Revel F208 Tower Speaker Review

[bodhi]

I really like my JL Audio e112 in combination with the F208. I’ve heard several people comment how the F208 really doesn’t have the grunt in the lower register without the need for a subwoofer — even how the specs would indicate that it should go pretty damn low on its own (-3dB@31Hz, -10dB@23Hz).

They must all be driving giant pickups.

 

[Dj7675]

I have heard that story for decades. By definition, 20 hz is incapable of low distortion. I don’t need need a sub for Jurassic Park "special effects." So tired of the organ music nonsense requirement for music or anything. Subs are for the Harley crowd. Or the giant unnecessary pickup for Walmart grocery shopping.

If you want accurate reproduction down to 20hz for music and movies and realistic volumes a sub is required. If you choose to ignore that content because it is not important to you, that is of course just fine. But that content is there to reproduce if a system is capable of it in modern music and movies. You have managed to call those wanting to reproduce the full spectrum, a bunch of Walmart shopping, truck driving Harley crowd. A wonderful combination of inaccuracies and derision all rolled up. Well done.

 

[Laserjock]

What’s wrong with trucks, HDs and WM shopping?

 

[Ageve]

If you want accurate reproduction down to 20hz for music and movies and realistic volumes a sub is required. If you choose to ignore that content because it is not important to you, that is of course just fine. But that content is there to reproduce if a system is capable of it in modern music and movies. You have managed to call those wanting to reproduce the full spectrum, a bunch of Walmart shopping, truck driving Harley crowd. A wonderful combination of inaccuracies and derision all rolled up. Well done.

It's the standard comment from those who don't own a pair of reasonably good and well integrated subwoofers. They don't know what they're missing.

 

[12Many]

I bet they do have great bass. I’m guessing some still would want a sub for high output/low distortion down to 20hz (or even lower). In particular for movies but some music reaches down there too and If you like to play those low frequencies subs are almost required. I would guess though many would and are quite happy with them without subs for most listening levels and don’t really care about that 20-30hz output.

I have the F208 and have tried them with and without subs and a variety of music and movies. DJ's comment is spot on.

 

[Deleted member 43957]

I have heard that story for decades. By definition, 20 hz is incapable of low distortion. I don’t need need a sub for Jurassic Park "special effects." So tired of the organ music nonsense requirement for music or anything. Subs are for the Harley crowd. Or the giant unnecessary pickup for Walmart grocery shopping.

"He's got him a sub woofer he won in the War
It weighs five-hundred pounds and it sleeps on his floor"

 

[Laserjock]

I even run my M106 without subs at times.
it just depends on the moment, mood and music.
Options are nice.

 

[Steve Dallas]

It's the standard comment from those who don't own a pair of reasonably good and well integrated subwoofers. They don't know what they're missing.

Nope. I have both options in my media room, and I often listen without subs. (Yes, my subs are well-integrated.)

 

[Sal1950]

It's the standard comment from those who don't own a pair of reasonably good and well integrated subwoofers. They don't know what they're missing.

Nope. I have both options in my media room, and I often listen without subs. (Yes, my subs are well-integrated.)

Why did you disagree, you have subs and use them even if not all the time. ???

If you want accurate reproduction down to 20hz for music and movies and realistic volumes a sub is required. If you choose to ignore that content because it is not important to you, that is of course just fine. But that content is there to reproduce if a system is capable of it in modern music and movies. You have managed to call those wanting to reproduce the full spectrum, a bunch of Walmart shopping, truck driving Harley crowd. A wonderful combination of inaccuracies and derision all rolled up. Well done.

Very true, mostly it's all about volume and distortion
Even some small stand mounts can deliver decent amounts of bass, IF you don't play them very loud. Also then distortion will
rapidly become audible as level gets to moderate levels. As speakers get bigger and driver count increases their bass capability
improves but most all can still be improved in the bass as volume level desires increase.
Add in the fact that low bass frequency response can be made much smoother when 2 or more subs are correctly placed.
YMMV

 

[Erik_N]

Crossovering the 208's at 80 Hz is almost a criminal offense. They don't need a sub. My marriage to subwoofers dissolved into an acrimonious divorce.

I think that several people already have said my opinion above, but I still like to make a comment myself.

In my system I have two pre-amplifiers, one analog with HT-bypass (Advantage P1) and one digital surround processor (Meridian G68ADV+HD621). With the first I have only my two channel setup with F208 without EQ, with the latter with sub and EQ. This means that I can compare easily with just turning HT-bypass on or off.

I can agree that the F208's can produce bass enough for most types of music, but the extension of a good sub adds an extra dimension to the music. When we come to movies with really deep bass there is no comparison.

