The Tannoy Revolution XT 6F is an award-winning pair of floor-standing speakers that are highly praised by critics and well-received by many. At the price category it is at, the XT 6F is considered one of the very finest and will provide you plenty of sonic performance. We will need to seek equally remarkable amplifiers to pair with these modestly priced floor-standing speakers so that they can sound their best and it will take some effort to do so.
Finding the right matching amplifier will take a while but it is definitely worth the time spent. Firstly, we will need to learn more about the Tannoy Revolution XT 6F floor-standing speakers’ sonic characteristics as well as their strengths and limitations (if there are any). Once we have a further in-depth understanding of the XT 6F loudspeakers, we will then start listing out the best amplifiers which you can go for, so please continue to read on.
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Sonic Characteristics and Strengths of Tannoy Revolution XT 6F
The Tannoy Revolution XT 6F has that traditional boxy speaker design and when you take off the speaker grille, you will notice their signature Dual Concentric driver. It actually consists of a 6″ (150mm) multi-fibre paper Dual Concentric low-frequency driver with a 1″ (25mm) Linear PEI dome tweeter located right at the center of it. This is followed by a 6″ (150mm) multi-fibre paper pulp cone bass driver unit. At the bottom of the speaker, you will notice an integrated plinth that helps the downward-firing bass port to better disperse the low frequencies. This not only allows us to position the speakers nearer to walls but also the integrated plinth makes the Tannoy Revolution XT 6F look more elegant and premium.
These floor-standers will look nice in most listening rooms and will aesthetically match with modern amplifiers. The frequency response is impressive which is 38Hz-32kHz (-6dB). The speaker sensitivity of 90dB is really good and along with a nominal impedance of 8 Ohms, these show that the Tannoy Revolution XT 6F speakers are quite easy to drive. The recommended amplifier power is between 25 Watts to 150 Watts with up to 300 Watts of Peak power handling. Getting an amplifier with power outputs of around 75 Watts per channel should suffice but the more power the merrier.
More Details at Amazon – TANNOY Revolution XT 6F (Single, Gloss Black)
The Tannoy Revolution XT 6F are entertainers where they will pump out plenty of energy and engages you into the music, making you feel like dancing whenever you listen to your favorite tunes through them. The energetic music performance of the XT 6F also comes with a large soundstage that is spacious and open. The stereo imaging of the Tannoy floor-standers is fantastic, able to position the musicians precisely on the soundstage and further filling the stage with rich details. It is also capable of filling a medium listening room with a nice musical presence and energy.
The bass output from the Tannoy Revolution XT 6F is impressive, there is scale and weight but never overbearing, thanks to their agile and tight delivery. The deep bass performance is equally impressive and for music playbacks, you probably do not need a subwoofer to supplement the low frequencies. Their music handling and dynamic range enable the XT 6F speakers to deliver a lively music presentation with impactful crescendos and without sounding disorganized. The cohesion between the high and mid frequencies is seamless, vocals and instruments just sound natural.
Overall sound reproduction is neutral and leaning towards bright-sounding but never reaches a level of harshness though. We have driven the Tannoy Revolution XT 6F speakers to loud volume levels and never once feel cringe. A warm-sounding amplifier may help to add some warmth to the music delivery. The XT 6F is a pair of entertaining and energetic floor-standing speakers, it is easy to fall in love with their sonic charms. We will include the price points of the amplifiers into account and with all these data, we can now start listing the best amplifiers which you can go for, so to pair them with the Tannoy Revolution XT 6F speakers.
Tannoy Revolution XT 6F Specifications
- Speaker Type: 2.5-Way (Down-Firing Bass Port)
- Drive Units: 6″ (150mm) Dual Concentric driver with a 1″ (25mm) Linear PEI dome tweeter
- Frequency Response (-6dB): 38Hz-32kHz
- Recommended Amplifier Power: 25-150 Watts
- Impedance: 8 Ohms
- Sensitivity: 90dB
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1005mm x 269mm x 317mm | 39.6″ x 10.6″ x 12.5″
- Weight: 16.3kg (35.9lbs)
Best Amplifiers to match with Tannoy Revolution XT 6F
The Cambridge Audio CXA81 is one of the best amplifiers to match with your Tannoy Revolution XT 6F speakers. Not only the CXA81 integrated amp has sufficient power to drive the XT 6F, but it also shares similar sonic characteristics that will keep up with the alacrity performance of the speakers. The Cambridge Audio amplifier possesses amazing music timing and can deliver very detailed music presentations which complement the Tannoy Revolution XT 6F speakers really well. The expressive midrange of the Cambridge Audio CXA81 will work great with the XT 6Fs too. Do hear them out first as they may sound too bright for some listeners.
