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Revel F328Be Speaker Review

BDWoody

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The other popular multi-sub application I am aware of is @andyc56 's MSO, multi-sub optimizer, and I am thinking of trying it and comparing it to SFM. Or just using MSO if SFM turns out to be a stretch. MSO is free, depends upon REW (as does SFM for the do-it-yourselfer), and Dr. Andy is available to consult.

I am planning to try to use that as well when I put the minidsp 2x10 in to take care of the Subs.

I'll be interested in what you find.

https://www.andyc.diy-audio-engineering.org/mso/html/index.html
 

Cortes

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I'd like to have those, but they are too big for my home. Until Revels gets some of similar quality that fits into an apartment or I buy a new house this is for me like looking at lamborghinis.
 

MZKM

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Have you looked into one of the stair climbing electric furniture dolly's? They aren't exactly cheap, but likely less costly than an injured back!

I wonder how a regular triple wheel dolly would perform, a lot cheaper.
img-HS-33-2.jpg
 

hardisj

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Actually Revel claims a more advanced version of the beryllium tweeter in the 328 with a sixth generation waveguide.

That’s right. Totally forgot reading that. Would be curious to know what it is as there doesn’t seem to be a reason since the 5-inch is still there and I don’t see the need for a crossover change.
 

Stephen

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Nah that just some made up average like everything else. Some people hear 22kHz some 20kHz. Some hear 20Hz others 16Hz. There is a spectrum. Not being able to hear a note below 20Hz does not mean that you can't feel it. Most people have never experienced a sound system that can give you the proper force needed for <20Hz but the difference between 20Hz and 10Hz is real.

"Under ideal laboratory conditions, humans can hear sound as low as 12 Hz[11] and as high as 28 kHz"
Olson, Harry F. (1967). Music, Physics and Engineering. Dover Publications. p. 249. ISBN 0-486-21769-8. Under very favorable conditions most individuals can obtain tonal characteristics as low as 12 cycles.
I would never buy expensive tower speakers that do not go down to 30Hz (-/+ 3db) at least.
 

maverickronin

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The reason I picked 20Hz is that

20 Hz is the lower limit of human hearing hence not arbitrary at all. Any other value would be arbitrary.

Making a distinction between hearing the bass and feeling it is pretty arbitrary. Frequencies below 20hz are still perceptible.
 

Tom C

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I've been contemplating using those inexpensive Parts Express Dayton Woofers in large numbers. Like 6 along each side of my listening room.

It does seem to me the source and sink model has to be the ultimate method. In the direction I've been considering a couple of the good Rhythmics on the source end, and maybe 6 Daytons on the sink end. I don't see how after spreading around the room the precision for sinking can be as high as the source. But I probably need to advance to the initial phase of one good source and a couple cheap sinks doing some real experiments to see how it might work.
Can you point to a source for those who don’t know what you’re talking about and would like to learn more? My brief search did not turn much up.
 

Dmitri

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I wonder how a regular triple wheel dolly would perform, a lot cheaper.
img-HS-33-2.jpg
As a retired carpenter, subcontractor...I worked a few jobs where we installed elevator shafts into existing homes, allowing people to remain in there multistory houses as they grew older...or perhaps they just wanted to test heavy speakers on the second floor? ;)
Late congrats on 100 Amirm...and for the resulting fuel for conversation.
 

Kal Rubinson

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More the opposite of arbitrary, surely. IIRC the researchers started with their subjective preference data from listening tests, then smashed that against the measured data, and derived a scoring method that had an impressive correlation with preference. Then tested that with many, many further listening tests, with highly reliable predictability.

Not sure how you can, in all good conscience, sit on the sidelines and adjudge that as “arbitrary”.
The weighting of parameters is arbitrary and assessing the outcome by one of the variables is a complication. Is there a single detailed explanation of the entire process?
 

echopraxia

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This is Harmans predicted in room Response for the Revel F328be

it clearly goes deepView attachment 92939
This is still far from flat down to 30hz or even 40hz, which IMO is a pretty fair thing to ask of a big expensive set of towers. In contrast for example, my much smaller Genelec 8351B’s are +-6db down to 32hz anechoic. Unless I’m missing something, this means the much smaller Genelec 8351B’s should sound much deeper than the giant Revel F328Be towers.

Of course, I know the laws of physics say the Genelec 8351B will not be capable of as much maximum bass SPL as the F328Be independent of the frequency response tuning, but I don’t see any real reason why the Revel F328Be can‘t be tuned to be flat anechoic down to 32hz also. With 3x the woofer area of the 8351B, it seems the F328Be should be able to achieve this even at reference SPL.
 

