In this review, we will be comparing Kanta No.3 and F328Be, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Focal and Revel.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Focal Kanta No.3 and Revel PerformaBe F328Be first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Focal Kanta No.3 | Revel PerformaBe F328Be |
|---|
| Brand | Focal
France · founded 1979 | Revel
United States · founded 1996 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.1" Hard-Dome | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | 6.5" | 5.25" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8" Flax | 3 x 8.0" Aluminum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 33-40k Hz | 26-40k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 91 dB | 91 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 40-400 watts | 50-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 46.09kg / 101.4lbs | 51.18kg / 112.6lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 50-3/8" x 15-3/16" x 20-1/2"
1280.0 x 386.0 x 521.0mm | 50-15/16" x 13-1/2" x 17-5/8"
1294.0 x 343.0 x 448.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Focal Kanta No.3 and Revel PerformaBe F328Be 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* |
Focal Kanta No.3 |
Revel PerformaBe F328Be |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Good |
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 Kanta No.3 and F328Be are 3-way speakers.
Focal Kanta No.3Revel PerformaBe F328Be
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Focal Kanta No.3 |
Revel PerformaBe F328Be |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6.5-inch |
1 x 5.25-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8-inch
|
3 x 8.0-inch
|
Kanta No.3 features a 1.1" IAL3 Beryllium Hard-Dome Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 8" Flax Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 250 Hz - 2500 Hz. On the other hand, the F328Be features a 1" Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 3 x 8.0" Aluminum Woofer.
Frequency Response
Kanta No.3 has a frequency range of 33-40k Hz whereas F328Be has a frequency range of 26-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 26Hz, the F328Be can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Kanta No.3's min frequency of 33Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing 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
Kanta No.3 and F328Be have the same Impedance of 8 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 91 dB.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing 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.
Kanta No.3 can handle a max power of 400 watts RMS, whereas F328Be has a max power handling value of 300 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the Kanta No.3.
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
F328Be features 5-way posts posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Kanta No.3 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Kanta No.3 has a Front firing port whereas F328Be has a rear firing ports.
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 Focal Kanta No.3's and Revel PerformaBe F328Be's external dimensions. Focal Kanta No.3 has external dimensions of 1280.0 x 386.0 x 521.0mm (50-3/8inch x 15-3/16inch x 20-1/2inch) whereas Revel PerformaBe F328Be has external dimensions of 1294.0 x 343.0 x 448.0mm (50-15/16 x 13-1/2 x 17-5/8inch).
Revel PerformaBe F328Be is 43mm narrower and 73mm less deeper than Focal Kanta No.3 but it is also 14mm taller.
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 Focal Kanta No.3 is approximately 2011.1cm2 / 311.7inch2 and base area of the Revel PerformaBe F328Be is approximately 1536.6cm2 / 238.2inch2. The Kanta No.3 requires 31% more surface area than the F328Be which gives it a small disadvantage 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 Focal Kanta No.3 weighs 46.09kg / 101.4lbs and the Revel PerformaBe F328Be weighs 51.18kg / 112.6lbs. This makes the F328Be 11% heavier than the Kanta No.3.
Here is a comparison of how Kanta No.3 and F328Be's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of Focal Kanta No.3?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Kanta No.3:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Large grille
- Small grille
- Outrigger feet
- 4 Spikes
- 4 Protective discs
- User Manual
What's in the Box of Revel PerformaBe F328Be?
Here are the items that come with the F328Be:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Locking rings
- 4 Washers
- 2 Terminal jumpers (pre-installed)
- 2 Foam port plugs
- Owners Manual
 Max Input Power |
400 watts
vs
300 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Height |
1280mm
vs
1294mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
10998USD
vs
17600USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
26 Hz
vs
33 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Base Surface Area |
1536cm2
vs
2011cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
Focal Kanta No.3 |
Revel PerformaBe F328Be |
| Brand |
Focal |
Revel |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
40-400 watts |
50-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
91 dB |
91 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.0 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
33-40k Hz |
26-40k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
3 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
8.0" |
| Woofer Composition |
Flax |
Aluminum |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
n/a |
| Tweeter Size |
1.1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Hard-Dome |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6.5" |
5.25" |
| Crossover Frequency |
250 Hz - 2500 Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
Front |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1280.0mm (50.4") |
1294.0mm (50.9") |
| Width |
386.0mm (15.2") |
343.0mm (13.5") |
| Depth |
521.0mm (20.5") |
448.0mm (17.6") |
| Weight |
46.09kg (101.4lbs) |
51.18kg (112.6lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
Multi-ply/Polymer/Veneer |
n/a |
| Available Colors |
High-Gloss Carrara White, High-Gloss Black/Deep Black, Matte Walnut/Dark Grey,Matte Walnut/Ivory |
Gloss Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - Revel PerformaBe F328Be costs roughly 1.6x what Focal Kanta No.3 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 PerformaBe F328Be digs deeper - 26Hz against 33Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (91dB vs 91dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | A | Focal Kanta No.3 takes more power (400W vs 300W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Revel PerformaBe F328Be is easier to place; Focal Kanta No.3 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | B | Revel PerformaBe F328Be: bi-amping. |
| Price | A | Focal Kanta No.3 is cheaper - $10,998 against $17,600, about 38% less; arguably a different class. |
A Focal Kanta No.3 B Revel PerformaBe F328Be
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 PerformaBe F328Be is ahead, but only on 1 of the measured areas, and it costs about 60% more. That is a lot of money for a narrow margin on paper - Focal Kanta No.3 looks like the sensible buy unless something else about the Revel PerformaBe F328Be appeals to you. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 33Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Focal Kanta No.3 much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate Focal Kanta No.3 the better fit for a very large room; elsewhere the two are rated the same.
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.