Short answer: the Audio First Cadentia 3 if sound quality matters most, the Perlisten A3m if price matters most. The Audio First Cadentia 3 ranks #8 of 130 bookshelf speakers at $7199. The Perlisten A3m ranks #43 at $3000, $4199 cheaper.
What the Audio First Cadentia 3 offers: Near-textbook measurements - excellent on-axis linearity, listening window, and directivity, with only minor deviations. Extremely low distortion and compression, holding steady even at 102dB with barely any loss. Very wide, consistent horizontal dispersion (~70 degrees) gives a big, enveloping soundstage with strong image specificity outside the speaker boundaries. Strong bass extension for a bookshelf (F3 43Hz, F10 26Hz) with a punchy, guttural mid-bass. Watch for: A mild scoop through the upper midrange/lower treble slightly softens the attack of snares, hand claps, and sibilants - fixable with a single-band EQ (2.5kHz, +1dB, Q~1). High-frequency dispersion narrows quickly above about 4kHz, so off-axis listeners lose some air and detail. Very high asking price for a bookshelf-class speaker, and the complete (finished) version has a long lead time; the loaner kit version ships as an unfinished cabinet you assemble and finish yourself.
What the Perlisten A3m offers: Manufacturer data shows a narrow 1.8dB reference band, 0.305dB on-axis average absolute deviation, 0.457 listening-window smoothness, and a rated 111.4dB peak at 1m. Its preference score rises from 3.39 to 6.42 with a subwoofer. A sealed cabinet, two 8-inch carbon-fiber woofers, and a controlled tweeter waveguide make this a high-output monitor. Watch for: The low-quality vendor Spinorama data measures only 85.8Hz at -3dB, 74.1Hz at -6dB, and 55.7Hz at -12dB, conflicting with Perlisten’s much deeper in-room extension claim. A 3.70 sound-power directivity-index standard deviation and 0.295 predicted-in-room smoothness are merely average. It is large, heavy, 4-ohm nominal, and expensive at $3,000/pair.
Buy the Audio First Cadentia 3 if sound quality is the priority over the price, or the Perlisten A3m if the price is the priority over sound quality.
Still deciding? The full Passive Home rankings cover every ranked option.
Specifications Side By Side
| Audio First Cadentia 3 | Perlisten A3m | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $7199 per pair | $3,000 per pair |
| Ranked | #8 of 130 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers | #43 of 130 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 26Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) | approximately 61Hz (measured, spinorama.org) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 43Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) | 85.8Hz (measured, spinorama.org) |
| Dimensions | 23.2" x 11.8" x 17" (590 x 300 x 433 mm) | 26.6 x 11.0 x 13.8 in each |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal (3.1 ohms minimum, measured by Erin's Audio Corner) | 4 ohms nominal; 3 ohms minimum |
| Sensitivity | 86.4dB (2.83V/1m, measured by Erin's Audio Corner) | 87.4dB at 2.83V/1m |
| Drivers | 1.1" tweeter, 4.5" midrange, 9" woofer | Two 8-inch carbon-fiber woofers; 35mm Teteron dome tweeter |
| Weight | 45.9 lbs (20.8 kg) each | - |
| Woofer Cabinet | 3-way, bass reflex | - |
| Country | United Kingdom (Cambridge) | - |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 7.38 | 3.39 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 8.74 | 6.42 |
| Enclosure | - | Sealed |
| Maximum SPL | - | 111.4dB peak at 1m (manufacturer specified) |
Related Speaker Comparisons
How Audio First Cadentia 3 compares with other leading options:
- Perlisten S4b vs Audio First Cadentia 3
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs KEF Reference 1 Meta
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs GR-Research NX-Studio
- March Audio Sointuva vs Audio First Cadentia 3
- AsciLab C6B vs Audio First Cadentia 3
Prices on this page were last checked September 16, 2026 at 12:41 AM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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The Two Speakers In Full
Audio First Cadentia 3: $7199 per pair Audio First Designs eBay
Pros: Near-textbook measurements - excellent on-axis linearity, listening window, and directivity, with only minor deviations. Extremely low distortion and compression, holding steady even at 102dB with barely any loss. Very wide, consistent horizontal dispersion (~70 degrees) gives a big, enveloping soundstage with strong image specificity outside the speaker boundaries. Strong bass extension for a bookshelf (F3 43Hz, F10 26Hz) with a punchy, guttural mid-bass. Measured bass extension of 43Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 86.4dB.
Cons: A mild scoop through the upper midrange/lower treble slightly softens the attack of snares, hand claps, and sibilants - fixable with a single-band EQ (2.5kHz, +1dB, Q~1). High-frequency dispersion narrows quickly above about 4kHz, so off-axis listeners lose some air and detail. Very high asking price for a bookshelf-class speaker, and the complete (finished) version has a long lead time; the loaner kit version ships as an unfinished cabinet you assemble and finish yourself.
Full Audio First Cadentia 3 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 26Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 43Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Country | United Kingdom (Cambridge) |
| Dimensions | 23.2" x 11.8" x 17" (590 x 300 x 433 mm) |
| Drivers | 1.1" tweeter, 4.5" midrange, 9" woofer |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal (3.1 ohms minimum, measured by Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 86.4dB (2.83V/1m, measured by Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 7.38 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 8.74 |
| Weight | 45.9 lbs (20.8 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | 3-way, bass reflex |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs AsciLab C6B
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs March Audio Sointuva
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs KEF R3 Meta
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs KEF Q Concerto Meta
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs GR-Research NX-Studio
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs Wharfedale Aura 2
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs KEF Reference 1 Meta
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs Perlisten S4b
- See all 45 comparisons
Perlisten A3m: $3,000 per pair Perlisten Dealer Network eBay
Pros: Manufacturer data shows a narrow 1.8dB reference band, 0.305dB on-axis average absolute deviation, 0.457 listening-window smoothness, and a rated 111.4dB peak at 1m. Its preference score rises from 3.39 to 6.42 with a subwoofer. A sealed cabinet, two 8-inch carbon-fiber woofers, and a controlled tweeter waveguide make this a high-output monitor. Measured bass extension of 85.8Hz (-3dB).
Cons: The low-quality vendor Spinorama data measures only 85.8Hz at -3dB, 74.1Hz at -6dB, and 55.7Hz at -12dB, conflicting with Perlisten’s much deeper in-room extension claim. A 3.70 sound-power directivity-index standard deviation and 0.295 predicted-in-room smoothness are merely average. It is large, heavy, 4-ohm nominal, and expensive at $3,000/pair.
Full Perlisten A3m review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | approximately 61Hz (measured, spinorama.org) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 85.8Hz (measured, spinorama.org) |
| Dimensions | 26.6 x 11.0 x 13.8 in each |
| Drivers | Two 8-inch carbon-fiber woofers; 35mm Teteron dome tweeter |
| Enclosure | Sealed |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal; 3 ohms minimum |
| Maximum SPL | 111.4dB peak at 1m (manufacturer specified) |
| Sensitivity | 87.4dB at 2.83V/1m |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 3.39 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 6.42 |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Perlisten A3m vs ELAC Debut 3.0 DB63
- Perlisten A3m vs Aalto Speakers Aalto 3 Passive
- Perlisten A3m vs Emotiva Airmotiv XB2
- Perlisten A3m vs Ascend Acoustics Sierra-2EX V2
- Perlisten A3m vs Philharmonic BMR (v1)
- Perlisten A3m vs Ascend Acoustics Sierra-LX
- Perlisten A3m vs Wharfedale Linton 85
- Perlisten A3m vs ELAC DBR62
- See all 44 comparisons