Review: Perlisten S5t Tower Speakers

And then there were three.

Perlisten came on the hifi scene in 2022 and hit the ground running. I reviewed, very favorably I might add, their current flagship the S7t Tower Speakers  (review) followed by the equally appealing, albeit in a different manner, R7t Towers (review) that mimic the S7t’s driver configuration and cabinet size while employing different materials to lower overall cost.

The brand new Perlisten S5t Tower Speakers are, in essence, a squatter version of the S7t, lowering the cabinet’s height, deepening its depth a skosh, while lowering the total driver count from 7 to 5. The S5t uses the exact same proprietary DPC-Array (Directivity Pattern Control) for Mid/High frequencies with a 28mm Beryllium dome tweeter sitting in between dual 28mm TPCD (thin poly carbonate diaphragm) ultra-lightweight mid-range drivers as found in the flagship S7t. A single pair of 7″ checkerboard patterned Textreme TPCD woofers sit over and under the DPC-Array, with the drivers and Array mounted to a curvaceous High Density Fiberboard front baffle.

Like its stable mates, the S5t offers dual pairs of binding posts for bi-wiring or bi-amping and reside on a mirror finished shiny brass plate. The review pair are finished in the upgraded Special Edition High Gloss Ebony finish, adding $2000 to the price of the standard finishes of High Gloss Black or White. On a purely visual basis, I love the stouter stance of the S5t, making them look ready to pounce with brute force, more of a pit bull as compared to the S7t’s Greyhound-like built for speed grace.

The company rates the S5t’s measured performance as being close to the S7t, with a reported frequency response of 24 – 32kHz as compared to the taller speaker’s wider reach of 22 – 37kHz with a lower sensitivity of 89.5dB (2.83v / 1.0m) as compared to 92.2dB in the S7t, and an identical impedance of 4Ω nominal / 3.2Ω min. Perlisten also add the the typical in-room response for the S5t sees them reaching down to 20 Hz when run in Bass Reflex mode—the bottom-firing ports in the S5t can be plugged to run them in acoustic suspension mode which limits in-room bottom end reach to 23 Hz. I left those ports wide open for the review duration as the S5t’s were placed about 7’ from the front wall and 4’ 8” from the side walls. Plenty of room to flex.

the Perlisten S7t (left) and R7t

When comparing two or more things, is it possible to not pick a favorite? Whether we’re talking about ice cream, beer, boots, watches, or hifi, human nature seems to gravitate toward picking a winner. Which is all well and good as long as we know that these preferences are not holy writ, judgements coming from on high to be written into law by serious scribes so the masses know exactly what to buy. Phooey! That’s right, I call foul as the pleasure we take in things knows no such hierarchical bounds. “Dico tibi verum libertas optima rerum nunquam servili sub nexu vivito fili!”

During the S5t’s time in the Barn, they saw driving time with a number of amplification partners including the Parasound JC 5 Stereo Amplifier (review), the resident Leben CS600 integrated amp, the review sample Enleum AMP-23R (more info), and the review sample BAT VK-80i Integrated Amplifier (more info). Digital duties were handled by the resident Auralic ARIES G1.1 Streamer (review) that fed the resident totaldac d1-unity (review) while records were spun on the resident Michell Gyro SE ‘table/Michell T8 tonearm/Ortofon 2M Black cartridge with the now also resident Manley Labs Chinook Special Edition MkII Phono Preamplifier (review). All cables are from AudioQuest and include the remarkable ThunderBird interconnects, Robin Hood Speaker Cables, Diamond AES/EBU cable, and Thunder High-Current AC power cables plugged into a AQ Niagara 3000 power conditioner. The Box Furniture “Fallen A” held all components in style.

Before I dig into some music, I want to tell you that each of the amplifiers mentioned did a wonderful job of playing with the Perlisten S5t, each offering their own set of particular strengths and delights. But the overall qualities and character of the S5t remained consistent and seeing as they are my focus here, all of the following listening notes were made using the BAT VK-80i Integrated Amplifier. Why? Because this was my favorite pairing by a long shot, one of those magical combinations that bring out the best from both and together they made music at such a heightened level of enjoyment that I wanted to get as much time as I could with them playing together. In other words, I indulged.

Hilary Woods 2021 EP Feral Hymns was recorded almost entirely at home, hers, “using rich string orchestration, electronics, textured field recordings and ethereal vocal instrumentation to create a beautiful lulling and compelling series of dimensional drones.” The only outsider being Jo Berger Myhre on double bass. The space of Feral Hymns is vast, cavernous, dark, mysterious and dangerous with the lure of heavenly strings sounding sinewy and taught with electronics, textured field recordings and ethereal vocal instrumentation creating the atmosphere within which these short stories unfold. Feral Hymns is also a wonderful sounding record, mixed and mastered by Norwegian noise artist Lasse Marhaug.

closeup: BAT VK-80i

Listening to Feral Hymns early one morning, before the sun awoke, the only light coming from the glowing tubes in the BAT VK-80i Integrated Amplifier that was also lighting up the Perlisten S5t, I was held firm in the grip of the moment as if nothing else mattered. The music on Feral Hymns filling the Barn as if it was being made in front of me, with nary a thought of their actual (digital) origins, Textreme TPCD woofers, 6C33C triodes, or any of the details we share about the hifi gear and its makeup as if they mattered as much as, or more than, how they recreate recorded music.

