Revel F208 Tower Speaker Review

[carlob]

I find that speaking of subs is confusing in the context. If we talk about music (not movies) there is very little content at 20Hz, maybe the lowest organ note but not much. The F208 is a full range speaker so it should be able to play full range music without a sub, as a consequence I'd leave subs out of the equation. The R3 is a bookshelf and is not meant to be a full range speaker so bit of surprise here.

Also we are discussing this matter only because there is a huge difference between Harman measurements and ASR's (in bass response), I am not really sold on the fact that "Harman measurements are wrong" and also specs are wrong so would like to better understand. In the end we spend 50% of the time on this forum praising Harman/Revel stuff, the only that do blind tests, the only that publish official spins, the only baked by research and now all in a sudden they are just wrong?

 

[QMuse]

Does the F208 behave noticeably when playing back sibilants?
Does the blood shoot from the ears when Katie Melua sings "Nine Million Bicycles"?

As I said, F208 did everything right.

As for Katie Melua, here's the spectrum of that song, 8kHz is at -60dB.

 

[pavuol]

They’re massive! One speaker unboxed and setup. Taking a break..

Caution, not for solitary audiophiles!

 

[ctrl]

As I said, F208 did everything right.

As for Katie Melua, here's the spectrum of that song, 8kHz is at -60dB.

View attachment 62652

You cannot find the strong sibilants in this song by frequency analysis of the song.

This requires a frequency spectrogram at the appropriate place in the song.
Like here, when Katie Melua is singing "...six billion people..."

 

[Absolute]

Also we are discussing this matter only because there is a huge difference between Harman measurements and ASR's, I am not really sold on the fact that "Harman measurements are wrong" and also specs are wrong so would like to better understand.

The Harman measurements must be wrong since they have to use compensation models to guesstimate the response. I understand the questioning when it looks to differ by about 30 hz between tilting points, but it's still a difference of only a couple of dB according to BYRTT's lovely animation and that difference can easily be explained by a room resonance peaking around 40 hz in the Harman version.

 

[QMuse]

You cannot find the strong sibilants in this song by frequency analysis of the song.

This requires a frequency spectrogram at the appropriate place in the song.
Like here, Katie Melua singing "...six million..."

View attachment 62654

True. I listened to the song few times and it indeed is a good test song for female sibilants.

 

[Habu]

Caution, not for solitary audiophiles!

I have received my F206 (1799 GBP + Shipping) from them (Elite Audio Ltd UK), F208 are too big for my interior...

https://www.eliteaudiouk.com/produc...floorstanding-tower-loudspeakers-black-finish
or
https://www.ebay.fr/itm/Revel-Performa3-F206-loudspeakers-pair-Brand-new-Gloss-Piano-Black-RRP-4000/254500042491?

Sincerely yours,

Habu

 

[Caligari]

I have both the Salon2 and F208. I prefer the F208S. They are less clinical sounding and perhaps let more of the emotion of music through.

 

[vavan]

I listened to the song few times and it indeed is a good test song for female sibilants

I'll try it next week when I get back to my f208s

 

[Kal Rubinson]

View attachment 62653
Caution, not for solitary audiophiles!

You have to develop the techniques.
I've had to handle my F206s and my Studio2s (many of them) and many others over the years. I do have my limits but I've handled speakers up to 150lbs. as long as they have friendly shapes (tall, slim) and well-placed ports.

Indeed, the toughest part of unpacking/installing the F206 was the removal of the sticky plastic film.

 

[hardisj]

Are acoustic 4th order slopes necessary for smooth off-axis response curve?

You are seeing the benefit of the higher order slopes in the vertical directivity.

I find that speaking of subs is confusing in the context. If we talk about music (not movies) there is very little content at 20Hz, maybe the lowest organ note but not much. The F208 is a full range speaker so it should be able to play full range music without a sub, as a consequence I'd leave subs out of the equation.

Not to mention the natural room gain that occurs and would help flatten out the lowest octaves.

 

[hardisj]

and well-placed ports.

 

[blueone]

I have both the Salon2 and F208. I prefer the F208S. They are less clinical sounding and perhaps let more of the emotion of music through.

How do you have the Salon2s placed in the room?

 

[BYRTT]

I posted the F228Be spinorama few posts back, it's a Klippel measurement by Harman. Here it is again.
I think the 228Be should not be so different in bass extension so maybe it would be interesting to overlay it to the F208 ASR spin.....

Here you are and for info ASR analyzed low end roll off is approximately a 4th order Linkwitz Riley @45Hz and that 228Be is approximately a 2nd order Butterworth at same @45Hz.

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.....

Thumb up share that it make Amir's analyze spot on based calculation of you data ...

Here is animation toggling Amir's anechoic curves for F208 verse approximately calculated room and pressurization gain for that dealers shop and in my eyes it looks spot on:

This is data used for calculation of filter:

 

[carlob]

Here you are

Thanks!

 

[QMuse]

Thumb up share that it make Amir's analyze spot on based calculation of you data ...

Here is animation toggling Amir's anechoic curves for F208 verse approximately calculated room and pressurization gain for that dealers shop and in my eyes it looks spot on:
View attachment 62673

This is data used for calculation of filter:
View attachment 62674

Wow, I find it hard to believe and equally imrepssive tahat you managed to correlate my quick measurement/EQ with Amir's NFS measurements. Once again, impressive!

P.S. Data above 10kHz in my measurement should be ignored as I was not using calibrated UMIK-1 but another mic that had problems in the HF range, hence the roll-off after 10kHz.

 

[BYRTT]

Wow, I find it hard to believe and equally imrepssive that you managed to correlate my quick measurement.....

We shall thank you because you bothered take that measurement and report the enviroment data, its great stuff it makes sence and also a reminder that use of speakers in a indoor enviroment then how low a reach or shape of curve for low end roll off can be important in you actual report that subjective it played LF with authority and firmness, also we should thank the free speadsheets from Jeff Bagby and Amir's luxury analyzer and hard work.

 

[carlob]

 

[Pio]

I absolutely love my F208s, they replaced my old B&W 802D2 which costed 3xs as much and the Revels sound (to my ear) so much better / balanced. It is the best bargain in speakers I have encountered in 30+ years. They’re excellent!

 

[QMuse]

We shall thank you because you bothered take that measurement and report the enviroment data, its great stuff it makes sence and also a reminder that use of speakers in a indoor enviroment then how low a reach or shape of curve for low end roll off can be important in you actual report that subjective it played LF with authority and firmness, also we should thank the free speadsheets from Jeff Bagby and Amir's luxury analyzer and hard work.

Thank you for your kind words.

Let me add that room EQ filter I applied only slightly boosted room dips at 47 and 137Hz with narrow filters (Q=12) so it didn't boosted natural LF in-room response of the speaker at all. Biggest adjustment was to lower room mode at 39Hz by 9dB. Also, no correction was applied north of 400Hz.

Once again, when I auditioned these speakers after room EQ I can only say they didn't make a single step in the wrong direction, but on the contrary, everything they did sounded really well.