As the transducers neared their limits, bass resonances and natural sustain and decay were a little beyond the M16s’ reach; nonetheless, this level and quality of extension in a fifteen-inch compact created an illusion of orchestral weight, scale, and hall ambience that was hugely rewarding in a sub-thousand dollar speaker (even if it didn’t quite fool you into believing you sprung for Revel’s world-class Salon2 flagship). Instantly, the timing, agility and enthusiasm are improved through the SA20 when compared with its sibling, especially when using the DAC. The SA20 is the most affordable offering to come sporting Arcam’s Class G amplifier topology, delivering just under 20 of its 90Watts in Class A @ 8Ohms. If you want to have a taste of what all of Harman research and engineering is about, get a pair of M16s and listen. They are delightful "bookshelf" speakers showing what can be done when you combine serious research with a decent budget for pats and manufacturing.

Revel is now part of the considerable grouping of product that forms the impressively named Harman Luxury Audio Group. This also includes Mark Levinson, Lexicon, JBL, Harman Kardon, AKG and Arcam and this large (by the standards of Hi-Fi anyway) group is in turn owned by Samsung. Revel seems to have been issued the challenge of making speakers that can complement this considerable selection of electronics brands, leaving JBL to get on with the business of being JBL. Does this mean that the M16 is a flexible friend to many an amp or a speaker struggling to exert its own identity? You paid for it, might as well use it so don't cover the sidewalls. Let the speaker use them to present a larger image. Not quite, as they come to about 22.5” whereas the standard tall stands are 24” as you know. The Revel ones that are meant to be designed for the job are just over 25” per the link immediately above. Currently I have a nice pair of Dali Zensor 1 connected to my amp without Sub (and I don't want one). Time to do the jump. Thanks to those connectivity options, the CDS50’s 32-bit/192kHz ESS DAC can also be as used as a standalone DAC/outboard converter for other sources.

What Makes Us Different?

Once decoupled, the M16’s cabinet and tuned rear port began to function in sync. All interactions between driver, cabinet and port now produced a sound which was smooth, detailed and extremely well chiselled. In my time I have come across very few speakers that display such a stark contrast in performance pre and post spikes, so be warned: I suspect the M16 will sound as good on most stands, provided the two are de-coupled.

My room is 23x12x8.5'tall and I do louder sessions regularly and again I recommend a subwoofer or two or three. In a typical set-up I'd high pass the 530's between 80-100hrz and the M16 at 70-90. In my set-up I actually high pass the 530's at 125hrz in a situation where that makes sense. High passed like that the 530's can play very loud without any issue and very low distortion as long as you have power as they are very power-hungry. Acoustic measurements can be grouped in a way that can be perceptually analyzed to determine how good a speaker can be used. This so called spinorama shows us just about everything we need to know about the speaker with respect to tonality and some flaws: So, trying them out with our Musical Fidelity M6si and the YBA IA3A loaner we were rewarded with even more enthusiasm. The M6si can be a bit on the edgy side, but the Concerta2 M16 seemed to keep this aspect of the amp under control. Even with the potent dynamics provided by Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, the crescendos came through dynamically without harshness. Additionally, thanks to the tweeter’s dispersion, taking the Revel Concerta2 M16 out of the corner of the room pays off and allows them to show what an impressively wide and open sound stage they can produce. The upshot of this is that toeing in appears more to do with personal taste than necessity here. SA10, CDS50, Revel Concerta2 M16 ReviewWhen they’re allowed to work, the M16 signature is smooth, treble extremes are well extended and fatigue-free, which makes for incredibly long listening sessions, even at high volumes. Bass performance is a treat, layering the upper bass with a smoother more integrated and extended lower bassline that seduces the listener. Simply sink into your seat and relax in the ambience flooding around you. There are no fasteners on the exterior panels, but rather, the the addition of magnetic grilles with metallic brushed logos on the front of the speakers. Together, these add to the speaker set’s well-polished, properly-made feel, bolstering the overall quality of the M16.