Revel F206 Tower Speaker Review

[psykano]

I found some of the measurements.

Starting with the AVR, a Denon 4800 with both Audyssey XT32 and Dirac with DLBC.

This is uncorrected without subs:
View attachment 435694



This is with XT32 correction up to 1100Hz and 2x SVS SB2000 subs:
View attachment 435690


This is with Dirac without DLBC with subs with correction limited to 1000Hz (with DLBC doesn't look much different):
View attachment 435691

Moving on to the silent PC running Dirac Standalone.

This is Dirac Standalone corrected to 1000Hz without subs (can be improved with more work):

View attachment 435692

^ I shot the Dirac measurements with the mic in my hand. I need to redo them, but I usually just listen via the AVR these days, so motivation is low.

For those wondering about DLBC, here are the differences.

Left with and without:
View attachment 435695


Right with and without:
View attachment 435696

And all together:
View attachment 435697

In my environment, DLBC actually performs worse and was not worth the upgrade cost.

And if you are wondering what Dirac and Audyssey can do if I let them correct the whole FR with custom curves...

Dirac full correction with subs:
View attachment 435698

Audyssey full correction with subs:
View attachment 435699

View attachment 435700

Awesome graphs! Very useful to see! That first XT32 graph is especially smooth. I wonder though why it looks so different to the second from last graph with the "full XT32" correction?

 

[Laserjock]

When I "reply" to a post, if I try and trim the content being showed from what I'm replying to I then can't get the cursor to move out of the shaded area? I wrote my reply and then trimmed, still messed things up slightly

Testing Area

If you are trying to learn the forum software and or experimenting, you can post here.

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[Astoneroad]

I found some of the measurements.

Starting with the AVR, a Denon 4800 with both Audyssey XT32 and Dirac with DLBC.

This is uncorrected without subs:
View attachment 435694



This is with XT32 correction up to 1100Hz and 2x SVS SB2000 subs:
View attachment 435690


This is with Dirac without DLBC with subs with correction limited to 1000Hz (with DLBC doesn't look much different):
View attachment 435691

Moving on to the silent PC running Dirac Standalone.

This is Dirac Standalone corrected to 1000Hz without subs (can be improved with more work):

View attachment 435692

^ I shot the Dirac measurements with the mic in my hand. I need to redo them, but I usually just listen via the AVR these days, so motivation is low.

For those wondering about DLBC, here are the differences.

Left with and without:
View attachment 435695


Right with and without:
View attachment 435696

And all together:
View attachment 435697

In my environment, DLBC actually performs worse and was not worth the upgrade cost.

And if you are wondering what Dirac and Audyssey can do if I let them correct the whole FR with custom curves...

Dirac full correction with subs:
View attachment 435698

Audyssey full correction with subs:
View attachment 435699

View attachment 435700

I'm just starting to consider room correction. I've got a similar rig with 206's and dual SVS SB1000's. I live alone and don't care what is happening outside of my sweet spot, I'm either sitting in it, or playing in the kitchen. I'm finding the correction process daunting. Your comments about DBLC were cautionary for me since that is a path that I'm considering, but would like to avoid wasted brain cells on minimal returns. With that said, what do you think is the path of least resistance, other than do nothing and enjoy what my 67 year old ears are still capable of? I've found your comments about your 206s insightful over the past few years. Thanks.

 

[staticV3]

I'm just starting to consider room correction. I've got a similar rig with 206's and dual SVS SB1000's. I live alone and don't care what is happening outside of my sweet spot, I'm either sitting in it, or playing in the kitchen. I'm finding the correction process daunting. Your comments about DBLC were cautionary for me since that is a path that I'm considering, but would like to avoid wasted brain cells on minimal returns. With that said, what do you think is the path of least resistance, other than do nothing and enjoy what my 67 year old ears are still capable of? I've found your comments about your 206s insightful over the past few years. Thanks.

DLBC is basically an automated version of Multi Sub Optimizer, whose advantages cannot be captured in a single-point sweep measurement as seen above.

Its entire purpose is to minimize nulls across a wide listening area, so measurements would have to be performed across said area to show the effect.

 

[Everett T]

Sorta interesting what your room did to the broad 1.2db bump centered at 133hz

What did his room do to that area as I'm not seeing anything broad or majorly significant?

 

[Steve Dallas]

Sorta interesting what your room did to the broad 1.2db bump centered at 133hz

I guess it's wrong of me to ask here, but your target response curve, where does it come from, I can't remember if I've come across info that it should be more complex than a flat, downward sloping line?

