AXPONA 2025

Fidelity Imports’ room 1221 featured electronics from Audia Flight and loudspeakers from Perlisten. Both brands are relatively new to the US market, though Perlisten has gained wider recognition more quickly.

The system consisted of an Audia Flight FLS1 preamplifier ($9999); two FLS8 monoblocks ($23,998/pair); Perlisten S7t SE floorstanding loudspeakers ($23,990/pair); and the new D8is subwoofer (price TBD). QED cables linked it all together.

The D8is weighs approximately 176 lb, including its rigid, vibration-resistant aluminum cabinet and internal components. The product has eight 8" woofers driven by an external 3000W amplifier. Described as a "universal subwoofer," the D8is—suitable for in-wall, on-wall, or floorstanding use—looks unlike any subwoofer I’ve seen: tower-sized, with a transparent baffle revealing its driver array.

"At the heart of the D8is lies a sophisticated push-pull configuration, operating with mechanical force cancellation to achieve ultra-low distortion and remarkable linearity," says the Perlisten press release. "This configuration allows the combined driver surface area to move air equivalent to that of a 24" driver."

Buddy Guy’s "Ain’t No Sunshine" breathed through this setup with a low end that was tight, focused, and practically sternum-cracking. Likewise, a pummeling track from Yello delivered bass impact of rare depth and intensity.