Revel F226be and C426be review on Audioholics

[ex audiophile]

James Larson does a very good job IMO of assessing these speakers. Results are excellent, very neutral, as expected with Revel. The C426be stands out as a superb center, albeit very large.

https://www.audioholics.com/tower-speaker-reviews/revel-performa-f226be-c426be

 

[MarcT]

James Larson does a very good job IMO of assessing these speakers. Results are excellent, very neutral, as expected with Revel. The C426be stands out as a superb center, albeit very large.

https://www.audioholics.com/tower-speaker-reviews/revel-performa-f226be-c426be

Yes, that c426Be is the bomb! It's tempting to buy one just to get to that level of center channel performance. Timbre matching be damned!

 

[matt3421]

i wonder what it would be like to use just C426Be's in a home theater

 

[ex audiophile]

Interesting comment regarding the power requirements of these speakers, which might relate to another thread running here at ASR re power supply for the 226s.
from the article:
"Revel specifies both speakers as 8 ohms for nominal impedance. That may be true by their calculations, but much of the impedance for both speakers lay quite a bit lower than 8 ohms. The entirety of the mid-bass and upper bass regions hover around 5 ohms, and there is a pretty steep phase angle at the port tuning frequency of both speakers which also occurs at 5 ohms. This is not a particularly difficult electrical load but it is not so benign as a thoroughly 8-ohm speaker either. I wouldn’t run these speakers on an entry-level AVR, but my guess is that not many people who buy speakers in this price range are going to run their speakers on a $300 AVR, so I don’t think this will ever be a problem. I measured sensitivity for the F226Be at 88.0dB for 2.83v at 1 meter with the C426Be at 90.8dB for 2.83v at 1 meter. "

 

[ex audiophile]

i wonder what it would be like to use just C426Be's in a home theater

add a couple subs and you're good to go

 

[amirm]

i wonder what it would be like to use just C426Be's in a home theater

It would work well. I have three center channels for my fronts in my theater.

 

[phoenixdogfan]

Really good speaker, with a great look, made in the USA which is important if you're a US buyer, great network of dealers, and, as I understand it, terrific company to work with if you have warranty issues.

 

[MZKM]

i wonder what it would be like to use just C426Be's in a home theater

Be weary of the size.

I was watching ObsessedGarage tour his system before he tears it down to move homes, and even though he has “just” a C208, it’s worth is monstrous:

I can only imagine the C426Be

 

[hardisj]

FWIW, I measured the F226Be (full spins) a couple months ago:
https://www.erinsaudiocorner.com/loudspeakers/revel_f226be/

discussion thread here:
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...be-f226be-floorstanding-speaker-review.16702/

 

[HooStat]

i wonder what it would be like to use just C426Be's in a home theater

Even more extreme, I was thinking of just getting this and a sub and calling it a day. Or maybe really cheap Revel L/R just for completeness.

I should mention that I am not really serious about this. It would be wasted on me. But it is an amazing speaker.

 

[Beave]

Really good speaker, with a great look, made in the USA which is important if you're a US buyer, great network of dealers, and, as I understand it, terrific company to work with if you have warranty issues.

Made in the USA?

 

[lovemusic]

The C426be stands out as a superb center, albeit very large.

https://www.audioholics.com/tower-speaker-reviews/revel-performa-f226be-c426be

Its an outstanding speaker, let alone a center channel.

Size and legs can be problematic, I had to place it over my media cabinet not inside it. As a consequence, push up my TV mount. Minor headaches. But when these start playing, you are in a different world. The off-axis response is hard to believe. Sometimes I sit 70 degree off axis (while remote working) and the sound is immaculate. Extremely accurate, detailed and incredible dynamics and at $4500 these beauties are the steal of the year!

 

[FrankF]

Made in the USA?

Made in China.

 

[boselover61]

View attachment 97956
Made in China.

And really it's nothing to be a shamed of. China has made some excellent products and has proved to has great manufacturers.

 

[FrankF]

And really it's nothing to be a shamed of. China has made some excellent products and has proved to has great manufacturers.

Just answering a question. No shaming intended.

 

[Kachda]

That’s a massive center channel. It’s the size of a floorstander put horizontally

 

[Beave]

Made in China.

Thanks. For another Be model, I've seen "Made in Indonesia" on the back.

 

[bigguyca]

And really it's nothing to be a shamed of. China has made some excellent products and has proved to has great manufacturers.

No indication if the units are made in the concentration or forced labor camps that the PRC has setup for a million or so ethnic Uyghurs in Xinjiang. It would be nice to have a disclaimer from Harman. You evidently do not care, but 21st Century forced labor camps are unacceptable.

 

[restorer-john]

Sorry James Larson, don't tell me how to think.

I love the look of thousands of loudspeakers, but hate of look of these. The white metal cones are just horrible and scream cheap at me. They look like a teenager's car subwoofer array, or the various white van speakers peddled in car parks to suckers.

And automotive finishes? The late 1980s called and want their ugly two-pack lacquer furniture back. White and Metallic Silver. Eww. Maybe the walnut, but with those white Aluminium cones?

 

[restorer-john]

No indication if the units are made in the concentration or forced labor camps that the PRC has setup for a million or so ethnic Uyghurs in Xinjiang. It would be nice to have a disclaimer from Harman. You evidently do not care, but 21st Century forced labor camps are unacceptable.

I agree. It's a good opportunity to ask Harman directly exactly where they are made.