I don't know if you have read the post I linked to, but in that post I explain that we tried crossover frequencies 40-150 Hz before we found 80 Hz to be the best in my room. As the room have a great influence on the sound the electric crossover frequency is not always the same as the acoustic crossover frequency. In my room there was peaks around 40 and 80 Hz. When we inserted the plugs in the bass reflex ports of the speakers these peaks were lower, but we still had to add som PEQ filters in Meridian G68ADV to even out the tone curve.

The result with sub is that I have a tone curve with F-3 db@5Hz, shown in diagrams in the previous post that I linked to. You will never come close to this with four 8" drivers. In my opinion the integration is very good in my room. I can't hear that the bass are coming from a particular place, it's just there. This is actually one of the things I really like with my F208's, the sound is just there. My previous speakers was Mirage M-1si and F208 was the only ones I've heard that can disappear in the room as Mirage can.

So, even if my F208's can produce great bass, it's nothing compared to what they can do together with 2x18" BMS in an IB configuration!

I'm sorry if it's difficult to follow what I write above, English is not my native language.

 

[Blumlein 88]

I think that several people already have said my opinion above, but I still like to make a comment myself.

In my system I have two pre-amplifiers, one analog with HT-bypass (Advantage P1) and one digital surround processor (Meridian G68ADV+HD621). With the first I have only my two channel setup with F208 without EQ, with the latter with sub and EQ. This means that I can compare easily with just turning HT-bypass on or off.

I can agree that the F208's can produce bass enough for most types of music, but the extension of a good sub adds an extra dimension to the music. When we come to movies with really deep bass there is no comparison.

I don't know if you have read the post I linked to, but in that post I explain that we tried crossover frequencies 40-150 Hz before we found 80 Hz to be the best in my room. As the room have a great influence on the sound the electric crossover frequency is not always the same as the acoustic crossover frequency. In my room there was peaks around 40 and 80 Hz. When we inserted the plugs in the bass reflex ports of the speakers these peaks were lower, but we still had to add som PEQ filters in Meridian G68ADV to even out the tone curve.

The result with sub is that I have a tone curve with F-3 db@5Hz, shown in diagrams in the previous post that I linked to. You will never come close to this with four 8" drivers. In my opinion the integration is very good in my room. I can't hear that the bass are coming from a particular place, it's just there. This is actually one of the things I really like with my F208's, the sound is just there. My previous speakers was Mirage M-1si and F208 was the only ones I've heard that can disappear in the room as Mirage can.

So, even if my F208's can produce great bass, it's nothing compared to what they can do together with 2x18" BMS in an IB configuration!

I'm sorry if it's difficult to follow what I write above, English is not my native language.

Your post was easy to follow and sensible. I have some F208's and use them in stereo without sub. They are fine. I have a switch box and swap to a video pre/processor to use them for surround sound in a home theater, and I use 3 subs with them. Also crossed over at 80 hz. For movies that is helpful.

 

[Alice of Old Vincennes]

UI 8

If you want accurate reproduction down to 20hz for music and movies and realistic volumes a sub is required. If you choose to ignore that content because it is not important to you, that is of course just fine. But that content is there to reproduce if a system is capable of it in modern music and movies. You have managed to call those wanting to reproduce the full spectrum, a bunch of Walmart shopping, truck driving Harley crowd. A wonderful combination of inaccuracies and derision all rolled up. Well done.

Thank you.

 

[Lsc]

There is nothing wrong with not using a sub for music. Yes there are benefits to using a sub or subs that’s high quality and integrated well with the mains.

Maybe some folks like the balance better with no subs. I usually don’t use a sub either with my salon2. At least not yet until I get my JL CR-1 and a second F113. Integration is tough with 1 sub or 2 mismatched subs.

 

[Alice of Old Vincennes]

I think that several people already have said my opinion above, but I still like to make a comment myself.

In my system I have two pre-amplifiers, one analog with HT-bypass (Advantage P1) and one digital surround processor (Meridian G68ADV+HD621). With the first I have only my two channel setup with F208 without EQ, with the latter with sub and EQ. This means that I can compare easily with just turning HT-bypass on or off.

I can agree that the F208's can produce bass enough for most types of music, but the extension of a good sub adds an extra dimension to the music. When we come to movies with really deep bass there is no comparison.

I don't know if you have read the post I linked to, but in that post I explain that we tried crossover frequencies 40-150 Hz before we found 80 Hz to be the best in my room. As the room have a great influence on the sound the electric crossover frequency is not always the same as the acoustic crossover frequency. In my room there was peaks around 40 and 80 Hz. When we inserted the plugs in the bass reflex ports of the speakers these peaks were lower, but we still had to add som PEQ filters in Meridian G68ADV to even out the tone curve.

