Reviews
In these days of downsizing and outsourcing it's heartening to discover that Revolver makes its speakers in Saltash, Cornwall. Better known for its turntables, the company launched its speaker range early last year. This real-wood finish RW16 and a cloth-covered R16 version (costing 50 pounds less) join the larger R33 standmounts, an R25 centre channel speaker and the R45 floorstanders in the range.
We reviewed the 499 pound cloth-covered R33s in April 2003 and loved their midrange and weight, but we also felt they sounded a touch safe. Revolver claims the new real-wood finish stengthens the cabinets, making all those models sound tighter. The light cherry wood veneer feels solid and looks pretty classy, too.
As with all Revolver models, the RW16's are bi-wireable and magnetically shielded and, for best results, you should place them in free space and remove the grilles.
Behind the cover sits the same R range 26mm (1") metal-dome tweeter used in the larger R33 - however, the midrange/bass driver is a new 13cm (5.1") glass fibre unit.
This wood-covered version looks more conservative than its cloth-covered cousin, but does it sound more exciting. Spinning MC Solaar's occasionally brash-sounding Mcah 6 release, we noticed the RW16's tended not to emphasize the harsh-sounding higher frequencies in favour of greater delivery of the bass and midrange. Listening to Holst's Planets suite confirmed that some of the high-level information is occasionaly being overlooked.
Nevertheless, overall delivery from the RW16's is still impressive, and with its fine midrange/bass output, they sound tight and punchy. The RW16's are also composed and smooth but, crucially, they definitely sound more exciting than the R33's. They deliver vocals with good emotion and the tight bass drives tunes with pace and vigour.
They're unfussy speakers, sensitivity is 90dB -- that sound bigger than their 34cm (13.5") height and are superb for long listening sessions. It's true rivals such as the Quad 11Ls might offer greater dynamics and transparency, but the Revolver RW16's lovable sonic character makes them a must-listen at this price point.
FOR: Punch, respectable bass depth for speaker size; rich midrange; undemanding listen; build and finish; magnetically shielded.
AGAINST: Not quite the detail or dynamics of the class leaders.
VERDICT: Great value for money; their relaxed yet entertaining balance is a challenge for the resolutely exact Quad 11Ls.
Four out of Five Stars
The RW16 is a solid little speaker, standing 13" high and 9" deep. A rear port means the speaker must have space behind it to "breathe", a shelf at least 10 inches deep is a minimum, alternatively it can be stand mounted.
Revolver balances the RW16 for near-wall use by tailoring bass output to prevent boominess. Here then is a quality small loudspeaker that can, according to Revolver's spec, get down to a low 48Hz, little short of a floorstander.
The RW16 has a 5" bass/midrange unit with glass fibre cone, working in conjunction with a metal dome tweeter. Fiberglass usually gives a clean, fast sound and metal dome tweeters are not backward as coming forward, so from its spec, it looks as if the RW16's will have an up-front sound. In practice though, both drivers are well developed and sounded smooth and refined. Revolver say they bevel the cabinet edges for improved dispersion, a subtle shaping that does give obvious benefits.
The bass/mid is shielded, allowing use close to a TV. Bi-wire terminals on the rear accept 4mm plugs or bare wire connection. Revolver offers the RW16 with Light or Dark cherry veneers, and contrasting grill cloths. The little loudspeaker is solidly made and attractively finished, with a rich wood veneer.
Sound Quality
THe RW16 is a loudspeaker that resolves instrumental timbre beautifully. It is also sparklingly clear, highly detailed, dry and fast. Spinning Toy Matinee's "Turn it on Salvador", a 24/96 recording on DVD, showed the RW16's suit modern program material, resolving the extra drama and range DVD can provide, and even its cleaner bass. The RW16 doesn't go really low but it does have a level of gripand a sense of balance that was best in this group. I was almost startled at what the RW16 could do with a dramatic recording like Telarc's SACD of Mahler's Symphony No. 6 in the finale, dramatic orchestral dynamics had a frightening degree of scale.
Comparison with the floorstanding RW45's was fascinating. With such deep bass the RW45's should hold all the cards, but in practice the RW16's were so fast and dramatic, at times they made the RW45's sound too fruity. Measurement confirms the RW45 is over-large, but it took the RW16, rather than the other loudspeakers, to make this point. Most surprising was the RW16's ability to convincingly reproduce Cesar Franck's Choral No. 2. 32Hz organ notes gently moving the room. Measurement confirms the RW16's reach down this far. With superior low frequency resolution, vice-like grip and eye popping dynamics, I felt some would take the RW16 rather than the RW45.
