New Products

PerListen Audio, the Wisconsin-based startup that brought us the first THX Certified Dominus speaker system last year has introduced a new, lower-priced line of speakers based on those flagship models.

The new R Series is headed up by R7t tower speaker ($4,995 each), a slightly shorter “trickle-down” version of the $7,000 S7t four-way tower. The R7t uses the same driver configuration as the S7t but with slightly smaller drivers made of different materials in a cabinet 50 inches tall (an inch shorter than the S7t). In an unusual twist, R7t is THX Certified Ultra when used as an LCR (left-center-right) speaker but meets the THX Certified Dominus spec when used as a surround speaker.

Two 6.5-inch woofers, made of a proprietary pulp formulation that combines long-fiber hardwood with bamboo, and wool, are placed above and below three 1-inch silk-dome tweeters, stacked vertically in a “beamforming” array with a patent-pending waveguide designed to control vertical and horizontal dispersion. By contrast, the S7t woofers and two of its tweeters are made of TeXtreme carbon-fiber; the center tweeter is made of beryllium.

Offered in gloss black, the R7t is a 4-ohm speaker that can be configured for bass reflex or acoustic suspension operation with a low-frequency limit of 27Hz or 38Hz (–10dB); PerListen pegs typical in-room bass extension as 19Hz and 30Hz, respectively. Response linearity is given as ±1.5dB from 80Hz to 20kHz. Rated sensitivity is 90dB (1 watt/1 meter) and peak SPL (sound-pressure level) 116dB.

Meant to bridge the gap between large home theater speakers and speakers used in commercial movie theaters, the THX Dominus designation is newest and the highest performance class of THX Certification, extending beyond THX Ultra and intended for spaces up to 6,500 cubic feet with viewing distances up to 20 feet.

To meet the Dominus spec, a speaker must be able to play cleanly at an output level that is more than double that of the THX Ultra specification, which is designed for spaces up to 3,000 cubic feet with viewing distances up to 12 feet.

Other models in the R Series include the R5 tower ($3,495), R5 center ($2,995), R5 monitor ($2,995), R4 bookshelf ($2,495), R4 surround ($1,995), R12s subwoofer ($4,995), and R10s subwoofer ($3,995); all prices are “each.”

For more information, visit perlistenaudio.com.

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