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Revel Performa3 C205 vs Revel Performa3 F208 Comparison

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Revel Performa3 C205

Passive Center Channel | 80Hz- 20kHz

Revel Performa3 C205
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Revel Performa3 F208

Passive Floor-standing | 31Hz- 20kHz

Revel Performa3 F208
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Revel Performa3 C205 Revel Performa3 C205
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Revel Performa3 F208 Revel Performa3 F208
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Revel Performa3 C205
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Revel Performa3 F208
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Revel Performa3 C205 vs Revel Performa3 F208 Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by Revel. Revel Performa3 C205 is a Center Channel speaker whereas the Performa3 F208 is a Floor-standing speaker.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Revel Performa3 C205 and Revel Performa3 F208 first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Revel Performa3 C205 Key Specs

  • 2-way Design
  • 1" dome with proprietary acoustic lens and waveguide Tweeter
  • 2 x 5.25" aluminum cone with cast frames Woofer
  • 80Hz- 20kHz Frequency Response
  • 89 dB Sensitivity
  • Impedance: 8ohms
  • Power Range:50-120watts
  • Weight:11.86kg
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 207.0" x 21-1/16" x 11-9/16"( 207.0 x 535.0 x 294.0mm )

Revel Performa3 F208 Key Specs

  • 3-way Design
  • 1" Hard-Dome with Acoustic Lens Waveguide Tweeter
  • 5.25" Midrange
  • 2 x 8" Aluminum Woofer
  • 5.25" Midrange
  • 31Hz- 20kHz Frequency Response
  • 88.5 dB Sensitivity
  • Impedance: 8ohms
  • Power Range:50-350watts
  • Weight:36.27kg
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 1188.0" x 13-5/8" x 15"( 1188.0 x 347.0 x 381.0mm )

Revel Performa3 C205 and Performa3 F208 are members of Revel's Performa3 series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.

Revel Performa3 Series History
Model Body Frequency SensitivityImpedance Woofer
Revel M106
  
Bookshelf 59Hz- 20kHz 87 dB8Ω 1 x 6.5"
Revel M105
  
Bookshelf 60Hz- 20kHz 86 dB8Ω 1 x 5.25"
Revel Performa3 F206
  
Floor-standing 42Hz- 20kHz 88 dB8Ω 2 x 6.5"
Revel Performa3 F208
Floor-standing 31Hz- 20kHz 88.5 dB8Ω 2 x 8"
Revel Performa3 C208
  
Center Channel 50Hz- 20kHz 89 dB8Ω 2 x 8"
Revel Performa3 C205
Center Channel 80Hz- 20kHz 89 dB8Ω 2 x 5.25"

What size room are the Revel Performa3 C205 and Revel Performa3 F208 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 Performa3 C205 Revel Performa3 F208
Near-field Poor Are you nuts?
Small Room Average Poor
Mid-size Room Good Average
Large Room Average Good
Very Large Room Poor Good

(* 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.)

In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Revel Performa3 C205 and Revel Performa3 F208 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.


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


Drivers

One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Revel Performa3 C205 is a 2-way design whereas the Performa3 F208 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 Revel Performa3 C205 Revel Performa3 F208
Driver Setup 2-way 3-way
Tweeter 1-inch 1-inch
Midrange - 1 x 5.25-inch
Woofer 2 x 5.25-inch 2 x 8-inch

Revel Performa3 C205 features a 1" aluminum dome with proprietary acoustic lens and waveguide Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" aluminum cone with cast frames Woofer . On the other hand, the Performa3 F208 features a 1" Aluminum Hard-Dome with Acoustic Lens Waveguide Tweeter , a 5.25" Midrange and 2 x 8" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 270Hz and 2200Hz.

Frequency Response

Revel Performa3 C205 has a frequency range of 80Hz- 20kHz whereas Performa3 F208 has a frequency range of 31Hz- 20kHz. With a minimum frequency of 31Hz, the Performa3 F208 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Revel Performa3 C205's min frequency of 80Hz.

Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Center Channel class in our database.

Low Frequency

Center Channel Speakers

Revel Performa3 C205
Performa3 F208
Min
Average
Max
High Frequency

Center Channel Speakers

Revel Performa3 C205
Revel Performa3 F208
Min
Average
Max

None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.

Impedance and Sensitivity

Revel Performa3 C205 and Performa3 F208 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Revel Performa3 C205 sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the Performa3 F208's is at 88.5 dB.