In this case then, a superb stand mounter questions its floorstanding brother. Only if the RW45 were a little tighter at low frequencies it would be convincingly ahead.
Measured Performance
A shelving in bass output below 250Hz, to avoid boom when wall mounted, marks out the RW16. Some slight peaking above this will be cancelled by an out-of-phase wall return, so the in-situ response should be very flat.
Low frequency output rolls away below 63Hz, which is also the port frequency. Bass should be well balanced and quite fast, but with less uneveness than usual with wall positioning.
Across the mid-bass and treble the RW16 is nicely flat, so it will be accurate and detailed. Expect lack of coloration, too, since uneveness is caused by minor resonances, which in turn color the sound. A very flat response suggests lack of coloration.
Sensitivity was high for a small loudspeaker, measuring 88dB, albeit aided by use of a 4ohm bass unit, but that's common nowadays. As a load the RW16 is easy enough, needing a moderate amount of power - 50 watts should be fine.
This is a neatly engineered loudspeaker that measures well all round. It has been carefully tailored for wall positioning. NK
Verdict: Five Stars. Fast and punchy, this baby
has unparalleled grip and speed. Revealing of instrumental timbre
like few others, the RW16 is a class act. Restrained lows, but they
are there.
If memory serves me correctly, the Revolver brand was founded by Colin Higham back in the early 1980's, the name owing everything to the fact that its core product was a vinyl-spinning turntable. Although it was a critical and commercial success in the short term, the timing was poor, as the 1980's were the decade of CD's launch, and a bleak time for record player sales, so Revolver disappeared - but only temporarily.
Under new ownership, it resurfaced in the mid-1990's, this time as a budget loudspeaker brand, but stayed around only briefly before disappearing again. Now it's back again, once more focusing on loudspeakers but now owned and operated by some of the top management that left the AGI operation (JPW, Heybrook, etc.) a couple of years back. The two core models that start the ball rolling include this R33 stand-mount and an R45 floorstander, an R25 centre channel is imminent.
One might query whether the world really needs another range of loudspeakers, but someone down at Revolver has at least come up with an interesting and (mostly) original approach to the presentation and styling. In place of the almost ubiquitous real or imaginary wood finishes, these Revolvers cover the back and sides in an attractive silver-grey cloth, saving the chunky 'pearlised maple' wood for the outer three faces. Burgundy red or black cloth may be specified as alternatives, to suit individual decor. Whichever, the net result is attractively different, and seems well camouflaged to fit into the typical lounge where fabrics are the rule rather than the exception. All the woodwork has radiused 'soft' edges, and the drivers are nicely recessed into the front panel, though surprisingly there's no attempt to provide a matching grille, so the drivers will always be on display. [Distributor note: matching grills are now standard on all models.] The hefty build involves laminated double-thickness panels for the top, base and front, plus internal bracing.
At 499 pounds/pair this is no beer-budget speaker, but rather a serious contender in one of the more important sectors of the market. Over the last decade or so the classic traditional stand-mount configuration has tended to be eclipsed by compact floorstanders, probably for two reasons quite unrelated to sound quality. First, they avoid the need for speaker stands, which might be essential to the stand-mount from a performance point of view, but which are usually considered less than aesthetically desirable. Secondly the floorstander appears to offer better value for the money, both by virtue of is much larger box, and also because it avoids the need for additional stands.
If the floorstander seemed to be taking over for most of the 1990's, the new millennium has seen a revival of interest in stand-mounts, and a recognition that this is still the format that makes most sense for the most stereo music systems. It has the better shape inside and out, acoustically speaking, but the more important factor is that it maximises the driver-to-box surface area ratio. The essential task of the regular box loudspeaker is to avoid and/or control the radiation from the surface of the box while providing the 'mechanical earth' that enables the drivers to operate accurately. Keeping the box as small as possible therefore makes a lot of sense, with the key proviso that it needs to be large enough to accommodate and bass-load a main driver large enough to deliver adequate loudness.
That in turn explains why a 165mm (6.5-inch) main driver in a port-loaded 14-litre box is one of the most popular speaker types around today. There are benefits to be had with more drivers and larger boxes, but there are also drawbacks too in extra complexity and costs. When all the variables are weighed and balanced up, the 6.5-inch two-way is hard to beat.
Revolver's example has a high class, cast frame 165mm bass/mid driver with an 118mm diameter woven glassfibre matrix cone, loaded by a generous rear port, while the tweeter uses a 25mm metal dome. Connection is made via twin (bi-wire/amp) terminal pairs, supplied with rather fiddly links in place, feeding a high-class crossover using air-cored inductors, metal-film resistors and polypropylene capacitors.
