In this review, we will be comparing Performa4 F345 and Ultra Tower, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Revel and SVS.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Revel Performa4 F345 and SVS Ultra Tower first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Revel Performa4 F345 | SVS Ultra Tower |
|---|
| Brand | Revel
United States · founded 1996 | SVS
United States · founded 1998 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Hard-Dome | 1.0" Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 2 x 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 3 x 5.25" Micro Ceramic Composite (MCC) | 2 x 8.0" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 36-40k Hz | 28-32k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30-225 watts | 20-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 29.09kg / 64lbs | 34.27kg / 75.4lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 41" x 11-15/16" x 13-15/16"
1042.0 x 304.0 x 355.0mm | 45-5/8" x 13-15/16" x 17-1/2"
1159.0 x 355.0 x 445.0mm |
|---|
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Performa4 F345 is a 2-way design whereas the Ultra Tower is a 3-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
Revel Performa4 F345SVS Ultra Tower
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 Performa4 F345 |
SVS Ultra Tower |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1.0-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
2 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 5.25-inch
|
2 x 8.0-inch
|
Performa4 F345 features a 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter and 3 x 5.25" Micro Ceramic Composite (MCC) Woofer. On the other hand, the Ultra Tower features a 1.0" aluminum Dome Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 8.0" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 160HZ and 2000Hz.
Frequency Response
Performa4 F345 has a frequency range of 36-40k Hz whereas Ultra Tower has a frequency range of 28-32k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 28Hz, the Ultra Tower can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Performa4 F345's min frequency of 36Hz.
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
Performa4 F345 is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the Ultra Tower which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Performa4 F345 sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the Ultra Tower's is rated at 88 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the SVS Ultra Tower a more sensitive speaker compared to Revel Performa4 F345, 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.
Ultra Tower can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas Performa4 F345 has a max power handling value of 225 watts RMS, 75 watts less than the Ultra Tower.
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 Performa4 F345 and Ultra Tower features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
SVS Ultra Tower's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
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 Performa4 F345's and SVS Ultra Tower's external dimensions. Revel Performa4 F345 has external dimensions of 1042.0 x 304.0 x 355.0mm (41inch x 11-15/16inch x 13-15/16inch) whereas SVS Ultra Tower has external dimensions of 1159.0 x 355.0 x 445.0mm (45-5/8 x 13-15/16 x 17-1/2inch).
SVS Ultra Tower is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 51mm wider, 117mm taller and 90mm deeper than Revel Performa4 F345.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Revel Performa4 F345 and SVS Ultra Tower in scale.
Comparison image of Revel Performa4 F345 and SVS Ultra Tower 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 Performa4 F345 is approximately 1079.2cm2 / 167.3inch2 and base area of the SVS Ultra Tower is approximately 1579.8cm2 / 244.9inch2. The Performa4 F345 requires 32% less surface area than the Ultra Tower 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 Performa4 F345 weighs 29.09kg / 64lbs and the SVS Ultra Tower weighs 34.27kg / 75.4lbs. This makes the Ultra Tower 18% heavier than the Performa4 F345.
Here is a comparison of how Performa4 F345 and Ultra Tower'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 Performa4 F345?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Performa4 F345:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 2 Terminal jumpers (pre-installed)
- Four M8 Spikes
- 4 Nuts
- 4 Discs
- Quick Start Guide
What's in the Box of SVS Ultra Tower?
Here are the items that come with the Ultra Tower:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Cloth grille
- 2 Metal grilles
- Foam port plug
- 4 Elastomer isolation feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Nuts
- 4 Protective discs
- 2 Terminal jumpers (pre-installed)
- Owners Manual
- SVS brochure
- Online Product Registration Card
 Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
 High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
32k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
1042mm
vs
1159mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1079cm2
vs
1579cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
225 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
88 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
|
Woofer Size |
8.0 inches
vs
5.25 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
28 Hz
vs
36 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Price per pair* |
2600USD
vs
4998USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Revel Performa4 F345 |
SVS Ultra Tower |
| Brand |
Revel |
SVS |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
30-225 watts |
20-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
87 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
36-40k Hz |
28-32k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
3 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5.25" |
8.0" |
| Woofer Composition |
Micro Ceramic Composite (MCC) |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1.0" |
| Tweeter Type |
Hard-Dome |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5.25" |
6.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
160HZ and 2000Hz |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1042.0mm (41") |
1159.0mm (45.6") |
| Width |
304.0mm (12") |
355.0mm (14") |
| Depth |
355.0mm (14") |
445.0mm (17.5") |
| Weight |
29.09kg (64lbs) |
34.27kg (75.4lbs) |
| Enclosure |
|
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood Veneer |
MDF/Oak veneer |
| Available Colors |
Black |
Black Oak,Piano Gloss Black,Piano Gloss White |
| Grille |
n/a |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - Revel Performa4 F345 costs roughly 1.9x what SVS Ultra Tower 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 | SVS Ultra Tower digs deeper - 28Hz against 36Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (87dB vs 88dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | B | SVS Ultra Tower is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | B | SVS Ultra Tower takes more power (300W vs 225W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Revel Performa4 F345 is easier to place; SVS Ultra Tower is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Revel Performa4 F345: bi-amping; SVS Ultra Tower: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | SVS Ultra Tower is cheaper - $2,600 against $4,998, about 48% less; arguably a different class. |
A Revel Performa4 F345 B SVS Ultra Tower
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?
SVS Ultra Tower is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take Revel Performa4 F345 if its size, looks or fit in your room suit you better. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 36Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. In a large or open-plan room, SVS Ultra Tower has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Revel Performa4 F345 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.