Revel M106 Bookshelf Speaker Review

[GWolfman]

Thank you @Chromatischism and @617 for your responses. Do you, or anyone else for that matter, have any recommended reading so I can further educate myself? Thanks in advance!

 

[JayR]

Spoke to them numerous times last week and even paid £799 for the M105 only to find they had no walnut in stock AFTER they took my money for them. Same trick with the M106 I then went for as an alternative... They kept my money for a bit longer then, after no phone call, chased them only to find that again, no walnut.... Not the best sales team really.

They are a bit ******, but I did get a pair of 106"s from them for just under half price. They are sonically, truly fabulous.

 

[geekpryde]

Hello all,

I have been lurking here for around 6 months. I just registered today, because I am seriously considering buying the M106. I have read @amirm review top to bottom several times over a few weeks, and most all the comments and many other people's reviews offsite as well. There is one sentence that I am confused by in the review which is why I am making my first ever post at ASR.

Sit .... back... down. This is not some subjectivist speaker review. To wit, my wife was in the bedroom getting ready to go to sleep but she did not come out to tell me how great the speaker was!

I keep thinking the word "NOT" is a typo in that sentence: "...but she did come out to tell me how great the speaker was!"

@amirm, can you confirm or deny that? If your sentence as written is what you intended, can you kindly expound upon what you meant, as my newbie brain can't quite understand what you are alluding to. Did the wife think it was great, bad, or didn't make any comment at all?

You probably consider it the least important sentence in the review, but that sentence has been driving me nuts for a few weeks, trying to decipher what you meant by it, LOL.


p.s. Thank you for taking the time to write so many awesome and thorough reviews and for all the other members you provide a home for.

 

[MattHooper]

Hello all,

I have been lurking here for around 6 months. I just registered today, because I am seriously considering buying the M106. I have read @amirm review top to bottom several times over a few weeks, and most all the comments and many other people's reviews offsite as well. There is one sentence that I am confused by in the review which is why I am making my first ever post at ASR.



I keep thinking the word "NOT" is a typo in that sentence: "...but she did come out to tell me how great the speaker was!"

@amirm, can you confirm or deny that? If your sentence as written is what you intended, can you kindly expound upon what you meant, as my newbie brain can't quite understand what you are alluding to. Did the wife think it was great, bad, or didn't make any comment at all?

You probably consider it the least important sentence in the review, but that sentence has been driving me nuts for a few weeks, trying to decipher what you meant by it, LOL.


p.s. Thank you for taking the time to write so many awesome and thorough reviews and for all the other members you provide a home for.

Amir was making a joke.

It's a classic line in equipment reviews, or audiophiles discussing their new component, that when they got a new piece of gear, or if they performed some goofy "tweak," they'll claim "even my wife noticed a difference." Often the anecdote is along the lines of "My wife said from the kitchen 'did you change something in your system? It sounds better."

It's a common audiophile boast about how much difference the new gear made (and also that it isn't just their imagination, since 'even my wife who doesn't care about audio noticed the difference.')

So Amir was taking a joking jab at that old line.

Hope that provides some closure for you.

 

[geekpryde]

Amir was making a joke.

It's a classic line in equipment reviews, or audiophiles discussing their new component, that when they got a new piece of gear, or if they performed some goofy "tweak," they'll claim "even my wife noticed a difference." Often the anecdote is along the lines of "My wife said from the kitchen 'did you change something in your system? It sounds better."

It's a common audiophile boast about how much difference the new gear made (and also that it isn't just their imagination, since 'even my wife who doesn't care about audio noticed the difference.')

So Amir was taking a joking jab at that old line.

Hope that provides some closure for you.

yes, makes much more sense now! Much appreciated.

 

[MediumRare]

Tell us if you eventually chose the M106 instead of the M105 why you make that decision.

 

[stunta]

Amir was making a joke.

It's a classic line in equipment reviews, or audiophiles discussing their new component, that when they got a new piece of gear, or if they performed some goofy "tweak," they'll claim "even my wife noticed a difference." Often the anecdote is along the lines of "My wife said from the kitchen 'did you change something in your system? It sounds better."

It's a common audiophile boast about how much difference the new gear made (and also that it isn't just their imagination, since 'even my wife who doesn't care about audio noticed the difference.')

So Amir was taking a joking jab at that old line.

Hope that provides some closure for you.

With an international audience, humor and its interpretation can become quite a challenge. And then there the "audiophile" jokes like this.

Thank you for taking the time to clarify this for geekpryde.

 

[geekpryde]

So don't let the small size make you think you need a small little amplifier to drive it.

Revel says Nominal Impedance is 8 Ohms with Recommended Amplifier Power minimum of 50W, which made me think my Denon X2700H could easily handle it at 95W 2-channel, or around 66W with all channels driven. 8 Ohms seems to suggest these are easy to drive but based on your measurements, now I am not so sure. With several large dips below 5 Ohms, I am worried the M106 in conjunction with Revel C205 and surrounds may tax my X2700H and shorten its lifespan.