I first saw and liked the look of these Revolver speakers at a recent hi-fi show, forming the impression at the time that this R33 stand-mount might have the edge over its larger floorstanding R45 stablemate. As luck would have it, I tried the larger three-way first, and wasn't particularly knocked out by it, but now I've got my hands on the stand-mount two-way it's pretty clear that my initial diagnosis was pretty accurate.
There's a directness here that's very appealing and communicative, along with a smooth evenhandedness which is a powerful reminder that if you can get the midband right, you're much more than halfway down the road. This isn't a perfect loudspeaker, but it is a very entertaining and engaging one, because it does the important things really well, and doesn't muck up the less important ones along the way.
As a regular radio listener, I find accurate speech reproduction quite important, and here the R33 is thoroughly impressive. There's no obvious boxiness or thickening from that tough little enclosure, while the voicing is close to ideal -- just sufficiently laid back to avoid any aggressive tendencies when partnered by less than the best electronics, yet not sufficient to make voices sound 'shut in'. One by-product is a slight tough of nasal coloration, it is only slight and detracts only marginally from the openness. And although the effects could do with a little more weight, I also enjoyed movies in stereo mode with the R33's, partly because of the excellent diction, but also the fine spacious imaging and freedom from boxiness.
Given that the lower treble peak that showed up in the far-field measurements, I half expected to find sibilants over-emphasised, but that wasn't at all the case in practice. The peak was in no way intrusive or even obvious, and probably just served to sharpen up the transients a little. I really enjoyed the delicate fine detail and expressiveness of Jorma Kaukonnen's guitar work on Hot Tuna's Live at Sweetwater.
The very 'quiet' box ensures a wide dynamic range, with fine agility and freedom from the sort of thickening and overhang that is not uncommon amongst the less costly floorstanders. There's no 'chestiness' on male voice here, but one can also accuse the speaker of some lack of warmth and 'body'. Cellos in particular, and violas to a degree, don't have quite their full harmonic richness, while bass guitars could have a little more weight and drive.
While you're not going to find sonic perfection at 499 pounds, you will find considerable charm, and that's really the core strength of this cute little Revolver stand-mount. It faces plenty of competition, but does so with its own uniquely different styling package and a beautifully clean, smooth and even midband, that's at once very informative yet also very easy on the ears.
Measurements
In-room far-field measurements showed few surprises, indicating a well-executed design with just enough variation to impose a measure of character. The R33's biggest strength is its unusually smooth and even balance across the central midband. The presence octave, 1.5-3Khz, is a little restrained, while output is just a little 'hot' around 45KHZ in the lower treble. Curiously, this peak coincides with a slight dip in the impedance trace, suggesting it has probably been introduced deliberately during the voicing. The port here is tuned to a relatively high 58Hz, so deep bass isn't really on the agenda here, and output is also inevitably a little strong around the 55Hz mode that is characteristic of this particular listening room. Free-space siting is strongly indicated here, with bass extension provided down to a decent enough 40Hz. However, output in the upper bass and lower midband is decidedly lean. On our measurement sensitivity is a relatively modest 87dB - a couple of dB below the manufacturer's claim - but that's in the context of a very undemanding load from the amplifier's point of view, the impedance only falling below 8 Ohms above 10KHz.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Type: Bass-loaded
two-way stand-mounted loudspeaker
Drive Units: 165mm (6.5")
woven glass fibre cone bass/mid unit
25mm (1") metal
dome tweeter
Bandwidth: 45HZ - 28KHz,
+/-3dB
Efficiency: 89dB claimed
(measured at 87dB)
Nominal Impedance: 8 ohms (min 4.8
Ohms)
Dimensions (WXHXD): 210 x 390 x 280mm
Weight: 8.5kg
Magnetic Shielding: Yes
Finishes: Pearlised maple
with black, burgundy, or grey fabric
Light or dark cherry
real wood veneer
Price: Pearlised:
$995/pair
Light or dark cherry
real wood veneer $1,095/pair
Manufacturer: Revolver Loudspeakers,
U.K.
