Revel C208 Review (Center Speaker)

[Pio]

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...4i_eE1JS-JQYSZy7kCQZMKtRnjTOn578fYZPJ/pubhtml

My OCD is killing me that the C208 isnt on this yet.. pls pls pls any way to add in???

 

[Dj7675]

When I first looked at the C208 response from the review, it didn't look very good at first glance. Seemed to be pretty uneven and a pretty big dip centered around 1k in the on axis measurements. Other things, including the predicted in room response did look good though. Below is the PIR compared to an RTA measurement I did at my listening position at about 11 feet. The correlation between the PIR and actual measurements seem to be pretty good. Actual measurements are a little less sloped but otherwise are fairly smooth until the room effects start influencing things. The speaker is underneath my screen almost against the wall. As a result in room lower frequency response is pretty good as well extending to around 40hz. Been listening to 2 under the screen until a 3rd gets here and they sound very, very good even at high volume (for me) at -5db with an x8500/NAD M27.

 

[hyfynut]

“cost is US $2,000 but keep in mind that this includes dealer margin which doesn't exist in direct to consumer sales.”

sorry what does this mean? is revel acompany that sells direct or is it available to a regular distribution network, or both?

I also found this comment odd. We are a Revel dealer and don't know of any sales avenue direct to consumers that offers lower pricing than what we sell them for. This speaker retails for $2000 everywhere unless you can buy a second or demo product.

 

[hyfynut]

When I first looked at the C208 response from the review, it didn't look very good at first glance. Seemed to be pretty uneven and a pretty big dip centered around 1k in the on axis measurements. Other things, including the predicted in room response did look good though. Below is the PIR compared to an RTA measurement I did at my listening position at about 11 feet. The correlation between the PIR and actual measurements seem to be pretty good. Actual measurements are a little less sloped but otherwise are fairly smooth until the room effects start influencing things. The speaker is underneath my screen almost against the wall. As a result in room lower frequency response is pretty good as well extending to around 40hz. Been listening to 2 under the screen until a 3rd gets here and they sound very, very good even at high volume (for me) at -5db with an x8500/NAD M27.

View attachment 119535

You are using 2 center channel speakers?

 

[Colonel7]

I also found this comment odd. We are a Revel dealer and don't know of any sales avenue direct to consumers that offers lower pricing than what we sell them for. This speaker retails for $2000 everywhere unless you can buy a second or demo product.

I think he's pointing out that direct to consumer there is no negotiating whereas a dealer and customer have flexibility on final price and even packaging a # of speakers together or doing a trade-in etc

 

[Dj7675]

You are using 2 center channel speakers?

I am using 2 centers now and will be using 3 once the 3rd arrives. They go below a 122“ screen. I have found placing speakers under the screen, and angling up works the best for this room. Even with just 2 speakers, the sound is amazing.

 

[HooStat]

I think using center channels for all 3 front channels makes a lot of sense.

 

[jonfitch]

It's interesting the Ascend Horizon center channel got a higher score than the C208s (5.3/7.5 vs 4.7/7.3) but the listening tests by Amir seem to indicate a wide chasm in performance. Is the preference score too noisy?

 

[Dj7675]

It's interesting the Ascend Horizon center channel got a higher score than the C208s (5.3/7.5 vs 4.7/7.3) but the listening tests by Amir seem to indicate a wide chasm in performance. Is the preference score too noisy?

There has been quite a lot of discussion on the kinds of things not part in the preference score. Looking at the two distortion graphs they are very different. Maybe the ability to play louder and cleaner?

 

[hyfynut]

I think using center channels for all 3 front channels makes a lot of sense.

It only makes sense if the center channel speaker chosen has incredible off axis response. Otherwise it doesn't. I guess I disagree in principle. But have seen stranger things work well.

 

[Dj7675]

It only makes sense if the center channel speaker chosen has incredible off axis response. Otherwise it doesn't. I guess I disagree in principle. But have seen stranger things work well.

For this room with a very large screen as 122" wide and sitting at 11/12feet away, using floor standers outside the edge of the screen, the audio doesn't match very well with the screen. The left/right with sitting outside the edge of the screen can be located and just don't blend well and can be localized. Under the screen it blends really well. This wouldn't be an issue with narrower screens or if using an acoustically transparent screen.

 

[hyfynut]

For this room with a very large screen as 122" wide and sitting at 11/12feet away, using floor standers outside the edge of the screen, the audio doesn't match very well with the screen. The left/right with sitting outside the edge of the screen can be located and just don't blend well and can be localized. Under the screen it blends really well. This wouldn't be an issue with narrower screens or if using an acoustically transparent screen.

