In this review, we will be comparing Maxima Amator 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 Maxima Amator and Revel PerformaBe F328Be first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Sonus faber Maxima Amator | Revel PerformaBe F328Be |
|---|
| Brand | Sonus faber
Italy · founded 1983 | Revel
United States · founded 1996 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.1" Soft-Dome | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 5.25" |
|---|
| Woofer | 7" Paper | 3 x 8.0" Aluminum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 35-35k Hz | 26-40k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 91 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-125 watts | 50-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 38.00kg / 83.6lbs | 51.18kg / 112.6lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 44-1/8" x 11-13/16" x 13-3/4"
1120.0 x 300.0 x 350.0mm | 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 Maxima Amator 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 Maxima Amator |
Revel PerformaBe F328Be |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Average |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
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 Maxima Amator is a 2-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 Maxima AmatorRevel 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 Maxima Amator |
Revel PerformaBe F328Be |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 5.25-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 7-inch
|
3 x 8.0-inch
|
Maxima Amator features a 1.1" Silk Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 7" Paper Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2100 Hz. On the other hand, the F328Be features a 1" Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 3 x 8.0" Aluminum Woofer.
Frequency Response
Maxima Amator has a frequency range of 35-35k Hz whereas F328Be has a frequency range of 26-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 26Hz, the F328Be can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Maxima Amator's min frequency of 35Hz.
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
Maxima Amator 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 Maxima Amator can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Maxima Amator sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the F328Be's is rated at 91 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Revel PerformaBe F328Be a more sensitive speaker compared to Sonus faber Maxima Amator, 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.
F328Be can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas Maxima Amator has a max power handling value of 125 watts RMS, 175 watts less than the F328Be.
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.
Sonus faber Maxima Amator
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both Maxima Amator 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 Maxima Amator's and Revel PerformaBe F328Be's external dimensions. Sonus faber Maxima Amator has external dimensions of 1120.0 x 300.0 x 350.0mm (44-1/8 x 11-13/16 x 13-3/4inch) 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 clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 43mm wider, 174mm taller and 98mm deeper than Sonus faber Maxima Amator.
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.
Revel PerformaBe F328Be needs about 46% more floor or shelf area. Revel PerformaBe F328Be is 98mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Revel PerformaBe F328Be is 174mm 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 Maxima Amator is approximately 1050.0cm2 / 162.8inch2 and base area of the Revel PerformaBe F328Be is approximately 1536.6cm2 / 238.2inch2. The Maxima Amator requires 32% less surface area than the F328Be which gives it a small advantage 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 Maxima Amator weighs 38.00kg / 83.6lbs and the Revel PerformaBe F328Be weighs 51.18kg / 112.6lbs. This makes the F328Be 35% heavier than the Maxima Amator.
Here is a comparison of how Maxima Amator and F328Be's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
Sonus faber Maxima Amator
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
 Height |
1120mm
vs
1294mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1050cm2
vs
1536cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
15000USD
vs
17600USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
125 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
91 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Woofer Size |
8.0 inches
vs
7 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Number of Woofers |
3
vs
1
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
26 Hz
vs
35 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
35k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
| General |
Sonus faber Maxima Amator |
Revel PerformaBe F328Be |
| Brand |
Sonus faber |
Revel |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
25-125 watts |
50-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
91 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
35-35k Hz |
26-40k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
3 |
| Woofer Size |
7" |
8.0" |
| Woofer Composition |
Paper |
Aluminum |
| Tweeter Size |
1.1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-Dome |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
5.25" |
| Crossover Frequency |
2100 Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1120.0mm (44.1") |
1294.0mm (50.9") |
| Width |
300.0mm (11.8") |
343.0mm (13.5") |
| Depth |
350.0mm (13.8") |
448.0mm (17.6") |
| Weight |
38.00kg (83.6lbs) |
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 |
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | Revel PerformaBe F328Be digs deeper - 26Hz against 35Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Revel PerformaBe F328Be is more sensitive (91dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| 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 | B | Revel PerformaBe F328Be takes more power (300W vs 125W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Sonus faber Maxima Amator is easier to place; Revel PerformaBe F328Be is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Sonus faber Maxima Amator: bi-amping; Revel PerformaBe F328Be: bi-amping. |
| Price | A | Sonus faber Maxima Amator is cheaper - $15,000 against $17,600, about 15% less. |
A Sonus faber Maxima Amator 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?
Revel PerformaBe F328Be leads across most of the measured areas for a fairly modest premium, which makes it the easier pick if the budget stretches. Sonus faber Maxima Amator is the one to take if it does not. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 35Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Sonus faber Maxima Amator much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate Sonus faber Maxima Amator the better fit for a small room and a mid-size room, and Revel PerformaBe F328Be for a large room and a very large room.
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.