In this review, we will be comparing Performa3 F206 and BW 603, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Revel and Bowers Wilkins.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Revel Performa3 F206 and B&W 603 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Revel Performa3 F206 | B&W 603 |
|---|
| Brand | Revel
United States · founded 1996 | Bowers Wilkins
United Kingdom · founded 1966 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Hard-Dome with Acoustic Lens Waveguide | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | 5.25" | 6" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Aluminum | 2 x 6.5" Paper |
|---|
| Frequency response | 42Hz- 20kHz | 48-28k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 88.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-200 watts | 30-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 26.41kg / 58.1lbs | 24.14kg / 53.1lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 41-5/8" x 10" x 13-7/8"
1058.0 x 254.0 x 353.0mm | 38.7" x 7.4" x 13.3"
985.0 x 190.0 x 340.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Revel Performa3 F206 and B&W 603 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 F206 |
B&W 603 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| 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.
Drivers
Both Performa3 F206 and BW 603 are 3-way speakers.
Revel Performa3 F206B&W 603
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 F206 |
B&W 603 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.25-inch |
1 x 6-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
Performa3 F206 features a 1" Aluminum Hard-Dome with Acoustic Lens Waveguide Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 275Hz and 2150Hz. On the other hand, the BW 603 features a 1" Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Paper Woofer.
Frequency Response
Performa3 F206 has a frequency range of 42Hz- 20kHz whereas BW 603 has a frequency range of 48-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 42Hz, the Performa3 F206 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the BW 603's min frequency of 48Hz.
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
Performa3 F206 and BW 603 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Performa3 F206 sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the BW 603's is at 88.5 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the B&W 603 a more sensitive speaker compared to Revel Performa3 F206, 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.
Both handle the same maximum of 200 watts RMS, though Performa3 F206 is rated 50-200 watts and BW 603 30-200 watts.
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
BW 603 features Post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Performa3 F206 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Revel Performa3 F206's Binding post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Performa3 F206 and BW 603 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.
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 F206's and B&W 603's external dimensions. Revel Performa3 F206 has external dimensions of 1058.0 x 254.0 x 353.0mm (41-5/8 x 10 x 13-7/8inch) whereas B&W 603 has external dimensions of 985.0 x 190.0 x 340.0mm (38.7 x 7.4 x 13.3inch).
Revel Performa3 F206 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 64mm wider, 73mm taller and 13mm deeper than B&W 603.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Revel Performa3 F206 and B&W 603 in scale.
Comparison image of Revel Performa3 F206 and B&W 603 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 Performa3 F206 is approximately 896.6cm2 / 139.0inch2 and base area of the B&W 603 is approximately 646.0cm2 / 100.1inch2. The Performa3 F206 requires 39% more surface area than the BW 603 which gives it a small disadvantage 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 F206 weighs 26.41kg / 58.1lbs and the B&W 603 weighs 24.14kg / 53.1lbs. This makes the Performa3 F206 9% heavier than the BW 603.
Here is a comparison of how Performa3 F206 and BW 603'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 Performa3 F206?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Performa3 F206:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Locking rings
- 4 Washers
- Foam port plug
- Owners Manual
What's in the Box of B&W 603?
Here are the items that come with the BW 603:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- Plinith (base)
- 2 Jumper-straps (pre-installed)
- 4 Rubber feet
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Hex-nuts
- 4 Screws
- 4 Washers
- 4 Lock-washers
- Two-piece foam port plug
- Hex-key
- Manual
- Bowers & Wilkins brochure
- Warranty Information
 Low Frequency Response |
42 Hz
vs
48 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Sensitivity |
89 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 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 |
 Height |
985mm
vs
1058mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
646cm2
vs
896cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
Revel Performa3 F206 |
Bowers & Wilkins 603 |
| Brand |
Revel |
Bowers Wilkins |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
50-200 watts |
30-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
88.5 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
42Hz- 20kHz |
48-28k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aluminum |
Paper |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Hard-Dome with Acoustic Lens Waveguide |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5.25" |
6" |
| Crossover Frequency |
275Hz and 2150Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1058.0mm (41.7") |
985.0mm (38.8") |
| Width |
254.0mm (10") |
190.0mm (7.5") |
| Depth |
353.0mm (13.9") |
340.0mm (13.4") |
| Weight |
26.41kg (58.1lbs) |
24.14kg (53.1lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
Wood/Lacquer |
MDF/Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Gloss Black |
Black, White, Oak |
| 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: B&W 603 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 | Revel Performa3 F206 digs deeper - 42Hz against 48Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (88dB vs 89dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (200W vs 200W). |
| Size | depends | B&W 603 is easier to place; Revel Performa3 F206 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | B&W 603: bi-amping. Revel Performa3 F206 sits in a wider range (8 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
A Revel Performa3 F206 B B&W 603
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?
Revel Performa3 F206 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 48Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. In a large or open-plan room, Revel Performa3 F206 has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, B&W 603 is the easier speaker to get right.
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.