Do you find it difficult to determine which speaker is suitable for your accurate room, budget, and taste? Why not take a look at these amazing items from Revel – Revel F206 and Revel F208 and decide which one is more suitable for you. I can guarantee you, these high-end speakers won’t disappoint you at all. However, you’ll find some difficulties to choose between these outstanding products.
Revel is part of the Harman Luxury Audio Company, a large, California-based corporation that also owns JBL, Mark Levinson, Lexicon, and AKG, among others. They are so amazing because they consistently knock the ball out of the stadium when putting anything on the market. The Performa series features much of Revel’s flagship Ultima2 systems and products. The Performa3 F206 and F208, both of them are able to create stellar and vibrant sound and blend easily into different rooms and systems.
Revel F206
Revel F206 has a gorgeous sleek design and an outstanding sound quality which enables them to easily blend into your current decoration. As a floor stander, obviously it’s not cheap but if you want an exotic but powerful speaker for your living room or home theatre system, this is the best option. The F206 didn’t only display magic with the midrange, from top to bottom, its tone is also remarkably quiet natural, neutral, and incredibly comprehensive, even in the bass.
Revel F208
With the Revel F208 has absolutely nailed it. The Revel F208 is a speaker of standard consistency, moderately priced, and attainable by most. You should look forward to a wonderful tone that draws you into the song and you can’t even complain that much. Audiophiles are fond of this excellent product which is arguably still one of the best floor standers of Revel. The strength of the product is its extremely neutral audio band balance; strong sound quality and imaging that equate speakers at any price; and superb mid-range transparency with an aesthetic design.
Similarities: Revel F206 vs Revel F208
| Revel Performa3 F206 | Revel Performa3 F208 | |
|---|---|---|
| Enclosure | Bass Reflex | Bass Reflex |
| Finish | Wood/Lacquer | Wood/Lacquer |
| Tweeter | Hard-Dome | Hard-Dome |
| Tweeter Size (inches) | 1 | 1 |
| Midrange Size (inches) | 5.25 | 5.25 |
| Woofer Composition | Aluminum | Aluminum |
| Input Impedance (Ohms) | 8 | 8 |
Many important features are very much the same between these fantastic floor standers. It’s pretty normal for someone to get confused between these speakers. Let’s take a look at the similarities and how are they important.
Driver Size
The size of the speaker you need varies according to your place size and conscious choice. Speaker drivers come in varying sizes. Huge speakers also play music louder and create additional bass, which makes the sound more vibrant and bold.
In this case, both of these devices have a midrange of 5.25 inches and a one-inch tweeter.
Input Impedance
Another critical specification is the input impedance which should be given priority. Your speaker should have neither high impedance nor low impedance, the impedance value of 6-8 ohms is seen as optimal. The speaker with high impedances requires more current and when the correct impedance is not identified, the sound becomes poorer. Low impedance causes overheating damage to the amplifier.
These speakers have exactly the same type of input impedance, 8 ohms, which is quite remarkable.
Differences: Revel F206 vs Revel F208
| Revel Performa3 F206 | Revel Performa3 F208 | |
|---|---|---|
| Power Range | 50-200 | 50-350 |
| Frequency Response | 42- Hz | 31- Hz |
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 88.5dB |
| Crossover frequency (Hz) | 275-2150 | 270-2200 |
| Dimensions | 41.4"H x 9.8”W x 13.8"D | 46.4"H x 13.5”W x 14.8"D |
| Woofer Size (inches) | 6.5 | 8 |
| Input Connections | Binding Posts | Dual sets of Binding Posts |
You see, as we compare these two massive giants, Revel F206 and F208, certain things are totally different.
Power Range
If you check the specs closely, often speaker suppliers often offer a recommended set of amplifier power range, which can be used easily for the speakers. This range also varies from 50 to 200 watts per-so before you start thinking, you’ll have to buy a fairly good amplifier. This is also a simpler way to explain a speaker’s capacity by clarifying which amplifiers can drive these speakers easily and by making them easy to understand. It also says that you have much greater versatility than you might have expected to balance the capacity of an amplifier and speaker. The higher the power output (watts), the better and cleaner the speakers can play. However, minor power changes make no noticeable improvement.
Both of the speakers have excellent power range, though F208 has better power output than F206.
Winner: F208
Frequency Response
Frequency Response or range of frequencies indicates how low or high speakers perform. The lower the number goes, the smoother and detailed the bass sounds. Any speaker touching 50Hz or less is appropriate and does not typically require a subwoofer. Although the subwoofers are necessary if you are an audiophile.
F208’s frequency response is very good with a range that goes from 31 Hz to 31 kHz. In comparison, the frequency response of the F206 varies from 42Hz to 40 kHz. So F208 can achieve more detailed bass and precise tone.
Winner: F208
Sensitivity
A sensitivity rating gives you an indication of how much intensity you’ll get from a given amount of input from a sound system. It will impact all types of drivers and sound system components that you use. The sound system’s average frequency is 88dB. The 84dB sensitivity rating is the lowest and the sound quality can be influenced by that particular amount.
