Revel 328Be owners...what do you think?


Been looking at this speaker and I'd love to hear from people who had it in their homes.  Does it live up to the hype?  How did it exceed your expectations and how did it let you down?

I will be pairing it with a sub so low end extension isn't a big concern for me.

Thanks for your thoughts!

samgupta101

I think I just have to see what's up with the high-end of the Be Revel line.  But I do understand it's going to be incremental gains here. 

The one thing that concerns me about the Borresen is that I typically do not like ribbon tweeters. I just find the integration between a ribbon and the traditional cones extremely difficult to master. My mind automatically goes to gaps or dynamic differences between both of those drivers technologies.

On the 228 side, Good point about being able to sell these. I'm maybe able to do both the 328s and the Borresen with that approach.... hahaha, j/k!

I’m going through a similar process. I own the Revel 228be, and I’m very happy with them. They do so many things well----imaging, detail, midrange grip, good bass (provided that your electronics are up to snuff), versatility with different genres of music, and they're not finicky about placement. I’ve also had an itch for the 328be, since I’m in a large listening room that can utilize it, but something tells me to leave well enough alone.

Speaker changes are a dilemma. The mistakes can be expensive and auditioning is difficult---bad combination.

The one thing that concerns me about the Borresen is that I typically do not like ribbon tweeters. I just find the integration between a ribbon and the traditional cones extremely difficult to master. My mind automatically goes to gaps or dynamic differences between both of those drivers technologies.

The Borresen planar-ribbon tweeter is probably the most refined I’ve encountered, more so than any beryllium dome, expensive soft dome (Seas Excel, Esotar etc) or RAAL ribbon. It’s quite remarkable to me that Borresen uses them in their “entry-level” models because I find they are superior to most brands’ flagships. Like you, I am typically not a big fan of ribbons or AMTs, though the Borresen unit is technically neither of those. It’s more of a quasi-ribbon tweeter similar to the principle of that in some Magnepans, but considerably better than those of Magnepan.

I suspect the reason the Borresens have such great coherency between the ribbon/planar tweeter and the the cones is their use of a wave guide. FWIW, the Borresens are “end game” in my system. They are the first speakers among dozens that can make every genre and recording sound great, whether the recording is audiophile quality or compressed grunge rock. I have yet to encounter a track in which something rears its ugly head and makes me wince. They also have a remarkable ability to get me lost in the music rather than focusing on quality metrics—that’s the best endorsement I can give.

Regardless, I understand your apprehension with an unfamiliar brand and the desire to stay on the safe path. Speakers are a pain to flip if they don’t work out in your system, and the Revels are mostly a known quantity. I do like Revels but as already suggested, I would bet you’d be more enthralled with some Salon 2s, and those can be found for comparable prices to the 328s.

 

thanks @willyht and @helomech ...I think you both are onto something by suggesting that I find it easier to stick to the safe path here.  I need to think about that a bit more.  

The Revel 328s offer a known quantity to me...not just in terms of the sonic signature but I also know they will play nicely with my electronics and cabling.  With any other speaker all that could get thrown into disarray.

I find myself in a unique situation due to some extensive remodeling going on at my house. I'll have a new system that I can build, so this means I'll likely be moving the 228s into this new system to make room for the 328s.  One thing I could do here is perform the side-by-side with the 328s and then determine if it's worth keeping them or unloading to then move onto the Borresen or something else.

@helomech thanks for the breakdown on the technology behind the Borresen ribbon/planar tweeter and the greater background on them.  It's interesting that you find their tweeter better than the Esotar.  Having a pair of the Dynaudio Heritage Specials I have found that implementation of the Esotar to be pretty spectacular. I'll poke around more on the Borresen.