Revel for HT

Pretty much everything you want to know and more about Revel (tweeter w/waveguide and wider dispersion) vs JBL (compression driver in horn waveguide and not as wide dispersion) here:


If you look at Revel, JBL Professional and Synthesis websites to see the specs of the Salon2, F328Be, JBL M2 and SCL series, you will see their proprietary tweeter waveguides and compression driver horn/waveguides can be designed to do just about anything, including asymmetrical dispersion patterns (SCL-5, 7 and 8)! The tweeters in the Salon 2 and Revel F328Be have very large motor structures that can handle lots of power and produce very high SPL's with low distortion. Some people prefer compression drivers and dispersion patterns that are not as wide. Some people prefer Be tweeters in waveguides that yield wider dispersion patterns. M2, Salon2, and F328Be are all exceptional speakers. Revel speakers have beautiful, high end furniture grade cabinets that add to the cost, M2 is a professional studio monitor. The cabinets are very well made, but the appearance and finish is not designed for the average home living room or home theater where the visual aesthetic is a factor.

Dave in Green said:

Horns and waveguides come in a wide variety of dispersions from narrow to wide so all can't be judged from experience with one.

Click to expand...

+1,

Horns and waveguides allow controlled dispersion to match the end users needs acoustically--sort of the reason they are used. They can be very narrow, very narrow vertically while giving a wide horizontal dispersion (very common in pro sound, theaters and some studio monitors) which is to prevent floor/ceiling sound reflections to improve the direct sound. Vertical line arrays also do this, they generally have a very wide horizontal dispersion (for the butts in the seats) and a very narrow vertical dispersion (some times less than 10 degrees) to put the sound where the people are located and not bouncing around walls, floors, ceilings etc. that really blur the sound. These systems can cost millions of dollars so there is a method to the madness.

It depends on what you want--waveguides/horns and controlled dispersion do what they do so the end user had better be educated and fully understand how that design works, what it does well and what it can't do before you purchase such things. If you do it wrong, it will make the design and sound worse to unusable or...if done right, it is the right tool for the job.

Same with concentric coaxes--they tend to be wide dispersion in all directions which can be a poor choice for mains in a typical room at longer distances. Not a fault of the design, it is the fault of the end under for not using the correct design for their needs. Those coaxes are commonly used for creating a very large sound field so great for near field monitors or surround sound speakers to create a huge sound field. Use them for LCRs at 4 meters? No, they will create a lot of reflecting energy so no a wise choice. Now if a person likes a lot of sound reflections--some people do then to each his own.

I learned the value of controlled dispersion when I did PA systems back in the day. In reality, I had to give clear sound for the most amount of people because those people paid the money and it was my job. If the voices were not heard clearly, I was out of a job and had a pile of audio equipment that was very expensive so I had to do it right and do it correctly quickly. As the venue became larger, my larger more powerful system had narrower dispersion so I could aim it at the butts in the seats--used different, wider dispersion speakers in smaller venues to expand the sound field at closer distances. Sure, I would of loved a single system that did it all, in all rooms, venues and outside gigs--but that did not happen and could not happen because acoustics will bite you in the butt.

There is a reason there are so many designs in audio, use the right tool for the job mainly. Much easier in your living room but knowing how different designs work and if they are the better tool for your room acoustics and requirements is a good thing. My garage system, my HT in the living room and my near field monitors on a desk are drastically different from each other by design. Oddly enough, they all have one thing in common...they have dispersion control as even the studio monitors have that function.

You might have noticed an ever increasing use of waveguides even with dome tweeters etc....there is a reason for this. Blame better software, much more accurate testing abilities and better drivers for this in the past 25 years--they all share the blame. Technology and progress marches on so instead of thinking waveguides and horns have stood still and sound like the garage band from 30 years ago--think again. You never know, that wonderful sounding speaker with the grill on it might have one you can't see...my speakers keep their grills on to protect them from dust, UV and if little humans visit that love to poke in dust caps.

In summation, quit looking at speakers and just enjoy different designs. Go to Audio Science Review and see what waveguides/horns etc. provide--they even tested a line array! There is a big world out there past cones and domes...they might even be a better tool for your needs so don't discount them.