Shows

Subwoofers remain a relatively rare sight at high-end two-channel shows, however they are appearing more frequently. But at last month's AXPONA 2024, Perlisten shook things up with the debut of its R18S subwoofer.

Wandering the 12th floor looking for my next adventure, Pete Belasco's "Deeper" drew me in from the hall, a bass magnet tugging at my subterranean heart, pulling me in and planting my seat into one of the available seats, introducing me to Perlisten's new sealed, 18-inch R18S subwoofer ($4995). Crisp and clean, with absolutely no quarter given by the dual subs, but the door sure took a beating as I heard it rattle helplessly along at the extreme tail end of the song's deep dives.

2.X systems have been my heart and soul for three decades. I always have at least one in my home, and this well-sorted system was a stellar example of such. The mains were Perlisten R5M ($2,995 each), Primare SP25 Prisma Home Cinema Preamplifier Processor ($5,299), Primare A35.8 amplifier ($5,500) with Qobuz and Tidal streaming services.

The Perlisten RM5 mains more than held their own. I am familiar with the S Series, but the R Series brings it, and whenever I hear them, I just shake my head and think to myself (sometimes I say it out loud) that these are really great loudspeakers that I'd be more than happy to "just settle" with, and they were fully satisfactory partners for the new subwoofers.

Haywyre's "Impulse" is a hard-edged track, delivered without any annoying hard edge to the sound, the RM5 directivity control characteristics not allowing for any nonsense. That, in a nutshell, captures the intent of this system... no nonsense. What a treat!