Owner's Manual
Revel PerformaBe C426Be Loudspeaker
Owner’s Manual
4
ABOUT REVEL PERFORMABe LOUDSPEAKERS
FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS
• Beryllium Dome Tweeter
• 5th-generation Acoustic Lens Waveguide
• Deep Ceramic Composite (DCC™) Cone Midrange and Woofers
• Wide bandwidth and dynamic range with minimal dynamic compression
• High-order Crossovers with Film Capacitors and Air Core Inductors
• Premium High-Gloss Finishes: Black, White, Walnut, Metallic Silver
Thank you for purchasing the Revel PerformaBe loudspeakers. These true full-range
loudspeakers deliver an impressive combination of wide frequency range, uncompressed
dynamic range and low distortion across the entire audible spectrum.
The tweeter dome is pure Beryllium (Be), a rare and costly metal with a multitude of
properties that make it the ideal tweeter dome material. Beryillium is extremely low mass
(approximately half the weight of aluminum, titanium and diamond) yet up to 4.5 times
stiffer than aluminum or titanium, yielding superior high frequency extension and resolution
to 40kHz. Its high thermal conductivity helps cool the voice coil for increased reliability. This
newly developed tweeter sets a new standard of transparency for speakers anywhere near
the PerformaBe’s class. The tweeter’s integrated 5th generation acoustic lens waveguide
is based on a breakthrough mathematical approach that accurately matches the tweeter’s
dispersion to that of the midrange transducer in the crossover region. This gives the
loudspeaker very smooth sound over an exceptionally wide listening area–an important
contributor to lifelike imaging for multiple listeners in a room. Further, the remarkable
waveguide actually increases the tweeter’s dispersion at frequencies above the crossover
range. The Revel PerformaBe’s low frequency and midrange transducers feature newly
developed Deep Ceramic Composite (DCC) cone technology. With DCC the aluminum cone
is exposed to intense plasma discharge in order to fuse a deep layer of ceramic to both
sides of the cone, thereby stiffening and damping the cone far beyond untreated aluminum.
DCC technology reduces cone resonance and promotes ideal piston motion; the benefits
are immediately audible in midrange purity and detail retrieval. Their cast aluminum frames
eliminate another source of resonance that is common in many lesser-quality loudspeakers.
The PerformaBe models employ a sophisticated fluid-model designed low frequency port
with identical flares on both ends. This greatly minimizes dynamic compression and port-
generated noise, assuring low distortion low frequency performance.
The Performa enclosures are similar to our flagship Ultima2 Series. The fully curved
enclosure is inherently stiffer than conventional rectangular enclosures. The cabinet walls
are formed with contiguous wood layers to damp material resonance, while strategically
placed braces eliminate the possibility of enclosure-induced coloration. These beautiful,
modern enclosures are finished in high-gloss black, white, metallic or genuine American
walnut in a process (developed and overseen by Italian luxury cabinet makers) that exceeds
automotive finish quality. The loudspeaker grilles are designed to minimize diffraction to
maintain perfect three-dimensional imaging. The magnetic grille attachment method
completely eliminates ugly hardware on the loudspeaker baffle. Whether you use them
with or without grilles PerformaBe speakers will always present a clean, sophisticated
appearance.
Revel PerformaBe’s crossover networks features carefully selected components that
contribute to great performance and benchmark setting value. These high-order crossover
networks dramatically reduce distortion and dynamic compression for clear sound that
maintains the same quality over a very wide dynamic range. These precision networks
optimize the speakers’ timbre accuracy, enhancing musical enjoyment for listeners who are
anywhere in the room, not only those seated on-axis to the loudspeakers. Revel-designed
binding posts are heavily gold plated and include an articulated section that allows for
more secure connections when using spade lugs. The C426Be center-channel loudspeaker
includes two sets of binding posts that enable the loudspeakers to be bi-wired or bi-amped.
During development every Revel loudspeaker model is compared to competitive models in
our unique position-independent double-blind listening lab. This process utilizes the latest
psychoacoustic research to assure that these listening tests are valid, enabling us to verify
that all Revel loudspeakers are superior to their competitors before they are allowed to go
into production.
C426Be OVERVIEW
1" Beryllium
Dome Tweeter
with Acoustic
Lens Waveguide
5.25" DCC
Aluminum Cone
Midrange with
Cast Frame
Dual 6.5" DCC
Aluminum Cone
Woofers with
Cast Frames
Dual 6.5" DCC
Aluminum Cone
Woofers with
Cast Frames
Enclosure with
1"-Thick Panels
and Extensive
Internal Bracing
Binding Posts
Binding Posts
Shorting Straps
C426Be Input Plate
INSTALLATION CONSIDERATIONS
Loudspeaker fidelity depends on the following three factors: loudspeaker accuracy,
loudspeaker placement, and listening room acoustics. Experimenting with loudspeaker
placement and listening room acoustics will have the most significant impact on the
loudspeakers’ performance. The C426Be’s performance is optimized for the most common
center-channel speaker placement options: near a wall, on a stand or inside a cabinet or
entertainment center.