Perlisten S5t

op if you love harbeths you will find very few loudspekers you will like better the harbeths hsave a very particular sound due tothe cabinet design

perhaps you should work on improving your existing gear

dave and Troy

audio intellect nj

I've heard the S7t's at the last 2 Axpona exhibits and while very impressive they seemed not able to play that delicate when asked to. I also was interested in the smaller S5t and was told by the representative the sound was very close but the S5t didn't go as low. Again a very forceful sound but in the end didn't think I would enjoy. Just another point of view.

I’ve owned the S7t since December. They are excellent speakers that do just about everything right. This is not to say they are perfect, but only that they have no glaring faults and I have no complaints--and I am extremely picky. They are coherent, dynamic, resolving, and tonally accurate. They can play absurdly loud or with exquisite delicacy. As one of my audio friends says, they are chameleons. Whatever they are fed, they reproduce accurately and transparently without editorializing.

Now, they do require work, as another poster has said. They are extremely sensitive to placement. To get their best, you have to resign yourself to making changes of 1/8 inch repeatedly, front and back, side to side, and with toe in, over time. Tiny changes have big effects with these speakers. And if you change an upstream component that alters the overall sonic profile, you’ll need to revisit set up. But in my experience, every good speaker requires this level of placement care. And they do take forever to break in. I was ready to sell them for the first month I owned them, until the drivers came into their own and I nailed the placement. The bass was the last thing to get right.

I have several speakers and amps that I alternate into my main system. These include PMC IB2i driven by a highly modified Plinius SA-103 or a Reference Line Silver Signature Class A amp; highly modified Cornwall IV driven by a Luxman MQ-300 300B SET; and the Perlistens, usually driven with an upgraded Aric Audio Transcend Push-Pull, which has 60 watts of Class A KT150. But S7t are also super happy with my 200 watt Class A solid state amps. Each of these combos sounds quite different but they are all wonderful. The Perlistens are not as muscular as the PMCs, and don’t reached down to 25hz, but they’re not weaklings by any stretch, and deliver tight, solid bass to the low 30s in my bass-challenged room. They’re not as immediate, dynamic, and live as the modded Cornwalls, but nothing beats horns for those traits, especially driven with a high quality SET amp.

Given their sophisticated tech and design, excellent driver array, impressive build quality, and overall sound, I think the S7t are a high-end bargain. Yes, they are made in China, but by a US company that has deep roots in US audio. Your sonic preferences or politics might make them not your cup. And if you’re not willing or able to set them up properly and feed them what they deserve, they won’t deliver their potential. But make no mistake, the S7t are very fine speakers that can do the audiophile stuff and also communicate the artistry and emotion of a music event. I’m happy I own them.

14 k a pair, for speakers made in China, seems like a lot of dough. Saw a few reviews out there. You’ll figure it out.

I would never purposely buy anything from China unless I was planning fire insurance fraud. 14K?....cKaZy

@baylinor , @tonydennison , Last i heard, you are typing on your phone or PC made in China. Throw them away and let your fingers type in thin air or just scream loud enough and we might just hear you across the continent.

They do require some work with placement, and interaction with room, acoustics, but once they are placed properly, they are very good.

@thyname , I met the Perlisten guys at Axpona. They seemed to indicate that these speakers were designed to be some of the most forgiving speakers w.r.t placement/room deficiencies in comparison to all the competitor offerings.