In this review, we will be comparing PerformaBe F228Be and Synchrony T600, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Revel and PSB.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Revel PerformaBe F228Be and PSB Synchrony T600 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Revel PerformaBe F228Be | PSB Synchrony T600 |
|---|
| Brand | Revel
United States · founded 1996 | PSB
Canada · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" dome with proprietary acoustic lens waveguide | 1" Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 5.25" | 5.25" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8" DCC Aluminum | 3 x 6.5" Carbon fiber |
|---|
| Frequency response | 27-44k Hz | 24-23k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 89 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-350 watts | 20-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 37.27kg / 82lbs | 34.90kg / 76.8lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 46-1/2" x 11-13/16" x 13-1/4"
1182.0 x 301.0 x 337.0mm | 41-1/4" x 9" x 13-1/2"
1048.0 x 228.0 x 343.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Revel PerformaBe F228Be 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 PerformaBe F228Be |
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 PerformaBe F228Be and Synchrony T600 are 3-way speakers.
Revel PerformaBe F228BePSB 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 PerformaBe F228Be |
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
|
PerformaBe F228Be features a 1" beryllium dome with proprietary acoustic lens waveguide Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 2 x 8" DCC Aluminum Woofer. 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
PerformaBe F228Be has a frequency range of 27-44k Hz whereas Synchrony T600 has a frequency range of 24-23k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 24Hz, the Synchrony T600 can go slightly deeper then the PerformaBe F228Be's min frequency of 27Hz.
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
PerformaBe F228Be 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. PerformaBe F228Be sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the Synchrony T600's is rated at 89 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Revel PerformaBe F228Be a more sensitive speaker compared to PSB Synchrony T600, 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.
PerformaBe F228Be 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 PerformaBe F228Be.
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 PerformaBe F228Be and Synchrony T600 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
PSB Synchrony T600's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
PerformaBe F228Be has a front firing port whereas Synchrony T600 has a rear firing ports. Revel PerformaBe F228Be's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to PSB Synchrony T600 with its rear-firing 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 PerformaBe F228Be's and PSB Synchrony T600's external dimensions. Revel PerformaBe F228Be has external dimensions of 1182.0 x 301.0 x 337.0mm (46-1/2 x 11-13/16 x 13-1/4inch) 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).
PSB Synchrony T600 is 73mm narrower and 134mm shorter than Revel PerformaBe F228Be but it is also 6mm 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 PerformaBe F228Be is approximately 1014.4cm2 / 157.2inch2 and base area of the PSB Synchrony T600 is approximately 782.0cm2 / 121.2inch2. The PerformaBe F228Be requires 30% 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 PerformaBe F228Be weighs 37.27kg / 82lbs and the PSB Synchrony T600 weighs 34.90kg / 76.8lbs. This makes the PerformaBe F228Be 7% heavier than the Synchrony T600.
Here is a comparison of how PerformaBe F228Be 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 PerformaBe F228Be?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of PerformaBe F228Be:
- 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 |
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 High Frequency Response |
44k Hz
vs
23k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Port Position |
Front
vs
Rear
|
Gives more flexibility placing close to walls |
|
Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
24 Hz
vs
27 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
1048mm
vs
1182mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
782cm2
vs
1014cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
8000USD
vs
11000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Revel PerformaBe F228Be |
PSB Synchrony T600 |
| Brand |
Revel |
PSB |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
50-350 watts |
20-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
89 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Impedance |
n/a |
4 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
27-44k Hz |
24-23k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
3 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
DCC Aluminum |
Carbon fiber |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
dome with proprietary acoustic lens waveguide |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5.25" |
5.25" |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
450Hz and 1800Hz |
| Firing Direction |
front |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1182.0mm (46.5") |
1048.0mm (41.3") |
| Width |
301.0mm (11.9") |
228.0mm (9") |
| Depth |
337.0mm (13.3") |
343.0mm (13.5") |
| Weight |
37.27kg (82lbs) |
34.90kg (76.8lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
Wood/Lacquer |
MDF/Lacquer |
| Available Colors |
Gloss White |
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 2017 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 27Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (90dB vs 89dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | A | Revel PerformaBe F228Be 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 PerformaBe F228Be is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Revel PerformaBe F228Be: bi-amping; PSB Synchrony T600: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | PSB Synchrony T600 is cheaper - $8,000 against $11,000, about 27% less. |
A Revel PerformaBe F228Be 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. Match it to your room: we rate Revel PerformaBe F228Be the better fit for a very large room; elsewhere the two are rated the same. In a large or open-plan room, Revel PerformaBe F228Be has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, PSB Synchrony T600 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.