“PRECISE, DYNAMIC, YET MUSICAL REPRODUCTION OF SERIOUS CAPACITY”
Carlo Lo Raso, Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity
When I reviewed the Perlisten S7t-based surround sound system last year, it was a system very much of excess. It was an incredible performer in every respect, comprised of the company’s top-of-the-line gear. What’s not to like about that? I wondered though if Perlisten could do a smaller, more approachable system without giving up much in the way of that outright performance. The answer, in my mind, is a resounding yes. Taken individually, the Perlisten R5m is an excellent stand-mounted speaker. They can be easily used alone in a small to a medium-sized room (with quality amplification, as you’ll want some juice) to make an excellent sounding stereo system with a surprising low-end punch. Want to push it to the next level? Adding an R212s will get you there and then some with superb low-end performance, matching aesthetics, and lots of configuration options (if you are a bass-nut with a full pocketbook you’ll add two). Combine that 2.2 channel base with the R5c center channel speaker and the R4s on-wall surrounds, and you will have an outrageously capable home theater system, sized for the average home theater room.
The only caveat I have is that the price of a single R5m and its matching stand is only $705 bucks shy of a single R7t tower speaker. If you have a larger room or are not a fan of using subwoofers for a stereo setup, the R7t may be what you want to investigate if you can muster the extra $1,410 dollars for the pair. I had a chance to hear the R7t at the Florida Audio Expo and they sounded impressive.
Yes, this R5m-based system may still be out of the reach of many people. The price of this whole ensemble is roughly $25,000 as tested. And yet, taken as a whole, there is precious little this system can’t deliver on. Clear, immersive sound with dynamics to spare. Each speaker benefits from Perlisten’s novel DPC array to help control issues from floor and ceiling reflections delivering tangible results. Good looking, and well made with a moderate footprint to boot. If the world was my oyster, I would keep this R5m setup as my reference home theater and take a pair of S7t as my 2-channel reference system in my studio and call it a day!
