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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
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,341 posts
 
Did OP indicate what else was in the underwhelming system?

Speakers make no sound by themselves.

Also there is always possibility of something in the system not working properly or up to spec.

Or the sound might just be significantly different than what OP is used to and likes hence judged not good.

Of course it all depends. No easy answer. If really interested, best thing would be to do repeat demos and account for as many factors as possible each time. Or just chalk it up to not ones cup of tea and move on. There are many fish in the sea and different strokes for different folks, you know all the old cliches that get tossed around all the time because they are so true.
earlxtr OP
50 posts
 
I now have my new F208 speakers facing each other in a closet with blankets over them breaking in. Of course I only feed them the highest quality music such as Saleh, Academey of ancent music, Carrie Underwood and let's not forget the god of rock, Van Halen:))))) it's going to be about three to 4 weeks before they come out of the closet for a listen.
okeeteekid's avatar
okeeteekid
142 posts
 
I just listened to my F12's to break them in, they sounded much better after only 50 hours of break in time and even better after 100 hours, I never auditioned the F208's so don't no how they sound, I would think they should sound better than my F12's, I have a pair of Infinity IRS Epsilons ($16,000.00 in 1995) that I can compare them with, no they do not sound as good as the Epsilons but for their price the F12's sound very good, can't wait to see what you think of the F208's as I was thinking of getting a pair.
jl35
4,031 posts
 
Make sure to do a bunch of the breaking in at normal listening levels...
jimmy2615
440 posts
 
Any speakers -even cheap ones, can sound 'great' under the right conditions. I have heard many demos where I was underwhelmed by the speakers. It's often the room. Also, I think we all get used to (conditioned) a certain sound and when we hear something different, unless it is noticeably a lot better, we compare it to what we are used to (for example, as another poster mentioned above, the system we have may have great bass because it has a subwoofer. If a small speaker is auditioned, it's hard to evaluate it solely on the freq's it reproduces when you're used to hearing full range). And then as everyone above states, there are so many other variables that could affect the sound. The worst speaker I ever heard that I "knew" was better was a Vienna Acoustics Baby Beethoven. It sounded thin and terrible, and I know it was the room. One of the best I ever heard - and I mention all of this because I think some speakers are less room AND equipment fussy, was the Harbeth SHL5. I ended up owning a pair and they always sounded good, no matter where I put them or what they were paired with. So, my point and opinion is, all speakers can sound good, and some of them need more attention than others. None are really bad. The problem comes when you buy a great speaker that needs a ton of power (or whatever) - B&Ws and Aerials are examples - and you don't have the right match, for whatever reason.
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