REVELL Performa B15a User manual

PERFORM
a™
HEAR
LISTEN
REVEL
F52
F32
M22
C52
C32
S30
B15a
®

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 laboratory 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 platforms that can quickly be arranged during testing. As a
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result, the speaker repositioning process takes only a few seconds,
allowing listeners to quickly and accurately compare speakers to each
other from the same room position and with minimal time in-between
models. 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 products. These transducers are exclusively designed,

5
engineered, and manufactured for Revel loudspeakers.
Revel 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
simulation 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 turned in real prototypes very quickly so they
can be verified before going into production.
During development, Revel also uses the industry’s most sophis-
ticated driver distortion analyzer to pinpoint the precise source and loca-
tion of undesirable distortions within the driver assembly. In addition, a
high-resolution Laser Interferometer scans the entire radiating surface of
the driver for evidence of breakup, which occurs when the radiating sur-
face flexes undesirably. This incredible 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
loudspeaker cabinet. To avoid undesirable coloration, the cabinet enclo-
sure must not cause unwanted resonances. Laser scanning the loud-
speaker 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 are 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-
ponent-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-
tion 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 Performa F52 includes
a trio of high performance 61⁄2-inch
woofers that incorporate our
exclusive Organic 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 distortion and wide
frequency response, allowing a
much narrower cabinet profile. The
51⁄4-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
order, 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 precision tweet-
er adjustment allows fine tuning of
the high frequency balance in
exact .5 dB increments.
The Performa F52 is avail-
able in your choice of elegant
wood veneer finishes – Natural
Cherry, Maple or Black Ash.
At left, the
F52 driver
complement:
61⁄2-inch
woofers
51⁄4-inch
midrange
1-inch
tweeter
F52
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