In this review, we will be comparing Sopra 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 Sopra No.3 and Revel PerformaBe F328Be first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Focal Sopra No.3 | Revel PerformaBe F328Be |
|---|
| Brand | Focal
France · founded 1979 | Revel
United States · founded 1996 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.1" Inverted Dome | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | 6.5" | 5.25" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8.25" W sandwich | 3 x 8.0" Aluminum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 33-40k Hz | 26-40k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 91.5 dB | 91 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 40-400 watts | 50-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 70.00kg / 154lbs | 51.18kg / 112.6lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 49-3/4" x 15-13/16" x 23-7/16"
1264.0 x 402.0 x 595.0mm | 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 Sopra 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 Sopra No.3 |
Revel PerformaBe F328Be |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
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 Sopra No.3 and F328Be are 3-way speakers.
Focal Sopra 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 Sopra 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 8.25-inch
|
3 x 8.0-inch
|
Sopra No.3 features a 1.1" Beryllium Inverted Dome Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 8.25" W sandwich Woofer. On the other hand, the F328Be features a 1" Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 3 x 8.0" Aluminum Woofer.
Frequency Response
Sopra 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 Sopra 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
Sopra No.3 and F328Be have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Sopra No.3 sensitivity is rated at 91.5 dB and the F328Be's is at 91 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Focal Sopra No.3 a more sensitive speaker compared to Revel PerformaBe F328Be, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
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.
Sopra 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 Sopra 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. Sopra No.3 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
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 Sopra No.3's and Revel PerformaBe F328Be's external dimensions. Focal Sopra No.3 has external dimensions of 1264.0 x 402.0 x 595.0mm (49-3/4 x 15-13/16 x 23-7/16inch) 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 59mm narrower and 147mm less deeper than Focal Sopra No.3 but it is also 30mm taller.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
Focal Sopra No.3 needs about 56% more floor or shelf area. Focal Sopra No.3 is 147mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Revel PerformaBe F328Be is 30mm 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 Sopra No.3 is approximately 2391.9cm2 / 370.7inch2 and base area of the Revel PerformaBe F328Be is approximately 1536.6cm2 / 238.2inch2. The Sopra No.3 requires 56% 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 Sopra No.3 weighs 70.00kg / 154lbs and the Revel PerformaBe F328Be weighs 51.18kg / 112.6lbs. This makes the Sopra No.3 37% heavier than the F328Be.
Here is a comparison of how Sopra 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 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 |
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
91 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
8.25 inches
vs
8.0 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Height |
1264mm
vs
1294mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
|
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
2391cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
17600USD
vs
27998USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Focal Sopra 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 |
91.5 dB |
91 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
33-40k Hz |
26-40k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
3 |
| Woofer Size |
8.25" |
8.0" |
| Woofer Composition |
W sandwich |
Aluminum |
| Tweeter Size |
1.1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Inverted Dome |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6.5" |
5.25" |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1264.0mm (49.8") |
1294.0mm (50.9") |
| Width |
402.0mm (15.8") |
343.0mm (13.5") |
| Depth |
595.0mm (23.4") |
448.0mm (17.6") |
| Weight |
70.00kg (154lbs) |
51.18kg (112.6lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Available Colors |
n/a |
Gloss Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| 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 (92dB vs 91dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | A | Focal Sopra 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 Sopra No.3 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | B | Revel PerformaBe F328Be: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | Revel PerformaBe F328Be is cheaper - $17,600 against $27,998, about 37% less. |
A Focal Sopra 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 has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 33Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. In a large or open-plan room, Focal Sopra No.3 has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Revel PerformaBe F328Be is the easier speaker to get right.
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.