About the Revel PerformaBe F228Be
A stunning sense of realism from a Revel masterpiece
A stunning sense of realism from a Revel masterpiece
I had the pleasure of auditioning a pair of Revel F228Be floor-standing speakers prior to their launch. I came away from my listening session impressed by their three-dimensional soundstage and pinpoint imaging. Read on for a detailed look at this finely crafted speaker, along with my firsthand listening impressions.
Revel's special-edition F228Be features an elegant, three-way design that both looks and sounds fantastic (shown in High-Gloss Walnut).
Exceptional dynamic range
One mark of a great speaker is its ability to faithfully reproduce every detail of a musical recording, no matter now loud or soft. The F228Be excels at this — and then some. It can play whisper-quiet passages with subtlety and nuance. But it can also belt out super-charged beats and high-energy guitar or sax solos with zeal.
The F228Be offers a wide dynamic range that rivals any of the top-shelf loudspeakers I've listened to in recent years.
The magic all starts with the beryllium tweeter
One of the secrets to the F228Be's great sound is its uniquely designed beryllium tweeter. You may have heard of beryllium back in chemistry class (it proudly carries the atomic number 4 on its virtual nametag).
Beryllium is several times stiffer than aluminum or titanium tweeter diaphragms. And it's also super-lightweight, so it moves quickly and in a very controlled fashion — two key attributes of a high-quality tweeter. I found that the F228Be created detailed, neutral, and non-fatiguing sound — even at extended high listening levels.
An acoustic lens waveguide for great sound in every seat
One of the best attributes of the F228Be is its off-axis listening. The beryllium tweeter uses an acoustic lens waveguide, which helps it produce remarkably accurate sound, even if you're sitting off to the side of the "sweet spot."
When you invite friends over to listen to these beautiful speakers (and trust me, you'll want to), everyone in the room will enjoy terrific sound.
Impressively hard-hitting bass and accurate midrange
Revel paired its beryllium tweeter with two 8" Deep Ceramic Composite (DCC) aluminum cone woofers for deep, tightly controlled bass. A dedicated 5-1/4" DCC midrange driver bridges this speaker's lows and highs with smooth, well-blended sound.
My listening impressions
The pair of F228Bes I auditioned were driven by a Peachtree nova300. At 300 watts per channel this is a high-current amp, and it paired beautifully with the F228Bes. I was treated to an extensive playlist of high-quality tracks that spanned multiple genres, which let these elegant speakers show off their versatile capabilities.
During "Audio Note," the O-Zone Percussion Group's array of drums showed off the F228Be's wide frequency range. The bass drums thundered with power and punch, while the distinctly pleasing tones of the xylophone rang out with sparkling clarity.
While listening to Eric Clapton's live rendition of "Layla," I intentionally stood way off to the left side of the left speaker. The soundstage held up astonishingly well. I could close my eyes and feel like I was in the audience during the recording of Clapton's famed 1991 Unplugged performance.
A friendly heads-up — this speaker is huge
At nearly 4 feet tall, and weighing in at 82 pounds, the F228Be is truly a "tower speaker." Just something to keep in mind as you're planning out the logistics of your new system. You'll probably want a buddy to come over to help you move and unbox this massive floor-stander.
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.
Product highlights:
- 3-way design
- 1" beryllium dome tweeter with proprietary acoustic lens waveguide for consistent dispersion over a wide listening area
- dual 8" Deep Ceramic Composite (DCC) aluminum cone woofers with cast frames for reduced resonance
- 5-1/4" DCC midrange driver
- advanced high-order crossover optimizes timbre accuracy both on-axis and throughout the room
- cabinet has thick walls and extensive internal bracing to reduce vibration
- bass-reflex (ported) cabinet with front-firing port
- frequency response: 27-44,000 Hz (-6dB)
- sensitivity: 90 dB
- impedance: 8 ohms
- recommended amplifier power: 50-350 watts
- two pairs of gold-plated binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring
- includes a foam port plug for adjusting the speaker's low-frequency performance
- top panel is painted a stylish metallic black with raised electroform badging
- removable grille is magnetically attached
- 11-13/16"W x 46-1/2"H x 13-1/4"D
- weight: 82 lbs.