Telephone: (44) 870 0470047
Revolver was launched more than a decade ago by the late Colin Higham, with a lively yet inexpensive turntable and a memorable rubber record centre clamp called "The Pig". A range of inexpensive speakers followed, but after some yaers distribution ceased and the brand ended up under the ownership of B&W. Now, Revolver has now been bought and relaunched as an independent company by Mike Jewitt, former chief engineer at Mordaunt Short / Epos and Heybrook. Now available from some 25 dealers in the UK, the initial models aare the R33 stand-mount and this, the R45 floorstander. Still to come are the remaining components to make up a home cinema system. Jewitt plans to provide the effect of subwoofer for the system by selling a version of the R45 with on-board power amplifiers to provide deeper and more powerful bass than is possible for the standard passive version. The R45 measures 950 x 250 x 320mm (hwd), with an integral plinth threaded for fitting floor stabilizing spikes. Styled in a unit panel idiom, the carcass is well finished in a pearlescent maple synthetic with the bevelled side and rear panels distinctively trimmed in a neutral, light grey cloth (black and burgundy cloth are no-cost options); grills will be an optional extra. [Distributor Note: grills are included at no extra charge.]
There is a four driver line-up for this full three-way design. From the top, the tweeter has an anodized alloy dome with a useable range up to 28KHz. Six hole fixing, pressed steel frames of Revolver design are used for the three 165mm chassis, cone type drivers. Two are used for bass, reflex tuned to a low 37Hz, while the remaining unit serves as a powerful mid-range driver.
A woven, resin bonded glass fiber is chosen for the cones, selected for a good balance between rigidity, smoothness and resonance control.
Crossover frequencies are nominally set at 200Hz and 3.5KHz and save for the tweeter section, are simple, mild slope, first order networks. Air core inductors and polypropylene film capacitors are also fitted. Mindful of the intended home theater application, this system is magnetically shielded.
SOUND QUALITY
With a minimum impedance at just 5 ohms and a typical value of 8 ohms, these speakers claim an honest 90dB sensitivity and are easy to drive. A 25-200W amplifier power range is specified while the overall frequency range is quoted as 38Hz to 30KHz, allowing for floor boundary loading.
First impressions of the R45 were favorable. Well balanced from mid to treble, this speaker was easy to locate for an even, extended bass of good control and also for a well-focused, natural-sounding stereo stage.
While some degree of box coloration was present in the lower mid-range, moderately obscuring detail in this range, if anything, this area was judged better than average for the type and class. Through the mid and treble this new Jewitt design showed notable quality, a delicately judged blend where the join between mid and treble was well hidden; the smooth yet revealing mid-range is matched by a self-effacing slightly recessed treble range devoid of any "mechanical" sounding tweeter driver signature. This performance put the design in a positive light compared with many other systems on the market.
There is a degree of politeness, even controlled restraint in its overall behavior yet this also endows it with a welcome degree of consistency over a wide range of program type - jazz, rock, or classical.
With a punchy level of bass weight it also sounded quite agile and rated above average for rhythm and timing. Its gently laid back approach made for desirably low listening fatigue but also rendered the overall feel a tad downbeat for some tastes.
Stereo images are well formed, with good focus and quite good depth. With its evident good power handling, high power levels were possible from this three-way design and is certainly capable of driving larger rooms when required or delivering the kind of dynamic clout required when serving as the primary front channels for a larger Home Theater system.
Long experience and good judgement has allowed the R45 designer to craft a respectable, powerful floorstanding loudspeaker offering neutral balance, smooth inter-driver blending, fine control and low aural fatigue.
CONCLUSION
The Revolver brand has never looked so accomplished as under its new owner/designer. The R45 is a distinguished floorstander, which is well-engineered and even tempered. Check it out, and see whether the finely blended sound and unusual part-fabric appearance appeals. We can recommend this powerful and surprisingly subtle package as good value.
LAB REPORT
With a sensitivity at 90dB and a typical 8 ohm impedance (I measured a minimum of 4.9 ohm impedance at very low frequencies), the R45 is compatible with a wide range of amplifiers and cables. Good maximum sound levels of 108dB are possible in average rooms. No premature limiting was seen, with intelligently used music drive, up to 250W peak program per channel.
On axis, the reference response was generally uniform and well balanced, in good agreement with the listening results. This graph will not be as flat as some because the low order crossover means more overlaps between the driver responses, with consequent variations. Nevertheless +/-3dB limits were met over a 60Hz to 18KHz range (Fig 1) and if the mild 21KHZ +7dB peak is forgiven, the axial output extends to more or less 33KHz, given microphone/system tolerances. There are mild prominences in the upper bass and upper mid, adding a touch of "character". Bass extended to 39Hz -6dB, and to about 35Hz when room loaded, though the rich upper bass tended to overshadow the full extension.
Skillfully blended, the off-axis responses marry well with the axial trace (Fig 2) confirming the overall smoothness. While there was some mild enclosure panel coloration, the drivers sounded tidy and a MLSSA "waterfall" of the decay responses was to a high standard for decay speed. There is significant subtlety in this design.
