In this review, we will be comparing F35 and R700, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Revel and Polk Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Revel Concerta2 F35 and Polk R700 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Revel Concerta2 F35 | Polk R700 |
|---|
| Brand | Revel
United States · founded 1996 | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" dome with with proprietary acoustic lens and waveguide | 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator |
|---|
| Midrange | 5.25" | 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.25" Anodized aluminum | 2 x 8" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 55- Hz | 38-38k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30-180 watts | 50-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 18.64kg / 41lbs | 35.90kg / 79lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 40-3/8" x 8-1/2" x 12-5/16"
1026.0 x 216.0 x 313.0mm | 45" x 12.6" x 16.9"
1143.8 x 320.7 x 428.3mm |
|---|
What size room are the Revel Concerta2 F35 and Polk R700 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* |
Revel Concerta2 F35 |
Polk R700 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
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 F35 and R700 are 3-way speakers.
Revel Concerta2 F35Polk R700
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Revel Concerta2 F35 |
Polk R700 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.25-inch |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
F35 features a 1" aluminum dome with with proprietary acoustic lens and waveguide Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 2 x 5.25" Anodized aluminum Woofer. On the other hand, the R700 features a 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 8" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 350Hz and 2700Hz.
Frequency Response
F35 has a frequency range of 55- Hz whereas R700 has a frequency range of 38-38k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 38Hz, the R700 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the F35's min frequency of 55Hz.
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
F35 is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the R700 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. F35 sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the R700's is rated at 88 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Revel Concerta2 F35 a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk R700, 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.
R700 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas F35 has a max power handling value of 180 watts RMS, 120 watts less than the R700.
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
R700 features Post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. F35 has a 5-Way post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Polk R700's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
F35 has a rear firing port whereas R700 has a bottom firing ports. Polk R700's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Revel Concerta2 F35 with its rear-firing port.
Polk R700 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 Revel Concerta2 F35's and Polk R700's external dimensions. Revel Concerta2 F35 has external dimensions of 1026.0 x 216.0 x 313.0mm (40-3/8 x 8-1/2 x 12-5/16inch) whereas Polk R700 has external dimensions of 1143.8 x 320.7 x 428.3mm (45 x 12.6 x 16.9inch).
Polk R700 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 104.7mm wider, 117.8mm taller and 115.3mm deeper than Revel Concerta2 F35.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Revel Concerta2 F35 and Polk R700 in scale.
Comparison image of Revel Concerta2 F35 and Polk R700 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 Revel Concerta2 F35 is approximately 676.1cm2 / 104.8inch2 and base area of the Polk R700 is approximately 1373.6cm2 / 212.9inch2. The F35 requires 51% less surface area than the R700 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 Revel Concerta2 F35 weighs 18.64kg / 41lbs and the Polk R700 weighs 35.90kg / 79lbs. This makes the R700 93% heavier than the F35.
Here is a comparison of how F35 and R700'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 Concerta2 F35?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of F35:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Spike feet
- Owners Manual
What's in the Box of Polk R700?
Here are the items that come with the R700:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- 4 Outrigger feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Rubber feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spike feet (pre-installed)
- Grille
- Hex-key
- Owner's Manual
- Online Registration
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Height |
1026mm
vs
1143mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
676cm2
vs
1373cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1760USD
vs
2198USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
180 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
5.25 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
38 Hz
vs
55 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
38k Hz
vs
0k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
| General |
Revel Concerta2 F35 |
Polk Audio Reserve R700 |
| Brand |
Revel |
Polk Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
30-180 watts |
50-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
n/a |
3.6 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
55- Hz |
38-38k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5.25" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Anodized aluminum |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
dome with with proprietary acoustic lens and waveguide |
Pinnacle Ring Radiator |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5.25" |
6.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
350Hz and 2700Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
bottom |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1026.0mm (40.4") |
1143.8mm (45") |
| Width |
216.0mm (8.5") |
320.7mm (12.6") |
| Depth |
313.0mm (12.3") |
428.3mm (16.9") |
| Weight |
18.64kg (41lbs) |
35.90kg (79lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
Wood/Lacquer |
MDF/Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Gloss White |
Black, Walnut, White |
| 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 |
A generation apart: Polk R700 is the newer design, against a 2015 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | Polk R700 digs deeper - 38Hz against 55Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | A | Revel Concerta2 F35 is more sensitive (90dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | Polk R700 is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | B | Polk R700 takes more power (300W vs 180W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Revel Concerta2 F35 is easier to place; Polk R700 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | B | Polk R700: bi-amping. Polk R700 sits in a wider range (10 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | A | Revel Concerta2 F35 is cheaper - $1,760 against $2,198, about 20% less. |
A Revel Concerta2 F35 B Polk R700
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?
Polk R700 leads across most of the measured areas for a fairly modest premium, which makes it the easier pick if the budget stretches. Revel Concerta2 F35 is the one to take if it does not. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 55Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Revel Concerta2 F35 much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate Revel Concerta2 F35 the better fit for a mid-size room, and Polk R700 for 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.