Speaker Asylum: REVIEW: Revel Performa3 F206 Speakers by photomensch

Model:	Performa3 F206
Category:	Speakers
Suggested Retail Price:	$3500
Description:	FloorStanding 3-way
Manufacturer URL:	Revel
Model Picture:	View

Review by photomensch on October 14, 2016 at 07:20:20
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for the Performa3 F206

Summary
If you're reading this review you probably know there are many audiophile-class speakers priced between $2500 and $4000. The Revel Performa3 F206 3-way floor standing model is one that delivers a lot for the money. It has a neutral tonal balance with no exaggerated lower mid-range or annoying peaks in the highs. In addition, it offers plenty of satisfying bass. The F206's great value is supported by a realistic presentation that should delight lots of listeners regardless of music preference.

The Challenge
With about a dozen choices available in my price range, from at least six reputable companies, it was challenging to decide what speaker would best suit my requirements and taste. So, I started by reading the usual publications and built a short list of three floor standing designs that closely met my priorities for performance, price, build quality, footprint, height, appearance, ingenuity and dealer support.

After a thorough evaluation, which included listening, I decided to buy the Revel Performa3 F206.

Performance Highlights
My preference for gauging improvements to my audio system is to listen to familiar well recorded piano music, vocalists and large orchestras. In that regard, the F206 convincingly delivers the sparkling sounds of a piano, whether jazz or classical; the gentle vibrato of Annie Lennox, as on her "Nostalgia" LP; the wonderfully resonant harmony of James Taylor and JD Souther on Mobile Fidelity's CD "Dad Loves His Work"; and the shimmering strings on Channel Classic's SACD "Tchaikovsky's 6th Symphony" with the Budapest Festival Orchestra.

The F206 handles soft and loud musical passages with ease, delivering a sense of realism supported by musical details that convey nuances, inventiveness and excitement that musicians frequently generate, whether from a vocalist, guitarist, keyboardist, drummer, etc. or even the venue.

Setup
The position of my F206 speakers approximate a "Cardas Near Field Setup," with the distance between centers about 6.5 feet, the maximum for my listening area due to furnishing constraints. My "sweet spot" is about six feet from the center point between speakers. After experimenting, toe-in is less than two degrees even though my previous setup was about 10 degrees. This is a great benefit because less toe-in yields a wider soundstage. I attribute this to the ingenuity of the F206's tweeter/acoustic lens wave guide. Its dispersion characteristics produce a well-focused sonic image in my room with minimal toe-in.

The decision to remove grills for general listening will be a personal one. With grills on the sound is more relaxed and although a sense of space is somewhat diminished, the soundstage is solid. While on the subject of grills, they attach using hidden magnets so no hardware is visible when the grills are on or off; this provides for enhanced aesthetics.

Break-in Period
I estimate it took over 120 hours to satisfactorily break-in my F206s, which requires a lot of patience - unless you're able to run 24/7. During this time there were periods when the highs did not consistently improve, and at times even regressed. But keep the faith because the results are well worth the wait, especially when the sound literally wraps around the speakers.

To Bi-wire or Not to Bi-wire?
The F206 only has one pair of speaker terminals, which I view as a benefit because it's simple and eliminates additional connection points, as well as jumpers that could introduce unwanted interactions with speaker cables. I would feel differently if I had plans to bi-amp my speakers.

Excellent WAF
My wife is quite content with the glossy dark walnut finish she picked because it fits our current d

Topic - REVIEW: Revel Performa3 F206 Speakers - photomensch 07:20:19 10/14/16 ( 11)

RE: REVIEW: Revel Performa3 F206 Speakers - Mark6088 17:26:44 02/8/20 ( 0)
Nice review thanks - airtime 08:17:45 10/16/16 ( 1)
- RE: Nice review thanks - photomensch 17:19:26 10/16/16 ( 0)
I wanna see a negative review of Revel speakers. - genungo 11:54:43 10/15/16 ( 2)
- RE: I wanna see a negative review of Revel speakers. - photomensch 05:38:32 10/16/16 ( 0)
- RE: I wanna see a negative review of Revel speakers. - erik_sq 12:39:16 10/15/16 ( 0)
RE: REVIEW: Revel Performa3 F206 Speakers - erik_sq 10:28:15 10/15/16 ( 4)
- RE: REVIEW: Revel Performa3 F206 Speakers - photomensch 06:41:15 10/16/16 ( 2)
  - RE: REVIEW: Revel Performa3 F206 Speakers - airtime 09:01:42 10/16/16 ( 1)
    - RE: REVIEW: Revel Performa3 F206 Speakers - photomensch 17:20:54 10/16/16 ( 0)
- RE: REVIEW: Revel Performa3 F206 Speakers - photomensch 06:18:07 10/16/16 ( 0)