AXPONA 2025

“Do you know where the room with Pearl Acoustics Sibelius loudspeakers is?” That question, which greeted Jim Austin and me as we navigated the stairs, grew increasingly common as AXPONA unfolded.

Pearl wasn’t listed in the official show guide, but word of mouth made the English company impossible to ignore. Its room, tucked away at one end of the fourth floor, became a destination—helped, perhaps, by the firm’s devoted YouTube following. While we were setting up for our video shoot, a Pearl owner popped in to say hello. I believe he was an oboist with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra: proof that Pearl’s appeal reaches discerning ears.

Yet another firm claiming the increasingly clichéd descriptor “bespoke,” Pearl has created a loudspeaker that treats its single 4" driver as a “microphone in reverse.” Details on the speakers’ construction and the company’s electronics are in the accompanying video.

The Sibelius product line includes four variants, all based on the same core design, with U.S. retail prices ranging from approximately $5000 to $9000 per pair, depending on cone material (silver or copper) and cabinet finish (standard or lacquered).

Because it was after show hours when we dropped by, I had time for only a brief listen before the camera began to roll. On a track by the inescapable Diana Krall, colors and imagery were superb. In addition to capturing every aspect of her voice and piano, the system rendered both with a warm, irresistible pearl-like finish. The brief listen left a long echo; I’ll be chasing that sound again.