Revel M105 vs M106 -- how to interpret measurements?

[DubbyMcDubs]

Dumb noob question but looking at m105 or m106 for v small 14 foot by 11 foot room. Speakers need to go along long wall, maybe one foot from wall. Not ideal, I realise. Only 100 dollar or so difference at discounted prices where I am. Would either or both models generate too much boomy bass in such a tight space? Many thanks

Personally I would look at other options better suited for that placement.

 

[Dj7675]

Dumb noob question but looking at m105 or m106 for v small 14 foot by 11 foot room. Speakers need to go along long wall, maybe one foot from wall. Not ideal, I realise. Only 100 dollar or so difference at discounted prices where I am. Would either or both models generate too much boomy bass in such a tight space? Many thanks

Are you planning on using any form of EQ for the low end? If so, just eq the bass if it is excessive. I have M106 in the living room (no sub) and needed to eq some excessive bass a bit. After EQ it sounds really good. Walnut finish is really nice.

 

[tonybarrett]

Are you planning on using any form of EQ for the low end? If so, just eq the bass if it is excessive. I have M106 in the living room (no sub) and needed to eq some excessive bass a bit. After EQ it sounds really good. Walnut finish is really nice.

I have some basic tone controls to reduce bass.

 

[Gatordaddy]

Dumb noob question but looking at m105 or m106 for v small 14 foot by 11 foot room. Speakers need to go along long wall, maybe one foot from wall. Not ideal, I realise. Only 100 dollar or so difference at discounted prices where I am. Would either or both models generate too much boomy bass in such a tight space? Many thanks

Sorry to resurrect a dead thread.

I just had a chance to listen to the 105s and 106s in a store. I honestly thought the 106s sounded dull in comparison to the 105s. The upper midrange and lower treble were a bit lacking. The 105s sounded extremely neutral, but i couldn't blast them loud enough during the demo to tell if they would get loud enough for my 14' square living room. Went home with the M16s. The treble wasn't quite as neutral as the 105s but they were a little more sensitive and sounded "fuller" (probably due to bass bump and slightly higher sensitivity--pulled the trigger because the retailer had the white finish). I think the 105s are the best speaker of the three, and would fill up to a 3000 cubic foot room with sound as long as pairing with subs.

 

[Karu]

See Kal’s post #17 here https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...r-recommendation-around-the-revel-f208.11814/

Maybe the dull is a good thing?

 

[2DFlier]

Sorry to resurrect a dead thread.

I just had a chance to listen to the 105s and 106s in a store. I honestly thought the 106s sounded dull in comparison to the 105s. The upper midrange and lower treble were a bit lacking. The 105s sounded extremely neutral, but i couldn't blast them loud enough during the demo to tell if they would get loud enough for my 14' square living room. Went home with the M16s. The treble wasn't quite as neutral as the 105s but they were a little more sensitive and sounded "fuller" (probably due to bass bump and slightly higher sensitivity--pulled the trigger because the retailer had the white finish). I think the 105s are the best speaker of the three, and would fill up to a 3000 cubic foot room with sound as long as pairing with subs.

I spent quite a bit of time demoing the M105. SQ was not an issue. They are, and sounded neutral. Up to a point, I’m not sure the size of the room would matter as much as the distance to the listening position. I had them set up 5 feet apart at one end of the long wall in a 12 x 20 room. They filled the room pretty well and sounded great from a distance of 5 feet or so. At 10 feet away in another room, about the size of your living room, with 7 feet between them they sounded too small.

 

[Gatordaddy]

See Kal’s post #17 here https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...r-recommendation-around-the-revel-f208.11814/

Maybe the dull is a good thing?

I definitely share Kal's concern--but in this instance I mean "dull" as in a combination of too "dark" (i.e. too negative sloping in room response) and lacking response in the upper midrange/lower treble. "Dull" as a response error. I could imagine listening to a pair of M105s in a sound-treated showroom and thinking they sounded "dull" as well--but those speakers didn't have any discernible timbral/response errors. I think they would sound amazing in a "real" room.

The M16s sounded "fuller" in the showroom but also had some audible response errors. My room exaggerates those errors to a fair extent--the speakers are a little bass heavy and the treble has some "sparkle" caused by a less even response--but i've never been happier with a pair of speakers. I think the 105s would sound a little better in my listening room but they were 40% more expensive and less sensitive, and I couldn't get the same price in white finish. If i had the time or opportunity I would have really liked to give them an extended listen at home.

