Perlisten S7t Tower Speaker Review

[Boerd]

For people who seem to debate the excellence of Perlisten S7T please look at this measurement at 89db:

XTZ Divine 100.49 Tower Loudspeaker Review

The XTZ Divine 100.49 Towers employ high end construction and parts. They offer exceptional midrange detail, bass resolution and have a calming presence that may make them your final speaker purchase.

www.audioholics.com

The drivers there are very expensive. At the time the distortion was so low it was called "absurdly low".
The reaction was:
"This is absurdly low. We are talking class-leading performance here. In fact, I don't even think these results are entirely accurate, as I suspect what was recorded was just the distortion in my amplifier as well as background noise. XTZ can pat themselves on the back for a well-engineered speaker in terms of non-linear distortion. "


The S7T has the same distortion level in db - NOT relative db at 96db!!! That is 7db higher output, the same distortion level (again the level dbs not the relative dbs, very important). Just think about it.
S7T is truly spectacular.

 

[Boerd]

Did some back of the envelope calculations about the vertical sound dispersion for this speaker.
The tweeter is at 32" = 81.2 ~ 82 cm according to https://www.stereophile.com/content/perlisten-s7t-loudspeaker
The speaker has a 2 degrees tilt - again as per Stereophile.
For the following computations keep in mind the strongest sound is perpendicular on the cabinet (the center of the 30 degrees of dispersion is NOT horizontal but perpendicular on the cabinet).
From the measurements, the directivity is around 15 degrees around the perpendicular to the cabinet (tilted 2 degrees).
tan(15deg + 2deg) = tan(17deg) ~ 0.3
My ear at the couch is about 38" and I sit at 3 meters.
300 * 0.3 = 90cm above the tweeter the signal ends rather abruptly - at 82 + 90 = 172 cm
On the other side (below the tweeter) the window is 15 deg -2 deg = 13 deg.
tan(13 deg) = 0.23
300 * 0.23 = 69 cm below the horizontal of the tweeter => 82-69=13 (just above floor, no reflections for the strongest window of the signal)
This means the window at 3 meters is between 13 cm and to 172 cm .
Given the human ear is (wild guess) 10-15cm below the top of the head and 172 + 15 = 187cm, 6.1 guys can still listen on their feet (at 3m) , laying / sitting on the couch.
The tweeter seemed low for such tightly controlled vertical window. In fact, all is fine.

 

[shadyJ]

Did some back of the envelope calculations about the vertical sound dispersion for this speaker.
The tweeter is at 32" = 81.2 ~ 82 cm according to https://www.stereophile.com/content/perlisten-s7t-loudspeaker
The speaker has a 2 degrees tilt - again as per Stereophile.
For the following computations keep in mind the strongest sound is perpendicular on the cabinet (the center of the 30 degrees of dispersion is NOT horizontal but perpendicular on the cabinet).
From the measurements, the directivity is around 15 degrees around the OX (horizontal) axis.
tan(15deg + 2deg) = tan(17deg) ~ 0.3
My ear at the sofa is about 38" and I sit at 3 meters.
300 * 0.3 = 90cm above the tweeter the signal ends rather abruptly - at 82 + 90 = 172
On the other side (below the tweeter) the window is 15 deg -2 deg = 13 deg.
tan(13 deg) = 0.23
300 * 0.23 = 69 cm below the horizontal of the tweeter => 82-69=3 (just above floor, no reflections for the strongest window of the signal)
This means the window at 3 meters the main / most powerfull sound window is between 3 cm and to 172 cm .
Given the human ear is (wild guess) 10-15cm off the top of the head:
172 + 15 = 187cm. In other words 6.1 guys can still listen on their feet (at 3m) - or laying on the couch, or sitting on a sofa.
The tweeter seemed low for such tightly controlled vertical window. In fact, all is fine.

That was a back-of-the-envelope calculation? Must have been a pretty big envelope!

 

[Boerd]

That was a back-of-the-envelope calculation? Must have been a pretty big envelope!