Do you think my mid-level receiver with a less than impressive power section can drive M106 long term? In short, does the X2700H qualify as a "small little amplifier"?

That's my last newbie question for the day.

 

[geekpryde]

Tell us if you eventually chose the M106 instead of the M105 why you make that decision.

No definitive reason, I know they are both great per the reviews here on ASR. They both have essentially the same design and the same walnut finish that I am interested in. From the measured specs, I guess the biggest thing that jumps out is that the M105 needs even more robust power than the larger M106.

From the M105 review, Min impedance 3.8 Ohm:

Impedance is on the low side so best to have good amplification that can handle low impedance loads:

Regardless of what I buy, I plan on plugging them up as they will be on stands right against a wall on two sides (corner) and also marrying them with a SVS sealed sub, so perhaps the smaller M105 would be adequate. For unknown reasons, I am still leaning towards the M106.

 

[617]

Revel says Nominal Impedance is 8 Ohms with Recommended Amplifier Power minimum of 50W, which made me think my Denon X2700H could easily handle it at 95W 2-channel, or around 66W with all channels driven. 8 Ohms seems to suggest these are easy to drive but based on your measurements, now I am not so sure. With several large dips below 5 Ohms, I am worried the M106 in conjunction with Revel C205 and surrounds may tax my X2700H and shorten its lifespan.

Do you think my mid-level receiver with a less than impressive power section can drive M106 long term? In short, does the X2700H qualify as a "small little amplifier"?

That's my last newbie question for the day.

Getting a speaker which could be better with more power is a better long term decision than buying a speaker which has lower potential. Always get the best speakers you can. A 16.5cm woofer is a lot bigger than a 13.3cm woofer (about 1.5 times the area). This translates to better dynamics even with a subwoofer. Worth the c. $500 more in my view - the m105 is a small but good speaker. The m106 is just a good speaker.

 

[MediumRare]

Getting a speaker which could be better with more power is a better long term decision than buying a speaker which has lower potential. Always get the best speakers you can. A 16.5cm woofer is a lot bigger than a 13.3cm woofer (about 1.5 times the area). This translates to better dynamics even with a subwoofer. Worth the c. $500 more in my view - the m105 is a small but good speaker. The m106 is just a good speaker.

Good use of Science.

 

[JayR]

Comparisons:
"I had an excellent pair of bookshelf speakers on hand to compare the Focal Aria 906 with: Revel’s Performa3 M106".
https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/768-focal-aria-906-loudspeakers

No measurements or data lots of subjective impressions and marketing nonsense we don't need it here!

 

[Koeitje]

No measurements or data lots of subjective impressions and marketing nonsense we don't need it here!

Soundstage does do measurements though, and they are even linked in that review. They even use the same location as where Toole's research started.

 

[douede]

No measurements or data lots of subjective impressions and marketing nonsense we don't need it here!

- There are measurements : "Measurements taken in the anechoic chamber at Canada's National Research Council"
- OK, we are here on ASR because of a great scienctific approch with extensive measurements.
I thought a listening comparison could be usefull. All listening impressions (even on ASR) are subjective.
After good measurements, i am always looking for a maximum of listening impressions, because listening (with pleasure) is THE objective.
But OK, i deleted my post, because i agree that the listening impressions given are really too short and lack precision.

 

[Jerry Sobel]

Would it be overkill to use these speakers as my rear speakers in a 5.2 surround system?

 

[MediumRare]

Would it be overkill to use these speakers as my rear speakers in a 5.2 surround system?

[Edited] Sorry, misread the thread. I have the M105, which is just as good, chearper, and a little smaller. I'd suggest you consider them instead.

 

[Dj7675]

Would it be overkill to use these speakers as my rear speakers in a 5.2 surround system?

No, it just depends on your space. If you need wall mounted, the S16’s are really nice and are more sensitite so easier to drive. I have 4... 2 for surrounds and 2 for surround back. The don’t take up much space and sound nice.

 

[Jerry Sobel]

No, it just depends on your space. If you need wall mounted, the S16’s are really nice and are more sensitite so easier to drive. I have 4... 2 for surrounds and 2 for surround back. The don’t take up much space and sound nice.

These will sit on a back shelf. I would then send my current speakers to have them evaluated.

 

[MediumRare]

No, it just depends on your space. If you need wall mounted, the S16’s are really nice and are more sensitive so easier to drive. I have 4... 2 for surrounds and 2 for surround back. The don’t take up much space and sound nice.

S16 is definitely better for hanging directly on the wall for surround purposes. I have hung 3 sets of M105s but it is a task. The S16 has two simple slots on the back for screws, couldn't be easier. Doesn't have the volume/punch of the M105 or M106, though.

 

[MediumRare]

These will sit on a back shelf. I would then send my current speakers to have them evaluated.

M105 all the way, then. M106 is so deep the bass port would be right against the wall. M105 is a little over an inch shallower.