Revel F228Be Review (Speaker)

[Chanur]

She did like the Wharfdale Dovedale which turns out to be a soft dome tweeter. So there is that.

 

[Jack B]

I'm still leaning that way. I'll probably have to buy a new AVR with the Philharmonic which ads to the cost as mine currently only does 6 or 8 ohm. I'm just using the next week or so to keep exploring options. My wife is very sensitive to tweeters so I'm still a bit hesitant with the Philharmonic since I have not heard them.

I know the Revels very popular here so doing my due diligence.

Even if your amplifier or receiver is not rated for 4 ohm load, that does not mean it cannot be used that way. It depends. Of course, electronics rated for 4 ohm loads is a better choice, "all other things being equal".

 

[Chanur]

Even if your amplifier or receiver is not rated for 4 ohm load, that does not mean it cannot be used that way. It depends. Of course, electronics rated for 4 ohm loads is a better choice, "all other things being equal".

I'll be uploading it eventually. After cranking out 10k for a full set of speakers is a bit of an ask for my wife haha. It would likely be later in the year.

 

[nordelxx]

I know the discussion concerning the enclosure behind the midrange driver not being fully sealed occurred almost a year ago, but I have a somewhat unique perspective. I bought a single, white, used 228 in pretty pristine condition about 2.5 months ago on eBay. The price was so low that I just bought it figuring that I would grab a second one at some point in the near future, since the new white and silver models were being pretty significantly discounted. I then ended up buying a brand new 228 about 1.5 months ago from an authorized dealer (so about a month after I bought the used one). Note that even though they were purchased about a month apart, I really have no idea how old the used 228 was that I bought 2.5 months ago. Once I had them both hooked up, I noticed that the midrange driver on the new unit moved more easily than the driver on the used unit. The difference was small, but I could definitely notice it when gently pushing in on the midrange drivers. I then figured that the something had to be wrong with the midrange driver on the used unit, even though both speakers sounded good to me when they were playing together. I started scouring the internet for any pertinent info and came across this thread. I have to say, I never even thought about my problem being due to an enclosure issue before coming across this thread. I then removed the midrange driver from each speaker and found just what I suspected after reading this thread - the midrange enclosure on the NEW unit was not fully sealed. There were three spots that were missing caulk - one about two inches long and two about one inch long. Additionally, one of the four machine screws holding the midrange driver in place was cross-threaded. It turned out that only the screw was messed up, and luckily the threaded insert that the screw goes into was fine. And, finally, the solder job for the positive and negative wires attached to the midrange driver was definitely not as good on the new unit as it was on the old unit.

In the end, I just decided to caulk the open spots and get a new screw myself. Obviously, I shouldn't have had to do this, but sending the speaker back would have been a major hassle, and who knows if the replacement would have had the same problem or not.

Bottom line - in my opinion, at some point assembly of these speakers was changed and the new assembly location is doing a poor job with these speakers. It's a shame given how expensive these speakers are.

 

[Jack B]

I know the discussion concerning the enclosure behind the midrange driver not being fully sealed occurred almost a year ago, but I have a somewhat unique perspective. I bought a single, white, used 228 in pretty pristine condition about 2.5 months ago on eBay. The price was so low that I just bought it figuring that I would grab a second one at some point in the near future, since the new white and silver models were being pretty significantly discounted. I then ended up buying a brand new 228 about 1.5 months ago from an authorized dealer (so about a month after I bought the used one). Note that even though they were purchased about a month apart, I really have no idea how old the used 228 was that I bought 2.5 months ago. Once I had them both hooked up, I noticed that the midrange driver on the new unit moved more easily than the driver on the used unit. The difference was small, but I could definitely notice it when gently pushing in on the midrange drivers. I then figured that the something had to be wrong with the midrange driver on the used unit, even though both speakers sounded good to me when they were playing together. I started scouring the internet for any pertinent info and came across this thread. I have to say, I never even thought about my problem being due to an enclosure issue before coming across this thread. I then removed the midrange driver from each speaker and found just what I suspected after reading this thread - the midrange enclosure on the NEW unit was not fully sealed. There were three spots that were missing caulk - one about two inches long and two about one inch long. Additionally, one of the four machine screws holding the midrange driver in place was cross-threaded. It turned out that only the screw was messed up, and luckily the threaded insert that the screw goes into was fine. And, finally, the solder job for the positive and negative wires attached to the midrange driver was definitely not as good on the new unit as it was on the old unit.

In the end, I just decided to caulk the open spots and get a new screw myself. Obviously, I shouldn't have had to do this, but sending the speaker back would have been a major hassle, and who knows if the replacement would have had the same problem or not.

Bottom line - in my opinion, at some point assembly of these speakers was changed and the new assembly location is doing a poor job with these speakers. It's a shame given how expensive these speakers are.

My, my: It looks like Revel Quality Control has been asleep at the switch! I'm not an industry insider (hey, Amir, can you chime in here?), but it seems to me that the lapses described here should be considered unacceptable, given the $ involved and the reputation of Revel. It would/will be a damn shame if we cannot trust the product of such a respected manufacturer. Geez, must we all go back to Bose soundbars?

 

[amper42]

My, my: It looks like Revel Quality Control has been asleep at the switch! I'm not an industry insider (hey, Amir, can you chime in here?), but it seems to me that the lapses described here should be considered unacceptable, given the $ involved and the reputation of Revel. It would/will be a damn shame if we cannot trust the product of such a respected manufacturer. Geez, must we all go back to Bose soundbars?

Might need to validate issue before making claims. I wouldn't get too excited with reports from an account with 2 messages.
My F228Be sound fabulous and I'm not about to pull the drivers to verify a non-issue.

