Revel F35 Speaker Review

[amirm]

Will there be updated measurements of this speaker?

Yes. I am accumulating all the adjustments so I only have to haul it to the test stand once.

 

[amirm]

I had a look at both of my F35s and all the padding is glued firmly to the sides. Looking up through the bottom port I can see wood bracing between the top and bottom ports with padding covering the top of the brace. Wood is only on the wall of the speaker and largely open through the middle. If the padding came loose on yours and moved forward by an inch, I would assume it's not blocking any airflow through the port?

Thanks. It was past the edge of the one port. Hard to know what effect that has.

 

[lonewolf]

Yes. I am accumulating all the adjustments so I only have to haul it to the test stand once.

Makes perfect sense. No rush, I'd rather wait too to get the best reading possible from these. I am looking forward to the updated measurements!

 

[lonewolf]

Thanks. It was past the edge of the one port. Hard to know what effect that has.

Would it be possible to pull the foam a little more forward and put some spray glue on it, then glue it back in place so that it isn't blocking the port for the next measurement?

 

[Frank Dernie]

My location for speaker testing is in one corner of my room. That is emphasizing bass modes. When Harman tests speakers, they place them in the center of the room and likely have worked to optimize the listening distance to reduce room modes. As it is, speakers with more bass get penalized. With my Revel Salon 2 tested the same way, the peak at 102 Hz was even higher requiring more gain reduction.

Note that the above is not an everyday issue as I use Dirac for room EQ for my system when it is normally being used. I had decided to test speakers without EQ and that came to bite me given the circumstances.

FWIW I am old enough to remember a time when the only way to improve the bass evenness in a hifi was to move the speakers about in the room so none of the modes were excessively excited and the harmonics too.
It is possible to get the low end not too bad this way since a combination of the main and harmonic modes partially excited is more even.
It may/probably will be very inconveniently ugly layout but the bass won't be bad and DSP compensation needed will be small.

I would never put a speaker in a corner (unless designed for it like a few have been) and expect it to sound anything but sh1t, though it seems from this that bookshelves aren't such a catastrophe when badly positioned. Maybe that is why some people prefer them

 

[Alice of Old Vincennes]

Revel claims they do not compart with JBL. They "invented" the waveguide on their own. JBL horn was not in a factor. JBL's waiveguides are different. I guess if JBL "steals" Revel patent they can sue themselves. Waveguides are so expensive to manufacturer. Some special plastic. I suspect Revel and JBL are as good at "compartmentization" as the CIA.

 

[amirm]

I would never put a speaker in a corner (unless designed for it like a few have been) and expect it to sound anything but sh1t, though it seems from this that bookshelves aren't such a catastrophe when badly positioned. Maybe that is why some people prefer them

When I say "corner," it is about 4 foot away from back wall and 2 to 3 feet from side wall. More people put speakers in a corner than not. My Salon 2 is in a similar spot and it sounds anything but "sh1t." You do have to EQ and that stands no matter where you put them.

 

[amirm]

Revel claims they do not compart with JBL. They "invented" the waveguide on their own. JBL horn was not in a factor. JBL's waiveguides are different. I guess if JBL "steals" Revel patent they can sue themselves. Waveguides are so expensive to manufacturer. Some special plastic. I suspect Revel and JBL are as good at "compartmentization" as the CIA.

The Revel (luxury audio group) and JBL teams collaborated on the JBL M2 and helped design the waveguide for it. The Revel team indeed created the software that helps design the waveguide.

Historically JBL came on quite late in adopting the design philosophies of Toole/Olive/Revel. But the door was certainly open for them to do so. Indeed at one of the training classes I took at Harman, a JBL employees was there taking the same class.

 

[Frank Dernie]

When I say "corner," it is about 4 foot away from back wall and 2 to 3 feet from side wall. More people put speakers in a corner than not. My Salon 2 is in a similar spot and it sounds anything but "sh1t." You do have to EQ and that stands no matter where you put them.

The size and number of peaks needing equalising is stronly influenced by where the speakers are in the room.
In my room the highest peak the EQ chops off is 4dB iirc.
It is certainly the case that equalisation has allowed speaker positioning to be done for looks and convenience without the sound being appalling.
In my case the listening room had the speakers positioned and measured by a specialist many years before any sort of compensation software was available. Nobody would call their location attractive or convenient in the context of a living room.
It may be "most people" put their speakers in corners but it is not the case with experienced hifi, certainly not in the UK.

 

[tuga]

Waveguides are so expensive to manufacturer. Some special plastic.

Where did you get that information from?

 

[Alice of Old Vincennes]

Where did you get that information from?

A facetious remark.

 

[Alice of Old Vincennes]

I just don't like compromise of 2.5 design. Revel should have stuck with 3 way. Revel buyers know how to purchase amps to power 3 ways.

 

[Alice of Old Vincennes]

The Revel (luxury audio group) and JBL teams collaborated on the JBL M2 and helped design the waveguide for it. The Revel team indeed created the software that helps design the waveguide.

Historically JBL came on quite late in adopting the design philosophies of Toole/Olive/Revel. But the door was certainly open for them to do so. Indeed at one of the training classes I took at Harman, a JBL employees was there taking the same class.

Amir, I am confused. Revel first introduced waveguide in 2005 with concerta and performa. JBL waited until M2? JBL history on waveguide hard to follow.

 

[dinglehoser]

I just don't like compromise of 2.5 design. Revel should have stuck with 3 way. Revel buyers know how to purchase amps to power 3 ways.

In what way do you feel 2.5-way design is inherently compromised, relative to a 3-way design?

 

[amirm]

Amir, I am confused. Revel first introduced waveguide in 2005 with concerta and performa. JBL waited until M2? JBL history on waveguide hard to follow.

As best as I know, the JBL team did not follow along with advanced research that Dr. Toole, etc. brought to Harman. Some time later they were put in the same group and then collaboration started. And has accelerated since given the high adoption of waveguide technology in JBL speakers.

 

[amirm]

It may be "most people" put their speakers in corners but it is not the case with experienced hifi, certainly not in the UK.

I find that hard to believe. Putting speakers in each corner of the room is standard worldwide. Here is quick google image search:

A lot of the above are company/hifi stores so I really don't know what you are saying. UK homes are smaller which would make them much less likely to have the width to have speakers in the middle of the room.

 

[Frank Dernie]

I find that hard to believe. Putting speakers in each corner of the room is standard worldwide. Here is quick google image search:

A lot of the above are company/hifi stores so I really don't know what you are saying. UK homes are smaller which would make them much less likely to have the width to have speakers in the middle of the room.

Your idea of "in the corner" is quite different from mine, judging from the photos you chose.

 

[amirm]

Your idea of "in the corner" is quite different from mine, judging from the photos you chose.

What did you think I was saying? Flush with the corner even though I explained the distances I had mine at?

 

[Frank Dernie]

What did you think I was saying? Flush with the corner even though I explained the distances I had mine at?

Yes.
I was NOT accusing you of having your speakers in the corner.

 

[AVKS]

I just don't like compromise of 2.5 design. Revel should have stuck with 3 way. Revel buyers know how to purchase amps to power 3 ways.

Revel, and Kevin Voecks himself, explicitly stated that they envisioned the Concerta2 speakers being purchased by users likely to run off of "... very, very low cost receivers." Thus efficiency was a factor in the design philosophy.

About the 2:15 mark of this video.