Loudspeakers

With the same DPC array as the S7t [HFN Apr '22], but married to just a single pair of 180mm TPCD bass/mid drivers, the S5t is cut from the same sonic cloth, albeit with slightly reduced sensitivity and bass extension, and increased midrange/treble distortion. Measured fractionally above the axis of the central beryllium dome tweeter – the likely seated listening axis with the speakers tipped back by 2° – the Perlisten S5t's response [Graph 1] is very slightly dished but actually more uniform than that of the S7t with tighter ±1.9dB and ±1.7dB errors, respectively, as it builds back to a slight peak at 10kHz. The response dips just prior to the familiar 24kHz dome resonance [pink shaded area, Graph 1, and CSD waterfall, Graph 2]. Pair matching is a 'looser' 1.2dB (200Hz-20kHz) and while no grilles were supplied, we've measured a benign, circa ±0.5dB variation in mid/presence band output with previous Perlisten speakers. Sensitivity is very close to Perlisten's claimed 89.5dB at 89.3dB/1kHz and 88.8dB (500Hz-8kHz) here, but this is ~2dB lower than the S7t and partially explains the S5t's higher 0.6-1% THD at 90dB SPL/1m.

The (diffraction-corrected) bass rolls away a little earlier than might be expected at 60Hz (–6dB re. 200Hz), a product of the 180mm drivers' 60-500Hz range (–6dB) and muted 27Hz port/slot tuning, but boundary reinforcement will improve this figure in practice. Nevertheless, the generous sensitivity and clean bass comes at the expense of a modestly demanding load – a dip to 2.89ohm/155Hz and 3.0ohm/15.9kHz with maximum swings in phase angle of +59°/20kHz and –50°/80Hz lead to dips in EPDR of 1.25ohm/105Hz and a less concerning 1.06ohm/23kHz. PM