So this was pestering me somewhat as the F226Bes had, subjectively speaking, what I would describe as the "smoothest" midrange / lower treble I've ever heard in a speaker that I've owned.The bass wasn't the problem. Most modern Revel and KEF floor standers have shelved bass. The staff thought the KEF R7 would make a fairer comparison, and the result would have been the same. I don't want to bang on about this, as I hope this review will help the shop sell the speakers.
The problem was that the upper mid was too grating, and I just didn't want to listen to them any longer than I had to. It could be my hearing, as I seem to have developed a susceptibility and intolerance of screechy sounds, and the Revels set it off, and KEFs didn't. Having said that, my son was of the same opinion. I did ask to come back and listen to the Revel Ultima Studio 2 in the entrance that I was drooling over, which another customer had traded in.
Another member already mentioned the increase in edge reflections / sound power with the F206 around the crossover:
It looks like there is about a 2dB bump in off-axis energy above 0 degrees there. I then checked Erin's data for the F226Be that he measured (Klippel-generated but predates his NFS). A similar bump is there (the cabinet is the same size/shape), but it's at a much lower amplitude, about .5dB:
Perhaps this was contributing to what you heard.
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