Perlisten X2ic In-Ceiling Speaker

The Perlisten X2ic is a two-way in-ceiling speaker built around a 6.5" carbon fiber woofer and a 38mm silk dome tweeter in a custom waveguide. Per Perlisten, the X2ic builds on the waveguide used in the company's A-Series, combining that dispersion behavior with engineering trickled down from the top-tier S and R-Series in-ceilings. It brings X-Series voicing into Atmos height, LCR ceiling, and whole-home installs, pairing with the X2w, X3w, and X5w on-walls for complete architectural systems.

Key Features of the Perlisten X2ic

• 38mm Silk Dome in Custom Waveguide: Same tweeter used across the X-Series, mounted in a waveguide tuned for controlled vertical and horizontal dispersion.
• 6.5" Carbon Fiber Woofer: Large driver for a two-way in-ceiling, giving real midbass output down to 60Hz before a subwoofer needs to take over.
• 90dB Sensitivity: Efficient enough for any AVR channel. 50 to 200 watts recommended.
• Wide On and Off-Axis Response: Per Perlisten, the X2ic waveguide builds on the A-Series waveguide, tuned for wide dispersion and clean on- and off-axis response.
• Shares the X-Series Tweeter: Same 38mm silk dome tweeter as the X2w, X3w, and X5w on-walls, so ceiling height channels keep a consistent top-end character with the front stage.

About Perlisten Audio

Perlisten is a Wisconsin-based speaker company founded by engineers from the pro-audio and home-theater worlds. Controlled horizontal and vertical dispersion is the design goal on every Perlisten speaker rather than a by-product, and the X-Series was held back until it measured the way the rest of the line does. Per Perlisten, the X2ic is a trickle-down design from the company's top-tier S and R-Series in-ceilings, blended with the waveguide used in the A-Series.

Why Dispersion Control Matters in the Ceiling

In-ceiling speakers fire downward into a room that is wider than it is tall, and the geometry of a typical living room or theater means the tweeter is closer to the first reflection points than it would be in any other mounting position. If the speaker sprays high frequencies wide, the reflected sound arrives at the listener almost as loud as the direct sound and the imaging collapses. The X2ic's waveguide tightens the horizontal and vertical pattern at high frequencies so the direct sound reaches the listening position with more of its energy intact. For Atmos height channels or LCR ceiling mounts, that translates into clearer dialog, more specific height effects, and a bigger usable sweet spot.

A Two-Way Design, Not a Coaxial

The X2ic uses a discrete two-way layout with the tweeter mounted separately in its waveguide rather than coaxially inside the woofer cone. Coaxial in-ceilings are convenient and cheaper to build, but the tweeter always has to deal with the moving woofer cone in front of it. Perlisten's approach keeps the tweeter's acoustic environment clean and lets the waveguide do its job without interference from the woofer's motion.

Roles in a System

The X2ic is the right choice for Atmos or DTS:X height channels in a home theater where on-ceiling speakers are not practical, for LCR ceiling installs in rooms where the front wall cannot accommodate on-walls or floorstanders, or for high-performance whole-home audio in kitchens, hallways, and primary living spaces where an in-ceiling is the only acceptable form factor. It shares the X-Series 38mm silk dome tweeter with the X2w, X3w, and X5w on-walls, which makes it a natural pairing for a complete 5.2.4 or 7.2.4 system built entirely from the X-Series.

How the X2ic Is Built

The entire front face of the X2ic is a waveguide, not just the ring around the tweeter. Perlisten describes this as the hardest part of the design: they wanted real low-frequency extension while keeping the waveguide in front of the woofer, without the cone reaching the back of the waveguide and without the waveguide creating an impedance problem of its own. The hole pattern is the solution to that.

There is no back can. The X2ic is an infinite baffle design that uses the ceiling cavity, which is what lets a 6.5" woofer reach lower than the sealed on-wall models can. Unlike the angled R-Series and S-Series in-ceilings built for height channels, the X2ic fires straight down. It ships with a magnetic grille and mounts on flip-out dog-leg tabs.

Where the X2ic Fits in the Perlisten X-Series

Every X-Series model runs the same 38mm silk dome tweeter and carbon fiber woofer hardware, so the tonal character holds as you move up the line or mix sizes across channels. What changes is the driver count, the sensitivity, and how tightly the pattern is controlled.