Spatially averaged in the listening room the upper bass was a bit forward, adding a "punchy" quality. The mid is really even, pretty well blended to the tweeter, the energy is maintained to high frequencies. Selected room placement can help to even out the low bass.
THE SYSTEM
In the listening system used for this review, sources included a Marantz CD-7 player and Linn PL12 Lingo turntable / Naim Aro arm / Audio Note IO II cartridge. Amplifiers included Naim NAP 250, fed by an Audio Synthesis Passion "Classic" passive controller and the new Orelle SA100 VO integrated amp. Cables were from Kimber and van den Hul. Loudpspeakers used for comparison included Spendor SP2/3, BBC L3/5A (15 ohms) and B&W 604 Series 3.
The RW45 is big, but not overpowering in a reasonably sized room. Well made and nicely finished with real wood veneers, this loudspeaker is traditional but solid and unassuming in appearance. Three 6.25" fiberglass coned drivers are used, one for the midrange and two lower down to handle bass, loaded by a rear port. At the top sits a metal dome tweeter, behind a protective grill. Cabinet edges are beveled for good surface wave dispersion, to clarify imaging. So this is a standard three-way, even if it doesn't look like it. A long grill covers the drive unit array. The RW45, distinguished by an all-wood finish, is a tweaked version of the R45 I recommend regularly.
At 37 lbs., the RW45 is weighty enough to sit firmly on a spiked plinth, standing 37" high, 10" wide, and 12.5" deep. It's all very normal perhaps, but this loudspeaker to my mind epitomizes what a good floorstander can and should offer - no excuses. A discussion of the merits of shelf mounters with floor standers needs this to illuminate the full spectrum of performance that's available. Revolver quotes a lower bass limit of 38Hz, we measured 25Hz (-6dB point). That's low - very low! - and well beyond a bookshelf cabinet, so the RW45 seemingly has a decisive advantage over smaller rivals and can demonstrate the advantages of size.
Sound Quality
There's less shine and character across the midband of this upgraded RW45, in comparison to the old one I know well. However, it is so silky smooth and mild mannered across the midband as to be seemingly characterless against rivals. From the gruff tones of Jackie Leven singing "Extremely Violent Man" to the soaring highs of Renee Flemming's "Madame Butterfly", the RW45's instead let the character of the music through. They wonderfully resolve the full range of each recording, its timbral character and even the sense of location.
Spinning wideband DVD's like Riding With the King or something more strenuous like Foreigner's "Luane", shows they handle Rock with aplomb, putting force behind bass guitar, resolution to vocals, and treble so integrated it's simply part of the performance.
A big floorstander should go low and here the RW45's perform. They are big at the bottom end and there's some boxiness to be heard, but with DVD I was aware of ethereal subsonics in a mix, such as The Insane Clown Posse's "Murder Rap", where the room was spasmodically "energized" by deep tones. It's a pity to miss subsonic events like this, because they are part of the picture, yet most listeners do. By revealing such effects a big floorstander proves its worth.
Although technically similar in many respects, the RW45 differs radically from Revolver's standmounting RW16 in its musical presentation. It's big hearted, easy going and powerful, just what you'd expect from a good floorstander in fact.
Measured Performance
With a big cabinet and twin bass drivers, the RW45 has oodles of bass output, maintaining full level down to 40Hz, below which it rolls away, measuring -6dB at 25Hz. This is very low; you feel 25Hz rather than hear it.
The port is broadly tuned around 30Hz, extending output down even further. So the RW45 justifies its size, reaching down to produce lower bass than is common from hi-fi loudspeakers. A lift in output around 80Hz shows, however, that some enhancement exists.
A high measured sensitivity of 90dB means they'll shake the room from just a few watts.
The bass unit is a 4ohm unit but overall impedance measures 7ohms, due to high midband impedance. So the RW45's don't even need a lot of current: they are a relatively easy load for any amplifier, even an 8ohm valve amp.
Frequency response above the bass region extends flat right up to 20KHz. Absence of minor peaks and perturbations suggest low coloration, as well as high accuracy.
The RW45 measures well, fulfilling all the promises of a big floorstander. NK
Verdict: Four Stars. Smooth, uncolored and revealing, the RW45 also has oodles of bass. Good all round, its a big hearted floorstander, an exemplar of the breed.
Exclusive North American Distributor:
O. S. Services, Inc.
10153 1/2 Riverside Drive, Suite
159
Toluca Lake, CA 91602
Phone: (818) 632-0692
E-mail: revolver@ossaudio.com
Website: www.ossaudio.com