 

[nordelxx]

Well amper42, all I can say is WOW! You really think I posted a made-up story here just to damage Revel's reputation? Pretty ballsy of you to come out with such an outlandish statement. Sorry I only have two posts, but that doesn't make my story any less true. I even stated that both speakers sounded good to me when they were playing. Why would I say something positive like that if I were trying to besmirch Revel's reputation? Nobody asked you to pull your drivers, and nobody said that your speakers didn't sound fabulous. And how about user Looneybomber? He experienced the same problem, and he has at least 135 posts and even posted pictures of the issue. I guess he's on a mission to destroy Revel too. And how about AI, which returned the following in response to this query - "Revel f228be midrange enclosure not sealed":

-------------------

It is a known issue that some Revel F228Be and F208 speakers were manufactured with their midrange enclosures not properly sealed. This is a manufacturing defect, not a design feature, and it can negatively affect the speaker's performance, particularly the midrange purity and detail.

-------------------

Maybe you should keep your "holier-than-thou" attitude to yourself, and let those of us who want to discuss this topic, which you declared to be a non-issue without any facts to back up your claim, do so.

 

[kyuu]

And how about AI, which returned the following in response to this query - "Revel f228be midrange enclosure not sealed":

-------------------

It is a known issue that some Revel F228Be and F208 speakers were manufactured with their midrange enclosures not properly sealed. This is a manufacturing defect, not a design feature, and it can negatively affect the speaker's performance, particularly the midrange purity and detail.

AI slop does not bolster your position.

Maybe you should keep your "holier-than-thou" attitude to yourself, and let those of us who want to discuss this topic, which you declared to be a non-issue without any facts to back up your claim, do so.

You seem to be the one with a bad attitude here.

 

[Lsc]

The performaBe’s manufacturing is now in China. I think they started out in Indonesia with the Performa3 in 2013.

When the first batches were made in 2013, the packaging was subpar and speakers were getting damaged in transit. My boxes were pretty beat up and the styrofoam internals were all broken up. Thankfully my F208/C208 were ok. What Revel did was provide new boxes with better foam packaging. My midrange blew in the first year and the dealer that sold me the speakers, made no attempts to expedite the replacement driver. One call to Revel and they shipped me 2 new midranges as I was worried about the other one within a week.

Point is, Revel and their off-shore manufacturing quality control has not been perfect but the company provides amazing customer service.

My F228Be that I previously bought new had no issues. Perfect freight delivery and blemish free speakers. Same with my used salon2 and new voice2. The salon2 is supposed to be within 1% of the reference which means they measured the speakers before shipping. I am not sure if Revel does this for every speaker.

So it’s just something to keep an eye out for if you are buying Revels. Also, if you buy it new and there is a problem, it’s very easy to get a replacement since it’s under warranty and I highly recommend going this route.

 

[amper42]

My Black Revel F328Be speakers arrived in giant airline cargo cases via freight truck. You would have to completely demolish the case to get anywhere near the speaker. But, you pay for that quality and protection.

My Revel Walnut F228Be came in large thick, heavy duty cardboard boxes and were encapsulated in substantial foam molds/coverings. The walnut finish was beautiful but if I looked closely at them with a magnifying glass I could see three tiny specs where the underlying walnut finish wasn't perfect. At first, I thought about returning them but once I turned them on there was no way they were leaving my listening room.

Best sounding speakers I have heard at $6,000 a pair.
They offer a sound quality extremely close to the F328Be except the front port can make them sound slightly more bass engaging at lower volume levels.

 

[Lsc]

My Black Revel F328Be speakers arrived in giant airline cargo cases via freight truck. You would have to completely demolish the case to get anywhere near the speaker. But, you pay for that quality and protection.

My Revel Walnut F228Be came in large thick, heavy duty cardboard boxes and were encapsulated in substantial foam molds/coverings. The walnut finish was beautiful but if I looked closely at them with a magnifying glass I could see three tiny specs where the underlying walnut finish wasn't perfect. At first, I thought about returning them but once I turned them on there was no way they were leaving my listening room.

Best sounding speakers I have heard at $6,000 a pair.
They offer a sound quality extremely close to the F328Be except the front port can make them sound slightly more bass engaging at lower volume levels.

The F228Be I agree sound very good. I just have a love/hate relationship with them. Were it for not an opportunity to get the salon2 in perfect condition, I could have easily just lived with the F228Be. Of course I would have just kept using the C208 as well…this crazy hobby. Good thing I’m pretty much done.

 

[Looneybomber]

I bought a single, white, used 228 in pretty pristine condition about 2.5 months ago on eBay…I really have no idea how old the used 228 was that I bought 2.5 months ago.

Bottom line - in my opinion, at some point assembly of these speakers was changed and the new assembly location is doing a poor job with these speakers. It's a shame given how expensive these speakers are.

Maybe two years ago, a person was selling a single white and a single black F228 (for $4k) on various sites. If I remember correctly, they were display units used to demonstrate each finish. I really loved the price, but the wife would not let mismatched speakers in the living room. Some time later, the same seller listed a single white one for sale. It could be the same seller?

As for the leaky midrange, I am not surprised to hear another person with the issue. If there are others out there and the owners have grilles on their speakers they likely have no idea.

When I contacted Revel, I worked with a person more advanced/knowledgeable than the first line of customer service and he acted as a liaison for the engineering team. I think I remember he had been with Revel for five years and my case was the only time he/they had heard of the issue. You may want to provide them pictures and serial number of your speaker to see if they can track the assembly of it. If enough people report the issue, maybe they will change manufacturing facilities or change the manufacturing process? It’s a long shot but who knows.