In this review, we will be comparing Performa3 F208 and Performa3 F206, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Revel.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Revel Performa3 F208 and Revel Performa3 F206 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Revel Performa3 F208 | Revel Performa3 F206 |
|---|
| Brand | Revel
United States · founded 1996 | Revel
United States · founded 1996 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Hard-Dome with Acoustic Lens Waveguide | 1" Hard-Dome with Acoustic Lens Waveguide |
|---|
| Midrange | 5.25" | 5.25" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8" Aluminum | 2 x 6.5" Aluminum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 31Hz- 20kHz | 42Hz- 20kHz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88.5 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-350 watts | 50-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 36.27kg / 79.8lbs | 26.41kg / 58.1lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 46-3/4" x 13-5/8" x 15"
1188.0 x 347.0 x 381.0mm | 41-5/8" x 10" x 13-7/8"
1058.0 x 254.0 x 353.0mm |
|---|
Performa3 F208 and Performa3 F206 are members of Revel's Performa3 series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Revel Performa3 Series
History
What size room are the Revel Performa3 F208 and Revel Performa3 F206 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 |
Revel Performa3 F206 |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Good |
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 F208 and Performa3 F206 are 3-way speakers.
Revel Performa3 F208Revel Performa3 F206
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 |
Revel Performa3 F206 |
|
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
|
2 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 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.
Frequency Response
Performa3 F208 has a frequency range of 31Hz- 20kHz whereas Performa3 F206 has a frequency range of 42Hz- 20kHz. With a minimum frequency of 31Hz, the Performa3 F208 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to 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 F208 and Performa3 F206 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 Performa3 F206's is at 88 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Revel Performa3 F208 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.
Performa3 F208 can handle a max power of 350 watts RMS, whereas Performa3 F206 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 150 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
Performa3 F208 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 F208's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Revel Performa3 F206's Binding post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Performa3 F208 and Performa3 F206 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 Revel Performa3 F206'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 Revel Performa3 F206 has external dimensions of 1058.0 x 254.0 x 353.0mm (41-5/8 x 10 x 13-7/8inch).
Revel Performa3 F208 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 93mm wider, 130mm taller and 28mm deeper than Revel Performa3 F206.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Revel Performa3 F208 and Revel Performa3 F206 in scale.
Comparison image of Revel Performa3 F208 and Revel Performa3 F206 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 Revel Performa3 F206 is approximately 896.6cm2 / 139.0inch2. The Performa3 F208 requires 47% more surface area than the Performa3 F206 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 Revel Performa3 F206 weighs 26.41kg / 58.1lbs. This makes the Performa3 F208 37% heavier than the Performa3 F206.
Here is a comparison of how Performa3 F208 and Performa3 F206'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 Revel Performa3 F206?
Here are the items that come with the Performa3 F206:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Locking rings
- 4 Washers
- Foam port plug
- Owners Manual
 Max Input Power |
350 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
89 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
31 Hz
vs
42 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Height |
1058mm
vs
1188mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
896cm2
vs
1322cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
3850USD
vs
5500USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Revel Performa3 F208 |
Revel Performa3 F206 |
| Brand |
Revel |
Revel |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
50-350 watts |
50-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88.5 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
31Hz- 20kHz |
42Hz- 20kHz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aluminum |
Aluminum |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Hard-Dome with Acoustic Lens Waveguide |
Hard-Dome with Acoustic Lens Waveguide |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5.25" |
5.25" |
| Crossover Frequency |
270Hz and 2200Hz |
275Hz and 2150Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1188.0mm (46.8") |
1058.0mm (41.7") |
| Width |
347.0mm (13.7") |
254.0mm (10") |
| Depth |
381.0mm (15") |
353.0mm (13.9") |
| Weight |
36.27kg (79.8lbs) |
26.41kg (58.1lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
Wood/Lacquer |
Wood/Lacquer |
| Available Colors |
Gloss Black |
Gloss Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
Siblings in Revel's Performa3 series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | Revel Performa3 F208 digs deeper - 31Hz against 42Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (89dB vs 88dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | A | Revel Performa3 F208 takes more power (350W vs 200W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Revel Performa3 F206 is easier to place; Revel Performa3 F208 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | A | Revel Performa3 F208: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | Revel Performa3 F206 is cheaper - $3,850 against $5,500, about 30% less. |
A Revel Performa3 F208 B Revel Performa3 F206
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?
The usual trade-off: Revel Performa3 F208 measures better, Revel Performa3 F206 costs about about 43% more% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 42Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Revel Performa3 F206 much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate Revel Performa3 F208 the better fit for a very large room, and Revel Performa3 F206 for a mid-size room.
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.