Caught red handed.
I read here:

Perlisten S7t loudspeaker Measurements

Sidebar 3: Measurements The center of the Perlisten S7t's DPC high-frequency driver array is just 32" from the floor. While the distributor had placed the loudspeaker on a 3"-high dolly when he delivered it, I wasn't able to lift the speaker any higher for the measurements. (It weighs 122.5lb.)...

www.stereophile.com

"Don't listen to this speaker while standing."
I respectfully disagree. Envelope or not

 

[shadyJ]

I read here:

Perlisten S7t loudspeaker Measurements

Sidebar 3: Measurements The center of the Perlisten S7t's DPC high-frequency driver array is just 32" from the floor. While the distributor had placed the loudspeaker on a 3"-high dolly when he delivered it, I wasn't able to lift the speaker any higher for the measurements. (It weighs 122.5lb.)...

www.stereophile.com

"Don't listen to this speaker while standing."
I respectfully disagree. Envelope or not

Agreed. There is a tonal shift if you are very close to the speaker and stand up, of course, but if you are a few meters away from the speaker, the vertical dispersion will encompass a wide enough angle that the sound will be consistent whether you are standing or sitting.

 

[Boerd]

Agreed. There is a tonal shift if you are very close to the speaker and stand up, of course, but if you are a few meters away from the speaker, the vertical dispersion will encompass a wide enough angle that the sound will be consistent whether you are standing or sitting.

And the beauty of the narrow window is that at 3m there are still no main reflections off the floor. (higher frequencies that is - e.g. the 80Hz is omnidirectional, I know)

 

[amidr]

Excellent review. These speakers have impressed me. The build quality is excellent, and I've never seen a speaker with such a good frequency response that maintains it as you travel off-axis. However, it is quite costly.

 

[Boerd]

From the review:

"The tweeter is on its own for playback around 4kHz, but distortion is still very low; at its highest point, it is still 40dB below the fundamental which is 0.5% THD"

This is incorrect: -40db is 1% http://www.sengpielaudio.com/calculator-thd.htm

Next, in the review I find a statement that is too general and probably incorrect:

"The surface area of four 7” cones have the equivalent surface area of a 14” cone, so all these bass drivers are like a 14” bass driver, except that they would have a lot more cumulative motor force than a normal 14” driver. They would also be far less susceptible to thermal compression since we have four coils to disperse heat instead of just one."

This is an oversimplification. A 14 inch driver has normally higher excursion and the coil yields a larger surface (cylindrical) for heat dissipation.

 

[haraldo]

Would a really great musical experience impress you? Words encode and decode differently depending on who is encoding them and who is decoding them.

Maybe it would but again it's not the point of what I am looking for.... I have before heard loudspeakers that are getting rave reviews all over but to me they simply don't make it.... If they are unable to connect me to the music in a way that I am being transported into the musical event .... then it's not for me.

Perfect frequency response, extremely low distortion, impeccable engineering simply isn't enough to me.... they got to transport Tori Amos, Kate Bush or Dave Gahan into my living room right in front of me
In my humble opinion it takes a lot more, also including things we probably don't know how to measure yet!

 

[buckchester]

Is Gene still planing a shootout between these and the Revel 328? Can't wait to hear about that.

 

[Cruise Missile]

I ordered a pair of the S7t's in ebony high gloss! The weather has slowed down shipping, so here I wait *ahem* patiently.

These will be for my bedroom 2-chan. rig.

Power is from the Denon A110 integrated amp.
Sources are the Denon 110 SACD player and Mofi precision turntable Fender edition.

I am beyond excited.

 

[haraldo]

I ordered a pair of the S7t's in ebony high gloss! The weather has slowed down shipping, so here I wait *ahem* patiently.

These will be for my bedroom 2-chan. rig.

View attachment 53492

Power is from the Denon A110 integrated amp.
Sources are the Denon 110 SACD player and Mofi precision turntable Fender edition.

I am beyond excited.

CONGRATS, WAY COOL

The Denon is pretty powerful, isn´t it..... do you think it will drive the S7t´s well?

 

[Golfx]

I ordered a pair of the S7t's in ebony high gloss! The weather has slowed down shipping, so here I wait *ahem* patiently.

These will be for my bedroom 2-chan. rig.

View attachment 53492

Power is from the Denon A110 integrated amp.
Sources are the Denon 110 SACD player and Mofi precision turntable Fender edition.

I am beyond excited.