Picturing your scenerio, your solution is growing on me. Shame I'll never have the abillity to hear 3 c208 as fronts.

 

[hyfynut]

I think he's pointing out that direct to consumer there is no negotiating whereas a dealer and customer have flexibility on final price and even packaging a # of speakers together or doing a trade-in etc

Possibly. Definitely not reading that way. The joy of online communications.

 

[richard12511]

It's interesting the Ascend Horizon center channel got a higher score than the C208s (5.3/7.5 vs 4.7/7.3) but the listening tests by Amir seem to indicate a wide chasm in performance. Is the preference score too noisy?

Almost all the Revels so far have done slightly better in the subjective listen than their objective measurement should indicate. Take a look at the Revel M55XC review for perhaps the best example. I think this is unavoidable, and I don't place any blame at all on Amir. The reference here is not a perfectly neutral speaker(it can't be), but rather a Salon2. It's about how close you can come to that sound, so it's no surprise that Revel does that best . There is no ultimate reference the brain can use, so it has to compare to what it knows.

 

[Dj7675]

Almost all the Revels so far have done slightly better in the subjective listen than their objective measurement should indicate. Take a look at the Revel M55XC review for perhaps the best example. I think this is unavoidable, and I don't place any blame at all on Amir. The reference here is not a perfectly neutral speaker(it can't be), but rather a Salon2. It's about how close you can come to that sound, so it's no surprise that Revel does that best . There is no ultimate reference the brain can use, so it has to compare to what it knows.

On this compared to the Ascend though... it seem to be the ability to play loudly and cleanly. It seems in this case it could be as simple as that. This would seem to be important in particular for home theater where it can be important to play loudly and cleanly.

 

[hyfynut]

On this compared to the Ascend though... it seem to be the ability to play loudly and cleanly. It seems in this case it could be as simple as that. This would seem to be important in particular for home theater where it can be important to play loudly and cleanly.

I'd say it's important for sound reproduction in general.

 

[Sluraad]

Snagged a pair of used F206s, excited to join the Revel family! I hope this thread is a good place to post, as it seems to be the most active Revel center channel speaker thread.

Currently researching the best fitting center for the setup that can also fit within my home theater furniture (~21.1?" width, 19.75" front lip, 15" deep and 16.5" height). I'm looking at the Revel C205 (which might barely fit and possibly be touching the sidewalls of the furniture) or the Revel C25 which would fit handily, I know this thread and the general trends are that the C208 garners a lot more praise, but it is quite a bit more massive than I can fit. Also tangentially considering an M105/M106 as I have the height to fit either in this area.

I'm inclined towards the C205 to match the timber , low distortion and wide stage of the F206s but I've not seen a tremendous amount of reviews on C25/C205 (especially by amirm) to help me decide. I have some questions as it appears that the C25 measures better in the published spin data, and some concerns over the WTW design that the C208 avoids.

 

[Alice of Old Vincennes]

Snagged a pair of used F206s, excited to join the Revel family! I hope this thread is a good place to post, as it seems to be the most active Revel center channel speaker thread.

Currently researching the best fitting center for the setup that can also fit within my home theater furniture (~21.1?" width, 19.75" front lip, 15" deep and 16.5" height). I'm looking at the Revel C205 (which might barely fit and possibly be touching the sidewalls of the furniture) or the Revel C25 which would fit handily, I know this thread and the general trends are that the C208 garners a lot more praise, but it is quite a bit more massive than I can fit. Also tangentially considering an M105/M106 as I have the height to fit either in this area.

I'm inclined towards the C205 to match the timber , low distortion and wide stage of the F206s but I've not seen a tremendous amount of reviews on C25/C205 (especially by amirm) to help me decide. I have some questions as it appears that the C25 measures better in the published spin data, and some concerns over the WTW design that the C208 avoids.

Infinity 3 way center will fit and match.

 

[Sluraad]

Infinity 3 way center will fit and match.

Which one? The RC263, while it has the tweeter/midrange vertically aligned, is 25.5" wide which wouldn't fit. The RC252 is a bit under 21" but is the same WTW setup as the Revels, and though the price is more attractive I would be inclined to stick with the Revel options if I'm going to go the WTW route.

 

[AVKS]

Which one? The RC263, while it has the tweeter/midrange vertically aligned, is 25.5" wide which wouldn't fit. The RC252 is a bit under 21" but is the same WTW setup as the Revels, and though the price is more attractive I would be inclined to stick with the Revel options if I'm going to go the WTW route.

The Emotiva C1+ is a sealed 3-way center that fits your dimensions. I use a C2 with my F35s and they sound great together.