More Details at Amazon – Cambridge Audio CXA81 (Lunar Grey)
Looking for a powerful integrated amplifier without breaking the bank? Then the Peachtree Audio Nova150 is the amplifier for you. It has a rated power output of 150/250 Watts per channel into 8/4 Ohms which can easily make your Tannoy Revolution XT 6F speakers sing. The integrated amp’s neutral with a touch of warmth sonic characteristics helps to ease the brightness by a little. The overall sound reproduction of the Nova150 amp is clean and clear sounding which will match well with the Tannoy Revolution XT 6F floor-standing speakers. To sweeten the deal, Nova150 also comes with a lot of features.
More Details at Amazon – Peachtree Audio Nova 150 Amplifier with DAC (Gloss Ebony Mocha)
The Rotel RA-1572MKII is another powerful integrated amplifier to go for and with a maximum power output of 200 Watts per channel into 4 Ohms, it can drive the Tannoy Revolution XT 6F speakers with ease. The RA-1572MKII also comes with a plethora of features such as a high-grade D/A converter, Bluetooth receiver that supports aptX for higher-quality music streaming, and more. This Rotel amplifier is capable of delivering a large-scale sound with a punchy bass performance which works in favor of the energetic XT 6F floor-standing speakers. The smooth highs of the amplifier do not add brightness to the overall sound reproduction too.
For a more articulate and energetic music performance, the Rega Elex-R will be an ideal choice to pair up with the Tannoy Revolution XT 6F floor-standers. The Elex-R is a fast-paced integrated amplifier with class-leading control and music handling capabilities. Combined with the top-notch agility and space management, this Rega amplifier will simply hook you into the music and entertain you for hours. A great match with the Tannoy Revolution XT 6F speakers. It does have some refinement in its overall sound reproduction. We will suggest hearing them out and see if the sound quality is not too bright or lean sounding for you.
More Details at Amazon – Rega Elex-R Amplifier
For a warmer and smoother music presentation, the Marantz PM8006 will be an excellent choice and it has more than enough muscles to drive the Tannoy Revolution XT 6F speakers too. The house sound of the PM8006 helps to provide a more laid-back music presentation without adding brightness or exciting the treble. It also has a fuller sound quality and the bass performance is solid with a tight delivery. There is also an audiophile-grade Phono EQ stage which for turntable users will be a delightful built-in feature. The Tannoy Revolution XT 6F does add in its own sonic characteristics so that the overall sound reproduction won’t sound too dull.
More Details at Amazon – Marantz PM8006 with Phono-EQ
If you prefer more transparency and accuracy in your music presentation, the Yamaha integrated amplifiers will be fantastic choices but they may be a bit too bright for some listeners. For more neutral and darker sonic characteristics, the NAD amplifiers will be the ideal choice. Tube amplifiers that are good and sanely priced, we will suggest checking out the ones made by Rogue Audio. It is popular for providing great value and performance to its users at a modest price range. If you are just planning to get an additional power amplifier to drive your Tannoy Revolution XT 6F speakers then do check out Emotiva. Their power amplifiers are solid performers and the entry-level models are affordable.
More Details at Amazon – Yamaha A-S801SL Integrated Amplifier (Silver)
To Conclude
The bass performance of the Tannoy Revolution XT 6F speakers is sufficient for most music genres but if your favorite tunes consist of bass-heavy soundtracks, we will suggest adding an active subwoofer into the mix. You can go with either SVS or Rythmik Audio as both provide high-performance powered subwoofers that are very well-received. You should include the potential subwoofers in the amplifiers’ auditioning process so as to get an accurate result of how they will sound like. It is recommended to audition these amplifiers and see if you like what you are hearing.
