In this review, we will be comparing Performa3 F208 and Synchrony T600, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Revel and PSB.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Revel Performa3 F208 and PSB Synchrony T600 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Revel Performa3 F208 | PSB Synchrony T600 |
|---|
| Brand | Revel
United States · founded 1996 | PSB
Canada · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Hard-Dome with Acoustic Lens Waveguide | 1" Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 5.25" | 5.25" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8" Aluminum | 3 x 6.5" Carbon fiber |
|---|
| Frequency response | 31Hz- 20kHz | 24-23k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88.5 dB | 89 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-350 watts | 20-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 36.27kg / 79.8lbs | 34.90kg / 76.8lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 46-3/4" x 13-5/8" x 15"
1188.0 x 347.0 x 381.0mm | 41-1/4" x 9" x 13-1/2"
1048.0 x 228.0 x 343.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Revel Performa3 F208 and PSB Synchrony T600 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 F208 |
PSB Synchrony T600 |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Good |
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 F208 and Synchrony T600 are 3-way speakers.
Revel Performa3 F208PSB Synchrony T600
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 F208 |
PSB Synchrony T600 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.25-inch |
1 x 5.25-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8-inch
|
3 x 6.5-inch
|
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. On the other hand, the Synchrony T600 features a 1" titanium with ferrofluid cooling and neodymium magnet Dome Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 3 x 6.5" Carbon fiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 450Hz and 1800Hz.
Frequency Response
Performa3 F208 has a frequency range of 31Hz- 20kHz whereas Synchrony T600 has a frequency range of 24-23k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 24Hz, the Synchrony T600 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Performa3 F208's min frequency of 31Hz.
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 F208 is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the Synchrony T600 which has a nominal impedance of 4 ohms. Lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit especially when played at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Synchrony T600 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Performa3 F208 sensitivity is rated at 88.5 dB and the Synchrony T600's is rated at 89 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.
Performa3 F208 can handle a max power of 350 watts RMS, whereas Synchrony T600 has a max power handling value of 300 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the Performa3 F208.
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
Both Performa3 F208 and Synchrony T600 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Revel Performa3 F208's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
PSB Synchrony T600's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Performa3 F208 and Synchrony T600 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 F208's and PSB Synchrony T600's external dimensions. Revel Performa3 F208 has external dimensions of 1188.0 x 347.0 x 381.0mm (46-3/4 x 13-5/8 x 15inch) whereas PSB Synchrony T600 has external dimensions of 1048.0 x 228.0 x 343.0mm (41-1/4 x 9 x 13-1/2inch).
Revel Performa3 F208 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 119mm wider, 140mm taller and 38mm deeper than PSB Synchrony T600.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Revel Performa3 F208 and PSB Synchrony T600 in scale.
Comparison image of Revel Performa3 F208 and PSB Synchrony T600 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 F208 is approximately 1322.1cm2 / 204.9inch2 and base area of the PSB Synchrony T600 is approximately 782.0cm2 / 121.2inch2. The Performa3 F208 requires 69% more surface area than the Synchrony T600 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 F208 weighs 36.27kg / 79.8lbs and the PSB Synchrony T600 weighs 34.90kg / 76.8lbs. This makes the Performa3 F208 4% heavier than the Synchrony T600.
Here is a comparison of how Performa3 F208 and Synchrony T600'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 F208?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Performa3 F208:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Locking rings
- 4 Washers
- 2 Terminal jumpers (pre-installed)
- Foam port plug
- Owners Manual
What's in the Box of PSB Synchrony T600?
Here are the items that come with the Synchrony T600:
- Floorstanding loudspeakr
- Grille
- 2 Binding-post jumpers (pre-installed)
- 4 Isolation feet
- 2 Port plugs
- Owners Manual
- Warranty Card
 Max Input Power |
350 watts
vs
300 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Price per pair* |
5500USD
vs
8000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
|
Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
24 Hz
vs
31 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
23k Hz
vs
20k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
1048mm
vs
1188mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
782cm2
vs
1322cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
Revel Performa3 F208 |
PSB Synchrony T600 |
| Brand |
Revel |
PSB |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
50-350 watts |
20-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88.5 dB |
89 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Impedance |
n/a |
4 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
31Hz- 20kHz |
24-23k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
3 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aluminum |
Carbon fiber |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Hard-Dome with Acoustic Lens Waveguide |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5.25" |
5.25" |
| Crossover Frequency |
270Hz and 2200Hz |
450Hz and 1800Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1188.0mm (46.8") |
1048.0mm (41.3") |
| Width |
347.0mm (13.7") |
228.0mm (9") |
| Depth |
381.0mm (15") |
343.0mm (13.5") |
| Weight |
36.27kg (79.8lbs) |
34.90kg (76.8lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
Wood/Lacquer |
MDF/Lacquer |
| Available Colors |
Gloss Black |
Gloss Black, Satin Walnut |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
A generation apart: PSB Synchrony T600 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 | B | PSB Synchrony T600 digs deeper - 24Hz against 31Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (89dB vs 89dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | A | Revel Performa3 F208 is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (350W vs 300W). |
| Size | depends | PSB Synchrony T600 is easier to place; Revel Performa3 F208 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Revel Performa3 F208: bi-amping; PSB Synchrony T600: bi-amping. Revel Performa3 F208 sits in a wider range (8 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | A | Revel Performa3 F208 is cheaper - $5,500 against $8,000, about 31% less. |
A Revel Performa3 F208 B PSB Synchrony T600
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?
Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let the "depends" rows and your own room settle it. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 31Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Revel Performa3 F208 much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate Revel Performa3 F208 the better fit for a very large room; elsewhere the two are rated the same.
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.