The entire Revel line sounds "dull" compared to something like a Klipsch or B&W. Both those brands sound great for a short listen at low volumes in a showroom--"exciting" response errors that will only be compounded when placed in a reflective room. I imagine both companies make some high fidelity speakers but I've never heard a pair in a home or studio that sounded like it.

 

[HTNut1975]

The entire Revel line sounds "dull" compared to something like a Klipsch or B&W. Both those brands sound great for a short listen at low volumes in a showroom--"exciting" response errors that will only be compounded when placed in a reflective room. I imagine both companies make some high fidelity speakers but I've never heard a pair in a home or studio that sounded like it.

This!!!!

I recently purchased the F208's along with the smaller center channel (c205); I plan on picking up the M106's in the next couple of weeks (and I'll eventually upgrade that center to the new Be series version, down-the-road). I am migrating over from a couple of Goldenear Triton 5's and matching center (the same will be true with the surrounds--where the M106's will be).

Well... the first night I had them, I was somewhat disappointed. In the back of my mind, I genuinely thought, "I know they're not supposed to measure as well, but the Goldenear system just sounded better." I had that thought for a couple of days. But I knew I would. I knew just from reading about speaker measurements (not that I entirely understand everything with respect to measurements--I'm learning a little bit at a time, in part, thanks to websites like this). I knew I was supposed to like the Revels better because there was a probability I would, based on studies (not that I have read the academic studies, but you get the gist). It didn't matter, because I guess I had faith in the outcome--eventually, I'd prefer the Revels.

It is somewhat analogous to my purchasing a Pioneer Kuro several years ago that was later calibrated. In showrooms, the Kuro looked dull compared to the LCD screens in torch mode. Fortunately, there was enough information online telling me not to trust my initial impressions--no matter how snazzy the hopped up LCD screens looked (in some places, under fluorescent lighting no less!), they would not hold a candle to the Kuro. My faith paid off substantially (I still own it to this day, and it still wow's me on almost a nightly basis, even after plenty of exposure to OLED's).

So I sold the GE's yesterday and set them up so that the buyer could have a listen. My preference for the Revel's was obvious from the moment I had the GE's going. I had not compared them since replacing them last week. With the GE's, I always had to find the right song for them to stand out to me. They're certainly dynamic and a bargain for a discounted-from-msrp price, but what I initially loved about them did get tiring after a while. Not so with the Revels. It's now closer to being all about the music (or movies), and less about the system conveying the information (though, the glossy finish is nice). Anyway, all of this is to say don't trust your ears (or eyes) entirely in the moment, and if something sounds way off despite measurements, then it may be a defect in an individual speaker (and there's a decent chance the showroom isn't an ideal spot either).

 

[2DFlier]

I could imagine listening to a pair of M105s in a sound-treated showroom and thinking they sounded "dull" as well--but those speakers didn't have any discernible timbral/response errors. I think they would sound amazing in a "real" room.

I heard a pair of M106 at a dealer but auditioned the M105. The M106 didn't call attention to itself for the few minutes I listened nor did the M105 over an extended period of time. I think it helps to sit with them for a while to appreciate that they do get out of the way, as I suspect any equally neutral speaker will.

I'm new at this but also came to appreciate how much influence amplification has on what is reproduced. In the process of building a new 2ch system I paired the Paradigm Prestige 15B with my old Denon AVR1200 and a Yamaha A-S801. I don't know how "warm" is defined as it relates to amplifiers, but through the Denon I came to understand what sparkle means. The Yamaha tamed the sparkle considerably.

I'm not sure an amp can turn a neutral speaker bright but, if it can make a bright speaker "neutral", it stands to reason it can make neutral speaker dull.

 

[f1shb0n3]

I'm also considering Revel M16, M105 or M106 but to be placed on my home office desk (with stands) at 3 ft distance from my ears with speakers 4 ft apart. Looks like everyone is buying them to fill a larger room with sound so I was wondering if any of their measurements would be relevant for my particular setup?
Do you think these are even appropriate speakers for a desk setup to listen at close distance?