- warranty: 5 years
- MFR # REVF228BEBLK
What's in the box:
Revel PerformaBe F228Be owner's manual
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Locking rings
- 4 Washers
- 2 Terminal jumpers (pre-installed)
- Foam port plug
- Owner's Manual
Customer reviews for Revel PerformaBe F228Be
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More details on the Revel PerformaBe F228Be
Features & specs
| General | ||
|---|---|---|
| Enclosure | Ported | |
| Finish | Wood/Lacquer | |
| Color | Gloss Black | |
| Tweeter | Hard-Dome | |
| Tweeter Size (inches) | 1 | |
| Midrange Size (inches) | 5.25 | |
| Woofer Size (inches) | 8 | |
| Woofer Composition | DCC Aluminum | |
| Woofer Surround | Rubber | |
| Built-in Powered Sub | No | |
| Dolby Atmos Drivers | No | |
| Connector Type | Binding post | |
| Bi-amp Inputs | Yes | |
| Parts Warranty | 5 Years | |
| Labor Warranty | 5 Years | |
| Specifications | ||
| Power Range | 50-350 | |
| Frequency Response | 27-44k Hz | |
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | |
| Impedance (Ohms) | 8 | |
| Subwoofer Amp Power | --- | |
| Height (inches) | 46-9/16 | |
| Width (inches) | 11-13/16 | |
| Depth (inches) | 13-1/4 | |
| Weight | 82 lbs | |
Product Research
Features
3-Way Floorstanding Loudspeaker: The Revel PerformaBe F228Be is a powerful and elegant 3-way floorstanding loudspeaker engineered to extract the finest details, the highest level of performance, and the most emotion possible. Featuring an all-new 1" beryllium tweeter, one 5.25" DCC aluminum midrange driver, and dual 8" DCC aluminum woofers, the F228Be delivers unparalleled detail and accuracy with an expansive and cohesive soundstage.
- 1" Beryllium Tweeter: At the heart of the Revel Performa F228Be's immaculate sound lies a 1" beryllium tweeter driven by massive 85mm dual ceramic magnets. The powerful tweeter is mated to a 5th-generation ceramic-coated, cast-aluminum Acoustic Lens waveguide engineered to seamlessly integrate with the directivity of the companion midrange driver.
- 5.25" Midrange & Dual 8"Woofers (DCC): The 5.25" midrange driver and dual 8" woofers have been updated with larger Deep Ceramic Composite (DCC) aluminum diaphragms, bigger voice coils and ceramic motor structures. The result is greater efficiency, less compression, improved dynamic range, reduced distortion, and increased power handling.
Beryllium: Beryllium, Element 4 on the Periodic Table, is a rare earth metal that is renowned for its remarkable physical properties; properties that just so happen to make it the ideal material for a high-frequency transducer. It's lightweight, incredibly stiff, inherently well damped - basically everything you need for the ideal tweeter diaphragm in a loudspeaker. Compared to other metals used in tweeter diaphragms like aluminum and titanium, beryllium offers 4.5x the stiffness and 3x more damping, and does so at only half of the weight.
Deep Ceramic Composite (DCC): The PerformaBe low frequency woofers and midrange driver feature newly developed Deep Ceramic Composite (DCC) aluminum cone technology. DCC creates a much stiffer and better damped cone than untreated aluminum, reducing cone resonance and promoting ideal pistonic motion. The result is unparalleled midrange purity and detail retrieval.
Precision High Order Crossover Networks: Revel PerformaBe's precision high order crossover networks feature carefully selected components to dramatically reduce distortion and dynamic compression for pristine sound over a wide dynamic range. These networks optimize the speakers' timbre accuracy, enhancing the listener's enjoyment anywhere in the room - even off axis.
