The Revel F208 is a well-regarded and highly rated pair of floor-standing speakers, praised by plenty of critics. They are capable of producing powerful sound reproduction and has high sonic performance, not to mention, it is sanely priced as well. Revel F208 are full-range speakers which can dig really deep into the bass extension of down to 23Hz (-10dB) and is really impressive for a floor-stander at this price point.
It will require a lot of amplifier power to deliver such subterranean bass frequencies and even if you have enough amp muscles to drive the Revel F208s, the low-ends may not be prominent and satisfying enough. What if you do not have enough amplifier power to fully drive the Revel F208 loudspeakers and/or are not satisfied with their bass reproductions. You can resolve this by connecting a high-quality and high-powered active subwoofer. You will first need to make sure that your sound system can connect to an active sub and the subwoofer needs to be matching with your Revel F208 speakers. This is why we should learn more about the sound characteristics and limitations (if any) of the F208 floor-standers. You should also go through a list of the usual subwoofer requirements which will also help with choosing the right subwoofer for the job.
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Sound Characteristics of Revel F208 and Subwoofer Main Requirements
The Revel F208 is a 3-way loudspeaker with a total of 4 drivers and has a rather large front-firing bass port. The 4 speaker drivers consist of a 1″ (25mm) aluminum tweeter, 5.25″ (133mm) aluminum cone (Cast-frame Midrange), and a dual 8″ (200mm) aluminum cone (Cast-frame Woofers). Revel F208s’ low-frequency extensions are 23Hz (-10dB), 27Hz (-6dB) and 31Hz (-3dB). The recommended amplifier power is from 50 Watts to 350 Watts RMS and you can see from here the Revel F208 loudspeakers could handle plenty of power. And likely will scale well with power too since it needs to deliver such a deep level of low frequencies.
They are able to deliver articulate and tight bass frequencies which have ample weight and scale. Furthermore, the Revel F208 indeed can deliver really deep low frequencies and will vibrate the furniture in your listening room. The bass reproductions may be powerful but it is also agile and fast, allowing the low-ends to blend in nicely with the rest of the upper registers. Providing us with a cohesive and seamless overall sound reproduction. The higher frequencies are extended and detailed sounding too, with a nice level of clarity without sounding harsh or hard. It is a well-balanced and musical-sounding floor-standing speaker, the F208 should do well in almost all types of music genres.
If you want higher bass output, a more prominent subterranean low-end reproduction, and to dig even deeper into the bass extension. Getting an active subwoofer that can deliver bass down to 20Hz and below with prominence will be ideal. We will also suggest going with a high-quality sealed cabinet subwoofer to pair with the Revel F208, as sealed subs are agile and usually fast enough to keep up with the pacing of the speakers. Unless you are using your sound system mainly to watch movies and TV shows then a ported subwoofer will be a better choice. Ported subwoofers are better for HT use as they are capable of producing higher bass outputs and go louder than sealed subs in the same price range. This is one of the requirements you should consider.
Your budget will influence the choices of subwoofers you can choose and match with your Revel F208 floor-standers. The higher your budget the more subwoofer choices you can go for so you might want to work this out first. The size of your listening room will matter as well, the larger the room, the bigger and more powerful of a sub you will require. If you have limited space, you might want to go with a compact size subwoofer that does not compromise power and quality. You should take this opportunity to take a look at your room and see how much available space you have. The more available space you have the better because when you start doing the subwoofer crawl, there is a higher chance you will find the most optimal position for your active sub.
Since a subwoofer is usually bulky in size and will take up a permanent space in your home, you might want to discuss it with your family members and seek their approval. At the same time, you should also ask them for their requirements/opinions if they are sharing the use of your sound system. The more requirements you go through, the better and you should add more of them of your own to this list. When you are done with the requirement list and are firmed with the type of sub you’ll require, please take a look below for the best subwoofers to go for and pair them with the Revel F208 loudspeakers.