 

[richard12511]

I'm also considering Revel M16, M105 or M106 but to be placed on my home office desk (with stands) at 3 ft distance from my ears with speakers 4 ft apart. Looks like everyone is buying them to fill a larger room with sound so I was wondering if any of their measurements would be relevant for my particular setup?
Do you think these are even appropriate speakers for a desk setup to listen at close distance?

I have the M105s in a small office. Crossed to subs, they deliver more than enough volume. Listening distance is about 6ft, and you can see the relative size of the room in the attached photo.

 

[2DFlier]

The only way to know for sure is to listen. In my month w/ the 105s they were 5’ apart and the sweet spot listening distance was 5-6 feet.

 

[Prolix]

I have owned both the m106 and m105. I could live without a sub with the 106 but not the 105. Subjective difference seems greater than the specs suggest.

 

[Bren Derlin]

Hey guys, I'm new to the group and digging this thread up once again.

We are finishing our basement this winter, and I'm in the process of researching a second home theater space. This will also double as my music listening space - and I suspect I'll be listening to music here more than we'll be watching movies. I always love this journey, and the last time I was on this walk, I ended up with Polk LSi15's for my upstairs living room. At the time they were hard to beat, and I still love the sound they produce after 17 years of use.

Now? the space is definitely different. The sitting area is 12' deep and 14' wide, with an 8' ceiling. There is no 4th wall behind the sitting area. It's wide open to the other end of the basement - about 25' additional feet. Directly behind our new little home theater will be small kitchenette, and gathering table. Beyond that, a multi-purpose area for exercise and whatever the kids want to do that isn't wrecking my new speakers/TV.

I've listened to the Sonetto 1, R3, Vandersteen VLR, Triangle Comete, and the Revel M105. I know the listening spaces where I listened to these speakers wasn't idea compared to my at home environment. While I appreciate different aspects of the other speakers, I'm heavily leaning to the M105. They seemed to have a fuller body of sound, and wouldn't be fatiguing during an extended listening session. Conversely, the R3, while the initial impression was WOW, as the sound smacked me in the face, the highs seemed rather abrasive as I increased the volume. I loved the detail at lower levels, but the brightness became a bit much.

So this brings me to a couple of questions, as I try to wrap my head around this:
From personal listening experiences, if anyone has them, what have you preferred amongst the Revel bookshelf speakers? There's a distinct price difference between the M16 and M106. Is there a significant difference it sound quality/sound stage/imaging between the M16, M105 or M106? Would the step up be worth it from the M16 to the M105? Would I be missing out on anything if I didn't buy the M106. Is there a HUGE upgrade from the M105 to the M106? ...not sure I can afford the M106, it's right on the edge - but I might be able to swing it.

Lastly, for an AVR receiver, what would be a good pairing for listening to music as well as playing movies? Someone suggested a Marantz. Someone above mentioned Yamaha seemed to tame the brightness of speakers. Any recommendations for a good AVR would be helpful as well. ...and I'd prefer to spend more on the speakers than the AVR at this point. So trying to keep the AVR to $700-$1,000.

Sorry for all of the random questions over this - but my head is swirling whirlwind of thoughts, and it's difficult to listen to the Revels, as the closest dealer is a good 3+ hours round trip away.

 

[Bear123]

Hey guys, I'm new to the group and digging this thread up once again.

We are finishing our basement this winter, and I'm in the process of researching a second home theater space. This will also double as my music listening space - and I suspect I'll be listening to music here more than we'll be watching movies. I always love this journey, and the last time I was on this walk, I ended up with Polk LSi15's for my upstairs living room. At the time they were hard to beat, and I still love the sound they produce after 17 years of use.

Now? the space is definitely different. The sitting area is 12' deep and 14' wide, with an 8' ceiling. There is no 4th wall behind the sitting area. It's wide open to the other end of the basement - about 25' additional feet. Directly behind our new little home theater will be small kitchenette, and gathering table. Beyond that, a multi-purpose area for exercise and whatever the kids want to do that isn't wrecking my new speakers/TV.

