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Revel M106 Bookshelf Speaker Review

strummr

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Very nice. I have done the same.

You are right in that the clarity is definitely there with a vertical center speaker. I also prefer it level-matched or else it calls attention to itself. My only issue is that the frequency response will be a little different than our L & R because we can't adjust the toe angle and will get the 0° response. We may not always prefer the 0° response.
Are you using a monitor riser with sound pads? The center channel stand I currently have has metal base and platform, but mdf legs, I plan on cutting them, as precisely as I can - to produce the slight upward angle and lower height that I need. If that doesn't work, I will build a custom stand with some wood. As shown by the measurements, the M106 has those 'eyelets' just above and below the tweeter line to be avoided.
 

giro

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I picked up a pair of M106s last month. Still dialling them (and my head) in. Speaking subjectively, the biggest initial change I heard was with the mid-bass. It's as if the subs have finally come to life! There's now no need for me to replace them (2 RSL Speedwoofer 10s') as planned. Low level listening is also much more enjoyable since dynamics are preserved at lower volumes than with my prior setup. The Revels also have a lot more to give when cranked well beyond my comfort level. That wasn't the case with the speakers they replaced. They would let me know, in no uncertain terms when they were being pushed too hard. That said, I'm coming from a lowly pair of Elac Uni-Fi Slims (v1). I loved the razor-sharp imaging they could produce, but I'm really starting to enjoy the depth and hight that the Revels offer. Imaging is slightly more diffuse with the Revels, but it's also more realistic to my ear; less of a parlour trick and your head doesn't have to be in a vice to enjoy it. There's very little side wall reflection in my set up, so that could be a factor here. No question that vocals and piano are head and shoulders above what I heard from the Elacs. Some of the above could be a result of moving to a more efficient speaker, but the bottom line is that I'm delighted with the purchase! Hope no one is put off by the abstract nature of the above comments. Just sharing the joy!
 

iulianm

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@giro I too upgraded from UB5 to M106 recently and I use them with two SVS SB-1000 subs.
IMG_6258.jpeg
 

iulianm

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I've done an in-room measurement without the subs (measured L/R separately and averaged them) and what I can say is that almost everything is improved: lower frequencies seems more pronounced and I also get both better imaging (and it's a bit weird as the UB5 should have had an advantage on that with coaxial drivers) and also more spacial sound.
My room has no treatment.

One thing that I have to mention is the stands which doesn't seem as stable as the ones that I had with the ELACs (those are some generic stands).
You can even see the stands base that is having a smaller area then the other stands and I have some concerns for my dog not to knock them over (and hurt himself).
t.png
 
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Dimitrov

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Has anyone looked at this video :


Thoughts? I've only heard great things about Revel and I saw the measurements on page 1 which looked stellar, then came across this video where Danny talks about them and does measurements too. Not sure what to think about the video or if he has a point.
 

tw 2022

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He changes parts in a lot of speakers and claims they sound better yet it doesn't show in measurements, which is utter bollocks. A user here took a closer look and revealed the measurements actually show he made the speaker a tiny bit brighter.
he seems to be part hot air(as in "hey, look at me"), part speaker mod guy.... some of his vids are interesting , some are just adverts for overpriced add- ons.. jmo , ymmv....
 

Bren Derlin

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Speaking of inadequately pieced together Revel M106 speakers, Crutchfield has them on sale. Just picked up a pair with matching stands (which are also on sale). Just too good of a deal to pass up.

The M106 will be replacing the M16 in the home theater/music listening room, and the M16 will move upstairs and replace my 18 year old Polk LSi15 speakers. ...a long overdue speaker upgrade for the living room.

Can't wait to listen to the M16 on Wednesday. ...it's going to be Christmas in September. :)
 

Gatordaddy

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Speaking of inadequately pieced together Revel M106 speakers, Crutchfield has them on sale. Just picked up a pair with matching stands (which are also on sale). Just too good of a deal to pass up.

The M106 will be replacing the M16 in the home theater/music listening room, and the M16 will move upstairs and replace my 18 year old Polk LSi15 speakers. ...a long overdue speaker upgrade for the living room.

Can't wait to listen to the M16 on Wednesday. ...it's going to be Christmas in September. :)

I took advantage of the sale to purchase M106s from a local dealer that beat the 30 percent off price by about 250 dollars a pair. They replaced M16s in my living room. The M106s improve just about everything compared to an already impressive speaker. They play much cleaner at loud volumes. The bass region has more impact than the M16s and reminds me more of JBL's similarly sized offerings (which are almost always fun). The upper midrange and lower treble seems significantly less distorted which was my primary long term objection to the fidelity of the M16s.
 

Bren Derlin

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I took advantage of the sale to purchase M106s from a local dealer that beat the 30 percent off price by about 250 dollars a pair. They replaced M16s in my living room. The M106s improve just about everything compared to an already impressive speaker. They play much cleaner at loud volumes. The bass region has more impact than the M16s and reminds me more of JBL's similarly sized offerings (which are almost always fun). The upper midrange and lower treble seems significantly less distorted which was my primary long term objection to the fidelity of the M16s.


Wish we had a local dealer for Revel here... Meh. I'm happy. Tomorrow they arrive, and tomorrow I get to re-listen to my music all over again.

Good to hear about the M106 being such a solid upgrade over the M16.
 

Bren Derlin

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IMG_5868.jpeg


All hooked up and rolling. It's funny. I just plopped these in place, generally where I had the M16 speakers sitting, and gave them a slight toe-in, and started going. The clarity, detail, resolution, and separation resolved by these speakers is just goosebump city.

