Perlisten Owners' Lounge - Discuss all things Perlisten.

[Descartes]

Has anyone compared the Perlisten with KEF Reference line

 

[Gio-G]

Has anyone compared the Perlisten with KEF Reference line

I may possibly be able to do that today.

I'm not well versed in any of the technical aspects like most here.
I could only offer my subjective opinion.

From what I've read, KEF specs/measurements are very good. When I was at the audio store, the rep I was working with said KEFs were excellent but lacked in bass by comparison to the S7T. I'm hoping the Perlisten bass is good enough that I don't miss my NHT 3.3s. I prefer to go without subs.

If I get a chance to hear them, I'll report back.

 

[fusionillusion]

Perlisten speakers are relatively expensive. Most reviewers and journalists have extremely limited funds. "Loaner" and "free" products are, in practice, the only way for reputable manufacturers to get high end gear into reviewer's hands.

Perlisten is to be commended for offering the speakers to a reputable site for critical analysis.

Audioholics is to be commended for publishing the detailed measurement data, allowing 3rd parties to replicate the results.

 

[Reddoc]

I may possibly be able to do that today.

I'm not well versed in any of the technical aspects like most here.
I could only offer my subjective opinion.

From what I've read, KEF specs/measurements are very good. When I was at the audio store, the rep I was working with said KEFs were excellent but lacked in bass by comparison to the S7T. I'm hoping the Perlisten bass is good enough that I don't miss my NHT 3.3s. I prefer to go without subs.

If I get a chance to hear them, I'll report back.

Great- so many great options, but Blade vs S7T is a choice I am considering

 

[Gio-G]

Has anyone compared the Perlisten with KEF Reference line

Hi,
I'm sorry to say I was not able to make that comparison.

There was no KEF floor model equivalent handy today.

I did join the Perlisten club however.

I was extremely impressed and shocked at how good the bass was/is.

No subs for now!

 

[PristineSound]

Great- so many great options, but Blade vs S7T is a choice I am considering

If you are considering the Blade, then you should consider the S7t Black Edition, they are roughly the same price.

No matter what you pick, there is no way you can go wrong with either one of them.

 

[PristineSound]

For those curious, this is the Limited Edition's NFS scan

 

[Gio-G]

The demo was fantastic. I was concerned that I would be longing for at least two subwoofers as I thought the NHT 3.3s would have too much of an edge in deep bass. The demo room itself was mediocre and nothing special. It was larger than the room I have here at home and I was extremely surprised with the amount of room shaking bass the S7Ts produced. Once I heard/felt that I was convinced that I'd be buying the speakers.

There were points during the demo that I actually turned the music down because you can listen to these at very high volume levels and forget just how loud things are. From what the experts say here and what some of the respected reviewers say, their observations seem to hold true. The very low distortion levels these speakers produce allow the listener to play them very loud. I probably just bought a ticket for early hearing aids.


This 1st picture is the demo room.

I was expecting things to sound even better on the home front. We don't have a concrete floor on this level which is great, and the room isn't treated but things sound good in this particular area of the house. I'm likely going to space these out a little more. I'm experimenting with positions and I think I can move them closer to the front wall. They are 1/2 the depth of the NHTs.


I love the black piano finish!

I did keep the NHTs, they are one hell of a vintage speaker and I'm attached to them. Modern technology usually improves things, but if I wasn't as fortunate as I am, I would have gladly kept going with my 1999 NHTs. I paid $4300 back in the day and have not heard too many speakers that sound better, at least when it comes to what I like to hear and feel.


I also have some peace of mind knowing I have equipment that should last the rest of my days. In another 30 years, I won't have good hearing nor will I be interested in updating my gear again. My kids will get the system and they can build on it or do whatever.

PristineSound and MAB (members here) have been very helpful and supportive behind the scenes. I'm not well versed in the real science behind all of this, but I believe in it and I very much appreciate kind people helping me out, even if I have stupid questions or have some typical subjective things to say.

I'm very pleased with things right now.

Today was a really fun day!

 

[Descartes]

If you are considering the Blade, then you should consider the S7t Black Edition, they are roughly the same price.

No matter what you pick, there is no way you can go wrong with either one of them.

Love the Blade Design, Perlisten just look like another boring box speaker!

 

[PristineSound]

Love the Blade Design, Perlisten just look like another boring box speaker!

I so happen to think both looks good.

