The Exotica 3 will sound different than the Joseph Audio you are used to, to me they sounded softer with a warmer "musical" presentation. I noticed the difference immediately during the 2014 RMAF when Jim played
Nils Lofgren's "Keith Don't Go" . The plucked guitar didn't have the same high-order harmonics as on my HT2-TL speakers, my home system has the same AVA electronics as at the show so it wasn't the front end that changed the presentation. The Exotica 3 would be beautiful playing classical music at concert levels.
Dennis Murphy wrote:"I must say that I have never heard a dome tweeter that was as accurate in reproducing the sound of a live orchestra as the RAAL. I'll go out on a limb and say that any preferences you heard for the Exotica were based on the midrange reproduction. The Exotica tweeter is very smooth, and has a very controlled off-axis response. But it can't match the extension or dispersion of the RAAL. A quick A-B between any dome and the RAAL on program material that is rich in very high-order harmonics (cymbals, picollo, triangles) will reveal that in a second."
I'm a fan of a sub
with a full range speaker, but the speaker doesn't have to go down to 20 Hz, 34 Hz is deep enough when paired with a REL sub. A REL is sub-bass subwoofer designed to play only 18Hz - 40 Hz. My REL sub is crossed over at 30 Hz, at that frequency placement is not critical, low frequencies are seamless. Once you hear it, you have to have it. The Rythmik's I have heard do not sound the same, I think the REL is faster with a subdued power you can feel, but only when called for. It's like the difference between the AVA Ultravalve and Vision SET 400, at low volumes they sound very similar but the SET 400 has all this power waiting in the wings that makes music flow without limits. A
REL Carbon Special uses a modified version of the carbon driver as in my Gibraltar with 1000w vs. 370w Rythmik. Tone has a review:
https://www.tonepublications.com/review/the-rel-carbon-limited-subwoofer/Let us know what you end up with, maybe a SS9.5 if the 8" drivers are no longer available.