Revel F208 Specifications
- Speaker Type: 3-Way (Front-firing port)
- Drive Units: 1″ (25mm) Aluminum Tweeter, 5.25″ (133mm) Aluminum Cone (Cast-frame Midrange), Dual 8″ (200mm) Aluminum Cone (Cast-frame Woofers)
- Low Frequency Extension: 23Hz (-10dB), 27Hz (-6dB) and 31Hz (-3dB)
- Impedance: 8 Ohms
- Sensitivity: 88.5dB
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1183mm x 342mm x 375mm | 46.6″ x 13.5″ x 14.8″
- Weight: 36kg (80lbs)
Best Subwoofers to pair with Revel F208
The SVS SB-3000 is one of the best subwoofers to pair with the Revel F208 floor-standing speakers. This is a highly regarded 13″ sealed subwoofer capable of delivering down to 18Hz bass extension with a peak power of 2500+ Watts. It is suitable for medium to large size listening rooms and can fill the room with a strong musical presence. The SVS SB-3000 delivers subterranean bass frequencies with authority and refinement, it is also agile enough to keep up with the Revel F208 speakers. This is an amazing sealed subwoofer that can handle most music bass demands and peaks without breaking a sweat.
More Details at Amazon – SVS SB-3000 Sealed Subwoofer (Black Ash)
For listeners who have limited space but still want a powerful and high-quality subwoofer to match with their Revel F208 speakers, the JL Audio Fathom f110v2 is an exemplary choice for you. It is a compact 10″ sealed subwoofer with a peak power of up to 1100 Watts and has an onboard DSP, the Digital Automatic Room Optimization, which further helps with your situation by optimizing the Fathom f110v2’s in-room frequency response. The JL Audio Fathom f110v2 is able to deliver visceral bass impact and realistically rendered low frequencies with accuracy and depth.
More Details at Amazon – JL Audio F110V2 10″ 1100 Watts Powered Subwoofer
The Rythmik Audio F12SE will be one of the best subwoofers to match with the Revel F208 speakers. It is an award-winning 12″ audiophile sealed subwoofer and has up to 370 Watts RMS power (Class AB). Furthermore, the F12SE can dig very deep into the bass extension, producing 14Hz low frequencies (-2dB) with prominence. The Rythmik Audio F12SE bass performance is superb for the money, it is agile and articulate, not to mention, fast as well, keeping up with the Revel F208 floor-standers. The low-end deliveries are musical and powerful, well-suited for almost all music genres.
If you are interested in going with high-powered sealed subwoofers with modest price tags and do not compromise bass quality then the HSU Research ULS-15 MK2 is an ideal choice for you. This is a 15″ sealed subwoofer with a frequency response of 20Hz-200Hz (+/-1dB) and whopping peak power of up to 2000 Watts (600W RMS) which is really impressive for a subwoofer at this price point. The HSU Research ULS-15 MK2 will be a worthy match for your Revel F208 floor-standing speakers. This is an amazing subwoofer for listeners who are also looking for a midbass module, and this operating mode can be turned on manually.
This is an excellent choice to go for especially if you are searching for a high-quality and solid ported subwoofer. The SVS PB-3000 is one of the best ported subwoofers which will match well with the Revel F208 loudspeakers. It is really powerful and can fill your listening room with immense sonic energy, making it suitable for home theater use as well. This is a 13″ subwoofer with a peak power of up to 2500 Watts and can be switched to sealed mode which is great for listeners who wants a versatile subwoofer for their sound system. The SVS PB-3000 is a high-performance ported sub and will be able to handle all sorts of bass demands.
More Details at Amazon – SVS PB-3000 Ported Subwoofer (Black Ash)
The Revel B112v2 will be another fine sealed subwoofer to partner up with the Revel F208 floor-standing speakers. As both of them are designed by the same company, they should have similar sonic signatures and would work seamlessly together producing a cohesive overall sound reproduction. Revel B112v2 is an exemplary choice for listeners who prefer to use a subwoofer of the same brand as their Revel F208 loudspeakers. This is an extremely powerful active sub having a 1000 Watts RMS power. The 12″ Revel B112v2 subwoofer has matching aesthetics with the Revel F208 speakers too.
To Conclude
These are high-quality subwoofers and will be well-matched with the Revel F208 loudspeakers. You should shortlist a few of them based on your requirements and if possible, audition these selected subwoofers in your own listening room. This will give you an accurate result of the active subwoofers’ overall bass performance and from there you can pick one which sounds the best to you when paired together with your Revel F208 floor-standing speakers.
