I found Thiel vs. Revel to be night and day different. They had completely different character. I would compare Thiel to ProAc.
The Revels are dynamic and controlled. They put out whatever you feed them. You will be able to hear big differences with interconnects and a DAC. The amp you're using is nice but you may find yourself wanting to upgrade one day. It's amazing how much change I've heard with little tweaks while using the F30's.
The B&W is 'more forgiving' I found it less sensitive to small changes. I like the older B&W but, the new stuff isn't my cup o' tea. (The highs and the mid's don't blend well to me... but, the imaging is still quite good.) I really like the way the B&W's look, though. I think the Revels look awful but, they're the best I heard... especially for the money... So, that's what I have. B&W still makes a good speaker but, for my money Revel makes a great speaker.
If you like the Revel, buy it..... you will be quite pleased. (Plus, I found customer service is tops at Revel/Madrigal/Harman)
Good luck,
Carl |
Look at Thiel 2.3s They were much more refined to my ear than the B&W, and look a whole lot better than the Revel. I did like the Revel sound but in the end the Thiel was a better all around package to me. |
F30s are VASTLY better! The coherence is quite superb between the mid and tweeter, very much UNLIKE the 804N.
As well, the B&W's bass performance is quite lean, and difficult alleviate given that hot and splashy tweeter.
Consequently the Revel can be listened to in the nearfield...the B&W needs a good 10-12' to cohere even reasonably...but in a larger room it's now anemic. The better comparison is between the F30 and the 803N, in which case room size, treatment, and personal preference would prevail. I STILL prefer the Revel because its midrange is more neutral and the tweeter's voiced more smoothly, allowing a nearfield setup. The B&W803N works great in HUGE rooms pretty well, however.Hope this is helpful. My guess is that the Revel is the better choice for most applications. Its California-cartoony design isn't too decor-friendly, however.... Have fun. |
F-30 has more bass. Sounds more "clean". N804 sounds more open / less boxy and more "polite". Detail maybe not quite as obvious as on F-30's. |
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forever- I don't see how your post was in any way helpful, 1chapper asked about two speakers and you say its "sideways" and then tell him that he won't have a clue what his listening for, whats up with that?? this hobby is fun to most(myself included) and yes mistakes will be made, but that is part of the fun. That's wonderful you have SO much experience but perhaps with all of your infinite wisdom you could tell us the differences between the two choices from all of your vast experience- to me that would seem a lot more helpful. ~Tim(just another novice) |
I have read the earlier responses. I own the 804's you will need a large room, I have ARC LS8mkII & Classe CA-151 804's are bi-wired I find this to be a very good combination. Keep in mind that unlessyour room is as big & tall as the dealer's which ever speaker sounds like the right amount of base & soundstage at the dealer's will be TOO MUCH @ home! both speakers will serve you well |
I narrowed my choice down to these two earlier this year and ultimately decided on the F30's, as they offer better bass extension and seem just as good (or better) as the N804's in other areas. So far, I've been very happy with the F30's. Good luck and happy listening. |
Hey lchapper,
As I said before, my preferences are just that, my preferences. The speakers may sound better or worse to the next guy in the next room and that is usually the case. Also, as I said before, you should try and listen to the speakers in your system and hear for yourself which you prefer. Again, good luck and happy hunting......John |
Both offer a different sound. Go read reviews of each speaker and you will find out for yourself. The B&W speakers in general do not sound good with poor equipment. They need high current amps to make them sing, more so with the matrix series. The midrange and high frequencies are the key areas you want to note so once you read the reviews, you will know which one you prefer, if you are not going to bring them home to compare which I think you should do.
Peter |
As with anything else in audio/acoustics, the set up, associated equipment, the room, placement of speakers and acoustical considerations, etc, will ALL IMPACT WHAT YOU HEAR! So, if really, the ONLY WAY to know is to try in your system, with your gear, with your set up(you gotta tinker to do it right...and knowledge doesn't hurt)!
ESPECIALLY for the audio enthusiest/novice, YOU WON'T HAVE A CLUE as to what's the potential by simply going to some "foreign" shop with UNKNOWN FACTORS to you, and think you'll be able to tell WHAT'S WHAT!!!...doesn't work that way. A lot of novices would like to think it's that simple..but there's too much involved.
I've heard some of the best gear in the world set up so poorly, with the worst gear, in bad rooms!!! I've worked in a lot of hi fi shops to know this first hand(5 in all).
Anyway, there's no QUICK TRIP to the top! You gotta just try something! I mean, who you gonna trust?...they all got DIFFERENT GEAR!!!!!!
"patience grass hopper..." |
Hello lchapper,
I was trying to make the same choice as you, about a year ago. I went to one dealer and listened to the N804 and then went directly to the next dealer and listened to the F30. I was more impressed with the F30s. They offered a bigger, better soundstage, more depth and more focused, tuneful bass. Of course, the accompanying equipment was different as well as the auditioning rooms. My preference was just that, my preference. These speakers my show better, or worse, with different equipment and in different listening environments. The best thing to do is listen to both speakers, if that is possible, to get an idea for yourself which speaker works best with your equipment and the type of sound reproduction you are trying to achieve. Good luck and happy hunting.......John |
That's pretty close really. Infact performance wise, it's pretty "side-ways" between the two. I doubt you'll lose with either. You can also biamp either, or throw a Parametric EQ on the "bottom bass" posts for ultimate bass performance with em. Either way, you'll need a good sized room for either of them driven "as is", full range.
Why not try the one you think you want more? I don't think you'll be dissapointed with either with proper set up, and should do well with your gear. Good luck |
