I've been re-jiggering my smaller room stereos again here, and decided to switch speakers in my office, from Revel Ultima Gems to Revel M105s.
The room is 10x12, and the Gems really were too large for the room. I hated to give up these true "Gems". They are fantastic speakers, the best sounding standmounts I've owned, so the M105 had a steep hill to climb.
Most here know Revels are famous for their engineering prowess. Their better speakers have a house sound, aiming for in-room accuracy.
Info:
https://www.revelspeakers.com/products/types/bookshelf/M105-.htmlThere are a number of excellent reviews of the M105 and M106 online, including some very impressive measurements here:
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/revel-m105-bookshelf-speaker-review.14745/I'm happy to say the kudos are well earned. The M105 has a 5.25" woofer, which I've found often blend with tweeters better than larger, such as the 6.5" in the M106. That has been reported in user commentary for the 2 models, so I opted for the most accurate as reported, giving up some bass.
First, the "bad". The bottom end below 50 hz. is MIA with the M105. Down to that point they are flat and very clean and tight, dynamic and well defined. I think they would be excellent candidates to match with a very good sub in larger rooms, but in my small room the bass is tuneful and acceptably deep for my purposes.
They have many strengths, and other than the bass limits, no serious weaknesses. The overall sound is dynamic and the presentation a bit forward, not a criticism, but when playing they demand attention. Not harsh at all, but lively and not laid back either. I like it, others may not.
They are very high resolution. You can hear every musical detail plainly, even on loud, complex pieces. Very flat response, excellent harmonic and dynamic rendering of all instruments in a very nice soundstage, and they will play pretty loudly. Soundstage rendering of width and height is outstanding, slightly less so for depth. They favor no content, whether solos, chamber music, large scale orchestra, hard rock or movies. All sound as they should.
I have a hard time "hearing" and describing these speakers, as they put forward a very credible rendering of the music without editing. The character of the front end, amps, and cabling are plainly heard, so matchups are key to getting them to play their best, as is true of all hi-rez speakers I've owned.
I've had 5 models of older Revels over the years (2 M20s, F30s, F50s, Gems, and M12), and except for the Gems these easily outpoint all the others for sonic accuracy and enjoyment. It's clear Revel is not standing still.
The comparison with the Gems is interesting. It was the cost no object model that launched the Revel company and the Ultima series. The Gems will play louder and go significantly deeper, (to well below 40 hz. in-room) and render a deeper soundstage. The Gems sold for $7200 (that's 1998 dollars!) without stands, vs. $1.5k for the 105. The Gems are also much larger, at 20x9x18, and weigh over 40 lbs., 90 lbs. with stands.
So- I recommend giving the M105 a listen, but give them the care any hi-rez design deserves when arriving at matchups before finalizing judgement.
The Performa3 M106, F206 and F208 are all very similar to the M105 except for size and number of woofers.
For me, they are just what I was looking for in my small room. YMMV, of course.