Short answer: the Revel Performa M22. It ranks #95 of 131 bookshelf speakers by sound quality, rated 3.3/5, at $600. The Yamaha NS-10 ranks #126, rated 2.2/5, at $499, $101 cheaper, a saving that is not big enough to make up the sound-quality gap.
What the Revel Performa M22 does well: Very flat frequency response from 200Hz to 10kHz. The catch: 3dB bass boost around 100Hz.
What the Yamaha NS-10 does well: Legendary studio reference monitor with a well-documented history; Yamaha’s original spec sheet included genuine measured data (frequency response, distortion, impedance, polar response) rather than just marketing numbers, unusually transparent for the era. Watch for: A pronounced peak of about 7dB above the midrange average around 1.7kHz gives the sound a forward, bright, or “tinny” character: this is the real underlying issue, and it wasn’t actually fixed by the “Studio” revision.
One note: the Revel Performa M22 is no longer in production and isn’t widely stocked new anymore.
Buy the Revel Performa M22. It is rated higher for sound quality, and saving $101 with the Yamaha NS-10 does not make up for the sound-quality gap.
Still deciding? The full Passive Home rankings cover every ranked option.
Specifications Side By Side
| Revel Performa M22 | Yamaha NS-10 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $600 per pair used (about), Discontinued | $499 per pair Discontinued |
| Ranked | #95 of 131 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers | #126 of 131 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 37.1Hz (derived, log-interpolated between spinorama.org -9dB/-12dB points) | 75Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 46.9Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) | 126Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms nominal, 5.4 ohms minimum (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 85dB | 90.2dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Drivers | 25mm tweeter + 200mm woofer | 7.1” woofer, 1.4” soft dome tweeter |
| Weight | 41.7 lbs (18.9 kg) | 9.5 lbs (4.3 kg) |
| Dimensions | 14.5”H x 8.6”W x 11.9”D (368.3 x 219.1 x 301.6 mm) | 15”H x 8.5”W x 7.8”D (382.0 x 215.0 x 198.0 mm) |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear | sealed |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 5.31 | 2.24 (spinorama.org) |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 7.26 | 5.63 (spinorama.org) |
| DIY Kit | No | No |
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The Two Speakers In Full
Revel Performa M22: $600 per pair used (about) Discontinued eBay
Pros: Very flat frequency response from 200Hz to 10kHz. Distortion is well controlled through most of the range, with only a modest crossover-region bump around 2-4kHz. Measured bass extension of 46.9Hz (-3dB).
Cons: 3dB bass boost around 100Hz. On-axis response also droops below 150Hz and peaks above 4kHz, which the reviewer thought may sound a bit bright/light. Distortion rises substantially below 100Hz when driven hard. Discontinued.
Full Revel Performa M22 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 37.1Hz (derived, log-interpolated between spinorama.org -9dB/-12dB points) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 46.9Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| DIY Kit | No |
| Dimensions | 14.5”H x 8.6”W x 11.9”D (368.3 x 219.1 x 301.6 mm) |
| Drivers | 25mm tweeter + 200mm woofer |
| Impedance | 4 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 85dB |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 5.31 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 7.26 |
| Weight | 41.7 lbs (18.9 kg) |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear |
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Yamaha NS-10: $499 per pair Discontinued eBay
Pros: Legendary studio reference monitor with a well-documented history; Yamaha’s original spec sheet included genuine measured data (frequency response, distortion, impedance, polar response) rather than just marketing numbers, unusually transparent for the era. Distortion, compression, and multitone performance all measured better than the reviewer expected for a decades-old design: in some respects competitive with newer speakers he’s tested. Vertical dispersion holds up reasonably well for a speaker of this vintage. The redesigned “Studio” cabinet is more robust than the original, with crossover tweaks and nicer binding-post terminals. Sealed cabinet design allows placement close to a wall without added boominess, though at the cost of overall bass extension. Measured bass extension of 126Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 90.2dB.
Cons: A pronounced peak of about 7dB above the midrange average around 1.7kHz gives the sound a forward, bright, or “tinny” character: this is the real underlying issue, and it wasn’t actually fixed by the “Studio” revision. Comparing the Studio version’s measured response to the original NS-10M’s published data, the original arguably measures more linear: Yamaha’s fix (lowering tweeter level by 2-3dB) left the core midrange peak largely untouched, addressing the wrong problem. The famous “tissue paper over the tweeter” mixing-engineer trick doesn’t actually help: testing it directly showed it adds diffraction and comb filtering rather than correcting the real midrange peak. Poor horizontal directivity, especially in its designed on-console orientation: usable window is only about ±20° off the tweeter axis before tonal character shifts noticeably. Directivity mismatches between direct and reflected sound make this difficult to properly correct with EQ in a typical farfield listening setup with nearby wall reflections. Bass is quite limited (F3 around 100Hz in most rooms once corrected for the inflated on-axis sensitivity reading), typical of a small sealed monitor design. Correcting the main midrange peak with EQ likely requires two bands rather than a single simple filter, since the peak isn’t perfectly symmetrical. Possible age-related tweeter compression at very high output, potentially from degraded ferrofluid affecting heat dissipation in these decades-old drivers. Discontinued.
Full Yamaha NS-10 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 75Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 126Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| DIY Kit | No |
| Dimensions | 15”H x 8.5”W x 7.8”D (382.0 x 215.0 x 198.0 mm) |
| Drivers | 7.1” woofer, 1.4” soft dome tweeter |
| Impedance | 8 ohms nominal, 5.4 ohms minimum (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 90.2dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 2.24 (spinorama.org) |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 5.63 (spinorama.org) |
| Weight | 9.5 lbs (4.3 kg) |
| Woofer Cabinet | sealed |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons