The S5m is the monitor speaker of the Perlisten S-Series, a three-way stand-mount design that borrows drivers and technologies from the S7t tower. Perlisten states that the design took 18 months of acoustic modelling and prototyping, using Comsol simulations, to develop. The company quotes bass extension down to 29 Hz in typical rooms.
Key specs that matter
The enclosure can run as a bass reflex or an acoustic suspension alignment. Sensitivity is 89.6 dB at 2.83 V and 1 m, and impedance is 4 ohm nominal with a 3.0 ohm minimum. In the listening window the output stays within plus or minus 1.5 dB from 80 Hz to 20 kHz. At the minus 10 dB points the range is 35 Hz to 37 kHz in reflex form and 41 Hz to 37 kHz when sealed, and the sealed version reaches 32 Hz in a typical room. The recommended amplifier power is 50 to 300 W RMS. Peak SPL capability between 100 Hz and 20 kHz is 117 dB with under 2 percent second and third harmonic distortion. Without a stand the cabinet is 600 mm high, 240 mm wide and 400 mm deep, and one speaker weighs 19.0 kg.
Engineering and use context
Mid and high frequencies come from the proprietary DPC-Array, which places a 28 mm beryllium dome tweeter between a pair of 28 mm TPCD domes, the brand's lightweight Textreme carbon material. Two 180 mm woofers with Textreme TPCD cones handle the bass, and the owner chooses whether the cabinet works vented or sealed. The front baffle is 80 mm thick and the other walls are 25 mm, with several stiffening braces inside and damping material layered on the interior walls to suppress wall resonances. The S5m is certified to THX Ultra as well as THX Dominus, and the S-Series was the first loudspeaker range to earn the Dominus rating. Piano black and gloss white are standard, and four wood veneers plus custom paint are available at extra cost. Within the S-Series the S5m sits alongside the S7t and S5t towers, the S7c and S5c centre speakers, the S4b bookshelf model and the S4s surround speaker.
Pairing
This load, with its dip below nominal, needs an amplifier comfortable with low impedances and able to supply current throughout the recommended power band. The sealed setting suits a system where a subwoofer takes over the deepest bass, while the reflex setting is the choice for a 2-channel setup without one.
Alternatives
The Perlisten S4b is the smaller sealed bookshelf model of the same S-Series.