Revel

We just love it when this happens. Revel decided to update the top model in their Performa line, the F50A, and they ended up with a loudspeaker which is remarkably superior to the F50A but which costs $1000 less. This is the new F52, and it's a real winner at $6,498 per pair. The F52 is a five-driver, three-way design with a trio of high performance 6 1/2-inch woofers that incorporate Revel's exclusive Organic Ceramic Composite cone technology. This technology provides the ultimate combination of rigidity and lightness. Together these three woofers provide the deep bass response normally associated with a much larger single driver but allow for a much narrower and esthetically-pleasing cabinet profile. The 5 1/4-inch Organic Ceramic Composite midrange driver is isolated in its own sub-enclosure within the F52's elegant cabinet. This cabinet is constructed of thick, acoustically inert MDF and features substantial internal bracing for added rigidity. The F52 tweeter assembly features a proprietary 1-inch aluminum dome tweeter housed in an integrated Constant Acoustic Impedance waveguide, which provides both optimum acoustic loading as well as optimized horizontal and vertical dispersion. The result is a virtually seamless transition from the midrange to the treble frequencies. This design also provides virtual acoustic invisibility for the tweeter itself so that it cannot be localized as an individual driver. The 52 recently received a rave review in issue 162 of The Absolute Sound where they said:

The Performa F52 is a loudspeaker with the muscle and drive to reproduce grand music on a vast scale; at the same time, it has the grace and delicacy of a solo performer. Its balance is exquisite, its composure under stress unflappable. While crowning any component north of six grand a “bargain” might furrow the eyebrows of some, a brief audition should win over even the most hard-boiled skeptics. Overall, this is the best speaker that Revel has ever produced, and one of the great high-end values.

When you consider that Revel has produced some very highly-regarded loudspeakers up to about $20,000, saying that the F52 is the best loudspeaker that Revel has ever made is quite a statement. Maybe you should come down to the store and hear this one for yourself.