Revel Performa3 F208 vs Polk R700 Comparison

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Revel Performa3 F208

Passive Floor-standing | 31Hz- 20kHz

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Polk R700

Passive Floor-standing | 38-38k Hz

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Revel Performa3 F208

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Polk R700

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Revel Performa3 F208

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Polk R700

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Revel Performa3 F208 vs Polk R700 Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing Performa3 F208 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 F208 and Polk R700 first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Revel Performa3 F208 Key Specs

3-way Design

1" Hard-Dome with Acoustic Lens Waveguide Tweeter

5.25" Midrange

2 x 8" Aluminum Woofer

31Hz- 20kHz Frequency Response

88.5 dB Sensitivity

Impedance: 8ohms

Power Range:50-350watts

Weight:36.27kg

Dimensions (H x W x D): 1188.0" x 13-5/8" x 15"( 1188.0 x 347.0 x 381.0mm )

Polk R700 Key Specs

3-way Design

1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter

6.5" Midrange

2 x 8" Polypropylene Woofer

6.5" Midrange

38-38k Hz Frequency Response

88 dB Sensitivity

Impedance: 8ohms

Power Range:50-300watts

Weight:35.90kg

Dimensions (H x W x D): 1143.8" x 12.6" x 16.9"( 1143.8 x 320.7 x 428.3mm )

What size room are the Revel Performa3 F208 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 F208	Polk R700
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.)

In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Revel Performa3 F208 and Polk R700 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.

**This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Drivers

Both Performa3 F208 and R700 are 3-way speakers.

Driver	Revel Performa3 F208	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 8-inch	2 x 8-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 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 F208 has a frequency range of 31Hz- 20kHz whereas R700 has a frequency range of 38-38k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 31Hz, the Performa3 F208 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the R700's min frequency of 38Hz.

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

Performa3 F208

R700

Min

Average

Max

High Frequency

Floor-standing Speakers

Revel Performa3 F208

Polk R700

Min

Average

Max

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 F208 and R700 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Performa3 F208 sensitivity is rated at 88.5 dB and the R700's is at 88 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Revel Performa3 F208 a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk R700, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

Sensitivity

Floor-standing Speakers

Performa3 F208

R700

Min

Average

Max

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 F208 can handle a max power of 350 watts RMS from the amp the whereas R700 has a max power handling value of 300 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the Performa3 F208.

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

Both Performa3 F208 and R700 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

Polk R700's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring

Cabinet Type and Port Position

Performa3 F208 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 F208 with its rear-firing port.

Polk R700 Port

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 F208's and Polk R700'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 Polk R700 has external dimensions of 1143.8 x 320.7 x 428.3mm ( 45 x 12.6 x 16.9inch) .

Polk R700 is 26.3mm narrower and 44.2mm shorter than Revel Performa3 F208 but it is also 47.3mm deeper.

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 Polk R700 is approximately 1373.6cm² / 212.9inch². The Performa3 F208 requires 4% 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 F208 weighs 36.27kg / 79.8lbs and the Polk R700 weighs 35.90kg / 79lbs. This makes the Performa3 F208 1% heavier than the R700.

Here is a comparison of how Performa3 F208 and R700's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.

Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers

Revel Performa3 F208

Polk R700

Min

Average

Max

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 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

Reasons to choose Revel Performa3 F208 over Polk Audio Reserve R700

Max Input Power	350 watts vs 300 watts	Handle more power from your amplifier
Sensitivity	89 dB vs 88 dB	Play louder with same amount of amplification power
Low Frequency Response	31 Hz vs 38 Hz	Generates deeper bass
Base Surface Area	1322cm² vs 1373cm²	Takes less floor space

Reasons to choose Polk Audio Reserve R700 over Revel Performa3 F208

High Frequency Response	38k Hz vs 20k Hz	Generates higher frequency
Height	1143mm vs 1188mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces
Price per pair*	2198USD vs 5500USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

Revel Performa3 F208 vs Polk R700 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Revel Performa3 F208	Polk Audio Reserve R700
Brand	Revel	Polk Audio
Speaker Type	Floor-standing speaker	Floor-standing speaker
Power Range	50-350 watts	50-300 watts
Sensitivity	88.5 dB	88 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	8 ohms
Impedance	n/a	3.6 ohms
Frequency Response	31Hz- 20kHz	38-38k Hz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	2	2
Woofer Size	8"	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	270Hz and 2200Hz	350Hz and 2700Hz
Firing Direction	rear	bottom
Physical Specs
Height	1188.0mm (46.8")	1143.8mm (45")
Width	347.0mm (13.7")	320.7mm (12.6")
Depth	381.0mm (15")	428.3mm (16.9")
Weight	36.27kg (79.8lbs)	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	Yes	Yes
Other
Parts Warranty	5 Years	5 Years
Labor Warranty	5 Years	5 Years