Note that this is a discontinued product. You may want to visit the brand's page here to browse their newer products.
What reviewers think
Bloggers and YouTubers have tried this product—so we've summarized their strongest opinions below. Links to full reviews follow.
All
R4s
reviews
Manufacturer details
- Driver compliment: DPC-Array: 26mm(3) Silk dome, Woofers: 165mm HPF diaphragm
- Sensitivity: 86.5dB / 2.83v / 1.0m
- Impedance: 4Ω nominal / 3.7Ω min
- Response Linearity: 300 - 20kHz +/-1.5dB window
- Frequency Response (-10dB): 48 - 32kHz
- Typical In Room bass extension: 42Hz
- Dimensions (HxWxD): 378 x 230 x 173mm (14.9 x 9.0 x 6.8")
- Weight: 9.5 kg (20.9 lbs.)
- Recommended Amplifier Power: 50 - 200W RMS
- SPL capability @1m (100-20kHz): 109.5dB peak <3% - 2nd, 3rd Harmonics
- Certification: THX Ultra
Flush mount on wall bracket is included and optional tilt and swivel bracket is available. Designed to be mounted with integral keyhole, optional tilt/swivel bracket, or mounted behind screens.
Sharing "trickle-down" technology from our flagship S-Series, the DPC-Array here based on three 26mm domes, guarantees excellent directivity control and timbre matching with all R-Series speakers. The Silk diaphragms developed ground up, chosen specifically their smooth, effortless representation of midrange and treble.
The 165mm woofer is made from our proprietary HPF pulp, two years in development, bringing new technology to one of the oldest materials used in loudspeaker design. Optimized for smooth power response (2pi or 4pi) the R4s is designed to work well as part of a larger R-series system, versatile enough to be used as any channel.
Brand highlights
Taking a step back to look at reviewers' thoughts of the brand's entire lineup—not just this product—what stands out most is the following:
- The DPC (Directivity Pattern Control) array, with its computer-modeled waveguide and specific driver arrangement, delivers exceptional soundstage cohesion and image placement, creating a more immersive listening experience.
- The brand employs a multi-driver design with carefully chosen materials, such as beryllium and thin-ply carbon diaphragms, to achieve ultra-low distortion and precise sound reproduction.
- Perlisten products are designed for seamless integration, achieving true timbre matching across their range of in-room, in-wall, and in-ceiling speakers, ideal for creating comprehensive audio/video systems.
- They are the first to achieve THX Certified Dominus status, indicating these speakers offer high output with low distortion, and can fill large rooms without compromising sonic quality.
Select products
R5T
- Positioning: The entry-level model in the R-Series lineup.
- Description: Offers a great balance of performance and affordability, featuring the DPC-Array technology for precise sound control. Uses 165mm woofers made from HPF pulp, providing a rich bass experience, similar to the R7T but with fewer woofers, making it ideal for smaller rooms and tighter budgets.
R7T
- Positioning: A mid-range model in the R-Series, offering advanced features at a competitive price.
- Description: Features DPC-Array and long-excursion woofers, delivering low distortion and excellent directivity. Shares many technologies with the S-Series, like the S5T, but at a more accessible price point.
S5T
- Positioning: A high-performance model in the S-Series, designed for slightly smaller rooms.
- Description: Features advanced DPC-Array and thin-ply carbon diaphragm woofers, offering nearly the same SPL and sensitivity as the S7T. Provides a full-range performance similar to the flagship S7T but in a more compact form.
S7T
- Positioning: The flagship model in the S-Series, representing the pinnacle of Perlisten's audio technology.
- Description: Features DPC-Array and beryllium dome tweeters, delivering exceptional accuracy and dynamic range. Offers the most sophisticated sound experience in the lineup.
Our take on the brand
Look inside the brand
Our interview with the brand
What are two key technological innovations or strong opinions that differ you from other brands?
As for as tech breakthroughs, we have our patented DPC array: a tweeter inside two midranges. This improves sensitivity and dynamics through such light drivers (3g or less).