What I can say for certain is this system with the Perlisten S5t paired with the BAT VK-80i made music in Barn that consistently transcended the mechanics of reproduction to a shocking degree. The kind of sound quality that obliterates the perception of transformation from recording to sound by placing the things responsible for their making right there in front of you, fully formed and in full voice, from the tiniest spectral haze to the grandest sweeping orchestral gesture. Seamless, effortless, magical.

The ability of a hifi to recreate worlds of sound that appear real, as real as any other kind of sound around, can still capture my sense of delight. Felicia Atkinson & Jefre Cantu-Ledesma’s Un hiver en plein été is the kind of record that plays out like a film, the kind of record that uses sound(s) as much as music to tell the story. The place of the recording, the space of the recording and how things like piano resound within it, build up the grand illusion of performance and this Perlisten led system proved to be a master builder, seamlessly presenting Un hiver en plein été’s tiniest details, its most fragile moments hovering in air with superb clarity and control, making the listening experience filled with drama and delight.

Kelela’s Raven, released in February of this year on Warp Records, is a sensuous and soulful treat that dances, rumbles and rolls. Deep bass helps root some of these songs in subterranean levels and the S5t had no trouble going low, and lower still, fully voiced and fully controlled while presenting the full spectrum of sounds and Kelela’s seductive vocals rising above with equal precision and presence. There’s an addictive quality to this level of reproduction, where every piece of the sonic puzzle feels completely conveyed, made whole in Barn, to a degree that allows for microscopic inspection and macro-movement boogie. Sounds, beats, silences, grooves, and moves mix and morph into bass, guitar, synths, and more, the varying views, sounds becoming instruments becoming sounds, all there for the taking.

The Albert Ayler Trio’s 1964 album Spiritual Unity sits near the top of my favorites from Bernard Stollman’s ESP label. Featuring bassist Gary Peacock and drummer Sunny Murray along with Ayler’s searing sax, this three-piece marches and dances their way around folk-inspired tunes that explode into pure energy. This music demands complete attention and any effort to fit some notion of songform on top will only result in feeling as if these musicians are pummeling toe-tapping time to smithereens. It’s called free jazz for a reason and the torrent of music coming from just three players through the S5t filled the Barn with life-affirming free energy in rock solid form, perfectly capturing the vast array of characters (and spirits) Ayler summoned from his horn. Stunning.

I typically run through any number of ‘test tracks’ during each review period to keep tabs on comparative performance—using the same music, in some cases for decades, helps to provide a kind of standard measure for different gear. Some of these test tracks are particularly good as sussing out subtle differences, ideally putting a finer point on relative performance. While I did listen to some old favorites through the Perlisten S5t it was for purely pleasurable reasons as the quality of reproduction when mated to the BAT VK-80i was very clear and needed no subtle sussing because I could feel, down to my bones, their effortless, immediate, and shockingly engaging way with any music I sent their way.

“Their performance reaches dizzying heights of pure musical energy…” This is one of the things I wrote about the Perlisten S7t and it also applies to the S5t. While it’s been some time (November 2021) since the larger Perlisten’s were here, I have the very strong sense that the stouter S5t sound, well, stouter. There’s a nice meaty weight to the S5t’s sound that, if memory serves, make the taller S7t comparatively a bit more ethereal, a bit lighter on their feet. What I can say, back in the present tense, is I am smitten with the Perlisten S5t in a more visceral way.

Having now spent review time with three pair of speakers from Perlisten—the S7t, R5t, and S5t—I find myself even more impressed. If you’re wondering which I like best, my smile and excitement have settled on the Perlisten S5t for their stunning combination of clarity, control, and full-bodied boogie.


Perlisten S5t Tower Speakers
Price: $13,990/pair in High Gloss Black/White | $15,990/pair in Special Edition High Gloss Ebony and Natural Black Cherry
Company Website: Perlisten
US Distributor Website: Fidelity Imports

Enclosure alignment 3-way bass reflex / acoustic suspension
Driver compliment DCP-Array:
28mm(3) Beryllium
28mm(2) Textreme TPCDWoofers:
180mm(2) Textreme TPCD
Sensitivity 89.5dB / 2.83v / 1.0m
Impedance 4Ω nominal / 3.0Ω min
Response Linearity 80 – 20kHz +/-1.5dB window
Frequency Response (-10dB) Bass reflex: 24 – 32kHz
Acoustic suspension: 36 – 32kHz
Typical In Room bass extension Bass reflex: 20Hz
Acoustic suspension: 23Hz
Dimensions (HxWxD) 1119 x 240 x 400mm
44.1 x 9.5 x 15.8”
Weight 43.2 kg (95.1 lbs.)
Recommended Amplifier Power 100 – 300W RMS
SPL capability @1m (100-20kHz) 114.3dB peak
114.0dB peak <3% – 2nd, 3rd Harmonics
Certification THX Dominus, THX Ultra
Available finishes Piano Black
Piano White