In this review, we will be comparing A3t and Kendall, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Perlisten and KLH.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Perlisten A3t and KLH Kendall first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Perlisten A3t | KLH Kendall |
|---|
| Brand | Perlisten
United States · founded 2016 | KLH
United States · founded 1957 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | — | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 5.25" |
|---|
| Woofer | — | 2 x 6.5" Woven Kevlar |
|---|
| Frequency response | 31-27k Hz | 25-23k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87.7 dB | 96 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50 – 300W watts | up to 250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | — | 22.14kg / 48.7lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 50.59" x 11.02" x 15.35"
1285.0 x 279.9 x 389.9mm | 40-3/16" x 8-5/16" x 14-15/16"
1021.0 x 212.0 x 380.0mm |
|---|
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
Both A3t and Kendall are 3-way speakers.
| Driver |
Perlisten A3t |
KLH Kendall |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 5.25-inch |
|
Woofer
|
x -inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
A3t features a " Tweeter and x " Woofer. On the other hand, the Kendall features a 1" anodized aluminum Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Woven Kevlar Woofer.
Frequency Response
A3t has a frequency range of 31-27k Hz whereas Kendall has a frequency range of 25-23k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 25Hz, the Kendall can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the A3t's min frequency of 31Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
A3t is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the Kendall which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms. Lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit especially when played at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the A3t can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. A3t sensitivity is rated at 87.7 dB and the Kendall's is rated at 96 dB. This 8 dB difference makes the KLH Kendall a more sensitive speaker compared to Perlisten A3t, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
A3t can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas Kendall has a max power handling value of 250 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the A3t.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier - change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Kendall features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. A3t has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
KLH Kendall's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Perlisten A3t's and KLH Kendall's external dimensions. Perlisten A3t has external dimensions of 1285.0 x 279.9 x 389.9mm (50.59 x 11.02 x 15.35inch) whereas KLH Kendall has external dimensions of 1021.0 x 212.0 x 380.0mm (40-3/16 x 8-5/16 x 14-15/16inch).
Perlisten A3t is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 67.9mm wider, 264mm taller and 9.9mm deeper than KLH Kendall.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
Perlisten A3t needs about 35% more floor or shelf area. Perlisten A3t is 264mm taller.
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the Perlisten A3t is approximately 1091.3cm2 / 169.2inch2 and base area of the KLH Kendall is approximately 805.6cm2 / 124.9inch2. The A3t requires 35% more surface area than the Kendall which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of KLH Kendall?
Here are the items that come with the Kendall:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- Foam port
- 4 Rubber feet
- 4 Spike feet (with nuts)
- 4 Protective discs
- Manual