Across our entire line, you’re getting 3D soundstaging, detail, dynamics, and low distortion. Most noticeable to the listener is the way sound propagates throughout the room: we focus on a wide dispersion left and right, and slightly limit it top to bottom to minimize first reflections on the floor and ceiling. This makes the speakers easier to place.
As you move up price in our line, the extent to which we do this passive beamforming on the vertical axis descends into a lower and lower frequency.
What's your approach to customer support?
What are your favorite tracks for showcasing the strength of your products?
What other products pair best with yours?
Perlistens are generally not difficult to run. Take the S7t for example: High 80s, low 90s sensitivity. That can run with anything. But, because Perlistens can play so loud, they do like a lot of power to fully show off.
Two brands we generally pair Perlisten with: On the upper end is Audioflight from Italy. On the budget friendly end, Primare. But they've been paired with so much—we haven't come across a pairing they don't work with unless it's a 3W triode tube amp due to insufficient power.
What if you spend more?
I am the overperforming little guy who will demand your respect after your first audition. I can be a serious 2 channel system with a subwoofer, an LCR, or a surround channel. Effortless dynamics and lightspeed transients remain the common thread of all Signature series speakers including the S4b. A bookshelf with this much technology is hard to find and can literally be the Ninja of any system. Bookshelf, main for a 2.1 system, LCR, Dominus Surround, it can transform into anything you need.
Features including our proprietary DPC-Array controlling Mid/High frequencies and centered by our finest 28mm Beryllium dome and dual 28mm TPCD ultra-lightweight domes. All transducers are developed ground up by our engineers bringing decades of research and culminating in this world class design. All S-Series speakers share the same DPC-Array and benefit from our unique timbre matching technique across the entire series utilizing Beryllium and our advanced Carbon fiber.
These speakers are an acoustic suspension to meet the demands of any listening room with unparalleled dynamic range and musical finesse. Very impressive system alone or when combined with a PERLISTEN subwoofer. Great for use in 2.1 systems or any channel of theater system utilizing subwoofers. Can be used as surround, height or LCR. Bookshelf, stand or on-wall mounting with keyhole or available bracket.
Featuring our DPC-Array as for controlling Mid/High frequencies, centered by our finest 28mm Beryllium dome and dual 28mm TPCD ultra-lightweight domes. This new tweeter/waveguide DPC-Array delivers amazing accuracy, smoothness, and directivity control to handle the critical vocal range and delicate treble. The S4b shares the same DPC-Array and benefits from our unique timbre matching technique as found in the entire S-Series range of speakers. Unparalleled dynamic range, low distortion and musical finesse. The PERLISTEN S4b continues the lineup of speakers that have the distinguished honor to be the world's first and only loudspeakers to be certified for THX Dominus – their highest rating.
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Product Strengths
- Solidly built with an inert cabinet, contributing to overall performance
- Crazy linear/neutral sound from about 100Hz upwards
- The beryllium tweeter provides nuanced, airy, and extended highs with a hint of shimmer for realistic metallic instruments
- It creates a three-dimensional soundstage, making the speakers disappear sonically
Product Considerations
- It does not have a great deal of bass on its own and may require a subwoofer for full-range playback, starting its roll-off at around 100Hz
- While placement is flexible, a solid amplifier is required
- The styling might be an acquired taste and could be considered overcomplicated by some
- The high gloss finishes may not appear different from less expensive speakers, making it harder to justify the luxury price tag
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Vs Bowers & Wilkins 805 D4: The S4B is more neutral/accurate, while the 805 D4 adds bass and treble energy
- Vs Focal Canta No. 1: The S4B outperforms the Canta No. 1, which has chestiness in its bass and midrange due to its cabinet
- Vs Revel Studio 2: The S4B reminded the reviewer of the Revel Studio 2, though the Revels had more bass
- Vs Focal Diablo Utopia: The Perlisten are a great alternative if the Utopias are outside of your reach and are a more neutral and less bright speaker
- Vs EgglestonWorks Nico Evo: The EgglestonWorks presentation is a little more mid-forward and less 3D than the Perlisten
Takeaway: The Perlisten S4b is a high-performing speaker that offers excellent clarity and a neutral sound, making it a great choice for audiophiles and home cinema enthusiasts alike. The speaker's ability to create a detailed and immersive soundstage can bring music and movies to life.