Both of these speakers have almost the same sensitivity rating although F208’s rating is a little high. However, this little difference doesn’t really make any differences.
Winner: Tie
Crossover Frequency
To improve power efficiency and reduce the speakers and bass costs, a speaker crossover frequency is used. A crossover serves as a buffer dividing a speaker from unnecessary frequencies. This is particularly helpful as it helps one to give each speaker directly to the frequency group so that it can perform more reliably and more effectively.
F206 and F208 also have almost the same range of crossover frequency which is quite enough to stop from damaging.
Winner: Tie
Woofer Size
If you are accustomed to listening to bass-oriented tracks, it might be more fitting to get a speaker with a bigger woofer that creates a punchier and more comprehensive low-end. The reality is that the surface region heats up a lot and reaches low frequencies. It is possible only with a big cone surface and a massive, powerful magnet. The woofers’ size does matter in terms of getting sophisticated bass performance without a subwoofer.
F208 has obviously a larger woofer than F206, which is essential to get the detailed low-end audio.
Winner: F208
Cost
Let’s come to the most practical part of this comparison. At first, the difference in the price range between these two extraordinary speakers was huge. However, nowadays, to buy an F206 floor stander you’ll have to spend $1750. On the other hand, you can purchase an F208 speaker set for approximately $2500.
Both of the speakers are, undoubtedly, pricey. But if you’re an audiophile and don’t really hesitate to spend much in speakers, these products will offer you the most satisfying sound experience which you won’t see anywhere else.
Winner: F206
How I rated my speaker: Revel F206 vs Revel F208
Positioning
Your speaker placement will play a key role in the sound you want. If you want your floor standers to provide the best, the placement has to be perfect.
- It’s always best to place your floor loudspeakers away from walls.
- Set them on the front wall about 3 meters away.
- Try to put the speaker in such a way that the distance of the speaker is 1.6 times that of the front wall from the nearest sidewall. If you have a larger space than it is longer then follow the reverse rule.
- Make your speech and speakers a perfect triangle, the gap between the speaker and you should be the same.
Subwoofers
Subwoofers are used primarily for the lowest audio frequencies known as bass and sub-bass. It’s for the speakers that their woofers can’t reach the lowest frequencies. As already mentioned, both speakers require subwoofers. You should usually place your subwoofers along the room’s front wall.
Revel Performa3 F206
Pros
- Beautiful cabinet finish.
- Linear response
- Musical
- Excellently engineered crossover
- Well built
- Delightful highs
- Extraordinary midrange
- Compatible for all kinds of rooms
Cons
- Not enough bass
- Metal tweeter and midrange
- Expensive
Revel Performa3 F208
Pros
- Bi-wirable
- Aesthetically pleasing
- Detailed bass
- Extended, clear, and open treble
- Superb stereo imaging
- Perfect midrange
- Will play loudly without noise, stress, or compression
- Less/no distortion at a higher volume in the high/mid-range
- Versatile
Cons
- Metal tweeter and midrange
- Expensive
Product Differentiators: Revel F206 vs Revel F208
So, I am personally pretty peaky when I need to purchase a speaker for my home. In this case, both of the speakers are very adorable, have the capability to create vibrant sound, and can be positioned in any situation. Both models have excellent fit and finish. The F206 has a tremendous advantage over the F208: although both are available in black walnut or piano, the F206 is also available in shiny white that is astonishingly beautiful.
Where the F208 sounds complete, adequate, and effortless, which ideally matches the middle and treble, the F206 is crankier. Adding a subwoofer to the F206 is a brilliant idea for listening to music and it’s compulsory for movie soundtracks. Nevertheless, you don’t really need a subwoofer for F208.
Revel’s items are not cost-efficient. But considering the service they provide and the exclusive features they offer, Revel F206 and F208 are perfect. Anyways, F208 costs a little much but bring better audio quality than F206.
Alternative Products
Revel Performa3 M106
Pros
- Transducers feature motor-system distortion-reduction mechanisms
- New waveguides with clear sound across a large listening field
- Smooth, accurate sound
- Excellent tonality
- Great imaging and huge sweet spot
- Beautiful looking with immaculate fit and finish
Cons
- Occasional bass bloom in smaller rooms
- Comparatively expensive
Focal Aria 936
Pros
- Excellent build quality
- Warm and natural sound
- Flax cones are excellent performers.
- For their category, they offer good value.
Cons
- Low end not particularly aggressive
- No bi-wire or bi-amp capability
Conclusion: Revel F206 vs Revel F208
It was hard to find something to hate about the F208 for me but the interests of each audiophile are different. I know many audiophiles believe the number one wish is a dramatic performance — a presentation that attempts to replicate a concert hall setting.
This desire is discussed by many manufacturers, in particular those that specialize in electrostatic and planar magnetic speakers, but not by the Performa3 speakers. However, F208 can get to the closest in performance and has the ability to recreate the moderate studio-quality sound. But F206 is totally unable to do that. For these reasons, I have to go with Revel F208.
For more inquiry, you can read our Kanto YU6 vs Audioengine A5: which one is the best for you?
Freelance tech journalist & author of soundboxlab.com …Read More