Revel F226be and C426be review on Audioholics

[tifune]

Sorry about that

However, with a 3-way centre channel, especially one as good as this Revel, there is no problem at all using two of them for your L/R speakers. However, one caveat is that you would have to keep them in their intended horizontal orientation. Is that what you'd planned to do?

Yes that was exactly my plan - I'm having a hard time finding a quality bookshelf that can get loud enough to fill this space cleanly. 8" active monitors of any quality seem to hover around $2k and since I alreday have an amp + clean in-wall wiring... 8" passives are seemingly rare. I have a revel M106 inbound to try out, but unless they can go louder than the ELAC DBR6.2's I'm currently demo'ing I may have to get a little more creative.

Two center channels cost $2K more than two floor standers, so why bother?

Cheers

I think you're referring to my post - if so, these photos should explain it. Both pairs are quite high, at least 10' so it's one of the few cases where vertical directivity may be more relevant than horizontal, at least equally so. In the kitchen area, towers on top of cabinets would not pass WAF by any stretch of the imagination unless perhaps I lay them on their sides but I have a hard time believing horizontal and vertical directivity would flip-flip with no ill effects. Hopefully i'm mistaken on that because it would ease this quest by quite a bit

 

[Descartes]

Fantastic review!
So what is best using a 2 F226Be + C426Be or 3 F226?

 

[Beast76]

Yes that was exactly my plan - I'm having a hard time finding a quality bookshelf that can get loud enough to fill this space cleanly. 8" active monitors of any quality seem to hover around $2k and since I alreday have an amp + clean in-wall wiring... 8" passives are seemingly rare. I have a revel M106 inbound to try out, but unless they can go louder than the ELAC DBR6.2's I'm currently demo'ing I may have to get a little more creative.



I think you're referring to my post - if so, these photos should explain it. Both pairs are quite high, at least 10' so it's one of the few cases where vertical directivity may be more relevant than horizontal, at least equally so. In the kitchen area, towers on top of cabinets would not pass WAF by any stretch of the imagination unless perhaps I lay them on their sides but I have a hard time believing horizontal and vertical directivity would flip-flip with no ill effects. Hopefully i'm mistaken on that because it would ease this quest by quite a bit

How did your M106s hold up? I’m thinking about a pair of m126bes and this center matched with my subs (2 - powersound audio s42ipals). Will the m126bes allow me to play at reference level if crossed at 80-100Hz in my 2500 cubic foot room with listening distance at about 9 feet?

 

[CJPopovich]

The 106's play pretty loud for a little speaker but you're asking a lot out of a bookshelf at 9', if it isn't reference it'll come pretty close. I picked up a pair used as a "dipping my toe in the Revel sauce" trial, replaced some big stand mounted NHT's (M7's) and they couldn't keep up with the (much larger) NHT's but they held their own crossed over around the 100hz range. Anyway, I liked the M106's so much I moved them to the computer room and bought F226BE's for the main room. I still high pass them but that's because I want to really be able to put the beans to the system when it's called for.

 

[Acerun]

How did your M106s hold up? I’m thinking about a pair of m126bes and this center matched with my subs (2 - powersound audio s42ipals). Will the m126bes allow me to play at reference level if crossed at 80-100Hz in my 2500 cubic foot room with listening distance at about 9 feet?

Did you do it?

 

[Beast76]

I didn’t. I ended up with 226bes up front and M106s for surrounds. I absolutely love them.

 

[Acerun]

I have 126be's now with two Rythmik subs and love them. Definitely envious of the C426be. A step at a time.

 

[Acerun]

I have 126be's now with two Rythmik subs and love them. Definitely envious of the C426be. A step at a time.

C426Be on the way

 

[tmukh]

I have two f226BEs with a single M126BE for the center. Works very well in my large room.
Center crosses over at 120 Hz to the dual JTR subs next to the towers.

Played Aquaman the other day at -10MV. Totally wowed! The dialogs were clear and plenty loud. Could feel each bullet from the machine guns on the chest (yes, at that rapid rate of discharge for each bullet- an individual chest thump for each bullet) and the couch was shaking like crazy in so many of the action scenes( aquaman enters the submarine).
I know the subs have a lot to contribute to this overall experience but the revel speakers kept up very well.

 

[spamilton]

I have two f226BEs with a single M126BE for the center. Works very well in my large room.
Center crosses over at 120 Hz to the dual JTR subs next to the towers.

Same setup here! minus the subs. The M126Be does very well (probably the best) for its size. I'm kind of itching for the C426Be, especially since the Be series is on sale right now, but I would need a new console or riser/tv stand to accommodate this beast, and I don't think I want that headache right now.

 

[tmukh]

Same setup here! minus the subs. The M126Be does very well (probably the best) for its size. I'm kind of itching for the C426Be, especially since the Be series is on sale right now, but I would need a new console or riser/tv stand to accommodate this beast, and I don't think I want that headache right now.

Probably consider diverting that money to a good sub or two - huge world if a difference. Moreover, with a generous crossover of 120hz you will let the m126be (and even the towers) breathe much better.

 

[spamilton]

Probably consider diverting that money to a good sub or two - huge world if a difference. Moreover, with a generous crossover of 120hz you will let the m126be (and even the towers) breathe much better.

I've been back and forth with subs and ultimately ended up selling due to space and overall simplicity. I don't feel like I am missing much for my needs. I do agree with the cross. It sounds much more clear (dialogue especially) with a higher crossover.

 

[Acerun]

I'm crossing my 126Be's at 100 with two subs and they sound great. Will try 110 and 120. I wonder what will be best for the C426Be...Audessey MultiEQ-X has been a revelation.

 

[Acerun]

I'm crossing my 126Be's at 100 with two subs and they sound great. Will try 110 and 120. I wonder what will be best for the C426Be...Audessey MultiEQ-X has been a revelation.

I'm crossing everything including the C426Be at 100 and it sounds terrific, best ever. All I had to do was take the dual subwoofers down about 2db and it locked in. Using multi EQ-X

 

[Acerun]

Edit. I take the subwoofers down even more. And you have to play with it. Multi EQX says it goes down to 40. Other measurements say 30. My litmus test is no boom from the center, but holy crap the spectrum of major League baseball feeds as to the quality of audio (I watch a lot of baseball). Once you get it dialed in, it is the most neutral, natural thing in the world, even though it's an enormous center channel. No, I don't have any measurements at the moment.

 

[Acerun]

What a difference a year makes. Crossing at 60 on F226Be and 80 on C426Be.

 

[kma100]

That's a beautiful setup and I expect sounds amazing! I like that the C426 has tiny feet...makes the large center "float".

 

[MarcT]

What a difference a year makes. Crossing at 60 on F226Be and 80 on C426Be.

Nice! Do your remote controls operate through the slats in that audio equipment console? Thanks.

 

[Acerun]

Nice! Do your remote controls operate through the slats in that audio equipment console? Thanks.

Yes they do! It is the BDI Corridor 8177

 

[Acerun]

That's a beautiful setup and I expect sounds amazing! I like that the C426 has tiny feet...makes the large center "float".

Denon X8500h with the amplifiers all turned off and outboard Purifi. So good for both music and HT. 104 SINAD on the Denon and 120 or so on the Purifi, pretty good all around. Two 15" Rythmik subs and MultiEQ-X $200 laptop app for room correction, fine tuned by REW.