Elegant Enclosure: The Revel PerformaBe floorstanding loudspeaker's fully-curved enclosure is inherently stiffer than conventional box shapes and are formed with contiguous wood layers that prevent splitting. The enclosure features 1"-thick panels and strategically-oriented bracing that eliminates the possibility of enclosure-induced coloration. The beautiful, modern enclosure is finished in Piano Black or High Gloss Walnut in a process (developed and overseen by Italian luxury cabinet makers) that exceeds automotive finish quality. A magnetic grille eliminates unattractive hardware on the baffle and also minimizes diffraction and veiling.
Front-Firing Bass Port w/ Port Plug: The Revel PerformaBe floorstanding loudspeaker employs a sophisticated fluid-model designed low-frequency port with identical flares on both ends. This greatly minimizes dynamic compression and port-generated noise, assuring low-distortion low-frequency performance. The F228Be also includes a foam port plug that can be used to adjust the loudspeaker's low-frequency performance in certain installation situations.
- If the floorstanding speaker is located less than about 2' (0.61m) from walls or other large objects, inserting the port plug into the loudspeaker's port opening can reduce the overly-aggressive bass output that can be created by the speaker's proximity to large surfaces that reflect bass energy.
- Insert the port plug into the loudspeaker's port tube opening far enough so that the end of the plug is flush with the inside end of the port tube's flared section. Be careful not to insert the port plug so far into the port tube that it falls inside of the speaker.
Dual Binding Post Terminals: The Performa F228Be floorstanding speaker features two sets of binding posts that enable the loudspeaker to be bi-wired or bi-amped. These gold-plated binding-posts that provide secure connection for speaker cables terminated with banana plugs (single only), spade lugs, pin connectors, or bare wire (up to 10AWG). You will need to remove the binding post's rubber inserts in order to use banana plugs.
- Bi-Wiring: Bi-wiring can provide noticeable improvements in the overall transparency of your loudspeakers. Run separate speaker wires to the low & high frequency drivers from a single amplifier (the upper set of binding posts are for the high frequency drivers; the lower set of binding posts are for the low frequency drivers).
- Bi-Amping: Bi-amping allows you to use separate amplifiers for the high & low frequency sections of your loudspeaker for greater dynamic range & lower distortion. We recommend that your separate amplifiers have identical gain to preserve the speaker's voicing balance.
Mounting & Placement Options: Four adjustable spiked feet are included with F228Be loudspeaker. You can install these spikes in the bottom of the loudspeaker cabinet to provide optimal stability. If the loudspeaker is to be placed on a carpeted floor, install the spikes with the pointed ends protruding from the cabinet. If the loudspeaker are to be placed on a wood, linoleum or tile floor, install the spikes with the round ends protruding from the cabinet to protect your flooring. With the spike feet installed, the speaker measures 47.625" tall. Without the spike feet installed, the speaker measures 46.5625" tall. For best stereo image and performance, follow these guidelines -
- Remove all obstructions between the loudspeaker and the primary listening position. For instance, a coffee table between the loudspeaker and the primary listening position will create reflections that will degrade stereo imaging and timbre. Placing the loudspeakers near large objects may also cause unwanted reflections.
- For the best stereo imaging, place the loudspeakers so that they are both the same distance from the primary listening position and so they are both the same distance from the side walls.
- For optimal stereo imaging and timbre, aim the loudspeakers directly toward the primary listening position. If you wish to widen the stereo soundstage you can reduce this toe-in angle, even to the point at which the loudspeakers are pointing straight forward.
- Moving the loudspeakers farther from the front and side listening room walls will improve stereo imaging and the sense of spaciousness in the listening space. Moving the loudspeakers closer to the corners or walls of the listening room will increase bass level.
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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Great Speakers, lots of detail. Some rooms may need a subwoofer. Very well built, but not high end furniture grade design. If you are buying speakers to put in a living room full of very expensive furniture, look elsewhere.
Jeffrey from Prineville, OR