With Pink Martini, and I've seen them live with the vast number of musicians on stage, every instrument had it's place. This was a definitive worthy upgrade over the M16. ...I'm guessing the point of diminishing returns begins very shortly after these speakers. :p

We watched the first half of GOTG Vol 1, then had to put the kiddos to bed. But we're hearing minute details in the audio soundtrack we hadn't heard in the M16's. ...and with the M16's we were hearing details we hadn't heard with the Polk LSi15. That goes with the music as well - it's like you can hear INTO the movie or into the music. That in itself is really cool...

Paired with the simple and modest REL HT1003 Sub for both home theater and music use, I can pretty much end my speaker search here and now. Can't wait to dig into these further tonight and into the weekend.

Before I went up stairs, I did a little cable management on the loosey-goosey speaker wire on the right. ;)

On a side note, as I need to replace the receiver upstairs where the M16's now reside (the Denon x2600H here will move upstairs), what would be a good HT receiver pairing with the M106 that'll double for music, trying to keep the budget between $1,000 and $2,000. Two that first tripped my trigger were the Arcam AVR5 or the NAD T 758 V3i.

Thanks,

c
 
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JohnnyNG

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Pretty incredible prices right now on the M106 and the entire Performa3 line. I paid full price just about year ago (before the increase, though) and still feel like I got a steal.

I can't imagine where I'd go for an upgrade except to a bigger Revel but at a 9' listening distance a floorstander might be stretching it.

Might the line be getting a refresh? I think it's the oldest now, circa 2013?
 

Gatordaddy

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Pretty incredible prices right now on the M106 and the entire Performa3 line. I paid full price just about year ago (before the increase, though) and still feel like I got a steal.

I can't imagine where I'd go for an upgrade except to a bigger Revel but at a 9' listening distance a floorstander might be stretching it.

Might the line be getting a refresh? I think it's the oldest now, circa 2013?

Considering the Concerta 2 and Performa Be are significantly newer and segmented at roughly 1/2 and 2x the price with strong performance differentiation and sales I don't see the lineup getting a refresh that would cannibalize Performa Be sales. If a Performa 4 lineup is in the works it would probably focus on changing the design language.
 

Chromatischism

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Pretty incredible prices right now on the M106 and the entire Performa3 line. I paid full price just about year ago (before the increase, though) and still feel like I got a steal.

I can't imagine where I'd go for an upgrade except to a bigger Revel but at a 9' listening distance a floorstander might be stretching it.

Might the line be getting a refresh? I think it's the oldest now, circa 2013?
I asked a dealer - says no refresh planned for 2023.
 

Bren Derlin

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Considering the Concerta 2 and Performa Be are significantly newer and segmented at roughly 1/2 and 2x the price with strong performance differentiation and sales I don't see the lineup getting a refresh that would cannibalize Performa Be sales. If a Performa 4 lineup is in the works it would probably focus on changing the design language.

I can see the Performa4 upping the ante in terms of performance. There is zero way Revel would release an update/refresh without the new speakers being significantly better than the one it's replacing. Even if that means it starts crowding the PerformaBe line - which would then also get an upgrade shortly there after. It would likely mean the Performa4 line would also get a modest price increase to boot. They have some room to play with here.
 

Gatordaddy

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I can see the Performa4 upping the ante in terms of performance. There is zero way Revel would release an update/refresh without the new speakers being significantly better than the one it's replacing. Even if that means it starts crowding the PerformaBe line - which would then also get an upgrade shortly there after. It would likely mean the Performa4 line would also get a modest price increase to boot. They have some room to play with here.

It'd be great to see, but the Performa3 lineup is within spitting distance of PerformaBe which are 6 years newer and really only boast higher sensitivity and more interesting finish options. Their only competitors based on spins in the price class are JBL and KEF (maybe Focal but their speakers' spins are not widely available). I'd settle for them bringing the white finish (or even better--grey) to the remainder of the Performa3 lineup and releasing a three way C206.

Considering sales I saw when picking up my M106s at one of the largest US revel dealers, I'd wager that we see a Revel branded Samsung atmos soundbar and smart speaker system before we saw a refresh of their Performa line. Any speaker company with a brand position like revel should feel threatened by the proposition Sonos has started to offer in the "Luxury AV" ecosystem. My completely unfounded speculation is that the PerformaBe line was originally conceived as the next generation of revel speakers using differentiating design language but the shifting Luxury AV landscape and the Samsung purchase forced the development teams to reuse existing cabinetry so they could move to other projects.
 

muad

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It'd be great to see, but the Performa3 lineup is within spitting distance of PerformaBe which are 6 years newer and really only boast higher sensitivity and more interesting finish options. Their only competitors based on spins in the price class are JBL and KEF (maybe Focal but their speakers' spins are not widely available). I'd settle for them bringing the white finish (or even better--grey) to the remainder of the Performa3 lineup and releasing a three way C206.

Considering sales I saw when picking up my M106s at one of the largest US revel dealers, I'd wager that we see a Revel branded Samsung atmos soundbar and smart speaker system before we saw a refresh of their Performa line. Any speaker company with a brand position like revel should feel threatened by the proposition Sonos has started to offer in the "Luxury AV" ecosystem. My completely unfounded speculation is that the PerformaBe line was originally conceived as the next generation of revel speakers using differentiating design language but the shifting Luxury AV landscape and the Samsung purchase forced the development teams to reuse existing cabinetry so they could move to other projects.
All I fixated on way the possibility of a grey and white Performa lineup. They would look incredibly good. The f206s looked great in white with the black drivers. Grey would be even sexier.
 
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