MZKM

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Can you point to a source for those who don’t know what you’re talking about and would like to learn more? My brief search did not turn much up.
Quick search shows that “sink” means reverse polarity ( out of phase). No clue on benefit though.
This is still far from flat down to 30hz or even 40hz, which IMO is a pretty fair thing to ask of a big expensive set of towers. In contrast for example, my much smaller Genelec 8351B’s are +-6db down to 32hz anechoic. Unless I’m missing something, this means the much smaller Genelec 8351B’s should sound much deeper than the giant Revel F328Be towers.

Of course, I know the laws of physics say the Genelec 8351B will not be capable of as much maximum bass SPL as the F328Be independent of the frequency response tuning, but I don’t see any real reason why the Revel F328Be can‘t be tuned to be flat anechoic down to 32hz also. With 3x the woofer area of the 8351B, it seems the F328Be should be able to achieve this even at reference SPL.
3 woofers is +4.8dB over a single woofer. It is around 91.5dB from 200Hz-1kHz, so that would put each woofer at 86.7dB. So, only if their individual sensitivity is higher than that could they keep the high sensitivity as well as extend the bass. Also, do keep in mind Amir said the bass may be a tiny bit higher in level than his measurements show.
 

HooStat

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The weighting of parameters is arbitrary and assessing the outcome by one of the variables is a complication. Is there a single detailed explanation of the entire process?
The weighting isn't arbitrary. The weights are based on a statistical model describing the systematic (not random) relationships in the data. The selection of parameters to include in the model was based on the experience of the researchers. This has an element of "arbitrary" to it, but it is no more arbitrary than a reviewer. The statistical model could be formulated differently -- it seems to under predict at higher predicted scores. However, there is a limit to the number of inputs that can be used with only 77 observations.

Statistical models are definitely a simplification of the real world, but they do work (e.g., weather forecasting).
 

beagleman

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This is still far from flat down to 30hz or even 40hz, which IMO is a pretty fair thing to ask of a big expensive set of towers. In contrast for example, my much smaller Genelec 8351B’s are +-6db down to 32hz anechoic. Unless I’m missing something, this means the much smaller Genelec 8351B’s should sound much deeper than the giant Revel F328Be towers.

Of course, I know the laws of physics say the Genelec 8351B will not be capable of as much maximum bass SPL as the F328Be independent of the frequency response tuning, but I don’t see any real reason why the Revel F328Be can‘t be tuned to be flat anechoic down to 32hz also. With 3x the woofer area of the 8351B, it seems the F328Be should be able to achieve this even at reference SPL.


I think the manufacturer specs show the -3db point far lower than the test on here did.
 

CDJ123

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The Revel is a very tempting purchase for me. I am also curious how a Vivid Giya or Magico A5/S5 Mk II would stack up against the Revel given their exotic cabinets. Also, somewhere on this thread, someone mentioned DIY speakers. There is a top end Troels Gravesen ATS4-HE for sale on USAudiomart. It would be great if anyone who owns these speakers would volunteer them for testing.
 

echopraxia

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I think the manufacturer specs show the -3db point far lower than the test on here did.
Yes, which just adds to the confusion I guess. Manufacturer specs and Amir’s subjective review indicate it has solid bass response, but the NFS measurements show it should sound less bass heavy than many tiny bookshelf speakers or active monitors reviewed by ASR. I’m not doubting any specific signal here, just expressing that these are mixed and conflicting signals in many ways and it’s not clear why.
 

Kal Rubinson

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The weighting isn't arbitrary. The weights are based on a statistical model describing the systematic (not random) relationships in the data. The selection of parameters to include in the model was based on the experience of the researchers. This has an element of "arbitrary" to it, but it is no more arbitrary than a reviewer. The statistical model could be formulated differently -- it seems to under predict at higher predicted scores. However, there is a limit to the number of inputs that can be used with only 77 observations.

OK. Have you a link to a full description of the process? I admit to a general bias against such procedures and a preference for the underlying data.
 

richard12511

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The Revel is a very tempting purchase for me. I am also curious how a Vivid Giya or Magico A5/S5 Mk II would stack up against the Revel given their exotic cabinets. Also, somewhere on this thread, someone mentioned DIY speakers. There is a top end Troels Gravesen ATS4-HE for sale on USAudiomart. It would be great if anyone who owns these speakers would volunteer them for testing.

Man, I would really love to see Vivid or Magico speakers on the Klippel. A lot of the uber high end boutique speakers would probably be “exposed” by the Klippel, but those two manufacturers seem to be guided by really solid engineering.

The odds of owners sending in such speakers for testing are quite low I imagine, unfortunately :(.
 
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