There's never really a good or bad answer.

 

[PristineSound]

The demo was fantastic. I was concerned that I would be longing for at least two subwoofers as I thought the NHT 3.3s would have too much of an edge in deep bass. The demo room itself was mediocre and nothing special. It was larger than the room I have here at home and I was extremely surprised wth the amount of room shaking bass the S7Ts produced. Once I heard/felt that I was convinced that I'd be buying the speakers.

There were points during the demo that I actually turned the music down because you can listen to these at very high volume levels and forget just how loud things are. From what the experts say here and what some of the respected reviewers say, their observations seem to hold true. The very low distortion levels these speakers produce allows the listener to play them very loud. I probably just bought a ticket for early hearing aids.


This 1st picture is the demo room.
View attachment 543703

I was expecting things to sound even better on the home front. We don't have a concrete floor on this level which is great, and the room isn't treated but things sound good in this particular area of the house. I'm likely going to space these out a little more. I'm experimenting with positions and I think I can move them closer to the front wall. They are 1/2 the depth of the NHTs.


I love the black piano finish!

I did keep the NHTs, they are one hell of a vintage speaker and I'm attached to them. Modern technology usually improves things, but if I wasn't as fortunate as I am, I would have gladly kept going with my 1999 NHTs. I paid $4300 back in the day and have not heard too many speakers that sound better, at least when it comes to what I like to hear and feel.


I also have some peace of mind knowing I have equipment that should last the rest of my days. In another 30 years, I won't have good hearing and nor will I be interested in updating my gear again. My kids will get the system and they can build on it or do whatever.

PristineSound and MAB (members here) have been very helpful and supportive behind the scenes. I'm not well versed in the real science behind all of this, but I believe in it and I very much appreciate kind people helping me out, even if I have stupid questions or have some typical subjective things to say.

I'm very pleased with things right now.

Today was a really fun day!


View attachment 543704View attachment 543705View attachment 543706

Congratulations Gio.

If these are you last pair of speakers, you made one of the best decisions in HiFi in my opinion.

 

[Gio-G]

Love the Blade Design, Perlisten just look like another boring box speaker!

They do look cool.

They give me a "Miami Vice" vibe.
The store had the Blade 2's out in the main room.

The reps opinion was that the Blades lacked the bass of the S7Ts. They cost more but what surprised me about his opinion was he thought the Blades would be great for home theater. I guess I'd have to hear them, but I thought that would be the complete opposite view that most others would have.

Another interesting part of the day was I was taken into another room with the Sonus Faber speakers. The 85K model, whichever one that is. He said on "Vinyl Night", a listening night they have there, almost every listener prefers the Perlistens to the higher priced speakers.

I'm sure everybody has their favorites but I don't think I could have picked a better upgrade for my NHTs than these.

I did like the sound of the Sonus Fabers, they had some interesting treble and mid range, but I have no idea how they spec/measure.

The Perlistens mate very well with the Bryston gear I have here.

The the exception of replacing some aging amps in the future, I'm pretty much done.

Side note:

How refreshing it is after spending a few $$ not to have the BS "you need these speakers cables" discussion.

 

[Gio-G]

Congratulations Gio.

If these are you last pair of speakers, you made one of the best decisions in HiFi in my opinion.

Thanks for your help in the private message area.

This forum, in general has been extremely helpful.

 

[PristineSound]

They do look cool.

They give me a "Miami Vice" vibe.
The store had the Blade 2's out in the main room.

The reps opinion was that the Blades lacked the bass of the S7Ts. They cost more but what surprised me about his opinion was he thought the Blades would be great for home theater. I guess I'd have to hear them, but I thought that would be the complete opposite view that most others would have.

Another interesting part of the day was I was taken into another room with the Sonus Faber speakers. The 85K model, whichever one that is. He said on "Vinyl Night", a listening night they have there, almost every listener prefers the Perlistens to the higher priced speakers.

I'm sure everybody has their favorites but I don't think I could have picked a better upgrade for my NHTs than these.

I did like the sound of the Sonus Fabers, they had some interesting treble and mid range, but I have no idea how they spec/measure.

The Perlistens mate very well with the Bryston gear I have here.

The the exception of replacing some aging amps in the future, I'm pretty much done.

Side note:

How refreshing it is after spending a few $$ not to have the BS "you need these speakers cables" discussion.

