In this review, we will be comparing R4s Surround and Evoke 30, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from Perlisten and Dynaudio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Perlisten R4s Surround and Dynaudio Evoke 20 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Perlisten R4s Surround | Dynaudio Evoke 20 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | — | 1.1" |
|---|
| Woofer | — | 7" Magnesium Silicate Polymer |
|---|
| Frequency response | 48-32k Hz | 40-23k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 86.5 dB | 86 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50 - 200W RMS SPL Capability @1m(100-20kHz) 109.5dB peak <3% - 2nd, 3rd Harmonics Certification THX Certified Ultra (Surround) watts | up to 180 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 9.50kg / 20.9lbs | 9.90kg / 21.8lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 14.88" x 9.06" x 6.81"
378.0 x 230.1 x 173.0mm | 15" x 8.5" x 12.1"
380.0 x 215.0 x 343.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Perlisten R4s Surround and Dynaudio Evoke 20 speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
Perlisten R4s Surround |
Dynaudio Evoke 20 |
| Near-field |
Good |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Good |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
No way |
Poor |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
**This post contains affiliate links, and we will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking
through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that R4s Surround is a 3-way design whereas the Evoke 30 is a 2-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
| Driver |
Perlisten R4s Surround |
Dynaudio Evoke 20 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
-inch
|
1.1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
x -inch
|
1 x 7-inch
|
R4s Surround features a " Tweeter and x " Woofer. On the other hand, the Evoke 30 features a 1.1" Cerotar with Hexis Tweeter and 1 x 7" Magnesium Silicate Polymer Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 3200Hz.
Frequency Response
R4s Surround has a frequency range of 48-32k Hz whereas Evoke 30 has a frequency range of 40-23k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 40Hz, the Evoke 30 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the R4s Surround's min frequency of 48Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf 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
R4s Surround is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the Evoke 30 which has a nominal impedance of 6 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 R4s Surround can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. R4s Surround sensitivity is rated at 86.5 dB and the Evoke 30's is rated at 86 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Perlisten R4s Surround a more sensitive speaker compared to Dynaudio Evoke 20, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf 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.
Evoke 30 can handle a max power of 180 watts RMS, whereas R4s Surround has a max power handling value of watts RMS, 180 watts less than the Evoke 30.
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
R4s Surround features Binding post type posts and Evoke 30 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Dynaudio Evoke 20's Binding post terminals
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 R4s Surround's and Dynaudio Evoke 20's external dimensions. Perlisten R4s Surround has external dimensions of 378.0 x 230.1 x 173.0mm (14.88 x 9.06 x 6.81inch) whereas Dynaudio Evoke 20 has external dimensions of 380.0 x 215.0 x 343.0mm (15 x 8.5 x 12.1inch).
Perlisten R4s Surround is 2mm shorter and 170mm less deeper than Dynaudio Evoke 20 but it is also 15.1mm wider.
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 R4s Surround is approximately 398.1cm2 / 61.7inch2 and base area of the Dynaudio Evoke 20 is approximately 737.5cm2 / 114.3inch2. The R4s Surround requires 46% less surface area than the Evoke 30 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The Perlisten R4s Surround weighs 9.50kg / 20.9lbs and the Dynaudio Evoke 20 weighs 9.90kg / 21.8lbs. This makes the Evoke 30 4% heavier than the R4s Surround.
Here is a comparison of how R4s Surround and Evoke 30's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Bookshelf class.
Weight
All Bookshelf Speakers
What's in the Box of Dynaudio Evoke 20?
Here are the items that come with the Evoke 30:
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
87 dB
vs
86 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 High Frequency Response |
32k Hz
vs
23k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
378mm
vs
380mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
398cm2
vs
737cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
4390USD
vs
4798USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Nominal Impedance |
6 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Woofer Size |
7 inches
vs
inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
40 Hz
vs
48 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
| General |
Perlisten R4s Surround |
Dynaudio Evoke 20 |
| Brand |
Perlisten |
Dynaudio |
| Speaker Type |
Bookshelf speakers |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
50 - 200W RMS SPL Capability @1m(100-20kHz) 109.5dB peak <3% - 2nd, 3rd Harmonics Certification THX Certified Ultra (Surround) watts |
up to 180 watts |
| Sensitivity |
86.5 dB |
86 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
6 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.7 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
48-32k Hz |
40-23k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
|
1 |
| Woofer Size |
" |
7" |
| Woofer Composition |
|
Magnesium Silicate Polymer |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
1.1" |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
3200Hz |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
378.0mm (14.9") |
380.0mm (15") |
| Width |
230.1mm (9.1") |
215.0mm (8.5") |
| Depth |
173.0mm (6.8") |
343.0mm (13.5") |
| Weight |
9.50kg (20.9lbs) |
9.90kg (21.8lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Wood veneer |
| Available Colors |
n/a |
Black |
| Mounting Bracket |
|
No |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
n/a |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years (8 Years registered) |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years (8 Years registered) |
A generation apart: Perlisten R4s Surround is the newer design, against a 2019 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass |
B |
Dynaudio Evoke 20 digs deeper - 40Hz against 48Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs |
evenly matched |
Similar sensitivity (87dB vs 86dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match |
B |
Dynaudio Evoke 20 is the easier load at 6 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Size |
depends |
Perlisten R4s Surround is easier to place; Dynaudio Evoke 20 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Price |
evenly matched |
Much the same money ($4,390 vs $4,798 a pair). |
A Perlisten R4s Surround
B Dynaudio Evoke 20
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, placement or how you will use them.
Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
Dynaudio Evoke 20 has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 48Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate Perlisten R4s Surround the better fit for near-field listening and a small room, and Dynaudio Evoke 20 for a mid-size room and a large room.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.