In this review, we will be comparing Performa3 C205 and Ultra Center, two Passive Center Channel speakers from Revel and SVS.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Revel Performa3 C205 and SVS Ultra Center first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Revel Performa3 C205 | SVS Ultra Center |
|---|
| Brand | Revel
United States · founded 1996 | SVS
United States · founded 1998 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" dome with proprietary acoustic lens and waveguide | 1" Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 4" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.25" aluminum cone with cast frames | 2 x 6.5" composite glass-fiber |
|---|
| Frequency response | 80Hz- 20kHz | 45-32k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 dB | 87 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-120 watts | 20-225 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 11.86kg / 26.1lbs | 14.09kg / 31lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 8-1/8" x 21-1/16" x 11-9/16"
207.0 x 535.0 x 294.0mm | 8-1/8" x 22-1/16" x 11-3/16"
207.0 x 561.0 x 285.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Revel Performa3 C205 and SVS Ultra Center 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 |
SVS Ultra Center |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Performa3 C205 is a 2-way design whereas the Ultra Center 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.
Revel Performa3 C205SVS Ultra Center
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 Performa3 C205 |
SVS Ultra Center |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 4-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
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 Ultra Center features a 1" aluminum Dome Tweeter, a 4" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" composite glass-fiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 500Hz and 2200Hz.
Frequency Response
Performa3 C205 has a frequency range of 80Hz- 20kHz whereas Ultra Center has a frequency range of 45-32k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 45Hz, the Ultra Center can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Performa3 C205's min frequency of 80Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Center Channel class in our database.
Low Frequency
Center Channel 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
Performa3 C205 and Ultra Center have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Performa3 C205 sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the Ultra Center's is at 87 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Revel Performa3 C205 a more sensitive speaker compared to SVS Ultra Center, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Center Channel 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.
Ultra Center can handle a max power of 225 watts RMS, whereas Performa3 C205 has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 105 watts less than the Ultra Center.
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
Ultra Center features 5-Way post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Performa3 C205 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Revel Performa3 C205's Binding post terminals
SVS Ultra Center's 5-Way post terminals allows Bi-amping or 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 Revel Performa3 C205's and SVS Ultra Center'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 SVS Ultra Center has external dimensions of 207.0 x 561.0 x 285.0mm (8-1/8 x 22-1/16 x 11-3/16inch).
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 SVS Ultra Center is approximately 1598.9cm2 / 247.8inch2. The Performa3 C205 requires 2% less surface area than the Ultra Center 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 Performa3 C205 weighs 11.86kg / 26.1lbs and the SVS Ultra Center weighs 14.09kg / 31lbs. This makes the Ultra Center 19% heavier than the Performa3 C205.
Here is a comparison of how Performa3 C205 and Ultra Center's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Center Channel class.
Weight
All Center Channel Speakers
What's in the Box of Revel Performa3 C205?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Performa3 C205:
- Center-channel loudspeaker
- Grille
- 2 Short feet
- 2 Long feet
- Owners Manual
What's in the Box of SVS Ultra Center?
Here are the items that come with the Ultra Center:
- Center channel loudspeaker
- Grille
- 2 Terminal jumpers (pre-installed)
- 4 Rubber feet
- Owners Manual
- SVS brochure
- Online Product Registration Card
 Sensitivity |
89 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Base Surface Area |
1572cm2
vs
1598cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Max Input Power |
225 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 |
6.5 inches
vs
5.25 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
45 Hz
vs
80 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
32k Hz
vs
20k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Price per pair* |
799USD
vs
1100USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Revel Performa3 C205 |
SVS Ultra Center |
| Brand |
Revel |
SVS |
| Speaker Type |
Center channel speaker |
Center channel speaker |
| Power Range |
50-120 watts |
20-225 watts |
| Sensitivity |
89 dB |
87 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
80Hz- 20kHz |
45-32k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5.25" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
aluminum cone with cast frames |
composite glass-fiber |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
dome with proprietary acoustic lens and waveguide |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
4" |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
500Hz and 2200Hz |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
207.0mm (8.1") |
207.0mm (8.1") |
| Width |
535.0mm (21.1") |
561.0mm (22.1") |
| Depth |
294.0mm (11.6") |
285.0mm (11.2") |
| Weight |
11.86kg (26.1lbs) |
14.09kg (31lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Passive Radiator |
Bass Reflex |
| Available Colors |
Gloss Black |
Black Oak,Piano Gloss Black,Piano Gloss White |
| 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 |
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 | SVS Ultra Center digs deeper - 45Hz against 80Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | A | Revel Performa3 C205 is more sensitive (89dB vs 87dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | B | SVS Ultra Center takes more power (225W vs 120W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Cabinet | depends | Passive Radiator vs Ported. |
| Expandability | depends | SVS Ultra Center: bi-amping. Revel Performa3 C205 sits in a wider range (8 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | B | SVS Ultra Center is cheaper - $799 against $1,100, about 27% less. |
A Revel Performa3 C205 B SVS Ultra Center
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?
SVS Ultra Center 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 80Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate Revel Performa3 C205 the better fit for a small room, and SVS Ultra Center for a large room and 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.