Video review
Our take on the brand
The R-series Monitor is a culmination of S-series patented technology with materials developed from the ground up in every part of the design just like it's big brothers. The R5m is a true Chameleon with enough bass extension to offer an amazing 2 channel experience, the heart of a reference level 2.1 system, the LCR for a home theater, or surrounds in that monster R-series System. The option for a fully vented full range experience or a sealed enclosure, help transform this speaker to adapt to any system.
Designed to be mounted on optional stand, or mounted to a wall with our tilt swivel bracket. Sharing "trickle-down" technology from our flagship S-Series, the DPC-Array here based on three 26mm domes, guarantees excellent directivity control and timbre matching with all R-Series speakers. The Silk diaphragms developed ground up, chosen specifically their smooth, effortless representation of midrange and treble.
The 165mm woofers are made from our proprietary HPF pulp, two years in development, bringing new technology to one of the oldest materials used in loudspeaker design. The R5m can be aligned as bass reflex or acoustic suspension depending on specific tastes. Rich, dynamic bass matched with advanced mid/treble directivity pattern control and silky highs offer best in class performance.
Product Strengths
- Excellent coherence and homogeneity, achieving an even, wide radiation without being limited to a sweet spot
- Extremely agile display with excellent impulse fidelity and excellent resolution and transparency
- Impressive plasticity and presence, creating a superb—almost immersive—spatiality
- Voluminous, deep-reaching, yet contoured bass, even when placed close to the wall, thanks to its clever bass reflex tuning
- All speakers use a similar proprietary driver array, centered within a custom waveguide (DPC Array), just with different drivers in the R-series
- The Directivity Pattern Control (DPC) array results in excellent vertical and horizontal dispersion control
Product Considerations
- The impedance drops rather low, so the more quality power available to use with these speakers, the better
- A room resonance around 110 Hz was experienced with a large and unnatural peak in the response that needed room correction
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Mating a single or pair of the R212s subwoofers to the R5m monitors can get a large slice of the tower's sonic fun factor and might actually be preferable for certain installations
- Overall detail and tonality were very similar between the two speakers with the Revels having a touch more "zing" to cymbals and similar instruments, but the Perlisten wasn't considered soft by comparison
Takeaway: The R5m is an extraordinary monitor that delivers excellent performance in both hifi and home cinema. The monitor impresses with its spatiality, dynamics, and bass potency, making it a great choice for immersive listening and viewing experiences.
Video review
Our take on the brand
The hardest working speaker in any home theater and yet the least appreciated. Natural, True vocals are never easy while maintaining super low distortion and extreme dynamics that movies demand is what sets the R-series apart. The same DPC control with clarity that make you forget you have speakers in your room at all and just enjoy yourself. Designed to be mounted on optional stand, or mounted to a wall with our tilt swivel bracket. Sharing “trickle-down” technology from our flagship S-Series, the DPC-Array here based on three 26mm domes, guarantees excellent directivity control and timbre matching with all R-Series speakers. The Silk diaphragms developed ground up, chosen specifically their smooth, effortless representation of midrange and treble. The 165mm woofers are made from our proprietary HPF pulp, two years in development, bringing new technology to one of the oldest materials used in loudspeaker design.
