User guide

• For best results, make sure there are no objects between the

REVEL PERFORMA F30 loudspeakers and the intended listen-

ing area (e.g., a coffee table in front of the listener will degrade

timbre and imaging). If possible, avoid placing the loudspeakers

near large objects, which can cause unwanted reflections.

• Ideally, the listening room should be acoustically neutral, nei-

ther producing any distinct echoes nor sounding completely

“dead” and lifeless (also see Room Treatment on the next page).

• After choosing a final placement, add the spikes (and covers, if

desired) as described in Installing Spikes on page 11.

ROOM ACOUSTICS

Listening rooms have a profound impact on sound quality, espe-

cially at low frequencies. In fact, a listening room can actually

dominate the sound quality below about 300 Hz. Ideally, a new

room being built from scratch would include optimized dimen-

sional ratios to minimize the effects of standing waves.

However, most installations will be made in existing rooms. In

these cases, your only solution is to take special care in selecting

both the speaker and prime listening locations, which will pay off

in superior low frequency performance. Often the difference

between poor and excellent results is the result of relatively small

adjustments in speaker and listener placements.

The interaction of loudspeakers and rooms is quite complex, as the

loudspeaker and listener are affected by two mechanisms. First,

nearby surfaces, or boundaries, cause large peaks and dips in low

frequency response. These peaks and dips can often range 12 dB or

more. Second, the loudspeaker and listener locations interact with

the standing waves, or room modes. These standing waves, or reso-

nances, also result in large response errors. There are no simple for-

mulas that take both mechanisms into account. Even computer

programs that analyze one or both factors still may not provide

you with the proper speaker or listener placement values.

Here’s where real-world experience counts. We suggest consulting

your Revel dealer for help in determining the optimum loudspeak-

er and listener placement for your listening room.

REVEL PERFORMA F30

Owner’s Manual