In this review, we will be comparing HTM71 S3 and C426Be, two Passive Center Channel speakers from Bowers Wilkins and Revel.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of B&W HTM71 S3 and Revel C426Be first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | B&W HTM71 S3 | Revel C426Be |
|---|
| Brand | Bowers Wilkins
United Kingdom · founded 1966 | Revel
United States · founded 1996 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Solid Body Soft-Dome | 1" dome with proprietary acoustic lens and waveguide |
|---|
| Midrange | 4" | 5-1/4" |
|---|
| Woofer | 4 x 5" Aerofoil Profile | 4 x 6.5" aluminum with Deep Ceramic Composite coating |
|---|
| Frequency response | 50-28k Hz | 38-40k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30-200 watts | 50-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 17.50kg / 38.5lbs | 33.05kg / 72.7lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 9-1/4" x 24-3/4" x 14"
235.0 x 629.0 x 356.0mm | 12-5/16" x 38-5/8" x 14-1/16"
313.0 x 982.0 x 358.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the B&W HTM71 S3 and Revel C426Be speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
B&W HTM71 S3 |
Revel C426Be |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Average |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
Both HTM71 S3 and C426Be are 3-way speakers.
B&W HTM71 S3Revel C426Be
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
B&W HTM71 S3 |
Revel C426Be |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 4-inch |
1 x 5-1/4-inch |
|
Woofer
|
4 x 5-inch
|
4 x 6.5-inch
|
HTM71 S3 features a 1" Decoupled Carbon Solid Body Soft-Dome Tweeter, a 4" Midrange and 4 x 5" Aerofoil Profile Woofer. On the other hand, the C426Be features a 1" beryllium dome with proprietary acoustic lens and waveguide Tweeter, a 5-1/4" Midrange and 4 x 6.5" aluminum with Deep Ceramic Composite coating Woofer.
Frequency Response
HTM71 S3 has a frequency range of 50-28k Hz whereas C426Be has a frequency range of 38-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 38Hz, the C426Be can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the HTM71 S3's min frequency of 50Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Center Channel class in our database.
Low Frequency
Center Channel Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
HTM71 S3 and C426Be have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. HTM71 S3 sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the C426Be's is at 90 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Revel C426Be a more sensitive speaker compared to B&W HTM71 S3, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Center Channel Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
C426Be can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas HTM71 S3 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the C426Be.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier - change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
HTM71 S3 features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. C426Be has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
B&W HTM71 S3's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Revel C426Be's Binding post terminals
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare B&W HTM71 S3's and Revel C426Be's external dimensions. B&W HTM71 S3 has external dimensions of 235.0 x 629.0 x 356.0mm (9-1/4inch x 24-3/4inch x 14inch) whereas Revel C426Be has external dimensions of 313.0 x 982.0 x 358.0mm (12-5/16 x 38-5/8 x 14-1/16inch).
Revel C426Be is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 353mm wider, 78mm taller and 2mm deeper than B&W HTM71 S3.
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the B&W HTM71 S3 is approximately 2239.2cm2 / 347.1inch2 and base area of the Revel C426Be is approximately 3515.6cm2 / 544.9inch2. The HTM71 S3 requires 36% less surface area than the C426Be which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The B&W HTM71 S3 weighs 17.50kg / 38.5lbs and the Revel C426Be weighs 33.05kg / 72.7lbs. This makes the C426Be 89% heavier than the HTM71 S3.
Here is a comparison of how HTM71 S3 and C426Be's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Center Channel class.
Weight
All Center Channel Speakers
What's in the Box of B&W HTM71 S3?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of HTM71 S3:
- Center-channel loudspeaker
- Grille
- Two-piece foam port plug
- 4 Self-adhesive rubber feet
- 4 Jumper-straps (pre-installed)
- Manual
- Bowers & Wilkins brochure
- Warranty Information
- Online Registration Card
What's in the Box of Revel C426Be?
Here are the items that come with the C426Be:
- Center-channel loudspeaker
- Grille
- Feet assembly
- 2 Port plugs
- Owners Manual
 Height |
235mm
vs
313mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
2239cm2
vs
3515cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
2499USD
vs
4950USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
38 Hz
vs
50 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
28k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
| General |
Bowers & Wilkins HTM71 S3 |
Revel C426Be |
| Brand |
Bowers Wilkins |
Revel |
| Speaker Type |
Center channel speaker |
Center channel speaker |
| Power Range |
30-200 watts |
50-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
89 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
50-28k Hz |
38-40k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
4 |
4 |
| Woofer Size |
5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aerofoil Profile |
aluminum with Deep Ceramic Composite coating |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Solid Body Soft-Dome |
dome with proprietary acoustic lens and waveguide |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
4" |
5-1/4" |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
235.0mm (9.3") |
313.0mm (12.3") |
| Width |
629.0mm (24.8") |
982.0mm (38.7") |
| Depth |
356.0mm (14") |
358.0mm (14.1") |
| Weight |
17.50kg (38.5lbs) |
33.05kg (72.7lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Available Colors |
Gloss Black |
Walnut |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
n/a |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - Revel C426Be costs roughly 2x what B&W HTM71 S3 does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | Revel C426Be digs deeper - 38Hz against 50Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (89dB vs 90dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | B | Revel C426Be takes more power (300W vs 200W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | B&W HTM71 S3 is easier to place; Revel C426Be is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | A | B&W HTM71 S3: bi-amping. |
| Price | A | B&W HTM71 S3 is cheaper - $2,499 against $4,950, about 50% less; arguably a different class. |
A B&W HTM71 S3 B Revel C426Be
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
Revel C426Be is ahead, but only on 1 of the measured areas, and it costs about 98% more. That is a lot of money for a narrow margin on paper - B&W HTM71 S3 looks like the sensible buy unless something else about the Revel C426Be appeals to you. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 50Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper B&W HTM71 S3 much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate B&W HTM71 S3 the better fit for a small room, and Revel C426Be for a large room and a very large room.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.