Product Strengths
- The R5c center channel speaker allows dialog to be clear and intelligible amid layers of effects sounds
- The R5c maintains performance and clarity even when listening decently off-axis
Product Considerations
- Impedance drops rather low, so more quality power on tap to use with these speakers is better
- Too much bass or upper bass was present
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Vs Revel F228Be towers: Revels tended to make vocals and some instruments sound strangely "tall," whereas the Perlisten was far more of a point-source presentation with vocals and instruments being centered to the speaker
Takeaway: The R5c is great for listening to music or for home theaters. It ensures all voices can be heard clearly, even when there are a lot of other sounds.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Who says in-ceiling speakers are always a compromise? The S3ic is the perfect in-ceiling match for any S-Series Home Theater, where sacrifices to the perfect audio experiences are unacceptable, and perfection is the only path forward. Patent pending design, with directivity control derived from our patent pending DPC, creating a frequency response that matches and sounds like a world class speaker.
Featuring the same Beryllium tweeter, Textreme TPCD midrange and TPCD 7" woofer as our in-walls and highly regarded in-room speakers. This enables a flat frequency response angled for 30-degree main listening window with off axis and power response to match our in-wall S-Series speakers for flawless timber matching needed for true immersive audio.
A solid 4mm thick aluminum back box for consistent sound with limited sound transmission into other rooms. This ability to be used not only for in-ceiling surround but in-ceiling LCR or in-wall wide speakers and THX Certified Dominus for surrounds. Better coverage for even response across more seats with no compromises!
The perfect solution for high end Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, and Auro-3D applications. Featuring an innovative new waveguide array controlling Mid/High frequencies, centered by our finest 28mm Beryllium dome tweeter and 28mm TPCD ultra-lightweight dome mid. Optimized for in-ceiling applications where a 30 degree reference axis is desired as well as larger a listening window in the direction towards the listening space.
Extremely versatile – Can be used as L,C,R, surround, height, or wide channel speaker. Once again, All transducers are developed ground up by our engineers sharing largely from with S-Series, formed from decades of research, culminating in this worlds class design.
Utilizing advanced Cosmos acoustical modeling, the result is one of the most technologically advanced in-ceiling loudspeakers available. This new tweeter/waveguide DPC-Array delivers amazing accuracy, smoothness, and directivity control to handle the critical vocal range and delicate treble. The S3ic also benefits from our unique and proprietary timbre matching technique across the entire S-Series.
Product Strengths
- A DPC array includes a 1.1-inch Beryllium dome tweeter and a 1.1-inch Textreme TPCD ultra-lightweight dome midrange driver, helping match the timbre of other S-Series speakers
- The first in-ceiling model able to achieve THX Certified Dominus, especially one designed for the largest private theaters of up to 6,500 cubic feet
- Promises staggeringly good frequency response across a wide listening area for great sound
- Has a flat surface when installed, leading to less diffraction and reflections
- Has a back box that's four millimeters thick and bituminously damped, to reduce sound leakage
Product Considerations
- The flagship and most expensive offering in the Perlisten in-ceiling speaker line
- Using in-ceiling speakers for bed-layer channels is not ideal and should generally be discouraged
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Offers a more ideal frequency response in the listening position, compared to typical in-ceiling speakers
- Offers sonic advantages due to less diffraction and reflections, compared to on-ceiling speakers
Takeaway: The S3ic is a technologically advanced in-ceiling speaker that delivers excellent sound quality and broad coverage. It is a great choice for creating a high-performance home theater experience.
Video review
Our take on the brand
What competes at this price?
