Revel F206 Tower Speaker Review

[staticV3]

So glad Mr. staticV3 posted those . So useful and it induced me to pay some attention to what Mr. MZKM posts(ed) at the beginning. This one horizontal directivity plot accessed after the link makes me realize the left and right axes are not nearly symmetrical, why is that?

Yeah that's weird.

They might be misaligned one step by accident.

@pierre Could you take a look, please? (Link)

 

[Cadillacofminds]

Mr. Aubert is doing the Lord's work with his site. Not to mention our hero Mr. Amir, who I'm hazarding to guess...somehow ended up with the data for the 0° axis entered in both the 0° and -10° positions? ...The data strikes my ears-mind as quite accurate. Which is sorta nice because I bought my non-consecutive pair, seemingly new, in a parking lot from, from someone with an audiogon account

 

[Alice of Old Vincennes]

I have a pair of these, and I am well-pleased with them.

View attachment 362916

In-room frequency response with Dirac correction up to 1KHz (no subs):

View attachment 362917

I have listened to the F206. I got to set them up myself and try them with different amps, spent a lot of time trying different setups. They're not my thing. I wish I understood, but every time I set them up I was surprised at my inability to really enjoy them. I also do not love the M105. The one I liked was the F35 with a subwoofer. Every time I set those up it made me happy. I wouldn't say any of these speakers sound bad, and I can hear things that I would objectively describe as better about the F206 than the F35. But, despite that I like the F35 better. Similarly, the M105 is no doubt a better speaker than the Sony SSCS5. But, I'd rather listen to the Sony. Our preferences are what they are. Interestingly, others at the shop agreed with me about the F35 being more enjoyable. It may just be the specific room/speaker interaction.

My take on the KEFs from trade show experiences is that their bookshelf speakers are great nearfield. I wasn't blown away by the big blades, although they sounded very good to me. There were two rooms with them at the last PAS, and one got very good bass response to happen. One thing I will say is that coaxial mid/tweeter has the same signature across the board. It comes across as slightly too bright to me, but not so much as to make me dislike it. I don't hear any specific magic from it. I love the coaxial concept, but to my ears a well matched midrange and tweeter in separate waveguide seem to do just as well.

I think the 2.5 improved efficiency might be basis for your preference.

 

[Alice of Old Vincennes]

I didn't notice silver vs black. Subtle.

 

[fritobugger]

I think the 2.5 improved efficiency might be basis for your preference.

I had the F36 with an SB-2000 subwoofer for years and loved them.

If a crazy deal on the F208 hadn't fallen in my lap, I would still be using the F36 today.

The F36/36 provide amazing performance for the money.

 

[MarkS]

I can hear things that I would objectively describe as better about the F206 than the F35. But, despite that I like the F35 better.

F35 has a better preference score, better bass extension, and better flatness than the F206, per spinorama.org:

 

[Power Pop 23]

Spinorama numbers are useful for creating a 'short list' of loudspeakers to consider.....

I like that the Revel F206 was available in a walnut veneer.

 

[Tim Link]

F35 has a better preference score, better bass extension, and better flatness than the F206, per spinorama.org:

View attachment 425506

Thanks! That explains a lot. I'm not so abnormal after all.

 

[fritobugger]

I had the F36 with an SB-2000 subwoofer for years and loved them.

If a crazy deal on the F208 hadn't fallen in my lap, I would still be using the F36 today.

The F36/36 provide amazing performance for the money.

That last line should have been "The F35/36 provide......."

 

[5-pot-fan]

My dream speakers are Salon 2 or Blades, but they'll have to wait a year or two.

The shop in question just happens to be within walking distance of me, and I'm planning to buy a pair tomorrow.

This was very timely - thanks Amir!

Hi,
This may be a late reply but is more a request for info., as I am seriously considering the same speakers.
If you got these F206's did you keep them and do you still like them?
Can you say anything your setup - amplification, room size?
TIA

 

[welwynnick]

Hi,
This may be a late reply but is more a request for info., as I am seriously considering the same speakers.
If you got these F206's did you keep them and do you still like them?
Can you say anything your setup - amplification, room size?
TIA

Sorry, I never bought them in the end. I went to the shop, plastic in hand, with every intention to buy them. We had a demo anyway, but didn't like them. Couldn't believe it.
Other people like them, so it might just be something wrong with my ears.

 

[Power Pop 23]

Hi,
This may be a late reply but is more a request for info., as I am seriously considering the same speakers.
If you got these F206's did you keep them and do you still like them?
Can you say anything your setup - amplification, room size?
TIA

pardon my joining your conversation.....

I submitted the Revel F206 measured by Amir. I am very happy with their performance and consider them 'end game' loudspeakers for my use case. My main listening position is 11 feet away in a listening space approximately 14 feet by 25 feet and I amplify them with a Hypex NC500 module in a Peachtree Audio amplifier. I have had no trouble driving the Revel F206's with an Aiyima A07 amplifier and a WiiM Amp.

