Revel W873 vs Revel W126Be Comparison

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Revel W873

Passive In-wall |

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Revel W126Be

Passive In-wall | 55-40k Hz

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Revel W873

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Revel W126Be

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Revel W873

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Revel W126Be

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Revel W873 vs Revel W126Be Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing W873 and W126Be, two Passive In-wall speakers by Revel.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Revel W873 and Revel W126Be first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key Specs	Revel W873	Revel W126Be
Brand	Revel United States · founded 1996	Revel United States · founded 1996
Design	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	1"	1"
Woofer	7"	6.5"
Frequency response	—	55-40k Hz
Sensitivity	86 dB	89 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	6 ohms
Power range	10 - 150 W watts	—
Weight	3.40kg / 7.5lbs	4.72kg / 10.4lbs
Dimensions (H x W x D)	13" x 11-1/8" x 3-11/16" 330.2 x 282.6 x 94.0mm	15-5/8" x 10-1/4" x 3-13/16" 396.9 x 260.4 x 96.8mm

W873 and W126Be are members of Revel's Architectural series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.

Revel Architectural Series History

Model	Body	Frequency	Sensitivity	Impedance	Woofer
Revel W253L	In-wall	55-18kHz	91 dB	8Ω	2 x 5.25"
Revel W553L	Center Channel		90.5 dB	8Ω	2 x 5.25"
Revel W383	In-wall		89 dB	8Ω	1 x 8"
Revel W763	In-wall		89 dB	8Ω	1 x 6.5"
Revel W783	In-wall		89 dB	8Ω	1 x 8"
Revel W990	In-wall		89 dB	8Ω	1 x 9"
Revel W228Be	In-wall	35-40k Hz	90 dB	6Ω	2 x 8"
Revel W126Be	In-wall	55-40k Hz	89 dB	6Ω	1 x 6.5"
Revel W226Be	In-wall	45-40k Hz	90 dB	6Ω	2 x 6.5"
Revel W263	In-wall		88 dB	8Ω	1 x 6.5"

The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.

Drivers

Both W873 and W126Be are 2-way speakers.

Revel W873

Revel W126Be

TweeterWoofer

Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.

Driver	Revel W873	Revel W126Be
Driver Setup	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	1-inch	1-inch
Midrange	-	-
Woofer	1 x 7-inch	1 x 6.5-inch

W873 features a 1" Tweeter and 1 x 7" Woofer. On the other hand, the W126Be features a 1" Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Woofer.

Frequency Response

W873 has a frequency range of whereas W126Be has a frequency range of 55-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of Hz, the W873 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the W126Be's min frequency of 55Hz.

The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the In-wall class in our database.

Low Frequency

In-wall Speakers

W873

W126Be

Min

Average

Median

Impedance and Sensitivity

W873 is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the W126Be which has a nominal impedance of 6 ohms.

These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. W873 sensitivity is rated at 86 dB and the W126Be's is rated at 89 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Revel W126Be a more sensitive speaker compared to Revel W873, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

Sensitivity

In-wall Speakers

W873

W126Be

Min

Average

Median

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.

Amplifier - change this

Distance

Playing as

Revel W873

Revel W126Be

Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring

W873 features Spring post type posts and W126Be has a Spring post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/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 W873's and Revel W126Be's external dimensions. Revel W873 has external dimensions of 330.2 x 282.6 x 94.0mm () whereas Revel W126Be has external dimensions of 396.9 x 260.4 x 96.8mm ().

Revel W873 is 66.7mm shorter and 2.8mm less deeper than Revel W126Be but it is also 22.2mm wider.

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Revel W873 and Revel W126Be in scale.

Comparison image of Revel W873 and Revel W126Be Size and External Dimensions

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 W873 weighs 3.40kg / 7.5lbs and the Revel W126Be weighs 4.72kg / 10.4lbs. This makes the W126Be 39% heavier than the W873.

Here is a comparison of how W873 and W126Be's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive In-wall class.

Weight
All In-wall Speakers

Revel W873

Revel W126Be

Min

Average

Max

Reasons to choose Revel W873 over Revel W126Be

Nominal Impedance	8 ohms vs 6 ohms	Less selective with amplifiers
Woofer Size	7 inches vs 6.5 inches	Larger woofer
Low Frequency Response	Hz vs 55 Hz	Generates deeper bass
Height	330mm vs 396mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces
Price per pair*	900USD vs 3850USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

Reasons to choose Revel W126Be over Revel W873

Sensitivity	89 dB vs 86 dB	Play louder with same amount of amplification power
High Frequency Response	40k Hz vs k Hz	Generates higher frequency
Base Surface Area	252cm² vs 265cm²	Takes less floor space

Revel W873 vs Revel W126Be Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Revel W873	Revel W126Be
Brand	Revel	Revel
Speaker Type	Passive In-wall Speaker	Passive In-wall Speaker
Sensitivity	86 dB	89 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	6 ohms
Frequency Response		55-40k Hz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	1	1
Woofer Size	7"	6.5"
Woofer Composition
Tweeter Size	1"	1"
Aimable Tweeter	No	No
Midrange Driver	No	No
Physical Specs
Height	330.2mm (13")	396.9mm (15.6")
Width	282.6mm (11.1")	260.4mm (10.3")
Depth	94.0mm (3.7")	96.8mm (3.8")
Weight	3.40kg (7.5lbs)	4.72kg (10.4lbs)
Enclosure
Moisture Resistancy	No	No
Connections
Other
Parts Warranty	Lifetime	Lifetime
Labor Warranty	Lifetime	Lifetime

Verdict

Siblings in Revel's Architectural series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.

Area	Better	Why
Amplifier needs	B	Revel W126Be is more sensitive (89dB vs 86dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier.
Amplifier match	A	Revel W873 is the easier load at 8 ohms.
Size	depends	Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit.
Price	A	Revel W873 is cheaper - $900 against $3,850, about 77% less; arguably a different class.

A Revel W873 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?

Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let the "depends" rows and your own room settle it. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, Revel W126Be is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $2,950 saved by taking the cheaper pair would buy a subwoofer or a better amplifier, and either usually does more for the sound than the difference between these two.

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.