REVELL Performa B15a, Performa F52, Performa F32, Performa M22, Performa C52 Brochure

PERFORM

a

™

H

EAR

LISTEN

REVEL

F52

F32

M22

C52

C32

S30

B15 a

®

Owning Revel®loudspeakers

is a pleasurable experience for both

the ears and eyes. Learning about

the finer details of their design and

construction will deepen your

appreciation of their lasting value.

®

The Revel Performa Series represents the culmination of Revel’s

tremendous acoustical research and technological resources. Revel’s

world-class team of engineers, designers, and acoustical researchers was

challenged to create premium loudspeakers that combine superior audio

performance with handsome aesthetics. The resulting Performa Series

loudspeakers feature proprietary drivers housed in beautiful cabinetry

that attains stunning sonic performance and placement flexibility while

complementing the décor in most homes.

THE LISTENING LAB

The Performa Series offers truly superior sound quality and incom-

parable technical pedigree, thanks in part to Revel’s sophisticated labora-

tory listening technique that — for the first time — provides an accurate

correlation between loudspeaker measurements and sonic performance.

Though laborator

y measurements are critical, human hearing is the ulti-

mate evaluation tool. Revel’s Multichannel Listening Lab (MLL) repre-

sents the industry’s most sophisticated loudspeaker listening facility,

allowing loudspeakers to be compared as single speakers, stereo pairs, or

multiple speaker groups. Revel’s tests are based on extensive real world

listening in more than five different environments that simulate a wide

range of residential settings and room sizes. The MLL facility features a

remarkable, exclusive computer-controlled speaker switching stage that

eliminates the problems associated with speaker placement and aural

memory variables. Loudspeakers are placed on computer-controlled,

movable platfor

ms that can quickly be ar

ranged during testing. As a

3

result, the speaker repositioning process takes only a few seconds,

allowing listeners to quickly and accurately compare speakers to each

o

ther from the same room position and with minimal time in-between

m

odels. All tests are conducted “double-blind.” Once the loudspeakers

are installed on the MLL platforms, an acoustically transparent but visual-

ly opaque veil obscures loudspeaker identities from the listening panelists

to prevent human bias from tainting the results. Even the computer oper-

ator is not aware of the loudspeaker identities, as the computer randomly

determines the listening order prior to the test.

ANECHOIC CHAMBERS

While few loudspeaker companies have access to one, Revel has

three different anechoic (echo-free) chambers. Unlike most other compa-

nies, Revel does not depend on electronic anechoic “simulator” testing

methods that often fail to reveal critical performance flaws such as reso-

nances. Revel’s anechoic chambers are state-of-the-art in design, allow-

ing for accurate and useful loudspeaker measurements of complete

loudspeaker models and individual driver elements.

TRANSDUCERS, TESTING & QUALITY CONTROL

Most loudspeaker manufacturers out-source their transducers,

purchasing off-the-shelf tweeters, midranges, and woofers from vendors.

Revel loudspeakers feature proprietary transducer designs found in no

other company’

s pr

oducts. These transducers ar

e exclusively designed,

5

engineered, and manufactured for Revel loudspeakers.

R

evel engineers use Computer Aided Design (CAD) software to

design transducers that are optimized for each Revel model. A powerful

Finite Element Analysis (FEA) system provides a comprehensive computer

s

imulation of the entire driver assembly, allowing engineers to optimize

every aspect of a transducer assembly. FEA produces precise models of

the driver’s magnetic system, which is used to optimize the electro-mag-

netic circuits for each transducer according to the individual driver’s appli-

cation. Transducer components such as cones, domes, surrounds, and

centering mechanisms (the spider) also benefit from FEA scrutiny in the

design process.

An in-house Stereo Lithography Apparatus (SLA) is used during

development to help assure very tight tolerances and minimize develop-

ment times. The SLA utilizes a high-power laser to precisely solidify a liq-

uid polymer into the 3-dimensional shapes specified in CAD drawings.

This allows designs to be tur

ned in r

eal pr

ototypes very quickly so they

can be verified before going into production.

During development, Revel also uses the industr

y’

s most sophis

-

ticated driver distortion analyzer to pinpoint the precise source and loca-

tion of undesirable distor

tions within the driver assembly. In addition, a

high-resolution Laser Interferometer scans the entire radiating surface of

the driver for evidence of br

eakup, which occurs when the radiating sur

-

face flexes undesirably

. This incr

edible tool helps Revel drivers to achieve

more linear piston-like behavior, delivering minimal coloration and excep-

tionally low distortion.