 

[Astoneroad]

pardon my joining your conversation.....

I submitted the Revel F206 measured by Amir. I am very happy with their performance and consider them 'end game' loudspeakers for my use case. My main listening position is 11 feet away in a listening space approximately 14 feet by 25 feet and I amplify them with a Hypex NC500 module in a Peachtree Audio amplifier. I have had no trouble driving the Revel F206's with an Aiyima A07 amplifier and a WiiM Amp.

Agreed about the end game choice.. I've mentioned in previous threads that I chose the 206s over both the 208s and Salon2s, after having all of them in the same room, at the same time. The diminishing returns to cost ratio was very eye (ear) opening... although parting with the others wasn't easy... lol. I've got the 206s in my HT and 2 channel rigs and I'm very pleased with the choice and the saved funds.

 

[Steve Dallas]

pardon my joining your conversation.....

I submitted the Revel F206 measured by Amir. I am very happy with their performance and consider them 'end game' loudspeakers for my use case. My main listening position is 11 feet away in a listening space approximately 14 feet by 25 feet and I amplify them with a Hypex NC500 module in a Peachtree Audio amplifier. I have had no trouble driving the Revel F206's with an Aiyima A07 amplifier and a WiiM Amp.

I think this is one of those places where audition environment vs. home listening environment plays a key role. Different rooms make a huge difference.

I have had the F206s for several years now in my home theater (also set up for critical stereo listening) and have been nothing but pleased with them. I get a huge smile on my face every time I fire them up. Definitely end game speakers for me. Anything 'better' would be beyond the threshold of diminishing returns IMO. I have tried several other speakers in that room, both owned and borrowed, many excellent, and none have dislodged the F206s.

 

[kyuu]

Sorry, I never bought them in the end. I went to the shop, plastic in hand, with every intention to buy them. We had a demo anyway, but didn't like them. Couldn't believe it.
Other people like them, so it might just be something wrong with my ears.

More likely there was something wrong with the demo space.

 

[Power Pop 23]

Thanks mostly to the Revel F206's and Dirac Live, the most meaningful upgrade I could now conceivably make is the addition of a dedicated listening space and I can't conceive of when I will have the means to do that.....

 

[thegeton]

Never have listened to F35, or F206, but I do have a pair of F36 with an SB-3000 sub, and love this setup. End game for me, but my tastes are simple.

 

[Lsc]

Agreed about the end game choice.. I've mentioned in previous threads that I chose the 206s over both the 208s and Salon2s, after having all of them in the same room, at the same time. The diminishing returns to cost ratio was very eye (ear) opening... although parting with the others wasn't easy... lol. I've got the 206s in my HT and 2 channel rigs and I'm very pleased with the choice and the saved funds.

This is true.

Although I chose the F208 over the F206 back in 2013 then upgraded to the F228Be and now the Salon2, in retrospect the F208 would have been fine end game speakers, if I would have projected my inability to hear as good 12 years down the road.

Of course, now that I have salon2/voice2, they are staying as my end game speakers, I could have lived with the performa3 speakers (F208/C208).

Also, the performa3 could have been in my basement man cave vs the ultima2 that my wife didn’t want in the basement as my kids and their buddies tend to be a little destructive. My speakers are in excellent condition. Just another consideration.

 

[MZKM]

F35 has a better preference score, better bass extension, and better flatness than the F206, per spinorama.org:

I just updated my F35 scores/graphs (as Amir redid the scan a while ago). They have the same score (when rounded to 1 decimal), F35 does have a better bass roll-off and higher sensitivity, but a stronger directivity mismatch at the crossover region. Unsure of max SPL/compression/distortion and channel matching. Through my own looking at the graphs, I would expect the F206 to sound better (when level matched) when hooked up to a sub.

F35

F206

This one horizontal directivity plot accessed after the link makes me realize the left and right axes are not nearly symmetrical, why is that?

The measurements seem to not have been done perfectly on-axis, looks about 5° off.

 

[Astoneroad]

I just updated my F35 scores/graphs (as Amir redid the scan a while ago). They have the same score (when rounded to 1 decimal), F35 does have a better bass roll-off and higher sensitivity, but a stronger directivity mismatch at the crossover region. Unsure of max SPL/compression/distortion and channel matching. Through my own looking at the graphs, I would expect the F206 to sound better (when level matched) when hooked up to a sub.

F35

F206

Yup, I've seen that comparison. I've never heard the F35's but for $1k a pair... if I was still on the speaker carousel... I'd definitely get a pair... especially with Crutchfield's 60 day return option. Add an SB-1000 for another $500... and a Wiim amp... you've got a $6k system for $2k... gotta love that.