Revel F208 Tower Speaker Review

[LeftCoastTim]

Without a sub, the KEF R3 is better (crazy how the bookshelf has more bass).

For $3000/$4000/$5500 you have the KEF R5/R7/R11; we don't know 100% if the performance is just as accurate though..

I get the feeling (ha!) that Revel/Harman are targeting a straight, downward sloped in-room response curve even at the cost of uneven on axis FR response. Would that be based on their (unpublished) blind preference tests? Seems plausible.

For example, KEF LS50 is generally very well regarded, but shows not so great on-axis frequency response. Yet, its simulated in-room response is pretty good.

 

[richard12511]

If Amir's bass results are accurate, you'll get far better value from F206 + subs for the same money.

It seems like something is up with the bass. This isn't the first time the bass has been rolled off prematurely. Didn't this happen with the other Revel Tower?

 

[richard12511]

I get the feeling (ha!) that Revel/Harman are targeting a straight, downward sloped in-room response curve even at the cost of uneven on axis FR response. Would that be based on their (unpublished) blind preference tests? Seems plausible.

I think I agree with that. I also think they're probably targeting wider dispersion, at the expense of some off axis unevenness.

 

[al2002]

I have the f208’s in the sitting room and the Salon2s in the listening room - granted the listening room has much better amps; but not much comparison (to my ears) between the speakers.

Interesting. Can you elaborate? Thanks in advance.

 

[amirm]

amrim are you jewish & why are you always promoting with a heavy bias towards harman products ? Oh right ... you sell harman products . Not trolling - i believe its a legitmate Q ?

Hi Mike. I assume the weather up where you are is as nice as here. If so, why not go and enjoy it instead of making another account here and looking like a schmuck in the process?

As to being Jewish, I am actually a Rabbi. In ministry college, I specialized in the intersection of religion and audio. They actually had a class for it but I was the only one in attendance. They had trouble getting someone to teach it as these dual specialties are hard to find. So they asked me if I would. Was kind of funny standing there preaching to myself, if you know what I mean.

How is your broken audio business? Still ripping people off and selling them unsafe gear?

 

[amirm]

Could the lack of bass as compared to the official graphs be something as simple as the boundary and normal inputs on the back rotary knob being mixed up?

As I showed with the Revel Salon 2 measurements, I think Harman may have used their smaller anechoic chamber for these older products and applied too high of a calibration to them. Look at these two Revel Salon 2 measurements:

Here is the 2007 measurements:

Notice how the look and feel of the graph is similar to the F208. This is the revised one from Harman for Salon 2 again but measured in 2017:

20 Hz is now down to 62 dB instead of 78 dB before. And even this may be wrong due to calibration curve they are using for their anechoic chamber.

So my bet is that Klippel NFS measurements are correct. I could probably get a bit more bass if I had room to measure from farther way but there is not much gain to be had.

 

[richard12511]

As I showed with the Revel Salon 2 measurements, I think Harman may have used their smaller anechoic chamber for these older products and applied too high of a calibration to them. Look at these two Revel Salon 2 measurements:

Here is the 2007 measurements:

Notice how the look and feel of the graph is similar to the F208. This is the revised one from Harman for Salon 2 again but measured in 2017:

20 Hz is now down to 62 dB instead of 78 dB before. And even this may be wrong due to calibration curve they are using for their anechoic chamber.

So my bet is that Klippel NFS measurements are correct. I could probably get a bit more bass if I had room to measure from farther way but there is not much gain to be had.

I thought the Salon 2 went down to 20hz? or maybe that was the M2 I was thinking of?

 

[BYRTT]

Some overlays of technical curves for Revel F208 based on Amir's shared spindata and curves:

Spin plus system impedance in audioband:

 

[trl]

Stereophile measurements could be found here: https://www.stereophile.com/content/revel-performa3-f208-loudspeaker-measurements.

 

[GXAlan]

Do you have a measurement mic? If yes, please post measurements of your speakers when able. I'm interested in checking out the bass response. Measurements in this review show very anemic bass which seems counter-intiutive given the large speaker size.

The JBL Everest DD67000 with dual 15” woofers only goes down to 45Hz anechoic. There is a trade off distortion and extension that is made.

 

[vavan]

please post measurements of your speakers when able

See my f208 measurements in other threads

 

[QMuse]

Yes, I did notice that. I'd also think without such a sub in larger rooms the 208 might have an edge in actual usage. Just from having more square inches of woofers.

I've listened to both without SW in a larger room (app 42m2) and F208 indeed sounded much more convinving.

 

[TimVG]

What matters most is the power handling, and for a ported system, tuning frequency. Bass range is (or should be) adjusted in-room anyhow. Don't think for a second an R3 will be able to keep up with the F208 in terms of low frequency output. That being said the size of a speakers doesn't tell you much about extension these days, however, laws of physics still apply. Happy listening to the new owner.

 

[carlob]

F228Be spinorama, could you overlay it to the F208 spin as measured by amirm?

 

[Tks]

Hi Mike. I assume the weather up where you are is as nice as here. If so, why not go and enjoy it instead of making another account here and looking like a schmuck in the process?

As to being Jewish, I am actually a Rabbi. In ministry college, I specialized in the intersection of religion and audio. They actually had a class for it but I was the only one in attendance. They had trouble getting someone to teach it as these dual specialties are hard to find. So they asked me if I would. Was kind of funny standing there preaching to myself, if you know what I mean.

How is your broken audio business? Still ripping people off and selling them unsafe gear?

lol !

When you say something stupid only to then have your whole life ended in one post..

RIP Mike

 

[edechamps]

I have added the Revel F208 to Loudspeaker Explorer where it can be compared to other speakers.

Excellent consistency within the listening window:

 

[carlob]

Still I think there is something going on with these measurements. It's about -5dB@50Hz, can't be.

 

[QMuse]

This measurement may throw some light on what kind of LF response you can expect in room from F208. I measured this after quick EQ in dealer's demo room (app 25m2), speaker was app 1m from side and rear wall. Subjectively this speaker played LF with authority and firmness.

 

[carlob]

Planning to measure mine in room next week but still the anechoic looks weird bass wise, this is a big speaker with dual 8” woofers

 

[edechamps]

@amirm: I noticed that the spin dataset you published is, somewhat surprisingly, 10 pts/octave instead of the usual 20:

Is this expected?