The result with sub is that I have a tone curve with F-3 db@5Hz, shown in diagrams in the previous post that I linked to. You will never come close to this with four 8" drivers. In my opinion the integration is very good in my room. I can't hear that the bass are coming from a particular place, it's just there. This is actually one of the things I really like with my F208's, the sound is just there. My previous speakers was Mirage M-1si and F208 was the only ones I've heard that can disappear in the room as Mirage can.

So, even if my F208's can produce great bass, it's nothing compared to what they can do together with 2x18" BMS in an IB configuration!

I'm sorry if it's difficult to follow what I write above, English is not my native language.

I am just not an 18 inch bass head. Everyone is different. I have really tried to integrate. Just don't like sound from the boombox.

 

[Alice of Old Vincennes]

There is nothing wrong with not using a sub for music. Yes there are benefits to using a sub or subs that’s high quality and integrated well with the mains.

Maybe some folks like the balance better with no subs. I usually don’t use a sub either with my salon2. At least not yet until I get my JL CR-1 and a second F113. Integration is tough with 1 sub or 2 mismatched subs.

If you you need help with your Salon, at least use a Revel sub. Although unrevealed or unmeasured, I'll bet distortion is very low. Room shaking bass is distortion.

 

[Alice of Old Vincennes]

UI 8

Thank you.

20 hz hurts. Maybe has something to due with "inaudible" 10% distortion. Revel subs need testing.

 

[tuskenraider]

Ha, I have mine crossed over at 100 Hz for smoother in room frequency response. It was hard to do, but the measurements don't lie. The 2 15" Rhythmic subs definitely add a little extra, but I have no problem throwing the AVR in pure direct mode if I feel like it.

 

[Alice of Old Vincennes]

Last night I disabled sub and listened to 3 way with dual 8 inch woofers. I had crossed at 80hz. Everything disappeared. Truly beautiful. Midrange and tweeter sounded magical unchained from that ugly cube.

 

[Steve Dallas]

Why did you disagree, you have subs and use them even if not all the time. ???

The assertion was [paraphrasing] people who don't think they need subs have never heard a system with well-placed, well-integrated subs.

I disagree, because:

1. I have heard many systems with well-integrated subs, including my current system, and;
2. Most of the music I enjoy has very little, if any, content below 40Hz, and my F206 have an in-room F3 of 32Hz, which is low enough to cover almost everything I need. In addition to my AVR with subs, I have a pathway that is laptop w/ Dirac -> Schiit Modius -> Peachtree Nova300 -> F206. Even though I have a very good sub integration with the AVR, and I have Audyssey and Dirac set up with very similar target curves, both limited to under 1KHz, I generally enjoy the sub-less pathway more. I cannot explain why, other than to say it sounds more "natural" to me. I have never tried to quantify that thought further, and;
3. With 300WPC at 8 Ohms and 500WPC at 4 Ohms available, and Dirac correcting the bass frequencies, there is plenty of visceral impact without subs in my small room, and I cannot hear any distortion, and;
4. Sweeping generalizations rooted in assumptions are pointless.

Movies are a different story, of course.

Pathways available in my media room:

Sub integration results with 80Hz crossover:

 

[Rottmannash]

The assertion was [paraphrasing] people who don't think they need subs have never heard a system with well-placed, well-integrated subs.

I disagree, because:

1. I have heard many systems with well-integrated subs, including my current system, and;
2. Most of the music I enjoy has very little, if any, content below 40Hz, and my F206 have an in-room F3 of 32Hz, which is low enough to cover almost everything I need. In addition to my AVR with subs, I have a pathway that is laptop w/ Dirac -> Schiit Modius -> Peachtree Nova300 -> F206. Even though I have a very good sub integration with the AVR, and I have Audyssey and Dirac set up with very similar target curves, both limited to under 1KHz, I generally enjoy the sub-less pathway more. I cannot explain why, other than to say it sounds more "natural" to me. I have never tried to quantify that thought further, and;
3. With 300WPC at 8 Ohms and 500WPC at 4 Ohms available, and Dirac correcting the bass frequencies, there is plenty of visceral impact without subs in my small room, and I cannot hear any distortion, and;
4. Sweeping generalizations rooted in assumptions are pointless.

Movies are a different story, of course.

Pathways available in that room:
View attachment 272677

Sub integration results with 80Hz crossover:

View attachment 272678

View attachment 272679

I can't do the nice diagrams but have a very similar set-up and it works for 2 ch w/o subs but w/ movies/tv I use the entire system w/ subs.