About the Revel B1
Powerful bass that brings movies and music alive
Powerful bass that brings movies and music alive
I'm a sci-fi junkie. Give me a space movie or anything with dinosaurs and I'm hooked — especially when I can take in a flick on my home theater system. That's because the bass from a good powered subwoofer hits me in the chest, putting me right in the thick of the space battle or tyrannosaurus rex chase. The Revel B1 excels at this, creating deep low-frequency punch that adds visceral special effects and hard-hitting bass to the surround sound experience.
The B1 is also an excellent subwoofer for a stereo music system, especially when paired with Revel bookshelf or floor standing speakers.
Uncommon hands-on controls
Nearly all powered subwoofers give you level and crossover adjustments. But a scarce few provide any real hands-on control of the sound beyond that. That's because sophisticated EQ and slope adjustments are difficult and expensive to implement. Revel considers these an essential part of the subwoofer experience.
On the B1's back panel you'll find parametric room equalization controls that let you fine-tune the sound for your system and for your room. The really cool part? You get free lifetime tech support with your sub purchase from Crutchfield, so we can help you dial things in to get the best sound.
The B1 features parametric room equalization controls that let you fine-tune your subwoofer's sound.
Built from high-quality materials for great sound
The B1 sports a 12" front-firing woofer that's composed of micro ceramic composite (MCC), which means it's very strong and stiff, but also lightweight. This lets the woofer produce accurate, uncolored low frequencies that blend in seamlessly with the other speakers in your system.
This sub gets its juice from a built-in 250-watt amplifier, which delivers high-output power at low distortion levels.
Tested by instrument and by ear
Revel's world-class speaker design and testing facility features an anechoic chamber and the latest high-tech measurement gear. But some of their most critical test instruments are the ears of their trained listening panel. When working on a new design, Revel's engineers set up a series of controlled auditions comparing their design to several competing speakers.
Speakers under comparison sit on a rotating platform, and each model is moved into the identical position by a computer-controlled belt drive system. An acoustically transparent screen hides the speakers from the listeners to avoid visual bias. These double-blind listening tests provide an essential reality check, and help the engineers correlate measurements with what listeners actually hear and prefer.
Who is Revel?
Revel is one of the high-performance audio companies of global electronics giant Harman International. Since 1996, Revel has used cutting-edge design tools and one-of-a-kind testing facilities to develop speakers that measure well and sound amazing. The intensive design work happens at Harman's state-of-the-art speaker R & D facility in Northridge, California.
Product highlights:
- low-frequency extension: 36Hz (-3dB), 32Hz (-6dB), 29Hz (-10dB)
- built-in 250-watt RMS amplifier
- front-firing 12" woofer with micro ceramic composite cone
- ported (bass-reflex) enclosure
- parametric room equalization controls (frequency, bandwidth, EQ level)
- continuously variable low-pass crossover (50-150 Hz)
- phase switch (0°, 180°)
- RCA line-level/LFE inputs
- downward-firing port allows for placement against a wall or cabinet
- power switch and auto power-on/standby
- 15-3/4"W x 17-3/4"H x 13-1/4"D
- weight: 51 lbs.
- warranty: 5 years
- MFR # B1
What's in the box:
- Powered subwoofer
- 6' AC power cord
- Grille
- 16' Mono-RCA cable
- Owner's Manual
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More details on the Revel B1
Features & specs
Enclosure | Bass Reflex | |
Woofer Size (inches) | 12 | |
Woofer Composition | Micro Ceramic Composite | |
Firing Direction | Front | |
Amplifier Output (watts) | 250 | |
Frequency Response | 36-150 Hz | |
Connections | ||
Preamp-Level Inputs | LFE, Stereo RCA | |
Speaker-Level Inputs | No | |
Speaker-Level Outputs | No | |
Wireless | No | |
Controls | ||
Low-Pass Crossover Freq | 50-150 | |
High-Pass Crossover Freq | None | |
Phase Switch | Yes | |
App Control | No | |
Remote | No | |
Other Info | ||
Height (inches) | 17-3/4 | |
Width (inches) | 15-13/16 | |
Depth (inches) | 15-3/8 | |
Weight | 51 lbs | |
Speaker Parts Warranty | 5 Years | |
Speaker Labor Warranty | 5 Years | |
Amplifier Parts Warranty | 5 Years | |
Amplifier Labor Warranty | 5 Years |
Product Research
Features
Powered Sub: The Revel by Harman Concerta2 B1 delivers accurate and authoritative bass from a 12" woofer, 250 watt (RMS) amplifier, and bass reflex enclosure. Adjustable controls, parametric room equalization and multiple connection options provide unequalled placement flexibility and allow you to optimize low-frequency performance for almost any listening environment.