I've listened to the Sonetto 1, R3, Vandersteen VLR, Triangle Comete, and the Revel M105. I know the listening spaces where I listened to these speakers wasn't idea compared to my at home environment. While I appreciate different aspects of the other speakers, I'm heavily leaning to the M105. They seemed to have a fuller body of sound, and wouldn't be fatiguing during an extended listening session. Conversely, the R3, while the initial impression was WOW, as the sound smacked me in the face, the highs seemed rather abrasive as I increased the volume. I loved the detail at lower levels, but the brightness became a bit much.

So this brings me to a couple of questions, as I try to wrap my head around this:
From personal listening experiences, if anyone has them, what have you preferred amongst the Revel bookshelf speakers? There's a distinct price difference between the M16 and M106. Is there a significant difference it sound quality/sound stage/imaging between the M16, M105 or M106? Would the step up be worth it from the M16 to the M105? Would I be missing out on anything if I didn't buy the M106. Is there a HUGE upgrade from the M105 to the M106? ...not sure I can afford the M106, it's right on the edge - but I might be able to swing it.

Lastly, for an AVR receiver, what would be a good pairing for listening to music as well as playing movies? Someone suggested a Marantz. Someone above mentioned Yamaha seemed to tame the brightness of speakers. Any recommendations for a good AVR would be helpful as well. ...and I'd prefer to spend more on the speakers than the AVR at this point. So trying to keep the AVR to $700-$1,000.

Sorry for all of the random questions over this - but my head is swirling whirlwind of thoughts, and it's difficult to listen to the Revels, as the closest dealer is a good 3+ hours round trip away.

For AVR, I would get the Denon X3600 which can be found now for $799. It will give you the best room correction and subwoofer eq of any AVR...much better than Yamaha, and the Denon performs objectively better than Marantz. I wouldn't worry about trying to pair a certain sonic signature of an AVR with your speakers.....this is really just voodoo audiophile mythology. Great speakers such as any of the Revels, along with neutral, sonically transparent(in real life) electronics such as the Denon X3600 is the real path to great sound. Be sure to get the Audysey phone app in order to limit eq to the low end. What subs do you have? I recommend the biggest, most capable ported subs you are willing to budget for that large space.

I also wouldn't worry too extensively about in person demos....Revel speakers are going to sound great and can always be adjusted a bit with tone/eq controls if you feel the need.

Also, are you sold on bookshelf speakers? Are they actually goin on/in a bookshelf? For home theater(or even music, really), tower speakers would eliminate the cost of stands, won't be balancing precariously on stands in a multi use room, and will have better capability with lower distortion. I was offered F206 by my dealer for $2100/pair with a good sale, for example.

 

[Bren Derlin]

For AVR, I would get the Denon X3600 which can be found now for $799. It will give you the best room correction and subwoofer eq of any AVR...much better than Yamaha, and the Denon performs objectively better than Marantz. I wouldn't worry about trying to pair a certain sonic signature of an AVR with your speakers.....this is really just voodoo audiophile mythology. Great speakers such as any of the Revels, along with neutral, sonically transparent(in real life) electronics such as the Denon X3600 is the real path to great sound. Be sure to get the Audysey phone app in order to limit eq to the low end. What subs do you have? I recommend the biggest, most capable ported subs you are willing to budget for that large space.

I also wouldn't worry too extensively about in person demos....Revel speakers are going to sound great and can always be adjusted a bit with tone/eq controls if you feel the need.

Also, are you sold on bookshelf speakers? Are they actually goin on/in a bookshelf? For home theater(or even music, really), tower speakers would eliminate the cost of stands, won't be balancing precariously on stands in a multi use room, and will have better capability with lower distortion. I was offered F206 by my dealer for $2100/pair with a good sale, for example.

Thanks, B.

I do love my current Denon, even though it's a 17-year old AVR. So going with Denon is perfectly excellent in my book.

Right now I have a big, powered Polk sub. I can repurpose this to the new system for the time being, then add a new sub or two the following year, and move the Polk back upstairs. So I'm not too concerned with the Sub right now.

The Home theater area won't really be a multi-purpose area. That'll be on the far side of the room, of which we're not too concerned about. The home theater area is the home theater area.

Budget wise, the F206's don't fit. If I could get the F206's for $2,000, it might be doable. But right now the M16 and M105 seem much more accessible. 2020 hasn't been good for my photography business. It quickly evaporated over the summer. If there are decent Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals on LG OLED's and (Denon) receivers, and possibly the Revel speakers, that would go a long way to help upgrade what we can afford. So at this point, I'm trying to keep my options open.

