In this review, we will be comparing 3.7x and F328Be, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Magnepan and Revel.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Magnepan 3.7x and Revel PerformaBe F328Be first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Magnepan 3.7x | Revel PerformaBe F328Be |
|---|
| Brand | Magnepan
United States · founded 1969 | Revel
United States · founded 1996 |
|---|
| Design | — | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | — | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 5.25" |
|---|
| Woofer | — | 3 x 8.0" Aluminum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 35-40k Hz | 26-40k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 86 dB | 91 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | — | 50-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | — | 51.18kg / 112.6lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 71" x 24" x 1.625"
1803.4 x 609.6 x 41.3mm | 50-15/16" x 13-1/2" x 17-5/8"
1294.0 x 343.0 x 448.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Magnepan 3.7x 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* |
Magnepan 3.7x |
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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that 3.7x is a -way design whereas the F328Be is a 3-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.
| Driver |
Magnepan 3.7x |
Revel PerformaBe F328Be |
|
Driver Setup
|
-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 5.25-inch |
|
Woofer
|
x -inch
|
3 x 8.0-inch
|
3.7x features a " Tweeter and x " Woofer. On the other hand, the F328Be features a 1" Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 3 x 8.0" Aluminum Woofer.
Frequency Response
3.7x has a frequency range of 35-40k 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 3.7x's min frequency of 35Hz.
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
3.7x is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the F328Be which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms. Lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit especially when played at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the 3.7x can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. 3.7x sensitivity is rated at 86 dB and the F328Be's is rated at 91 dB. This 5 dB difference makes the Revel PerformaBe F328Be a more sensitive speaker compared to Magnepan 3.7x, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
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.
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 Magnepan 3.7x's and Revel PerformaBe F328Be's external dimensions. Magnepan 3.7x has external dimensions of 1803.4 x 609.6 x 41.3mm (71 x 24 x 1.625inch) 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 266.6mm narrower and 509.4mm shorter than Magnepan 3.7x but it is also 406.7mm deeper.
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.
Revel PerformaBe F328Be needs about 510% more floor or shelf area. Revel PerformaBe F328Be is 407mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Magnepan 3.7x is 509mm 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 Magnepan 3.7x is approximately 251.8cm2 / 39.0inch2 and base area of the Revel PerformaBe F328Be is approximately 1536.6cm2 / 238.2inch2. The 3.7x requires 84% less surface area than the F328Be which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
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