In this review, we will be comparing Performa3 F206 and R7, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Revel and KEF. Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Revel Performa3 F206 and KEF R7 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Revel Performa3 F206 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" Hard-Dome with Acoustic Lens Waveguide Tweeter
- 5.25" Midrange
- 2 x 6.5" Aluminum Woofer
- 42Hz- 20kHz Frequency Response
- 88 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:50-200watts
- Weight:26.41kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1058.0" x 10" x 13-7/8"( 1058.0 x 254.0 x 353.0mm )
KEF R7 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" Dome Tweeter
- 5" Midrange
- 2 x 6.5" Hybrid Aluminum Woofer
- 5" Midrange
- 48-28k Hz Frequency Response
- 88 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:15-250watts
- Weight:31.40kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1113.0" x 8" x 15-5/16"( 1113.0 x 200.0 x 389.0mm )
What size room are the Revel Performa3 F206 and KEF R7 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 |
KEF R7 |
| 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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Revel Performa3 F206 and KEF R7 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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Drivers
Both Performa3 F206 and R7 are 3-way speakers.
| Driver |
Revel Performa3 F206 |
KEF R7 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.25-inch |
1 x 5-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 R7 features a 1" aluminum Dome Tweeter , a 5" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Hybrid Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 400Hz and 2900Hz.
Frequency Response
Performa3 F206 has a frequency range of 42Hz- 20kHz whereas R7 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 R7's min frequency of 48Hz.
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 Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
High Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
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
Performa3 F206 and R7 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 88 dB.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
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.
Performa3 F206 can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Performa3 F206 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS , 50 watts less than the R7.
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
R7 features Binding 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
KEF R7's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Performa3 F206 and R7 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
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 F206's and KEF R7'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 KEF R7 has external dimensions of 1113.0 x 200.0 x 389.0mm ( 43-13/16 x 8 x 15-5/16inch) .
Revel Performa3 F206 is 55mm shorter and 36mm less deeper than KEF R7 but it is also 54mm 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 F206 is approximately 896.6cm2 / 139.0inch2 and base area of the KEF R7 is approximately 778.0cm2 / 120.6inch2. The Performa3 F206 requires 15% more surface area than the R7 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 KEF R7 weighs 31.40kg / 69.1lbs. This makes the R7 19% heavier than the Performa3 F206.
Here is a comparison of how Performa3 F206 and R7'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 loudspeakerGrille4 Spike feet4 Locking rings4 WashersFoam port plugOwners Manual
What's in the Box of KEF R7?
Here are the items that come with the R7:
Floorstanding loudspeakerGrille2 Foam port plugs4 Outrigger feet4 Spikes4 Protective discs4 Screws4 WashersWrenchHex-keyUser ManualWarranty Information