Siblings in Revel's Architectural series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | Revel W228Be digs deeper - 35Hz against 55Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (90dB vs 89dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Size | depends | Revel W126Be is easier to place; Revel W228Be is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Price | B | Revel W126Be is cheaper - $3,850 against $7,700, about 50% less; arguably a different class. |
A Revel W228Be B Revel W126Be
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?
Revel W228Be is ahead, but only on 1 of the measured areas, and it costs about 100% more. That is a lot of money for a narrow margin on paper - Revel W126Be looks like the sensible buy unless something else about the Revel W228Be appeals to you. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 55Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Revel W126Be much easier to justify. In a large or open-plan room, Revel W228Be has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Revel W126Be 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.