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Why so underwhelmed by Revel F208 audition???

After much reading my local dealer finally got in a pair of Revel F208 speakers to audition. After playing my usual demo songs I was sorely disappointed with the sound.
They simply had no life. The strings that sparkled on other systems sounded like cardboard (ok, bad description but you get my point). They bass did not move me at all.

Was it because:
1) I wouldn't know good music if it slapped my in the face?
2) I was actually auditioning the electronics more that the speakers?
3) I've become a music snob and only the best will do?
4) They are not properly broken in?
5) The speakers really are cr@p?

After reading that 3 different reviewers use the performa's (f206 or f208) as their reference speakers, it's really hard for me to believe number 5 - that the speakers suck

I've been a severe critic of bad sound and a conosour of fine music my whole life so I hope number 1 isn't true:(

The sound from my main system is breathtakingly beautiful. It consists of a Metrum Hex Dac, Benchmark DAC2 Pre preamp, Bryston 3B Sst2 power amp, PMC 22 speakers flanked by 2 Rythmik F12 Subs. The DAC is very rich and analog sounding and the rest of the system is very transparent. Stunning sound. So I have very high standards to reference these speakers against. Maybe I am just expecting too much from the Revels? So number 3 might be somewhat true???

The F208 speakers where being fed by an arcam CD player and an arcam a39 integrated amp. Perhaps this can not compete with my home system? Is number 2 correct and I am really just auditioning the electronics?

Break in can make a big difference in speakers. Maybe they need hundreds of more hours through them? I need to check on number 4.

Or maybe they really are that bad and everyone who has reviewed them is a big fat liar?

Who has heard these and can make a comment???
earlxtr
tune_man's avatar
tune_man
69 posts
 
I have not heard the F208 but have heard the F206 in 2 different stores. One store had them with the top Parasound Halo Amp & Preamp and I thought they sounded great on all kinds of music. The next store had them with a $1500 Music Hall integrated amp and they didn't sound quite as good but still similar. I preferred them to all other similar priced speakers I compared them to which were B&W CM 9 & 10's, Martin Logan Motion 60XT, Dali, Dynaudio and Ushers.
I ordered a pair in fact.
I would be interested to hear what you think when hooked up to your Bryston amp.
analogluvr
859 posts
 
I agree with Almarg. The part that confuses me is the comment about negative feedback. So many designers always say negative feedback is not bad if it is used properly. This goes against my personal experience in which I have always preferred amplifiers without negative feedback. My understanding is that negative feedback is a Band-Aid to correct undesirable effects.
onhwy61's avatar
onhwy61
5,242 posts
 
Feedback can lower distortion which is generally considered an undesirable effect. Like so many things the key thing about feedback is how it's used. For instance, if you're night time cruising down Hwy 101, then feedback is havin' fun, havin' fun.
shakeydeal
979 posts
 
My take is that pairing them with a Bryston amp will only take them further away from musicality......

Shakey
almarg's avatar
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almarg
9,670 posts
 
Analogluvr, thanks for your comment. I too tend to generally prefer amplifiers which don't employ negative feedback, in part because it may be an indication that the intrinsic quality of the design is sufficiently good that it doesn't need to employ it. But on the other hand there are certainly some excellent amplifiers which do use light to moderate amounts of feedback, many ARC amps being examples.

My point regarding the A39, though, is that its exceptionally low harmonic distortion spec is strongly suggestive of the use of LARGE amounts of feedback, with all of its potential downsides, perhaps most notably Transient Intermodulation Distortion (which is not normally specified and for which I believe measurement standards do not exist). And it is also suggestive of the possibility that the quality of the design is such that, as you put it, a Band-Aid is necessary.

On another note: Bombaywalla, your comment is intriguing, and prompts me to ask for whatever elaboration you may deem appropriate to provide :-)

Regards,
-- Al
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