about perlisten loudspeakers
Perlisten loudspeakers may look pretty conventional, but there's decades of experience and a whole load of modern technology packed into them. This page explains their design concept, and breaks down the features of the loudspeaker range that not only make them unique for movie soundtrack reproduction, but also for music as well.
At the heart of every Perlisten loudspeakers is the DPC array - Directivity Pattern Control, provides controlled dispersion in any type of room, and benefits music and home theatre alike.
The DPC array combines three dome drivers in arranged in a vertical array - all 26mm silk domes for the Reference Series, and 28mm beryllium domes for the Signature Series. The DPC array accounts for all but the lowest 1,000Hz or so of the signal you're listening to, so around 95% of the frequency range of the loudspeaker is handled purely by the DPC array. This means that this vast range is carefully dispersion controlled by the DPC waveguide to provide an in-room response that gives a wide dispersion, but highly controlled vertically in order to focus the sound more to the listening position by limiting ceiling and floor reflections, resulting in reduced necessity for potentially invasive digital room corrections. As the DPC array is used in all models, it provides the same dispersion characteristics and performance throughout the entire range, so you don't have to worry about mixing and matching different models for your ideal set up.
This feature makes Perlisten loudspeakers very room friendly, even in the most reflective rooms, and certainly far more so than conventionally speaker designs.
The two flanking domes cover midrange between around 1.1kHz to 4.4kHz (varies slightly depending on the model). At normal listening distances, one midrange dome either side of the HF unit provides a more "point source" sound reproduction - something those who are familiar with the little audio company's loudspeaker ranges will know that we are extremely keen on. Using smaller drive units for midrange frequencies provides a more accurate reproduction, resulting in a faster, more vivid midrange, void of the colorations that larger, heavier midrange cones can introduce.
The end result is numerous benefits for movies and music that many other speakers just can't match. It allows most of the designs to achieve a THX Dominus rating - the first Dominus rated loudspeakers in the world - able to provide continuous 85dB output and 105dB peaks in a 184 cubic metre room at a seating distance of 6 metres! That's around twice the capabilities of THX Ultra. Most domestic UK spaces are smaller, but it's nice to know that a Dominus rated Perlisten loudspeaker or subwoofer will handle anything you care to throw at in a smaller space...
The bookshelf and surround speakers of the range are sealed cabinets, while the floorstanding models and the monitor offering the option of sealed or ported use. These models are ported downwards, which means their distance from a wall behind them is far less important than conventional rear ported loudspeakers that need plenty of space to work properly. It is in this ported mode that they will likely be used for stereo music listening, with bass typically reaching under 30Hz in many rooms for both floorstanders.
The sealed mode is intended more for home theatre use, alongside a subwoofer or two. Bass is naturally more restricted, but tighter, more detailed, and more even in response. THX recommends an 80Hz crossover point between the subwoofer and speakers. Of course, this sealed mode could also be utilised in a 2.1 audio system, particularly in more awkward or bassy sounding rooms to produce a more accurate response.