Loudspeakers

Immediately obvious was the knack the F228Be has of not just generating significant sound pressure levels when required, but doing so without ever letting slip its grip on the detail and ambience of a performance. The secret is the way the drivers knit together to deliver a musical whole, with none of that obvious handing-over between drivers present in lesser speakers. Instead, the skill of these Revels is that they just present a wall of sound before the listener, into which the speakers themselves disappear as the music extends between and beyond them in three dimensions.

Fluidity And Flow
Even better, although I noted the benefits of a slight toe-in to firm up the soundstage image, these are no 'sweet spot' speakers, but instead can conjure up a more than impressive sense of stereophony even for listeners well off-axis. They certainly delivered a lovely orchestral warmth and depth, allied to superb levels of detail, with Ravel's 'La Valse' from the Boulez Conducts Ravel set [Sony Classical SK 92758]. There's richness to the sound here without it ever becoming cloying or overblown.

The same was true with a more recent recording, the Daniel Barenboim/Staatskapelle Berlin Elgar First Symphony [Decca 478 9353; 96kHz/24-bit], where the sense of orchestral scale was delivered completely without effort, as was the ambience surrounding the performance.

There was beautiful fluidity in the strings and a fine rhythmic flow, allied to solid attack and drive thanks to the speakers' speed and agility. And the way they cruised through the lyrical fourth movement theme, at around 6.20mins, was simply magical, every note having its place clearly delineated in the overall musical sweep. There are times these speakers can be just breathtaking: and this was one of them.

Another was the way these speakers snapped out the effects-laden mix of Big Audio Dynamite's 'Medicine Show' [This is…; CBS 462999 2]. Through some loudspeakers this track can sound thin, abrasive and tinny, yet here none of the slam was sacrificed. Instead, it was underpinned with solid bass impact, while the snippets of sound effects peppering the mix sliced through the music.

Similarly, Springsteen's 'Candy's Room' [Darkness On The Edge Of Town; CBS CDCBS 86061], opens with a fine sense of intimacy on the lead voice, and crisp, fast percussion. The balance is punchy yet satisfyingly weighty, and not without swagger. This album is hardly demonstration quality, but via the F228Be speakers it was really rather big and magnificent.

Taking it down a little with Chip Taylor and Carrie Rodriguez's 'Sweet Tequila Blues' [Let's Leave This Town; Train Wreck TW019], I've heard speakers able to delve deeper – though not much – but there's no gainsaying the impression of real performers in real space. Again the speakers reinforce that impression of being designed for a good time, but also with culture and refinement.

Rock-Solid Focus
That ability to sound intimate and warm while keeping plenty of power in reserve was also in evidence with T Rex's 'Life's A Gas' [Electric Warrior, deluxe edition; Universal/A&M 533 780-3]. The sound was close-focused without being forced, evoking fine studio ambience, and the voice and instruments sounded totally natural.

This lack of effort also serves well a huge and atmospheric recording such as Masaaki Suzuki Plays Bach [BIS Records BIS-2111; DSD64]. The instrument was placed in a realistic space on the Prelude and Fugue in G Major, BWV535, while the integration of the drivers created a seamless frequency range.

With keyboards on a smaller scale, Paul Lewis's recording of Mussorgsky's Pictures At An Exhibition [Harmonia Mundi HMC902096] showed off the way the speakers image. Piano had rock-solid focus, and there was remarkable air in the sound.

Hi-Fi News Verdict
Let the Revels begin: these wonderfully enjoyable speakers are able to conjure realistic scale and impact while conveying all the detail and flow of whatever's being played. With effortless dynamics, fine integration and the ability to create excellent 3D soundstage images, they deserve very serious auditioning if you're in the market at this level – and show a clean pair of heels to some more expensive rivals, too.