The Laser Interferometer also contributes to the design of the

l

oudspeaker cabinet. To avoid undesirable coloration, the cabinet enclo-

sure must not cause unwanted resonances. Laser scanning the loud-

s

peaker enclosure allows for optimization of the cabinet design, including

proper placement of internal bracing to create an acoustically inert enclo-

sure conducive to the most neutral and honest sound reproduction.

Prior to installation in the loudspeaker enclosure, each loud-

speaker driver complement and associated crossover elements are sub-

jected to rigorous testing as a complete sub-assembly. Components are

tested in an anechoic chamber and then compared to production refer-

ence standards. But even with the tightest production tolerances, slight

deviations still might occur from one loudspeaker to the next. To prevent

this, a technician compares each loudspeaker to the reference standard,

making careful adjustments by hand as needed. All tuning adjustments

and specifications ar

e then recorded and retained for archive purposes,

referenced to the loudspeaker’s serial number.

This careful attention to detail allows Revel to achieve unparal-

leled consistency among all loudspeakers, alleviating the need for

matched pairs. Instead, all Revel loudspeakers are matched within a frac-

tion of a decibel to achieve superior soundstage imaging and accuracy.

Each pair of Performa loudspeakers sounds the same as the original refer-

ence pair as well as the loudspeakers that have won accolades from

reviewers around the world. Physically separated circuit boards for each

7

frequency range prevent degrading mutual interference caused by com-

p

onent-to-component interaction. The result is distinctly more transpar-

ent and distortion-free sound reproduction.

With the premiere of the Ultima Series, Revel earned a reputa-

t

ion for producing “the world’s finest loudspeakers.” Since then, Revel

loudspeakers have won accolades from discerning audiophiles and critical

reviewers alike. Collectively, the Performa Series offers an impressive

combination of advanced design, precision manufacturing, stunning

audio performance, and handsome aesthetics. Individually, each

Performa loudspeaker is a standout performer that delivers a perform-

ance as powerful as it is precise.

The following pages detail the unique design, engineering, and

capabilities of each Performa loudspeaker model.

F52

Shown in

Natural Cherry

finish

9

A five-driver, three-way

design, the Per

for

ma F52 includes

a trio of high performance 6

1

⁄2-inch

woofers that incorporate our

exclusive Or

ganic Ceramic

Composite cone technology, which

provides the ultimate combination

of rigidity and lightness. Featuring

butyl surrounds and high strength

magnetic motor structures, togeth-

er these woofers provide the deep

bass response commonly associat-

ed with a much larger single driver,

along with low distor

tion and wide

frequency response, allowing a

much nar

r

ower cabinet profile. The

5

1

⁄4-inch OCC cone midrange driver

is similarly equipped, and is housed

in its own sub-enclosure within the

F52’

s elegant cabinet, which is

constructed of thick and acoustical-

ly inert MDF and features substan-

tial internal bracing for added rigid-

ity.

The F52 tweeter assembly

features a proprietary 1-inch alu-

minum dome tweeter housed in an

integrated Constant Acoustic

Impedance waveguide, which pro-

vides both optimum acoustic load-

ing as well as optimized horizontal

and vertical dispersion. The result is

a virtually seamless transition from

the midrange to the treble fre-

quencies that also provides virtual

acoustic invisibility, where the

tweeter itself cannot be localized as

an individual driver.

As with other Performa

models, each F52 is individually

calibrated during production,

hand-tuned to within a fraction of

a decibel to the production refer-

ence standard, assuring unparal-

leled unit-to-unit consistency

.

Three physically separated high

or

der

, steep slope crossovers each

feature tight tolerance compo-

nents, and two pairs of inputs on

the rear panel allow for bi-wiring or

bi-amping, while a pr

ecision tweet

-

er adjustment allows fine tuning of

the high frequency balance in

exact .5 dB increments.

The Per

for

ma F52 is avail

-

able in your choice of elegant

wood veneer finishes – Natural

Cher

ry, Maple or Black Ash.

At left, the
F52 driver
complement:

61⁄2-inch
woofers

5

1

⁄4-inch

midrange

1-inch
tweeter

F

52

crossovers

woofer

midrange

tweeter

F52 shown in
Black Ash
finish

The F52
rear panel
tweeter level
control and
binding posts
(shown with
shorting
straps)

PERFORM

a

™

F52

F32

Shown in

Natural Cherry

Finish