The blade definitely has more bass, that is what the measurement shows and that is what I also remembered when I heard them. So I am not sure what the dealer is talking about. It's possible he is trying to over sell you because he knows you came in for the Perlisten, so he wants to validate your initial opinion. Had he given you options, you might just walk away saying, I need to think about which one to get and he may not get to close a deal that day.

I don't give these dealers much trust, at the end of the day, they are just trying to make a sale.

The Blade is a remarkable speaker, when I heard them, I said to myself, there is no way the Perlisten can beat that bass, but when it comes to the mid-range, vocals and highs, the Perlisten is just uncanny, but that is my opinion.

 

[Gio-G]

The blade definitely has more bass, that is what the measurement shows and that is what I also remembered when I heard them. So I am not sure what the dealer is talking about. It's possible he is trying to over sell you because he knows you came in for the Perlisten, so he wants to validate your initial opinion. Had he given you options, you might just walk away saying, I need to think about which one to get and he may not get to close a deal that day.

I don't give these dealers much trust, at the end of the day, they are just trying to make a sale.

The Blade is a remarkable speaker, when I heard them, I said to myself, there is no way the Perlisten can beat that bass, but when it comes to the mid-range, vocals and highs, the Perlisten is just uncanny, but that is my opinion.

Good to know.
Was it the Blade or Blade 2 or both?

I read here, I think that they were probably the best passives spec/wise around but I don't know because I didn't audition them. The rep has B&Ws at his house and likes the PERLISTENS more. I don't think he owns the B&Ws. It sounded like they were a store perk because he works there but not actually his.

I also remember reading the Blades were lower in distortion but I can't remember if I read that here or not.

I wasn't willing to budget for that speaker so maybe you are spot on.

If the measurements say they are superior than that is what it is.

I'm thrilled with what I have, but I will say the NHTs were no slouch in the low end. I don't want to move them upstairs again but they may still have an edge in the DEEP low end.

At the moment I'm hearing differences and I think it is because of the better measuring Perlistens plus they seem to excel in treble and mid range.

I have moved the Perlistens closer to the front wall and I've liked the increased bass response.

I probably have no idea how anything is supposed to sound. Really I don't know what ground zero neutral is.

I don't even know if my NHTs were set to the optimum performance levels and I don't know if I have these set up properly either.

I wish I had one of you guys in the know close by to help me out.

That said I'm really enjoying the S7Ts. I'll restate that, I'm really enjoying these speakers a lot. They are certainly different and I'd suspect they are a major improvement but I won't bag on the NHTs. I'm glad I still have them.

I just moved the the new speakers further apart with improved results and they really seem to be a superior speaker across the board.

The Blades 2's looked really cool in the grey color.

At this point I'm satisfied and with the "better half" being supportive of my purchase, I think I'm done with speakers!

Has anybody tried the ports sealed VS open?

Gene from Audioholics seems to think open is the way to go, at least with no subs.

 

[PristineSound]

Good to know.
Was it the Blade or Blade 2 or both?

I read here, I think that they were probably the best passives spec/wise around but I don't know because I didn't audition them. The rep has B&Ws at his house and likes the PERLISTENS more. I don't think he owns the B&Ws. It sounded like they were a store perk because he works there but not actually his.

I also remember reading the Blades were lower in distortion but I can't remember if I read that here or not.

I wasn't willing to budget for that speaker so maybe you are spot on.

If the measurements say they are superior than that is what it is.

I'm thrilled with what I have, but I will say the NHTs were no slouch in the low end. I don't want to move them upstairs again but they may still have an edge in the DEEP low end.

At the moment I'm hearing differences and I think it is because of the better measuring Perlistens plus they seem to excel in treble and mid range.

I have moved the Perlistens closer to the front wall and I've liked the increased bass response.

I probably have no idea how anything is supposed to sound. Really I don't know what ground zero neutral is.

I don't even know if my NHTs were set to the optimum performance levels and I don't know if I have these set up properly either.

I wish I had one of you guys in the know close by to help me out.

That said I'm really enjoying the S7Ts. I'll restate that, I'm really enjoying these speakers a lot. They are certainly different and I'd suspect they are a major improvement but I won't bag on the NHTs. I'm glad I still have them.

I just moved the the new speakers further apart with improved results and they really seem to be a superior speaker across the board.

The Blades 2's looked really cool in the grey color.

At this point I'm satisfied and with the "better half" being supportive of my purchase, I think I'm done with speakers!