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Versatile design allows for vertical or horizontal mounting, on-wall or freestanding configurations
- Clear dialog and well-sorted audio elements are produced for movies
- Accurate imaging creates a strong phantom center channel effect
- Sleek and modern aesthetics fit well in various spaces
- Clear midrange and spirited highs provide good sound quality for both movies and music
- Connectivity options are available
Product Considerations
- Bass response may not satisfy bass enthusiasts without a subwoofer
- Small hole for speaker wire in the stand pole may be too small for some speaker cables with spade connectors
- Speakers need to be closer to the wall to reinforce bass
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- The Focal On Wall 302 offers more versatility in application, while the Focal Vestia No. 2 has more designer finish
Takeaway: The Focal On Wall 302 is a versatile speaker that delivers excellent sound quality and offers a modern, sleek design that fits into various home theater or music setups. These speakers are a great choice for those looking for unobtrusive, elegant speakers that perform well for both movies and music.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Nice bass extension down to about 40, 45 Hertz in the room
- Very low distortion and good dynamic range
- Excellent resolution throughout the frequency range
- Hybrid tweeter widens the sweet spot and opens up the soundstage
- Well-constructed and well-engineered
Product Considerations
- The speaker sounds a little too laid back in the mid-range
- High frequency has a lot of sizzle or pop, the level of the tweeter stands out more above the mid-range
- Without some equalization or some sidewall absorption, it is a tough sell
- SMC material reduces third harmonic distortion, and some people may feel that it is too polite
- May need a cooler and livelier amplifier to get the best sound
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Neat Elite Classics are only just a little less capable at shifting air at low frequencies and are a little more balanced tonally, whereas the Dali's are a little recessed in the upper mid-range
Takeaway: The Dali Rubicon 6s are well-engineered speakers that offer excellent resolution throughout the frequency range. The hybrid tweeter widens the sweet spot and opens up the soundstage.
Video review
Our take on the brand
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Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Great sound and is considered one of the greatest audio bargains
- Even tonal balance, very neutral, and offers a balance of detail and exceptional musicality
- Creates a credible soundstage and reveals detail in well-recorded material, with a wide stage extending beyond the speakers and conveying depth
- Can play loudly with minimal effort due to its 89dB sensitivity and 8-ohm impedance
- Superb imaging, especially with two-channel listening
Product Considerations
- High-end finishes increase the price significantly
- Some reviewers find the grills flimsy
- Some reviewers found the speaker install difficult
- The height of the tweeter was a bit low for one reviewer, causing the soundstage to feel low at times
- Some reviewers find Axiom speakers as a whole as unforgiving or too bright
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Compared to PSB Platinum M2 and Usher X-718, the Axiom M60 v2 could play much louder and go far lower in the bass
- Compared to Onix Rocket RS450s, there's a considerably increased size of the soundstage
Takeaway: The Axiom M60 v2 speakers are a great value for their excellent performance and ability to draw one into their music. With a seemingly boundless dynamic range, they bring music to life and can be a solid choice if space allows.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Smooth, spacious sound with good weight
- Excellent build and finish quality
- Slim design allows it to be hung on the wall like a picture
- Employs true 3-way full range drivers with pivoting Inverted Dual Concentric mid-range/tweeter modules, and C-CAM bass drivers
- Clever drive unit arrangement ensures that imaging is excellent
Product Considerations
- Midrange colouration can harm timing, potentially leading to a slightly congested presentation with complex rhythms
- Bass presence is limited due to the sealed-box design
- Without the grilles, the speakers have a stark, industrial look
Takeaway: The SoundFrame offers both stylish design and impressive sound quality, making it a good choice for those who want their speakers to blend seamlessly with their home decor. Its innovative features and well-built construction make it a worthwhile investment.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Technically the best speakers the reviewer has ever reviewed, based on objective measurements
- Optimized with a six and a half inch driver, the transition from the mid-range to the tweeter is seamless
- Great directivity index, making them EQable and sound good even without EQ
- Precise imaging creates a wide soundstage and a strong center image
- Well-made with HDF enclosure, rhodium binding posts, and good crossover components for the price
Product Considerations
- Requires a subwoofer for deep bass extension
- Aesthetics are plain, and may not appeal to those seeking visually striking speakers
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Vs Philharmonic Audio BMRs, the Arendal 1723 has more precise imaging, while the BMRs have a wider but softer soundstage
Takeaway: The Arendal 1723 speakers offer top-notch technical performance and precise imaging, making them great for both two-channel and home theater setups when paired with a subwoofer. Their neutral sound and EQ-ability make them a versatile and high-performing choice.
Video review
Our take on the brand
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