XAVIAN Perla
Stand mount monitors
Nature does not favour sharp-edged creations. Round shapes save energy and have better fit with universe. The spirit of the Perla (means pearl in local language) dwells in a shell that is as small as a sheet of paper, and is exceptionally rounded. So rounded that the speaker's cabinet almost rolls when knocked over.
Function and form
The cabinets of the Perla are made of massive walnut wood, impeccably finished. There are two drivers: 1" silk dome tweeter (sourced from Italy) and 15cm midrange driver with a polypropylene cone (sourced from Italy, too). The bassreflex slot fires to front of the speaker which kind of destroys otherwise great aesthetics, yet it provides easier room interaction when placing the speakers. The Perla is a "bookshelf" speaker and indeed, this one can be placed onto a book shelf.
Speaker posts are quite small (and embedded in the cabinets) which makes them pretty difficult to use. I highly recommend banana terminated speaker cables if you want to have reliable connection and you do not plan to use a wrench to fasten the terminals' nuts.
Bass management
The Perla was designed for listening to music, not to sound. It seeks soul in the music, not entertainment. It is like a matured whisky with multifaceted sensory experience, not a bar shot of drink. It soothes, not excites.
Clarity & delicacy
The character of sound of the Perla is not open and sparkling. These speakers are transparent, perhaps more than many competitors, but the transparency of the Perla is not apparent. The sound is somewhat darker and more velvety and very liquid in its nature - like the good old analog sound.
I wish the Perla had more ambience and spark as the highs are too understated. On the other hand it tames aggressive top of some recordings, like those from early 80's which are often tilted up in top octaves. The period players (tape-decks) hardly had any usable output above 12kHz so making the records hot was a good intention. Today the Perla helps soften this high frequency edge.
Tonal accuracy
I liked the seamlessness of the Perla. They are like a one-point transducer which makes acoustic recordings shine (especially chamber ensembles are fantastic in their tonal pallettes and midrange fidelity). If you can bear with slightly compressed dynamics and rounded transients, unability to play really loud, and if you plan to use the Perla as a desktop or a near-field toy (for enjoyment rather than for monitoring), then these speakers are for you. I loved the ease and flow in how they played any music.
Spatial resolution
It is worthwhile to limit boundary reflections with the Perla as with any other loudspeakers. The reward is that the speakers dissapear and the soundstage naturally spreads in front of you. With my eyes closed I had the impression that I was listening to much bigger speakers that were capable of filling the room with sound. The spatial imaging is top-notch, however, the size of instruments or choirs within it is a bit limited. This cannot be improved by playing louder as the small cabinets start to protest soon.
Recommended resellers
Xavian Electronics s.r.o., Hostivice, +420 734 528 189
Manufacturer's website: http://www.xavian.cz
Associated components
- Sources: C.E.C.TL-51XR and Cambridge Audio Azur 350C
- Amplifiers: NAD C-356BEE, Mark Levinson No. 432
- Interconnects and speaker cables: CrystalConnect Piccolo Diamond
Gallery
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