minimus,
I have the Beta 40 and feel the same way. Just curious, what amplifier are you using? I have a 60 watt integrated and am wondering if the Infinitys would sound better with more watts.
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I have owned for many years the Infinity Beta 50 speakers which are very similar. Nearly identical. I believe the magnets are larger and upgraded cross overs for the revel variant.
I am SO impressed with my betas. I feel they are not embarrassed by speakers 10-15 times their cost! I am most curious to upgrade to the Revel F12s to see if I can gain even more improvement in my system.
Thank you for sharing your experiences!
Rob |
I have a Revel dealer nearby. Someday I may have a listen. |
That's cool...the break in process is very rewarding. |
Two months later ..... Wow ! These Revel F-12's are sounding better with each CD or LP I'm throwing at them. I seem to be hearing things throughout my music collection that I never heard before. To all you uys who designed and built these speakers..... BRAVO ! |
Hi Adam,
Yeah, it's a great speaker. It would take big bucks to better it, really. |
Hi Foster...... Yes indeed. I am enjoying listening to CD's as much as I am enjoying listening to LP's. You're asking a very good question. With the Vandersteens, I was listening to vinyl a lot more than digital. With the new Revels, my Rotel CD deck seems to sound "more musical" than it did with the Vandy's. |
Adam18, with the Revels are you enjoying the Rotel player as much as the Rega table? |
I agree with you Dave.....These new Revels are really impressing me. I've been playing a very wide variety of music, and everything that I'm throwing at these speakers is sounding very, very good. Small ensemble jazz, classic rock and roll, blues, classical (symphonic and chamber), progressive rock, folk, male and female vocals........... it's all sounding great ! I feel like a little kid with a brand new toy. Yes indeed, I have totally enjoyed my Vandersteens for fifteen years, but now........ my system is sounding better than ever ! Late summer in upstate NY, beautiful weather, and I'm trying to balance my time between golf, bike riding, and listening to music. Life is good ! |
I have the similar JBL L890s. One of the best kept secrets in audio, imo! |
Phasecorrect.......you are correct ! The defining characteristics of both the Vandy 1C's and Revel F-12's are clearly apparent within the context of my system. I tried to describe these characteristic differences above in my opening thread, and I am truly impressed that both speakers sound really, really good, but very different. The Revels are definitely giving my system and room a more dynamic, extended, and cohesively balanced sound, which I am enjoying across the vast range of my CD and LP collection. It's all good..... |
The defining characteristics of both Revel and Vandersteen would be apparent in any system...and possibly more prenounced depending on equipment...fwiw...i am a revel fan...the m20 is one of my favorites |
Very cool thinking, Foster. You may be absolutely right. |
Is it possible that the F12s brought about an increased system synergy? Is it possible that increased system synergy trumps the speaker design differences between the Vandies and the F12s, and results in more music satisfaction? That may be what's happening here. |
Two very different speakers...Vandersteen are known for their very deep soundstaging, clean bass, and open sound...Revel 12 is a much more forward sounding design, which can work better with conventional rock, etc...but the 1 series by Vandy has been a perennial best buy for years.... |
After a full week with my new Revel F-12's........ I am extremely energized by my purchase. Wonderful synergy with my system, and I'm enjoying every CD and LP that I'm playing. Music that sounded truly fabulous through my Vandersteens is now even better. Is this a common psychological response to getting new speakers, or does the music indeed get better treatment through the Revels ??? Who knows ??? But I am really having fun with my system again and looking forward to listening to all my favorite music ! |
Here's something pretty cool........
As I was listening to music last night, I was reading Stereophile and enjoying Kal's review of the ADAM speakers. He referred to a particular passage of Bela Fleck's "Cosmic Hippo," describing two ranges of deep bass. So, I put on that same CD, and heard exactly what he was talking about through my new Revel F-12's. It's a good feeling to know.......
Does anybody else do that ? There are many times when I read something in Sterophile, Absolute Sound, or on-line describing how a piece of equipment sounds with a particular song......... I then play that same song trough my system to see how my set-up compares to what's being reviewed. It's nice to know that my "excellent bang for the buck" system matches up quite well with some of the "big boy" contenders out there. |
Hi Foster... As I described in the second paragraph of my thread, all these same qualities impressed me more with the Revels than with the KEF, Focal, or PSB speakers. Over the past year I also listened to speakers by Totem, Devore, Magnepan, Martin-Logan, Spendor, and Paradigm, and the Revels sound the best to me. The key words in my "sound far better" comment are "to me." All the speakers I auditioned are high quality pieces, but I am liking the Revels best of all. Strictly a personal preference. |
Adam18, can you descrbie "far better?" |
I've auditioned the KEF Q900, Focal 726V, and PSB Imagine T.
To me, the Revel F12's sound far better than the other three. |
Thanks for the report. I've been considering a lot of options in that range, including the F12, Monitor Audio, KEF, and Focal. It's hard to do any kind of comparisons around here due to not having much in the way of dealers with speakers set up and listenable. |