Has anybody tried the ports sealed VS open?

Gene from Audioholics seems to think open is the way to go, at least with no subs.

I have heard both the the Blade 1 and 2.

Aside from the bass, I think the Perlisten S7t is a smidgen better, even that I will argue it's tough to judge.

 

[Gio-G]

I have heard both the the Blade 1 and 2.

Aside from the bass, I think the Perlisten S7t is a smidgen better, even that I will argue it's tough to judge.

That's good insight.

I am still messing around with placement. Things seem to get better with placement. How far are yours from the front wall? I'm finding these bass load similar to the NHTs the closer to the front wall I move them.

I have a Paula Cole CD and the song "Tiger" is a great bass demo song. I was very impressed with the S7Ts deep bass response in the larger demo room.

While I am very happy with the Perlisten bass, the other areas this speaker shows its superiority over the NHTs is in the midrange, upper bass, and I love the treble.

I think you mentioned that the S7T treble was better than the R7T.

I'm probably losing some high frequency hearing so the tweeters on my new rigs are really nice to hear.

I'm all subjective with my banter so take everything with a grain of salt.

These speakers do sound great to me, and honestly I wish they didn't because I would have saved a lot of $$ by not buying them.

 

[PristineSound]

That's good insight.

I am still messing around with placement. Things seem to get better with placement. How far are yours from the front wall? I'm finding these bass load similar to the NHTs the closer to the front wall I move them.

I have a Paula Cole CD and the song "Tiger" is a great bass demo song. I was very impressed with the S7Ts deep bass response in the larger demo room.

While I am very happy with the Perlisten bass, the other areas this speaker shows its superiority over the NHTs is in the midrange, upper bass, and I love the treble.

I think you mentioned that the S7T treble was better than the R7T.

I'm probably losing some high frequency hearing so the tweeters on my new rigs are really nice to hear.

I'm all subjective with my banter so take everything with a grain of salt.

These speakers do sound great to me, and honestly I wish they didn't because I would have saved a lot of $$ by not buying them.

2 feet from the front wall. That is a sweet position for my room.

 

[MAB]

That's good insight.

I am still messing around with placement. Things seem to get better with placement. How far are yours from the front wall? I'm finding these bass load similar to the NHTs the closer to the front wall I move them.

I have a Paula Cole CD and the song "Tiger" is a great bass demo song. I was very impressed with the S7Ts deep bass response in the larger demo room.

While I am very happy with the Perlisten bass, the other areas this speaker shows its superiority over the NHTs is in the midrange, upper bass, and I love the treble.

I think you mentioned that the S7T treble was better than the R7T.

I'm probably losing some high frequency hearing so the tweeters on my new rigs are really nice to hear.

I'm all subjective with my banter so take everything with a grain of salt.

These speakers do sound great to me, and honestly I wish they didn't because I would have saved a lot of $$ by not buying them.

Two things happen when you move the speaker closer to the wall. The bass is increased. Cancellation-effects from the wall are reduced.

A good description of the bass boost due to proximity effect is here, in the Radiation Space section:

How to place your monitors? - Genelec.com

To create the ideal listening experience, several aspects need to be taken into account when placing the monitors within the listening space. First, you need to identify the listening area within the space and consider where the listener will be placed in relation to the space as well as the...

www.genelec.com

It's significant.

It's the same mechanism NHT uses to get such deep bass. Ken Norton comments on the deep bass of the 3.3 in the Stereophile review measurement section::
"The bass extension is excellent and will extend even deeper than this with room-boundary reinforcement, as is indicated from the in-room manufacturer's specifications."

So it isn't a surprise that you get bass enhancement near the wall that reminds you of the NHT! By the measurements from Perlisten and Audioholics, the S7T can be used close to the wall. The proximity to the wall also improves the tendency of standing waves to cause cancellations. There is additional discussion in the wall reflections and cancellations section on this effect. Many speakers can't be placed too closely to the wall due to overly aggressive bass tuning. It helps sell speakers in stores, but ultimately doesn't behave well in typical living spaces unless kept away from the walls.

Sealing the port on your S7T will help if the bass is excessive when close to the wall. You can back these all the way into the wall.

 

[Golfx]

I just could not like the appearance of the Blades. Too modern for me. They looked like stylized rockets out of a Jetsons cartoon. Would not exactly blend in with most other furniture.