Nice bedroom sound system. Will you ever leave? I too had the Denon AVR A110. It has excellent specs! I also have the Perlistens. You are so going to enjoy them. Congratulaions.

 

[Cruise Missile]

CONGRATS, WAY COOL

The Denon is pretty powerful, isn´t it..... do you think it will drive the S7t´s well?

It should be up to the task. I've wanted to separate a 2.0 from my theater stuff for a long while. I find the damped theater spaces a bit dry for 2-chan. listening.

While I'm waiting for the S7t's I've been listening to my Aperion Versus grands on it (A110). Good budget speaker that has no business sounding this good.

I had upgraded the theater to a Denon avr110 from a 4311ci and the very real improvement with the Aperions on it was enough to kick start this new rig.

 

[Cruise Missile]

Nice bedroom sound system. Will you ever leave? I too had the Denon AVR A110. It has excellent specs! I also have the Perlistens. You are so going to enjoy them. Congratulaions.

Thank you! And, not if I could manage to stay in there. Lol

 

[Golfx]

It should be up to the task. I've wanted to separate a 2.0 from my theater stuff for a long while. I find the damped theater spaces a bit dry for 2-chan. listening.

While I'm waiting for the S7t's I've been listening to my Aperion Versus grands on it (A110). Good budget speaker that has no business sounding this good.

I had upgraded the theater to a Denon avr110 from a 4311ci and the very real improvement with the Aperions on it was enough to kick start this new rig.

I meant to comment earlier regarding your choice of wattage. The original reviewer at audioholics @shadyJ recommended a more robust power amp perhaps even bi-amping especially for the bass. So if you are impressed with your current setup then fine. But if you want to push all the potential out of your s7ts you might want to consider at least 400w. I drive my LCR with hypex ncore1200 monoblocks which deliver 700w @4ohms. I have a very big room (5600 cu ft+). Yours may be ok in a bedroom.


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[Cruise Missile]

I meant to comment earlier regarding your choice of wattage. The original reviewer at audioholics @shadyJ recommended a more robust power amp perhaps even bi-amping especially for the bass. So if you are impressed with your current setup then fine. But if you want to push all the potential out of your s7ts you might want to consider at least 400w. I drive my LCR with hypex ncore1200 monoblocks which deliver 700w @4ohms. I have a very big room (5600 cu ft+). Yours may be ok in a bedroom.


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I won't be trying to achieve THX Dominus levels in there. Lol. (Not often anyways)

The other key here is the sensitivity of the speakers, 92 db is pretty high.

I do have other amps I can try "if" the Denon can't cut the mustard with them in that space. Or if I feel there isn't enough headroom left in the amp for dynamic swings.

Gosh, I can't wait to get to play with them!

 

[Boerd]

Received my Perlisten S7T. The setup is not final - using a loaner amp from my dealer.

Ordered Perlisten s7t

For awhile I was debating MEGeithain 801K vs Genelec W371A + 8361A vs ATC SC150ASL. They all fell through: MEG are amazing (so I read) but they are pure unobtanium in California. Utilitarian aesthetics. ATC are forbidden on this site (half kidding). Looks leave a lot to be desired - low WAF...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[ryanosaur]

Received my Perlisten S7T. The setup is not final - using a loaner amp from my dealer.

Ordered Perlisten s7t

For awhile I was debating MEGeithain 801K vs Genelec W371A + 8361A vs ATC SC150ASL. They all fell through: MEG are amazing (so I read) but they are pure unobtanium in California. Utilitarian aesthetics. ATC are forbidden on this site (half kidding). Looks leave a lot to be desired - low WAF...

www.audiosciencereview.com

If you ever need to store them anywhere, you know, for just a week or two, I'm only about an hour away. Just holler.

 

[Golfx]

Received my Perlisten S7T. The setup is not final - using a loaner amp from my dealer.

Ordered Perlisten s7t

For awhile I was debating MEGeithain 801K vs Genelec W371A + 8361A vs ATC SC150ASL. They all fell through: MEG are amazing (so I read) but they are pure unobtanium in California. Utilitarian aesthetics. ATC are forbidden on this site (half kidding). Looks leave a lot to be desired - low WAF...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Congrats. I am certain they will justify your investment. I also own them. They effortlessly fill the room. Uncanny presence.


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