One thing I do want - I want to kick back, have the speakers melt away, and just give me sweet delicious music. I love sweet detailed accurate mid tones and vocals. I'm not necessarily all about deep bass. I prefer tighter, quicker accurate bass. I've never been a fan of big deep flabby bass just for the sake of having bass. But the mid-tones. Those? I need. I can't stand thin/hollow sounding speakers. It makes my skin crawl. LOL

 

[jonfitch]

Hey guys, I'm new to the group and digging this thread up once again.

We are finishing our basement this winter, and I'm in the process of researching a second home theater space. This will also double as my music listening space - and I suspect I'll be listening to music here more than we'll be watching movies. I always love this journey, and the last time I was on this walk, I ended up with Polk LSi15's for my upstairs living room. At the time they were hard to beat, and I still love the sound they produce after 17 years of use.

Now? the space is definitely different. The sitting area is 12' deep and 14' wide, with an 8' ceiling. There is no 4th wall behind the sitting area. It's wide open to the other end of the basement - about 25' additional feet. Directly behind our new little home theater will be small kitchenette, and gathering table. Beyond that, a multi-purpose area for exercise and whatever the kids want to do that isn't wrecking my new speakers/TV.

I've listened to the Sonetto 1, R3, Vandersteen VLR, Triangle Comete, and the Revel M105. I know the listening spaces where I listened to these speakers wasn't idea compared to my at home environment. While I appreciate different aspects of the other speakers, I'm heavily leaning to the M105. They seemed to have a fuller body of sound, and wouldn't be fatiguing during an extended listening session. Conversely, the R3, while the initial impression was WOW, as the sound smacked me in the face, the highs seemed rather abrasive as I increased the volume. I loved the detail at lower levels, but the brightness became a bit much.

Revel M105

https://imgur.com/47HFwNu

Kef R3

https://imgur.com/Ix5Q1hd

I have the same impression of the R3 in my room, it's a bit too bright IMO. I think Toole's research showed in-room response should be somewhat downward sloping, but the R3 ends up measuring pretty much flat. This is also why I prefer the Kef Reference series, in-room has a declining treble response.

So this brings me to a couple of questions, as I try to wrap my head around this:
From personal listening experiences, if anyone has them, what have you preferred amongst the Revel bookshelf speakers? There's a distinct price difference between the M16 and M106. Is there a significant difference it sound quality/sound stage/imaging between the M16, M105 or M106? Would the step up be worth it from the M16 to the M105? Would I be missing out on anything if I didn't buy the M106. Is there a HUGE upgrade from the M105 to the M106? ...not sure I can afford the M106, it's right on the edge - but I might be able to swing it.

No actually, the M105 measures better than the M106. The M106 trades off bass response for worse sound power response and inferior dispersion characteristics. If you are mating with subs the M105 IMO is clearly the superior speaker.

Lastly, for an AVR receiver, what would be a good pairing for listening to music as well as playing movies? Someone suggested a Marantz. Someone above mentioned Yamaha seemed to tame the brightness of speakers. Any recommendations for a good AVR would be helpful as well. ...and I'd prefer to spend more on the speakers than the AVR at this point. So trying to keep the AVR to $700-$1,000.

Sorry for all of the random questions over this - but my head is swirling whirlwind of thoughts, and it's difficult to listen to the Revels, as the closest dealer is a good 3+ hours round trip away.

The room correction software is pretty bad for most receivers and IMO aren't worth using outside of the bass frequencies. Unless you have a receiver with Dirac like NAD, Anthem, or Arcam I would buy the speakers that you like the most and forget about the receiver fixing anything above the room transition frequency.

 

[Dj7675]

Hey guys, I'm new to the group and digging this thread up once again.

We are finishing our basement this winter, and I'm in the process of researching a second home theater space. This will also double as my music listening space - and I suspect I'll be listening to music here more than we'll be watching movies. I always love this journey, and the last time I was on this walk, I ended up with Polk LSi15's for my upstairs living room. At the time they were hard to beat, and I still love the sound they produce after 17 years of use.

