In this review, we will be comparing Amati and F328Be, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Sonus faber and Revel.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Sonus faber Amati and Revel PerformaBe F328Be first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Sonus faber Amati | Revel PerformaBe F328Be |
|---|
| Brand | Sonus faber
Italy · founded 1983 | Revel
United States · founded 1996 |
|---|
| Design | 4-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.1" Soft-Dome | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | 6" | 5.25" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8.5" Paper | 3 x 8.0" Aluminum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 28-35k Hz | 26-40k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 91 dB | 91 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-450 watts | 50-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 61.00kg / 134.2lbs | 51.18kg / 112.6lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 46-5/16" x 16-3/16" x 20-3/16"
1176.0 x 411.0 x 512.0mm | 50-15/16" x 13-1/2" x 17-5/8"
1294.0 x 343.0 x 448.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Sonus faber Amati and Revel PerformaBe F328Be 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* |
Sonus faber Amati |
Revel PerformaBe F328Be |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Amati is a 4-way design whereas the F328Be 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.
Sonus faber AmatiRevel PerformaBe F328Be
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Sonus faber Amati |
Revel PerformaBe F328Be |
|
Driver Setup
|
4-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6-inch |
1 x 5.25-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8.5-inch
|
3 x 8.0-inch
|
Amati features a 1.1" Silk Soft-Dome Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 2 x 8.5" Paper Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 200, 270, 2200 Hz. On the other hand, the F328Be features a 1" Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 3 x 8.0" Aluminum Woofer.
Frequency Response
Amati has a frequency range of 28-35k Hz whereas F328Be has a frequency range of 26-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 26Hz, the F328Be can go slightly deeper then the Amati's min frequency of 28Hz.
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
Amati is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the F328Be which has a nominal impedance of 8 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 Amati can provide this impedance level.
On the other hand, they have the same sensitivity of 91 dBdB.
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.
Amati can handle a max power of 450 watts RMS, whereas F328Be has a max power handling value of 300 watts RMS, 150 watts less than the Amati.
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 Amati and F328Be features dual binding post speaker terminals for 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 Sonus faber Amati's and Revel PerformaBe F328Be's external dimensions. Sonus faber Amati has external dimensions of 1176.0 x 411.0 x 512.0mm (46-5/16 x 16-3/16 x 20-3/16inch) whereas Revel PerformaBe F328Be has external dimensions of 1294.0 x 343.0 x 448.0mm (50-15/16 x 13-1/2 x 17-5/8inch).
Revel PerformaBe F328Be is 68mm narrower and 64mm less deeper than Sonus faber Amati but it is also 118mm taller.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
Sonus faber Amati needs about 37% more floor or shelf area. Sonus faber Amati is 64mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Revel PerformaBe F328Be is 118mm taller.
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 Sonus faber Amati is approximately 2104.3cm2 / 326.2inch2 and base area of the Revel PerformaBe F328Be is approximately 1536.6cm2 / 238.2inch2. The Amati requires 37% more surface area than the F328Be 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 Sonus faber Amati weighs 61.00kg / 134.2lbs and the Revel PerformaBe F328Be weighs 51.18kg / 112.6lbs. This makes the Amati 19% heavier than the F328Be.
Here is a comparison of how Amati and F328Be'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 F328Be?
Here are the items that come with the F328Be:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Locking rings
- 4 Washers
- 2 Terminal jumpers (pre-installed)
- 2 Foam port plugs
- Owners Manual
 Max Input Power |
450 watts
vs
300 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
4-way
vs
3-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Woofer Size |
8.5 inches
vs
8.0 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Height |
1176mm
vs
1294mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
|
Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
26 Hz
vs
28 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
35k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Base Surface Area |
1536cm2
vs
2104cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
17600USD
vs
29998USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Sonus faber Amati |
Revel PerformaBe F328Be |
| Brand |
Sonus faber |
Revel |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
50-450 watts |
50-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
91 dB |
91 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
28-35k Hz |
26-40k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
3 |
| Woofer Size |
8.5" |
8.0" |
| Woofer Composition |
Paper |
Aluminum |
| Tweeter Size |
1.1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-Dome |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6" |
5.25" |
| Crossover Frequency |
200, 270, 2200 Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1176.0mm (46.3") |
1294.0mm (50.9") |
| Width |
411.0mm (16.2") |
343.0mm (13.5") |
| Depth |
512.0mm (20.2") |
448.0mm (17.6") |
| Weight |
61.00kg (134.2lbs) |
51.18kg (112.6lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Available Colors |
n/a |
Gloss Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - Sonus faber Amati costs roughly 1.7x what Revel PerformaBe F328Be 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 | evenly matched | Much the same reach (28Hz vs 26Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (91dB vs 91dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | B | Revel PerformaBe F328Be is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | A | Sonus faber Amati takes more power (450W vs 300W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | depends | Sonus faber Amati: bi-amping; Revel PerformaBe F328Be: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | Revel PerformaBe F328Be is cheaper - $17,600 against $29,998, about 41% less; arguably a different class. |
A Sonus faber Amati B Revel PerformaBe F328Be
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 PerformaBe F328Be 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 $12,398 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.