So, I received my F228Be and C426Be speakers a week and a half ago, and I've gotten them set up as the LCR in my theater room. They're replacing an old set of KEF R700 and R600c speakers, which have served me well over the years, but they lacked output and refinement/clarity at higher levels in a larger listening space. Here are some of my subjective impressions.
Spoiler: They've exceeded my expectations and are incredible in my room.
For reference, I'm running the following with the Revels:
Marantz SR7012 - Audyssey up to 500 Hz
Buckeye NCx500 3-channel amp for LCR
2 x SVS PC-4000, 1 x PC12-Plus using Multi-Sub Optimizer
Appearance:
I went with the silver finish, and the gloss finish looks great. I keep the grilles on for protection purposes (from young children), and while I wish I could see the drivers, I think the slight high frequency rolloff they provide is actually preferable to me. It's also less distracting when watching movies versus seeing 14 bright white drivers staring back. The most important part is that my wife likes them! Build quality is excellent, and I appreciate how these aren't nearly as heavy and hard to move around as the F328Be's that I was also considering.
Sound (F228Be):
When I first set things up, I didn't receive the center channel yet, so I was only running the stereo pair of the F228Be's. The first thing I noticed with them was the clarity of the sound. Even at low levels, the speakers sounded incredibly detailed and demanded my attention. I am running Audyssey up to about 500 Hz, and I do use Dynamic EQ at -10 for loudness compensation, which no doubt contributes to this effect. But, I also used to run it with my previous speakers, and they never could produce that level of immediacy and texture in the sound.
The speakers also have a naturalness to them. Things sound 'right' from voices to instruments to sound effects. I am quite sensitive to treble/sibilance, and I was a little worried about the Be tweeter being too sharp, but like the measurements show, it just sounds accurate, detailed, yet not fatiguing at all. With the grilles on, the treble is gently dampened a bit, which I like with my setup.
When turning up the volume, things stay extremely punchy and clear. The NCx500 has plenty of power, and I go nowhere near the limits, but it's nice to know they won't bottleneck performance. Even at higher listening levels, I never felt sibilance kicking in or a bloated midrange that I'd experienced previously with the KEFs. They can go much louder than I can tolerate, listening from around 15 feet away.
Regarding the soundstage, the dispersion makes it sound very wide and enveloping. This is also partly due to my room setup, as the speakers flank the projector screen about 13 feet apart, so they form a triangle to the main listening position. However, with my old speakers, the narrower dispersion made it sensitive to moving around the couch and even head positioning/turning. The F228Be just puts out an even wall of sound that is clear and punchy no matter where you are. Behind the MLP/couch, there is another large open area, and 30+ feet back from the speakers, they still sound amazing.
Sound (with C426Be):
After I received my C426Be, I set up the speaker with ports plugged since they are close to the front wall, and I switched from stereo to multi-channel for music (Auro upmixer) and movies (native Dolby/DTS). I always had issues with the R600c center channel in my room, and it was actually the main reason for upgrading my speakers in the theater room. The R600c was boomy, even with its ports plugged, and it strained during loud movie scenes. The R600c was also very easy to locate, which made the sound feel like it came from below the projector screen instead of from the screen itself.
The C426Be fixes all the problems I had, and it's hard to overstate how much of an improvement it's been. The wall of sound of the F228Be pair is now anchored with the C426Be, so no matter where I sit on the couch, I get a great movie and music experience. Male voices in particular are so much clearer now without any sloppy bass or resonance. Together, as an LCR combo for movies, they're able to put out incredible dynamics in frenetic movie scenes (gunshots, car crashes, etc.) without fatigue, and then in calm moments of dialog, speech sounds natural and clear. The speakers just fade into the background during movies.
For music, the Auro upmixing integrates the C426Be very nicely. I like how Auro keeps the stereo image strong and doesn't send a ton of signal to the center compared to Dolby or DTS upmixers. I didn't have any issues blending them with the MSO-tuned subs at an 80 Hz crossover. I experimented with lower 60 or 40 Hz crossovers, which the speakers can definitely handle, but I think due to some nulls in my room, 80 Hz worked the best.
Overall:
In my other system, I have a pair of Genelec 8351A speakers that used to be my benchmark for sound quality. I will say that, although it's not an apples to apples comparison due to significant room differences, I prefer the Revels to the Genelecs. They sound so... 'right' and 'natural' for lack of better words. They're dynamic and crystal clear in movies and music when I crank them up, and at low volumes they're retain their captivating sound quality. Add the fact that I was able to get all three speakers on sale for around $9000, and I think this is just an incredible deal for what I've gotten.
With speakers, I purchase them so infrequently and have so little opportunity to audition things, that the objective measurements and subjective listening impressions from this site are so important. I'm sure in another timeline I might have picked a different set and been very happy as well, but I'm glad to say that I'm ecstatic about choosing these Revels based on what was shared here. Maybe I'll be ready to upgrade these again in 2034! In the meantime, I'll be enjoying these. Except maybe I'll get a new AVR. Or better surrounds. Or what about new subwoofers? Or...