Yes I do which is why I stated I think they compete in performance with speakers up in the $25k range. Personally I negotiated a very good price with my dealer well below $16k, but I think they are a great bargain even at $16k if someone pays full sticker for them.
Revel F328Be's Have Arrived! / Contradicting Specs?
Well I'm only about 8 hours in with my new Revel F328Be's & I am enjoying them & they are flat out awesome. They are replacing a pair of KEF R11's in my main system which I will be moving to another system as I still think the R11's are fantastic performers. That said, the new F328Be is in another league right out of the box. More finesse, more muscle, more detail than the R11 which I think will even widen as the Revel's continue to break in. And I wish we could post pictures here because I was floored by how they arrived...they come in a heavy duty flight road case, one for each speaker with custom lettering outlining the Revel F328Be. Each case & speaker weighs over 200lbs so when the 19 year old delivery service kid showed up with no dolly, ramp or even a box cutter to unwrap the cases I knew I would be helping to get these in the house.
On a side note, I know these speakers are brand new but Revel does appear to have some contradicting specs that has left me wondering what the true specs are? For example...
-The Revel site has not yet published the frequency range for the F328 so I asked several dealers & they both came back & said the Revel rep said 26Hz - 40khz at -6db. However the manual that came with the speakers states 32Hz - 40khz at -6db? Per the manual it also states the low-frequency extension is 25Hz (-10db); 32Hz (-6db); 44Hz (-3db)
-There is also a discrepancy with the weight of the speaker...the site says 90 lbs. but the manual lists each speaker at 112 lbs which I find much more accurate after moving them around yesterday.
-The speaker dimensions are also off between the site & the manual...the Revel site lists it as 13.5" wide & the manual states 11.83". And depth on the site is listed at 17.6" while the manual states 16.56". (both the site & the manual list these measurements with grille included).
Just thought I would get this info out so you can keep it in mind if you are considering the F328Be. I want to also publicly thank Jay O'Hanlon from XTend Technologies in Cleveland for his outstanding service & assistance, I would highly recommend Jay & XTend. Thanks
On a side note, I know these speakers are brand new but Revel does appear to have some contradicting specs that has left me wondering what the true specs are? For example...
-The Revel site has not yet published the frequency range for the F328 so I asked several dealers & they both came back & said the Revel rep said 26Hz - 40khz at -6db. However the manual that came with the speakers states 32Hz - 40khz at -6db? Per the manual it also states the low-frequency extension is 25Hz (-10db); 32Hz (-6db); 44Hz (-3db)
-There is also a discrepancy with the weight of the speaker...the site says 90 lbs. but the manual lists each speaker at 112 lbs which I find much more accurate after moving them around yesterday.
-The speaker dimensions are also off between the site & the manual...the Revel site lists it as 13.5" wide & the manual states 11.83". And depth on the site is listed at 17.6" while the manual states 16.56". (both the site & the manual list these measurements with grille included).
Just thought I would get this info out so you can keep it in mind if you are considering the F328Be. I want to also publicly thank Jay O'Hanlon from XTend Technologies in Cleveland for his outstanding service & assistance, I would highly recommend Jay & XTend. Thanks
Showing 9 responses by spookyfoot
The Revel site just updated the specs for the F328Be... Frequency response: 26Hz - 40kHz (-6dB) Low-frequency extension: 24Hz (-10dB); 26Hz (-6dB); 35Hz (-3dB) Again, doesn’t jive with the manual specs but I’m betting these are the accurate numbers vs the manual for a speaker of this size. I’m about 2 weeks in & listen to them about 4 hours a day & I am absolutely loving them. Pure muscle & punishing authority while also revealing the smallest little detail in recordings. They dig so deep with bass that my large room (26’x17’ with 22’ sloped ceiling) feels like there are multiple subs in here. And the beryllium tweeter is so smooth & handling every challenging recording I’ve thrown at it without effort. I don’t know how else to explain it but they are truly special. |
I watched the Axpona virtual presentation with Revel yesterday on Facebook which was primarily about the F328Be. One thing that did come out of it was that it sounds like now that the Performa Be line is complete they want to turn their attention to perhaps developing a new Ultima Salon. As for me I am loving my F328Be's, it is a very special speaker and has fit it nicely with system and room. |
The Revels are completely broken in with probably thousands of hours on them thanks to the pandemic. I absolutely love them. They are the best speakers I've ever had in my system hands down. They honestly don't have a weakness that I have discovered...other than I keep the grills on them because I am not a huge fan of the look of the white cones. I would love to share pictures but how do you share pictures on Audiogon lol? |
mak5698, those are great questions...I will say I am a huge KEF fan & have had many sets of KEF's over the years. I absolutely love the R-11's and still have them in another 2 channel system I have in a smaller room. The treble of the 328Be's are more smooth compared to the R-11's & yes I think it's due to the beryllium tweeter. There were tracks that the R-11's could sound a slight bit harsh on the high end & I don't hear that at all with the Revels. The were a couple reasons I made the move to the 328Be's for my main system & replace the R11's... 1. My main listening room is very large (26'x17') & I wanted a larger, closer to full range speaker that could push plenty of air & fill my room effortlessly with deep bass & a big soundstage. The 328's dig a bit deeper & I am very happy with their bass capabilities for 2 channel music to the point I don't feel I need a sub. 2. I was intrigued by the new 328Be's right off the bat, their measurements, size & I've always liked the sound beryllium tweeters bring to the table. As much as I really love my R11's, the 328Be's are a full step up in every department...ultra smooth in higher frequencies, super wide soundstage, clean midrange & superb bass response. But to be fair the 328's are quite a bit more expensive than the R11's. For the money I don't think neither the R11's or the 328Be's can be beat. |
Reviews are starting to trickle in for the F328Be. The latest one is from www.audiodrom.net. They loved them based on the review. I am still loving them as well, best speaker I have ever heard paired in my main system. I am using them solely for music & can't imagine needing a sub, however if I were using them in my home theater set up then perhaps. After about 7 months with them they just continue to blow me away. Highly recommend if anyone is looking for speakers $25k and below they give the F328Be's a serious consideration. |
James633, I am also running a Mac amp (MA8900) with my 328Be's. I think Mac is a great pairing with the Revels. I've had the 328Be's for just over a year now & they are truly a special speaker. I have them in a pretty large room (26' x 13') with a 22' vaulted ceiling and they can flood the whole room with deep bass. That said I like to take advantage of the EQ on the MA8900 and I keep the lower frequencies bumped just a smidge for just a little extra punch. And yes I agree about the highs, the 328Be's are super smooth on top. Hope you land on one of the Revels, I don't think you could be wanting for anything more with any of the Performa Be series, just need to try and match up the right series based on your room size & gear. All The Best! |