12" Woofer: The B1 powered subwoofer houses a front-firing 12" micro ceramic composite (MCC) cone woofer; a material created by anodizing both sides of an aluminum cone. Anodizing both sides of an aluminum cone adds strength and stiffness, but very little weight, to a material already well suited for use as as subwoofer. The MCC woofer also utilizes a Nomex/cotton blend spider for increased strength and linearity, as well as a 2" (diameter) copper voice-coil wound on a Kapton bobbin for impressive power handling. A vented center pole facilitates heat dissipation, allowing for more efficient cooling for high-power handling. The 12" woofer has a peak-to-peak excursion of 1.5" (38mm) for serious bass punch.
250W Amplifier: The 12" woofer is powered by a 250 watt (RMS)/300 watt (Peak) amplifier for dynamic response with low distortion even at the lowest frequencies and high output levels.
Bass ReflexMDF Enclosure: The B1's cabinet is constructed of rigid MDF with extensive internal bracing to reduce cabinet-induced colorations. The B1 utilizes a downward-firing port for greater efficiency and bigger bass response. The downward-firing port also provides greater placement flexibility next to walls.
Rear-Panel Controls: The Concerta2 B1's adjustable controls allow you to optimize the subwoofer' s performance in any system and listening room. All controls are found on the rear-panel of the powered sub.
- Subwoofer Gain: The Subwoofer Gain sets the output level of the powered sub in relation to your system's left and right front speakers, so the subwoofer blends smoothly and integrates seamlessly with your speaker system. Setting the level too high results in an overpowering bass response, while setting the level too low negates the benefits of the B1 subwoofer.
- Low Pass Crossover: The B1 is equipped with a variable 50-150Hz (24db/octave) low pass crossover, which determines the highest frequency at which the powered subwoofer reproduces sound. Set the crossover to a lower frequency setting (50-100Hz) when using larger main loudspeakers that can comfortably reproduce some low-frequency sound. Set the crossover to a higher frequency (100-150Hz) for smaller bookshelf loudspeakers that do not extend to the lower bass frequencies. If the low pass crossover is set too high, the bass sounds "boomy" and can overpower the overall sound of the listening room. If the low pass crossover is set too low, some low frequency sound may be difficult to hear, or may be absent altogether.
- Equalization: The Equalization controls (Frequency, Bandwidth, EQ Level) optimize the subwoofer's response for your specific listening room. Select which single frequency band (20-80Hz) to adjust at what bandwidth (0.05-0.53Q) and level (-14 to +0dB). Specific measurement equipment is required to properly adjust the Equalization controls.
- Phase Switch: The B1 features a Phase Switch that can be set to 0° or 180°. Proper phase adjustment can depend on variables such as subwoofer placement and listener position. Use this switch to maximize bass output at the primary listening position.
LFE/RCA Inputs: LFE and stereo RCA inputs are provided for connecting your AV receiver, preamplifier, or integrated amplifier. You can use a single RCA cable to connect the LFE (low frequency effects) output of your receiver, preamplifier, or integrated amp. Since the LFE output is filtered on the receiver/preamp/amp, the subwoofer's variable low-pass filter is bypassed. If your receiver, preamplifier or integrated amplifier does not offer a designated LFE output but does feature preamp outputs, connect the powered sub using its stereo RCA inputs with a set of stereo RCA cables. In this case, you will use the B1's low-pass crossover.
Auto Power On/Off: The Concerta2 B1 will automatically power on when it detects an audio signal. It will automatically enter standby mode if no audio signal is detected for approximately 10 minutes. There is also a main Power on/off switch located on the back of the subwoofer.
Placement: The B1's downward-firing port allows for placement against a wall or cabinet, while the rubber-padded feet ensure optimal stability on any floor surface. When installing a powered subwoofer, be prepared to experiment with different locations to find the one that produces the best results throughout your room's seating area. Careful subwoofer placement can significantly reduce the peaks and dips in bass response. Using two powered subwoofers can eliminate these peaks and dips in bass response.
Position-Independent, Double-Blind Listening Tests: Every Revel by Harman loudspeaker is compared head-to-head with competitors' models in a position-independent, double-blind listening facility. True research-quality processes assure the validity of the listening tests, which employ the latest psychoacoustic research.
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