Why Team Joseph? Well, I could call it Team Doshi or Team J. Sikora or Team Berkeley Audio. But we have a bad habit at high-end audio shows of giving all the credit in an exhibit room to the speakers. We say “The Wilson Room” or the “Magico Room” instead of naming everything after the power cords or the tonearm.
Words by Marc Phillips, photos by Scot Hull
A more realistic explanation has to do with search engine optimization–I’ve covered this particular group of manufacturers for so long that I’m having difficulty in coming up with new keyphrases, and “Team Joseph Audio” won out. All I know is this–any time Joseph Audio, Doshi Audio, and Cardas Audio team together at a show–and they’ve been doing to for years–I want to take a listen. Today added a few new players: J. Sikora, Aurender, Berkeley Audio, and HRS.
The Team Joseph Audio room did not pull out anything new at AXPONA 2023, nothing as mind-boggling as Jeff’s exploration into Home Theater 2.0 at the 2023 Florida Audio Expo. (Yes, that room inspired me to jump down yet another rabbit hole in the world of high-end audio.) So what was special about this room?
In a word, this may be Team Joseph’s finest moment. This group has never been more impressive.
Was it the Joseph Audio Pearl3 Graphene, Jeff’s flagship speaker? Could be, although there’s such a fluid signature between the top models that I might not be able to emerge victorious from a blind A/B comparison. Was it the exquisite tonality of Doshi’s tube amplification? Perhaps. All I know is this: when anyone discussed the sound of the Team Joseph Audio room with me, it was in hushed tones. Their best room ever. Just magnificent. So on and so forth with the constant high praise.
I think Team Joseph Audio knocked it further out of the park than ever before because the low frequency performance of this system was so perfectly delivered, tight and seamless, visceral and layered, located somewhere far below the foundation of the Renaissance Schaumburg only to rise up through the floor boards through sheer will.
I asked myself at one point, “Who does bass better than this? And from a loudspeaker that doesn’t weigh 800 pounds and stand seven feet tall?” I don’t know. But that’s why I enjoy the work of Team Joseph Audio so much. As I’ve mentioned countless times, it’s MY SOUND.
- Joseph Audio Pearl Graphene Loudspeakers $43,999/pair
- Doshi Audio EVOLUTION Monoblock Power Amplifiers $43,995/pair
- Doshi Audio EVOLUTION Preamplifier $19,995
- Doshi Audio EVOLUTION Phono Stage $19,995
- J.Sikora Reference Turntable $47,000
- J.Sikora KVMAX 9” Tonearm $11,750
- Berkeley Audio Design Alpha DAC Reference 3 $28,000
- Berkeley Audio Design Alpha USB $2,275
- Cardas Audio Clear Beyond Cables (Prices vary)
- Aurender N30A 8TB Music Server $25,000
- Lyra Atlas SL Lambda SL Cartridge $12,995
- HRS EXR Stand (4) Shelf $7,795
If you would like to hear even more coverage from AXPONA 2023, check out our recap report and highlights from our audiophile-oriented show The Occasional Podcast. You can stream the episode direct from the embed below, or from your favorite podcast platform including iTunes, Android, Google, Deezer, Spotify, iHeartRadio and more.
Also don’t forget to check out our collaboration to commemorate the event with our solid bronze record weight available only for a limited run. This 800 grams of solid bronze features the PTA roundel on the top with also acts as a 45 adapter. You can purchase direct from the PTA Approved Store here on the site.
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