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 | A | Revel W990 is more sensitive (89dB vs 86dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | A | Revel W990 takes more power (200W vs 150W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Price | B | Revel W873 is cheaper - $900 against $4,240, about 79% less; arguably a different class. |
A Revel W990 B Revel W873
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 W990 measures better, Revel W873 costs about about 4.7x the price% 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 your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, Revel W990 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 $3,340 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.