In this review, we will be comparing Kensington and F328Be, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Tannoy and Revel.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Tannoy Kensington and Revel PerformaBe F328Be first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Tannoy Kensington | Revel PerformaBe F328Be |
|---|
| Brand | Tannoy
United Kingdom · founded 1926 | Revel
United States · founded 1996 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | — | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 5.25" |
|---|
| Woofer | — | 3 x 8.0" Aluminum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 29-27k Hz | 26-40k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 93 dB | 91 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | — | 50-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 37.00kg / 81.4lbs | 51.18kg / 112.6lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 43.3" x 15.9" x 13.3"
1099.8 x 403.9 x 337.8mm | 50-15/16" x 13-1/2" x 17-5/8"
1294.0 x 343.0 x 448.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Tannoy Kensington 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* |
Tannoy Kensington |
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 Kensington 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.
| Driver |
Tannoy Kensington |
Revel PerformaBe F328Be |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 5.25-inch |
|
Woofer
|
x -inch
|
3 x 8.0-inch
|
Kensington features a " Tweeter and x " Woofer. On the other hand, the F328Be features a 1" Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 3 x 8.0" Aluminum Woofer.
Frequency Response
Kensington has a frequency range of 29-27k 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 Kensington's min frequency of 29Hz.
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
Kensington and F328Be have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Kensington sensitivity is rated at 93 dB and the F328Be's is at 91 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Tannoy Kensington a more sensitive speaker compared to Revel PerformaBe F328Be, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
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
F328Be features 5-way posts posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Kensington has a Binding post which doesn't 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 Tannoy Kensington's and Revel PerformaBe F328Be's external dimensions. Tannoy Kensington has external dimensions of 1099.8 x 403.9 x 337.8mm (43.3 x 15.9 x 13.3inch) 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).
Tannoy Kensington is 194.2mm shorter and 110.2mm less deeper than Revel PerformaBe F328Be but it is also 60.9mm wider.
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 13% more floor or shelf area. Revel PerformaBe F328Be is 110mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Revel PerformaBe F328Be is 194mm 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 Tannoy Kensington is approximately 1364.3cm2 / 211.5inch2 and base area of the Revel PerformaBe F328Be is approximately 1536.6cm2 / 238.2inch2. The Kensington requires 11% 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 Tannoy Kensington weighs 37.00kg / 81.4lbs and the Revel PerformaBe F328Be weighs 51.18kg / 112.6lbs. This makes the F328Be 38% heavier than the Kensington.
Here is a comparison of how Kensington 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
 Sensitivity |
93 dB
vs
91 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Height |
1099mm
vs
1294mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1364cm2
vs
1536cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Woofer Size |
8.0 inches
vs
inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
26 Hz
vs
29 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
27k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Price per pair* |
17600USD
vs
24000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Tannoy Kensington |
Revel PerformaBe F328Be |
| Brand |
Tannoy |
Revel |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Sensitivity |
93 dB |
91 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
29-27k Hz |
26-40k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
|
3 |
| Woofer Size |
" |
8.0" |
| Woofer Composition |
|
Aluminum |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
1" |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
5.25" |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1099.8mm (43.3") |
1294.0mm (50.9") |
| Width |
403.9mm (15.9") |
343.0mm (13.5") |
| Depth |
337.8mm (13.3") |
448.0mm (17.6") |
| Weight |
37.00kg (81.4lbs) |
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 |
n/a |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |
A generation apart: Revel PerformaBe F328Be is the newer design, against a 2013 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | Revel PerformaBe F328Be digs deeper - 26Hz against 29Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | A | Tannoy Kensington is more sensitive (93dB vs 91dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Size | depends | Tannoy Kensington is easier to place; Revel PerformaBe F328Be is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | B | Revel PerformaBe F328Be: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | Revel PerformaBe F328Be is cheaper - $17,600 against $24,000, about 27% less. |
A Tannoy Kensington 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 has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. Match it to your room: we rate Tannoy Kensington 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. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, Tannoy Kensington is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best.
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.