In this review, we will be comparing Sabrina V and F328Be, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Wilson Audio and Revel.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Wilson Audio Sabrina V and Revel PerformaBe F328Be first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Wilson Audio Sabrina V | Revel PerformaBe F328Be |
|---|
| Brand | Wilson Audio
United States · founded 1974 | Revel
United States · founded 1996 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Dome | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | 7" | 5.25" |
|---|
| Woofer | 8" Paper pulp | 3 x 8.0" Aluminum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 27-24k Hz | 26-40k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 91 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | from 50 watts | 50-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 55.79kg / 122.7lbs | 51.18kg / 112.6lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 39" x 12" x 15-3/8"
990.0 x 305.0 x 391.0mm | 50-15/16" x 13-1/2" x 17-5/8"
1294.0 x 343.0 x 448.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Wilson Audio Sabrina V 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* |
Wilson Audio Sabrina V |
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
Both Sabrina V and F328Be are 3-way speakers.
Wilson Audio Sabrina VRevel 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 |
Wilson Audio Sabrina V |
Revel PerformaBe F328Be |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 7-inch |
1 x 5.25-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 8-inch
|
3 x 8.0-inch
|
Sabrina V features a 1" Doped silk fabric Dome Tweeter, a 7" Midrange and 1 x 8" Paper pulp Woofer. On the other hand, the F328Be features a 1" Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 3 x 8.0" Aluminum Woofer.
Frequency Response
Sabrina V has a frequency range of 27-24k 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 Sabrina V's min frequency of 27Hz.
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
Sabrina V 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 Sabrina V can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Sabrina V sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the F328Be's is rated at 91 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the Revel PerformaBe F328Be a more sensitive speaker compared to Wilson Audio Sabrina V, 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 Sabrina V has a max power handling value of watts RMS, 300 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.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
F328Be features 5-way posts posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Sabrina V has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Sabrina V and F328Be have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generally need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing the speakers too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.
If you are limited in space and can't get the speakers away from the backwall, check our Speakers with Front Firing Ports page.
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 Wilson Audio Sabrina V's and Revel PerformaBe F328Be's external dimensions. Wilson Audio Sabrina V has external dimensions of 990.0 x 305.0 x 391.0mm (39 x 12 x 15-3/8inch) 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 38mm wider, 304mm taller and 57mm deeper than Wilson Audio Sabrina V.
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 29% more floor or shelf area. Revel PerformaBe F328Be is 57mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Revel PerformaBe F328Be is 304mm 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 Wilson Audio Sabrina V is approximately 1192.6cm2 / 184.9inch2 and base area of the Revel PerformaBe F328Be is approximately 1536.6cm2 / 238.2inch2. The Sabrina V requires 22% 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 Wilson Audio Sabrina V weighs 55.79kg / 122.7lbs and the Revel PerformaBe F328Be weighs 51.18kg / 112.6lbs. This makes the Sabrina V 9% heavier than the F328Be.
Here is a comparison of how Sabrina V 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
 Height |
990mm
vs
1294mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1192cm2
vs
1536cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Sensitivity |
91 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Number of Woofers |
3
vs
1
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
26 Hz
vs
27 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
24k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Price per pair* |
17600USD
vs
28500USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Wilson Audio Sabrina V |
Revel PerformaBe F328Be |
| Brand |
Wilson Audio |
Revel |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
from 50 watts |
50-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
87 dB |
91 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
2.23 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
27-24k Hz |
26-40k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
3 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
8.0" |
| Woofer Composition |
Paper pulp |
Aluminum |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Dome |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
7" |
5.25" |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
990.0mm (39") |
1294.0mm (50.9") |
| Width |
305.0mm (12") |
343.0mm (13.5") |
| Depth |
391.0mm (15.4") |
448.0mm (17.6") |
| Weight |
55.79kg (122.7lbs) |
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 |
No |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - Wilson Audio Sabrina V costs roughly 1.6x 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 (27Hz vs 26Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | B | Revel PerformaBe F328Be is more sensitive (91dB vs 87dB), 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. |
| Size | depends | Wilson Audio Sabrina V 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. Revel PerformaBe F328Be sits in a wider range (4 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | B | Revel PerformaBe F328Be is cheaper - $17,600 against $28,500, about 38% less; arguably a different class. |
A Wilson Audio Sabrina V 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 is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take Wilson Audio Sabrina V if its size, looks or fit in your room suit you better. In a large or open-plan room, Revel PerformaBe F328Be has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Wilson Audio Sabrina V is the easier speaker to get right. 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.
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.