Now? the space is definitely different. The sitting area is 12' deep and 14' wide, with an 8' ceiling. There is no 4th wall behind the sitting area. It's wide open to the other end of the basement - about 25' additional feet. Directly behind our new little home theater will be small kitchenette, and gathering table. Beyond that, a multi-purpose area for exercise and whatever the kids want to do that isn't wrecking my new speakers/TV.

I've listened to the Sonetto 1, R3, Vandersteen VLR, Triangle Comete, and the Revel M105. I know the listening spaces where I listened to these speakers wasn't idea compared to my at home environment. While I appreciate different aspects of the other speakers, I'm heavily leaning to the M105. They seemed to have a fuller body of sound, and wouldn't be fatiguing during an extended listening session. Conversely, the R3, while the initial impression was WOW, as the sound smacked me in the face, the highs seemed rather abrasive as I increased the volume. I loved the detail at lower levels, but the brightness became a bit much.

So this brings me to a couple of questions, as I try to wrap my head around this:
From personal listening experiences, if anyone has them, what have you preferred amongst the Revel bookshelf speakers? There's a distinct price difference between the M16 and M106. Is there a significant difference it sound quality/sound stage/imaging between the M16, M105 or M106? Would the step up be worth it from the M16 to the M105? Would I be missing out on anything if I didn't buy the M106. Is there a HUGE upgrade from the M105 to the M106? ...not sure I can afford the M106, it's right on the edge - but I might be able to swing it.

Lastly, for an AVR receiver, what would be a good pairing for listening to music as well as playing movies? Someone suggested a Marantz. Someone above mentioned Yamaha seemed to tame the brightness of speakers. Any recommendations for a good AVR would be helpful as well. ...and I'd prefer to spend more on the speakers than the AVR at this point. So trying to keep the AVR to $700-$1,000.

Sorry for all of the random questions over this - but my head is swirling whirlwind of thoughts, and it's difficult to listen to the Revels, as the closest dealer is a good 3+ hours round trip away.

I have a pair of M106 in our living room in Walnut. They look and sound great. In our home theater, went with M16 to start with and they were really good. Then 3 used M106 were available at a price that I couldn't pass up. Very similar to the M16 but just seem to play better at louder volumes. My 2 cents would be if you like to listed loudly sometimes, I would opt for a pair of M106. If you don't, M105 would make sense.

 

[Bren Derlin]

Hey DJ. What did you use for a Center Channel with the M16? Are you using the third M106 for your new Center Channel?

I was thinking, even if I picked up the M105 or M106, I might be able to use the C25 from the Concerta2 line, as I believe the voicing should be similar between the Performa3 and Concerta2. I have the Concerta M8 pegged for the surrounds.

Regarding volume:
I like 'moderately loud', if that makes sense. I like the sound turned up, just to the point where the speakers open up - maybe a bit more. I'm not a fan of loud for the sake of being loud — to the point where everything becomes a sloppy sonic mess. I already have tinnitus from photographing so many wedding receptions, and standing so close to their speakers. My first few years I didn't wear ear protection, and that was a stupid mistake on my part. Don't know what I was thinking... Anyway...

When I cranked up the Vandersteen, KEF R3 and the Sonetto 1, the sound became messy. The Vandersteen felt the worst of them all - like a giant echo chamber. The KEFs were more abrasive than the others. The Sonettos felt muddy - they lost a lot of clarity. However, the soundstage of the Sonnettos is very impressive when they reached that point where they open up.

I didn't feel any of the muddiness or messy sound from the M105. But I didn't push them as far as the other three either, at least it didn't seem like it. Plus, the Revel M105 was at a different location - so not the same listening room. Regardless, I don't think I'd push any of those speakers to that point, as they tend to hurt my ears.

For movies, we do tend to push the volume quite a bit, but never to an extreme volume.

There was just a smoothness from the M105s I don't think the others three speakers possessed. And that smoothness has drawn me to the Revel family.

On the flip side of this. Which of the three Revels would work best with the volume down a bit for evening listening?

I'm going to have to head back to the Revel dealer, and give the M16, 105 and 106 speakers a listen again. Road Trip!

 

[Dj7675]

I have a screen in our theater With the speakers below the screen. I used 3 M16s and now use 3 M106 for my L/C/R. With the volume down, I would expect all to sound great. With the M105/M106 you are getting quite a lot lower distortion, in particular at higher volume than the M16. But if you can test them all at your dealer it should be a great experience.