Perlisten X2ic In-Ceiling Speaker You're viewing

$1,195

The ceiling model. One 6.5" carbon fiber woofer and the 38mm silk dome tweeter sit behind a waveguide that covers the whole front face, in an infinite baffle design with no back can. Built for height channels and for audio in rooms where nothing should be on the wall.

Perlisten X2w On-Wall Speaker

$1,395

The compact on-wall: one 5.5" carbon fiber woofer under the tweeter, 88dB sensitivity, in a 330mm cabinet.

Perlisten X3w On-Wall Speaker

$1,695

Adds a second 5.5" woofer, placing one on each side of the tweeter in an MTM array. Sensitivity rises to 89dB and the horizontal pattern tightens. Like the X5w, its grille logo repositions so the speaker reads correctly mounted horizontally.

Perlisten X3iw In-Wall Speaker

Coming soon

The in-wall version of the X3w. Same two-way driver arrangement, built into the wall rather than onto it, with the cavity behind it supplying more internal volume than any on-wall in the line.

Perlisten X5w On-Wall Speaker

$1,995

Steps up to a 3-way with four 5.5" woofers, two of them high-excursion units that run without the waveguide grille for maximum cone travel. 92dB sensitivity and the widest, most even horizontal control in the line.

Because the drivers and voicing are shared, an X-Series system can combine sizes: larger models across the front, smaller ones for surrounds, the X2ic overhead, the X3iw inside the wall. See the full line in Perlisten X-Series.

Matching the X-Series With Other Perlisten Speakers

Every X-Series model shares the same tweeter and woofer hardware, so Perlisten designed the line to be mixed. Larger models across the front, smaller ones for surrounds, the X2ic overhead: any combination holds one voice, and Perlisten's measurements across the line show the same response shape from model to model.

The X-Series also voices with the A-Series, which was the starting point for its large waveguide, and with the R-Series, which uses a silk dome of its own. The S-Series is the exception. Its beryllium tweeter is a different top end, so an S-Series front stage is not the one to extend with X-Series surrounds.

Step Up in Perlisten In-Ceiling Performance

The X2ic is the entry point to Perlisten's in-ceiling lineup. If you want more driver area or a flagship-level ceiling speaker, step up to the R or S Series:

• Perlisten R2ic - R-Series two-way in-ceiling with a larger cabinet and higher output for serious home theater.
• Perlisten R3ic - R-Series in-ceiling with the DPC-Array tweeter assembly, for reference-level ceiling channels in dedicated theaters.
• Perlisten S3ic - S-Series flagship in-ceiling with Perlisten's DPC-Array tweeter section, built for the most demanding installations.

Where the X-Series Fits

The X-Series is a near-field design, engineered for a normal viewing setup: a display, seating at a sensible distance, and speakers on the wall around it. In that role it measures like the rest of the Perlisten line, which is the entire point of the series.

A large dedicated theater asks for more speaker. Perlisten's answer there is the Architectural range: R-Series and S-Series in-walls and in-ceilings with bigger drivers and more of them, up to the S7i. We can help you put a front stage together from either family. Get in touch.

Pairing the X2ic With a Subwoofer

Perlisten builds the X-Series to run with a subwoofer and recommends crossing over between 80 and 100Hz. Below 100Hz the roll-off is deliberately the same shape on every X-Series model, and Perlisten counts on the room adding 10 to 12dB back below that point, so the handoff to a subwoofer behaves predictably and calibration software has an easy target to work with.

Perlisten R8s

$1,995

The compact sealed subwoofer Perlisten ran as a pair with the X3w at their factory grand opening.

Perlisten D3is

$5,995

An on-wall subwoofer with its own amplifier that shares the X-Series look, shown by Perlisten with the X5w. Now has an optional freestanding base.

See the rest in Perlisten subwoofers.

The Listening Room Difference

We're a third-generation family business with a brick-and-mortar showroom in Chestertown, Maryland, and a reputation built on exceptional service and relentless passion for hifi. Whether you're visiting in person or ordering online, we bring decades of experience, personalized service, and honest guidance to every interaction. We don't just ship boxes. We help build systems, answer your questions like real humans, and make sure every detail of your setup is right, from the cables to the final connection. Our passion is helping you get the most out of your gear, with support that lasts well beyond the sale.

Perlisten X2ic Specifications