Sensitivity

Center Channel Speakers

Revel Performa3 C205
Performa3 F208
Min
Average
Max

Power Range

Power range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. While using an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.

Revel Performa3 C205 can handle a max power of 350 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Revel Performa3 C205 has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS , 230 watts less than the Performa3 F208.

Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.

Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring

Performa3 F208 features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Revel Performa3 C205 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.

Revel Performa3 C205 Terminals
Revel Performa3 C205's Binding post terminals

Revel Performa3 F208 Terminals
Revel Performa3 F208's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring

Physical Specs

Size of a speaker can sometimes become 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 Performa3 C205's and Revel Performa3 F208's external dimensions. Revel Performa3 C205 has external dimensions of 207.0 x 535.0 x 294.0mm ( 8-1/8 x 21-1/16 x 11-9/16inch) whereas Revel Performa3 F208 has external dimensions of 1188.0 x 347.0 x 381.0mm ( 46-3/4 x 13-5/8 x 15inch) .

Revel Performa3 C205 is 981mm shorter and 87mm less deeper than Revel Performa3 F208 but it is also 188mm wider.

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 Performa3 C205 is approximately 1572.9cm2 / 243.8inch2 and base area of the Revel Performa3 F208 is approximately 1322.1cm2 / 204.9inch2. The Revel Performa3 C205 requires 19% more surface area than the Performa3 F208 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.

What's in the Box of Revel Performa3 C205?

Here are the items that are included inside the box of Revel Performa3 C205:
  • Center-channel loudspeaker
  • Grille
  • 2 Short feet
  • 2 Long feet
  • Owners Manual
  • What's in the Box of Revel Performa3 F208?

    Here are the items that come with the Performa3 F208:
  • Floorstanding loudspeaker
  • Grille
  • 4 Spike feet
  • 4 Locking rings
  • 4 Washers
  • 2 Terminal jumpers (pre-installed)
  • Foam port plug
  • Owners Manual

  • Reasons to choose Revel Performa3 C205 over Revel Performa3 F208
    Height 207mm vs 1188mm Easier to fit in smaller spaces
    Price per pair* 1100USD vs 5500USD costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

    Reasons to choose Revel Performa3 F208 over Revel Performa3 C205

    Max Input Power 350 watts vs 120 watts Handle more power from your amplifier
    Driver Setup 3-way vs 2-way Have a dedicated mid-range driver
    Woofer Size 8 inches vs 5.25 inches Larger woofer
    Low Frequency Response 31 Hz vs 80 Hz Generates deeper bass
    Base Surface Area 1322cm2 vs 1572cm2 Takes less floor space
    Revel Performa3 C205 vs Revel Performa3 F208 Specs Table
    Detailed comparison of specifications
    General Revel Performa3 C205 Revel Performa3 F208
    Brand Revel Revel
    Speaker Type Center channel speaker Floor-standing speaker
    Power Range 50-120 watts 50-350 watts
    Sensitivity 89 dB 88.5 dB
    Impedance 8 ohms 8 ohms
    Frequency Response 80Hz- 20kHz 31Hz- 20kHz
    Drivers
    Woofer Quantity 2 2
    Woofer Size 5.25" 8"
    Woofer Composition aluminum cone with cast frames Aluminum
    Woofer Surround Material n/a Rubber
    Tweeter Size 1" 1"
    Tweeter Type dome with proprietary acoustic lens and waveguide Hard-Dome with Acoustic Lens Waveguide
    Aimable Tweeter No No
    Midrange Driver No 5.25"
    Crossover Frequency n/a 270Hz and 2200Hz
    Firing Direction n/a rear
    Physical Specs
    Height 207.0mm (8.1") 1188.0mm (46.8")
    Width 535.0mm (21.1") 347.0mm (13.7")
    Depth 294.0mm (11.6") 381.0mm (15")
    Weight 11.86kg (26.1lbs) 36.27kg (79.8lbs)
    Enclosure Passive Radiator Bass Reflex
    Finish n/a Wood/Lacquer
    Available Colors Gloss Black Gloss Black
    Grille Yes Yes
    Moisture Resistancy No No
    Connections
    Biamp Inputs n/a Yes
    Other
    Parts Warranty 5 Years 5 Years
    Labor Warranty 5 Years 5 Years

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