Quite lovely to see that someone with knowledge and some resources is advocating for the f206's ...Checking out these measurement makes me think of how foolish I'm being not getting into measurement taking

You cannot tell much about how any given speaker will interact with the room below 200Hz (or higher), except for speakers that have a bass shelf like some KEF models. The room and placement within it dictates the behavior. (Those with a bass shelf will be less boomy without EQ or DRC, but still unpredictable.)

The target curve I use is a variation on one of the common Harmon-like curves floating around. It starts to slope more below 200Hz and again below 100Hz, but is not as extreme as some others.

Awesome graphs! Very useful to see! That first XT32 graph is especially smooth. I wonder though why it looks so different to the second from last graph with the "full XT32" correction?

The first posted result was a few years after the last one, after I learned to better optimize what XT32 can do. Still, XT32 is relatively weak at full correction. I assume it doesn't have enough taps. Dirac consistently provides better results for full-range correction. I always limit things to 1.2KHz or lower, however. Given enough effort, I can make XT32 and Dirac more or less equivalent in the bass and lower mids.

I'm just starting to consider room correction. I've got a similar rig with 206's and dual SVS SB1000's. I live alone and don't care what is happening outside of my sweet spot, I'm either sitting in it, or playing in the kitchen. I'm finding the correction process daunting. Your comments about DBLC were cautionary for me since that is a path that I'm considering, but would like to avoid wasted brain cells on minimal returns. With that said, what do you think is the path of least resistance, other than do nothing and enjoy what my 67 year old ears are still capable of? I've found your comments about your 206s insightful over the past few years. Thanks.

I don't know your system topology, so it is hard to make a recommendation. If you have an AVR with XT32 or Dirac, you are set. Just carefully and deliberately run the calibration and measure the results with a UMIK and REW. Be prepared to experiment with mic placement during the measurements and run multiple iterations.

DLBC really helps in some situations. Mine just does not happen to be one of them them. But I did gain the experience with working with it, and it may help in the next house.

DLBC is basically an automated version of Multi Sub Optimizer, whose advantages cannot be captured in a single-point sweep measurement as seen above.

Its entire purpose is to minimize nulls across a wide listening area, so measurements would have to be performed across said area to show the effect.

The measurements I posted were taken using the moving mic method spanning a rectangular area about 1M wide and 0.5M deep centered on the MLP. It was not a single-point sweep.

 

[Cadillacofminds]

I managed to conflate anechoic and inroom preferred responses, pretty dumb, gotta post less

 

[5-pot-fan]

I've just setup my new pair of F206's and was impressed how they produced a soundstage with width and depth from initial placement in a 3.2m x 4.0m room. Their reported ability to be 'nice' in various rooms was one of the deciding factors in acquisition, and the price was pretty good at GBP£1500.
They are driven by a pair of Fosi V3 Monos, fed from a Wiim Ultra acting as a pre-amp. The Ultra is already set at a higher output level (67/100) than with my previous speakers (a vintage pair of Celestion 100s), but I can increase the Wiim output settings should I need more.
The tweeter centres are approx 67cm from the front wall, and 51cms from the side walls, and approx 240cms from my listening position. Bass guitar sound is good, but bass drum thump so far is limited - no subwoofer (yet).
I cant do anything in the way of measurement as things have been packed away pending a house move, but can anyone advise on the use of the port bungs? My initial test here is that they reduce the apparent bass.

 

[kyuu]

I cant do anything in the way of measurement as things have been packed away pending a house move, but can anyone advise on the use of the port bungs? My initial test here is that they reduce the apparent bass.

Yes, bunging the port will reduce the bass response as you're essentially changing the box from bass reflex to sealed. Unless you're having issues that blocking the port fixes, I wouldn't bother with the bunging.

And congrats on the excellent speakers.

 

[5-pot-fan]

Yes, bunging the port will reduce the bass response as you're essentially changing the box from bass reflex to sealed. Unless you're having issues that blocking the port fixes, I wouldn't bother with the bunging.

And congrats on the excellent speakers.

Thanks for the confirmation re the bungs.

 

[Cadillacofminds]

Is Mr. Amir misspeaking in stating that "the 'drop' in frequency response below 90 Hz is to be expected," in his comments on the compression graph? Is it very odd that the graph shows a boost in frequency response in that region at higher power levels? I was just reading a bit about measuring "compression," it has me wondering if what is measured here instantaneous..type, compression?