In this review, we will be comparing Performa3 F206 and R700, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Revel and Polk Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Revel Performa3 F206 and Polk R700 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Revel Performa3 F206 | Polk R700 |
|---|
| Brand | Revel
United States · founded 1996 | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Hard-Dome with Acoustic Lens Waveguide | 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator |
|---|
| Midrange | 5.25" | 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Aluminum | 2 x 8" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 42Hz- 20kHz | 38-38k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-200 watts | 50-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 26.41kg / 58.1lbs | 35.90kg / 79lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 41-5/8" x 10" x 13-7/8"
1058.0 x 254.0 x 353.0mm | 45" x 12.6" x 16.9"
1143.8 x 320.7 x 428.3mm |
|---|
What size room are the Revel Performa3 F206 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 Performa3 F206 |
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 Performa3 F206 and R700 are 3-way speakers.
Revel Performa3 F206Polk 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 Performa3 F206 |
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 6.5-inch
|
2 x 8-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 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
Performa3 F206 has a frequency range of 42Hz- 20kHz whereas R700 has a frequency range of 38-38k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 38Hz, the R700 can go slightly deeper then the Performa3 F206's min frequency of 42Hz.
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 R700 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. 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 Performa3 F206 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 100 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. Performa3 F206 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Revel Performa3 F206's Binding post terminals
Polk R700's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Performa3 F206 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 Performa3 F206 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 Performa3 F206's and Polk R700'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 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 66.7mm wider, 85.8mm taller and 75.3mm deeper than Revel Performa3 F206.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Revel Performa3 F206 and Polk R700 in scale.
Comparison image of Revel Performa3 F206 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 Performa3 F206 is approximately 896.6cm2 / 139.0inch2 and base area of the Polk R700 is approximately 1373.6cm2 / 212.9inch2. The Performa3 F206 requires 35% 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 Performa3 F206 weighs 26.41kg / 58.1lbs and the Polk R700 weighs 35.90kg / 79lbs. This makes the R700 36% heavier than the Performa3 F206.
Here is a comparison of how Performa3 F206 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 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 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
 Height |
1058mm
vs
1143mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
896cm2
vs
1373cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
38 Hz
vs
42 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
38k Hz
vs
20k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Price per pair* |
2198USD
vs
3850USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Revel Performa3 F206 |
Polk Audio Reserve R700 |
| Brand |
Revel |
Polk Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
50-200 watts |
50-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
n/a |
3.6 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
42Hz- 20kHz |
38-38k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aluminum |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Hard-Dome with Acoustic Lens Waveguide |
Pinnacle Ring Radiator |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5.25" |
6.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
275Hz and 2150Hz |
350Hz and 2700Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
bottom |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1058.0mm (41.7") |
1143.8mm (45") |
| Width |
254.0mm (10") |
320.7mm (12.6") |
| Depth |
353.0mm (13.9") |
428.3mm (16.9") |
| Weight |
26.41kg (58.1lbs) |
35.90kg (79lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
Wood/Lacquer |
MDF/Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Gloss Black |
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 |
These sit in different price classes - Revel Performa3 F206 costs roughly 1.8x what Polk R700 does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | Polk R700 digs deeper - 38Hz against 42Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (88dB vs 88dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | B | Polk R700 takes more power (300W vs 200W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Revel Performa3 F206 is easier to place; Polk R700 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | B | Polk R700: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | Polk R700 is cheaper - $2,198 against $3,850, about 43% less; arguably a different class. |
A Revel Performa3 F206 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 is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take Revel Performa3 F206 if its size, looks or fit in your room suit you better. Match it to your room: we rate Revel Performa3 F206 the better fit for a mid-size room, and Polk R700 for a very large room. In a large or open-plan room, Polk R700 has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Revel Performa3 F206 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.