KEF R3 vs Revel M106 Comparison

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KEF R3

Passive Bookshelf | 52-28k Hz

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Revel M106

Passive Bookshelf | 59Hz- 20kHz

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KEF R3

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Revel M106

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KEF R3

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Revel M106

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KEF R3 vs Revel M106 Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing R3 and M106, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from KEF and Revel.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of KEF R3 and Revel M106 first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key Specs	KEF R3	Revel M106
Design	3-way	2-way
Uni-Q driver	12th Generation Uni-Q	—
Tweeter	1" Dome	1" Hard-Dome with Acoustic Lens Waveguide
Midrange	5"	—
Woofer	6.5" Hybrid aluminum	6.5" Aluminum
Frequency response	52-28k Hz	59Hz- 20kHz
Sensitivity	87 dB	87 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	8 ohms
Power range	15-180 watts	50-150 watts
Weight	13.55kg / 29.8lbs	8.41kg / 18.5lbs
Dimensions (H x W x D)	16-5/8" x 7-13/16" x 13-1/4" 423.0 x 199.0 x 337.0mm	15-1/16" x 8-1/4" x 11" 383.0 x 210.0 x 280.0mm

What size room are the KEF R3 and Revel M106 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*	KEF R3	Revel M106
Near-field	Poor	Poor
Small Room	Average	Average
Mid-size Room	Good	Good
Large Room	Average	Average
Very Large Room	Poor	Poor

(* 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.

**This post contains affiliate links, and we will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Drivers

One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that R3 is a 3-way design whereas the M106 is a 2-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.

KEF R3

Revel M106

TweeterMidrangeWoofer

Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.

Driver	KEF R3	Revel M106
Driver Setup	3-way	2-way
Tweeter	1-inch	1-inch
Midrange	1 x 5-inch	-
Woofer	1 x 6.5-inch	1 x 6.5-inch

R3 features a 1" aluminum Dome Tweeter, a 5" Midrange and 1 x 6.5" Hybrid aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 400Hz and 2900Hz. On the other hand, the M106 features a 1" aluminum Hard-Dome with Acoustic Lens Waveguide Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2300Hz.

Frequency Response

R3 has a frequency range of 52-28k Hz whereas M106 has a frequency range of 59Hz- 20kHz. With a minimum frequency of 52Hz, the R3 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the M106's min frequency of 59Hz.

The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.

Low Frequency

Bookshelf Speakers

M106

Min

Average

Median

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

R3 and M106 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 87 dB.

Sensitivity

Bookshelf Speakers

M106

Min

Average

Median

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.

R3 can handle a max power of 180 watts RMS, whereas M106 has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 30 watts less than the R3.

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.

Amplifier — change this

Distance

Playing as

KEF R3

Revel M106

Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring

R3 features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. M106 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.

Revel M106's Binding post terminals

Cabinet Type and Port Position

Both R3 and M106 have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generally need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing the speakers too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.

If you are limited in space and can't get the speakers away from the backwall, check our Speakers with Front Firing Ports page.

KEF R3 Port

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 KEF R3's and Revel M106's external dimensions. KEF R3 has external dimensions of 423.0 x 199.0 x 337.0mm (16-5/8 x 7-13/16 x 13-1/4inch) whereas Revel M106 has external dimensions of 383.0 x 210.0 x 280.0mm (15-1/16 x 8-1/4 x 11inch).

Revel M106 is 40mm shorter and 57mm less deeper than KEF R3 but it is also 11mm wider.

Below you can see the front view size comparison of KEF R3 and Revel M106 in scale.

Comparison image of KEF R3 and Revel M106 Size and External Dimensions

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 KEF R3 is approximately 670.6cm² / 103.9inch² and base area of the Revel M106 is approximately 588.0cm² / 91.1inch². The R3 requires 14% more surface area than the M106 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.

Here is another comparison that shows both speakers on a BDI Octave Media Cabinet, next to a standard size amplifier and turntable in scale:

Size Comparison image of KEF R3 and Revel M106 on a Media Console

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 KEF R3 weighs 13.55kg / 29.8lbs and the Revel M106 weighs 8.41kg / 18.5lbs. This makes the R3 61% heavier than the M106.

Here is a comparison of how R3 and M106's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Bookshelf class.

Weight
All Bookshelf Speakers

KEF R3

Revel M106

Min

Average

Max

What's in the Box of KEF R3?

Here are the items that are included inside the box of R3:

2 Bookshelf loudspeakers
2 Grilles
2 Foam port plugs
8 Self-adhesive rubber feet
User Manual
Warranty Information

What's in the Box of Revel M106?

Here are the items that come with the M106:

Bookshelf loudspeaker
Grille
Foam port plug
Owners Manual

Reasons to choose KEF R3 over Revel Performa3 M106

Max Input Power	180 watts vs 150 watts	Handle more power from your amplifier
Driver Setup	3-way vs 2-way	Have a dedicated mid-range driver
Low Frequency Response	52 Hz vs 59 Hz	Generates deeper bass
High Frequency Response	28k Hz vs 20k Hz	Generates higher frequency
Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring	Yes vs No	Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections

Reasons to choose Revel Performa3 M106 over KEF R3

Height	383mm vs 423mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces
Base Surface Area	588cm² vs 670cm²	Takes less floor space

KEF R3 vs Revel M106 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	KEF R3	Revel Performa3 M106
Brand	KEF	Revel
Speaker Type	Bookshelf speakers	Bookshelf speakers
Power Range	15-180 watts	50-150 watts
Sensitivity	87 dB	87 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	8 ohms
Impedance	3.2 ohms	n/a
Frequency Response	52-28k Hz	59Hz- 20kHz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	1	1
Woofer Size	6.5"	6.5"
Woofer Composition	Hybrid aluminum	Aluminum
Woofer Surround Material	Rubber	Rubber
Tweeter Size	1"	1"
Tweeter Type	Dome	Hard-Dome with Acoustic Lens Waveguide
Aimable Tweeter	No	No
Midrange Driver	5"	No
Crossover Frequency	400Hz and 2900Hz	2300Hz
Firing Direction	rear	rear
Physical Specs
Height	423.0mm (16.7")	383.0mm (15.1")
Width	199.0mm (7.8")	210.0mm (8.3")
Depth	337.0mm (13.3")	280.0mm (11")
Weight	13.55kg (29.8lbs)	8.41kg (18.5lbs)
Enclosure	Bass Reflex	Bass Reflex
Finish	MDF/Lacquer	Wood/Lacquer
Available Colors	Black Gloss, White Gloss, Walnut	Gloss Walnut,Piano Black
Mounting Bracket	No	No
Recommended Stand Height	n/a	24-25"
Grille	Yes	Yes
Moisture Resistancy	No	No
Connections
Biamp Inputs	Yes	No
Other
Parts Warranty	5 Years	5 Years
Labor Warranty	5 Years	5 Years

Verdict

A generation apart: KEF R3 is the newer design, against a 2013 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.

Area	Better	Why
Bass	A	KEF R3 digs deeper - 52Hz against 59Hz. A subwoofer would even that out.
Amplifier needs	evenly matched	Similar sensitivity (87dB vs 87dB) - both want much the same power.
Headroom	evenly matched	Similar power handling (180W vs 150W).
Size	depends	Revel M106 is easier to place; KEF R3 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides.
Expandability	depends	KEF R3: bi-amping. Revel M106 sits in a wider range (8 models), so a matched surround system is easier later.
Price	evenly matched	Much the same money ($2,200 vs $2,200 a pair).

A KEF R3 B Revel M106
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, placement 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?

KEF R3 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 59Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead.

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.