perspective2 vs Harbeth SHL5+

@arafiq

What a great review! Obviously it aligns almost exactly with my own observations.

You hear what I have with the Perspectives: I found that for whatever reason, I'm always more aware of the reverb/acoustics with the Perspectives.   They seem to bring out and present the very specific reverbs in artificial tracks, and reverbs in acoustic recordings, such that I’m more aware of the acoustics of any recording. And as you say, it seems to set the sound within those acoustics in a wholistic manner.

Nice to hear you felt you didn’t even need subs a lot of the time. I didn’t feel the need for subs either and I understand the graphene version increases the bass response even more.

And, yeah, the way the Perspectives swell in impact and scale with the music!

I’ve said before, if I combine all the strengths of the Perspectives - incredible transparency and detail, grain-free and smooth, incisive but totally fatigue-free high frequencies, massive disappearing imaging/soundstaging act, rich tonality, and fun juicy bass - the word that always came to mind was "luxurious." It’s the sonic equivalent of an elevated meal cooked by a great chef in a high end restaurant, who has put all the elements together in a sumptuous way that hits the "bliss zone."

:-)

Great writeup @arafiq . It’s good to note that the JA Perspective 2 has exceeded your expectations. I can relate a lot to the comparison since I own the Harbeth SHL5+ and another speaker which I regard as endgame, not a JA though. It's true the bass of the SHL5+ is one of its Achilles heel. Despite the size of the speaker, the bass doesn't go too deep and is less impactful in comparison to speakers which are smaller in dimensions.

ryder,

I actually liked the bass of the Harbeth SHL5+

It's true it doesn't "slam" like you might get from some other speakers, and if someone demands more impact and engagement in the bass it may not be for them.

But for me it's strength was how evenly balanced the bass was with the rest of the spectrum.  At least in my room (and elsewhere I heard them), "evenly balanced" was what came to mind all the time, and it was satisfying in that way.

@prof Thanks! I have to say that your observations were spot on. I didn't mention how well the speakers disappear. But this is one area where I can say that the SHL5+ stands shoulder to shoulder with the Perspectives.

When I was writing the comparison, I was very well aware that I was comparing SHL5+ to a speaker that retails for twice the price. At its asking price, the Harbeth SHL5+ is a phenomenal performer. It does so many things right, and definitely brings the special IT factor that makes it stand out amongst a crowd of similarly priced speakers. Hopefully, my comparison didn't come out as a knock against SHL5+. It is still a speaker that I love and have no hesitation in recommending to anyone in the 10K~ price bracket.

@ryder Agree with you about the bass response (or lack thereof) on SHL5+. Personally, I think the use of a subwoofer (or two) is a must to get maximum performance out of SHL5+. Nonetheless, it is a great speaker by any measure.

I have only heard its big brother, 40.x, a couple of times -- once at a dealer, and another time at an audiophile’s home. I feel that it addresses any shortcomings in SHL5+ and builds on its strengths. Although for some reason, it didn’t have the family resemblance with SHL5+. It sounded like a speaker from a different company. I would love to be able to own the 40.x at some point in this journey, but for now it is a little too rich for my blood, even at used prices. I wonder if anyone has compared it against JA Perspective2 or Pearl for that matter.