Potent Perlisten sub plays hard and fast
Home Cinema Choice|September 2022
Whoever said the best things come in small packages likely hadn't met this 2 x 15in, 92kg subwoofer, reckons Mark Craven - and the D215s is a brilliant blend of brains and brawn
Mark Craven
Potent Perlisten sub plays hard and fast

PERLISTEN AUDIO CERTAINLY knows how to make an entrance. A new brand out of Wisconsin in the US, it debuted with its S Series loudspeaker range (HCC #331), which culminates in the £16,000 S7t floorstanders, and to avoid the trap of only appealing to music lovers, it delivered a range of subwoofers to match. The biggest of the bunch is the D215s, auditioned here.

And, yes, this woofer really is big. It's certified THX Dominus for use in largescale home theatres, but that alone doesn't necessitate its portly dimensions - Perlisten does, after all, sell smaller Dominus-flavoured subs. What also contributes to its size (approximately 80cm high and half a metre wide) is its dual 15in driver complement.

These carbon fibre woofers operate in a sealed, push-pull configuration - one front-facing and the other firing into the D215s' cavernous enclosure. Rated power is a monstrous 3,000W ' short-term RMS.'

On the inside is a Texas Instruments 'floating point' DSP engine, and an ARM processor. The latter monitors the amp power rails, input voltage and thermal characteristics, and handles fault detection and distortion limiting.

While the sub has the expected rear-panel in and outputs (on RCA and XLR connection) there's no physical dial for crossover, phase or gain-setup is via either the sub's top-panel LCD touchscreen, or more detailed Android/iOS app with full control over crossover, phase and trim, access to three preset EQS (THX, Large Room and Small Room), plus multiband parametric EQ. Distributor Karma AV says those who buy a D215s from a licensed dealer should expect them to offer to setup and EQ the sub, using a third-party measurement system such as REW.

This story is from the September 2022 edition of Home Cinema Choice.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the September 2022 edition of Home Cinema Choice.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM HOME CINEMA CHOICEView All
AV Avenger
Home Cinema Choice

AV Avenger

You should think twice before accepting an invitation to play Resident Evil 4 with spatial audio in a haunted prison, warns Steve May

time-read
2 mins  |
May 2023
Catalogue classic Star Wars: Ep. VI - Return of the Jedi → Ultra HD Blu-ray, Disney
Home Cinema Choice

Catalogue classic Star Wars: Ep. VI - Return of the Jedi → Ultra HD Blu-ray, Disney

Forty years on from the movie's cinema release, Anton van Beek ponders what might have been if things had gone a little diff erently during the making of Return of the Jedi…

time-read
4 mins  |
May 2023
Feedback
Home Cinema Choice

Feedback

Got an axe to grind? Need to comment on current tech? Want to share your knowledge with our readers? Team HCC is here to help

time-read
4 mins  |
May 2023
M&K Sound V12
Home Cinema Choice

M&K Sound V12

TIME ON TEST: Three years REVIEWER: Steve Withers

time-read
4 mins  |
May 2023
Sony 'bar demands to be upgraded
Home Cinema Choice

Sony 'bar demands to be upgraded

This well-specified Dolby Atmos soundbar may have a mid-range price tag, but you'll soon want to spend more, cautions Steve May

time-read
4 mins  |
May 2023
Short and sweet
Home Cinema Choice

Short and sweet

Marantz's compact AV receiver returns with a new look and boosted features – Jamie Biesemans slips it into his AV rig

time-read
5 mins  |
May 2023
Discreet delivery
Home Cinema Choice

Discreet delivery

A slim, stylish Scandinavian on-wall system impresses Mark Craven with its handling of the sweet stuff

time-read
5 mins  |
May 2023
One project, two rooms
Home Cinema Choice

One project, two rooms

Dan Sait reports on a custom install where a JVC PJ/ Atmos system is joined by a stylish media den

time-read
2 mins  |
May 2023
THE KING OF B RDA HOLLYWOOD
Home Cinema Choice

THE KING OF B RDA HOLLYWOOD

Three of his movies have taken over $2billon at the global box office, he's pioneered SFX and 3D technologies, and he's been to the very bottom of the Pacific Ocean. That's James Cameron by the way, not Anton van Beek

time-read
10+ mins  |
May 2023
System selector!
Home Cinema Choice

System selector!

Given three similar budgets, Mark Craven, Steve May and John Archer assemble three different AV setups focused on movies, streaming and gaming

time-read
8 mins  |
May 2023