Audiophilepure

https://www.stereophile.com/content/perlisten-s7t-loudspeaker

When the S7t’s arrived, I was glad to have help setting them up—definitely not a one-person job. Three masked men—Steve Jain of Fidelity Imports, his son Ethan, and a friend—made quick work of assembling and positioning the S7t’s, which came in a spectacular Gloss Ebony finish. The substantial-looking rectangular cabinet bears what at first glance appears to be five drivers mounted to a thick, meticulously sculpted front panel. On the rear is a glamorous polished brass panel with two massive pairs of multiway binding posts fitted with jumper plates. Below that is a perforated rectangular metal grille that is echoed on the side panels; they function as the vent when the S7t is used in its standard, bass-reflex mode. A 27.5lb steel plate attached to the base supports four adjustable outrigger feet. Spikes are optional.

When you look closer, you see that the S7t has seven drivers, not five. Four of those—two on bottom, two up top—are 7″ (180mm) woofers. Between them is a carefully contoured waveguide—an acoustic lens—that is roughly the same size as the woofers. Its central element is the 28mm (1.1″) beryllium-dome tweeter. Closer examination reveals two additional 28mm domes embedded at the top and bottom edges of the lens so that their perforated covers preserve the lens’s contour; these domes are made from “thin-ply” carbon. Perlisten calls this central assembly the Directivity Pattern Control (DPC) waveguide. This feature is central—literally and figuratively—to Perlisten’s Signature and Reference speakers.

https://www.audiophilia.com/reviews/2021/8/24/qlybat1myvyh5qj9q18s2x5wnuktbm

I hope that was not too flowery. But, my prose is too limited to describe the essence of what’s going on with these speakers.

This amazing musical honesty was experienced in repertoire played by solo artists, rock bands like Led Zeppelin, fusion masters Steely Dan, and the above mentioned large orchestral works.

My wife, Jan, called them ‘thrilling’, ‘exciting’. She’s not easily impressed. But, as we discussed, it’s much more than thrilling and exciting. Sure, if listening to the Debussy Préludes on one of the magnificent systems I listed above, maybe I’d experience the same. But, I don’t think so. These past three months have been musically very special. And, possibly unique.

https://www.hifinews.com/content/kudos-audio-cardea-c20-loudspeaker

Wired to the crossover using the company’s own KS-1 speaker cable – yours for £30 per mono metre – are drive units developed in co-operation with Norwegian SEAS. These comprise a custom version of the SEAS Crescendo K2 29mm tweeter, and a 180mm mid/bass unit with a coated paper cone, and as open a chassis as possible. Both drivers and crossover are designed in accordance with Gilligan’s ‘keep it simple’ philosophy.

With its rated 88dB sensitivity and 8ohm nominal impedance, the C20 is hardly the trickiest of loads for an amplifier, and at 20kg apiece the speakers are manageable for most of us. They come with their ‘floating’ plinth – onto which the downward-facing reflex port vents – ready attached, so it’s just a matter of screwing in the high-quality spikes provided, levelling and positioning them, and connecting them up.

At just shy of twelve grand, plus those gorgeous stands, the 126 represents a considerable outlay, even amongst the high-flyers of the high end. Admittedly, I’ve sometimes struggled to justify the price versus the performance of more than a few components. However, that is not the case with the MBL 126. They exceeded my sonic and musical expectations by a wide margin. 

Let me conclude with an observation—it has to do with the way audiophiles and reviewers alike tend to downplay the achievements in the compact loudspeaker segment, reserving our highest praise for the latest statement or flagship product, creations suited only to the large audio canvas. Though MBL’s 126 is designed for the parlor rather than the palace, it’s as good as anything this esteemed company has ever made. In spite of its humble size, it is truly a statement loudspeaker of the first order. If you consider yourself a thoughtful audiophile and are preparing to take the plunge into this price range, don’t even consider making a move until you’ve auditioned the MBL 126. It is must listening. Hats off to Jürgen Reis and the MBL team. 

The unmistakable gravelly drawl of Louis Armstrong has a weight and grain to its character which over many years one becomes intimately familiar with. Ella and Louis Again (2×45 Analogue Productions, MG V-4017) remastered in 2012 by George Marino at Sterling Sound is one of the finest examples of a reissue I’ve heard. The amount of resolution pulled off the original tapes of this 1957 recording session is staggering. Every subtle nuance and detail to the recording studio – spatial cues, vocalizations from Fitzgerald and Armstrong, breathing, chairs moving, and the peccadilloes of play from each musician is laid utterly bare. Visceral, punchy, with astonishing speed to attack on notes and delicious decay to cymbal, high hat, guttural weight to percussion and adroit bass Pizzacato, it swings and romps with abandon with Fitzgerald’s airy, lilting counterpoint to Armstrong balancing the tenor of the entire experience. The emotion, the camaraderie to the relationship between the two leads… all devoid of artifice on any technical or cerebral level I could ascertain through the system feeding the Cheviot. Any change to cabling, cartridge, source or even the inclusion of spiked maple stands under the amps or turntable and CD player did not go unnoticed through the Tannoy.

https://www.hifinews.com/content/rogers-ab3a-subwoofer

Rather, you need to approach the AB3a expecting to free up the sound, if in ways that do not immediately spring to mind. Call them unintended consequences or, better still, unanticipated benefits. And what first made me realise this was the Nimbus Supercut of Miles Davis’ Kind Of Blue [CBS 62066]. The difference between with AB3a and without revealed itself throughout the entire LP, in various ways. The first was a sense of greater openness, the second was enhanced stage depth, while a third benefit was the exposure of fine details with improved clarity.

As this LP is a trumpeter’s creation, you’ll be pleased to learn that the punch, extension, clarity and, yes, the sound of Miles’ saliva, were a touch more vivid. Please bear in mind that the subwoofers were tuned to their least intrusive settings, such that I was wondering if they were even switched on. I couldn’t see or feel any woofer movement when I removed the grilles from the AB3as to check.