Revival Audio Atalante 3 review: 9.5/10 Score (2024)

The verdict

The Revival Audio Atalante 3 is a standmount loudspeaker that scores 9.5/10 in our testing — a wide, precisely layered soundstage that belies its relatively compact cabinet size. Best for listeners who prioritize imaging and depth; routing cables through the dedicated stands takes a bit more care than a standard speaker stand.

Exceptional soundstage
Stand cable management

“When I was 14-years-old, I built my first amplifiers and years later, my first DIY speakers. My dream was always to build the best speakers in the world,” says Daniel Emonts, Chief Technology Officer of Revival Audio.

Welcome to our Revival Audio Atalante 3 review. Emonts, a master engineer in hi-end audio for more than 30 years, has worked for some of the top-tier Danish and French Hi-Fi brands including Dynaudio.

Reviving the dream

In 2021 he left Dynaudio to literally “revive” his dream of creating audio perfection when he launched Revival Audio with Jacky Lee, Chief Commercial Officer, who also came from Dynaudio. Based in Alsace, France, they released their first two speakers, the Atalante 3, a two-way bass reflex standmount speaker that is rear ported, and the flagship Atalante 5, three-way model in 2022. That was followed last year with the launch of the Atalante 4, floor-standing speaker.

In creating the Atalante line, they wanted to create a speaker that is “an art piece of sound.” So they turned to the French and Japanese designer duo of Aki and Arnaud Cooren of A+A Cooren Design Studio based in Paris, France. They came up with the stunning retro design of the speaker cabinet.

All Atalante speakers feature an inlay, just above the midpoint, that goes completely around the cabinet, meeting on the front baffle with a laser-etched Revival Audio logo. Until recently, the speaker cabinet was only available in a walnut veneer finish, but Revival Audio has just announced a second option in ebony.

Daniel also led much of the development of the new driver technologies that eventually found themselves into the Dynaudio Evoke 20 speakers which I recently reviewed here. I gave that speaker an overall score of 9 out of 10 and was particularly impressed with how it was the “Goldilocks” of speakers for sounding consistently good with every recording I played on it.

So, when Jacky got back to me that there was an opportunity to hear Daniel’s latest creation, I jumped at the chance to compare it with the Evoke 20. But before I auditioned the Atalante 3, I was curious to know where the name “Atalante” came from. Jacky says the name pays homage to the Atalante car designed by the French designer Jean Bugatti way back in 1934. Bugatti named the car after Atalanta, the skilled and swift-footed human huntress from Greek mythology. The Atalante is considered one of the most desirable Bugatti models, as only 17 cars were ever made, and like the current speaker of the same name, boasted an entirely new design for its time.

Inside the Atalanta 3

As beautiful as the exterior of the speakers are, even more impressive is the cutting edge technology utilized within. Daniel is particularly proud that every detail of the speaker is designed and engineered at their laboratory in Alsace by him and his engineers.

For example, the speaker crossovers are all tuned by hand and utilize Van Den Hul’s Skyline Hybrid “Halogen Free” cables. Each lead combines 19 high-purity oxygen free copper strands with a coating containing Van Den Hul’s linear structured carbon.

The Atalante 3 also features a 28mm soft-dome tweeter and its built-in ARID (Anti Reflection Inner Dome) patented technology along with specialized back-chamber design, that Revival Audio claims can absorb over 95% of speaker resonance. More on this uniquely designed tweeter in a moment.

The tweeter on each speaker is offset, not centred. Revival Audio recommends the tweeters face out if the speakers are less than 3 metres apart, or faced in if they are more than 3 metres apart. The speakers are fitted with two magnetic grey fabric grilles; one covers the tweeter driver and a second the woofer. I removed the grills when auditioning them and must say I prefer how they look without the grilles.

Revival says the Atalante 3 utilizes the first-ever BSC (Basalt Sandwich Construction) 7” woofer in a high-end speaker. It was chosen because Daniel found it to be the best balance between rigidity and light weight, with its damping construction providing the fast and smooth responses with tight bass dynamics that he sought.

Rated at 87dB sensitivity and a nominal impedance of 6 ohms, I expect these speakers should be easily driven by any moderately powerful amp. But, as with any speaker, proper amp matching is important to maximize performance.

The Evoke 20 and Atalante 3 are priced similarly, with the Evoke 20s currently selling for just over €2.000/$2.185 U.S., and the Atalante 3 for €2.380/$2.600 U.S., with an additional €399/$435 U.S. for the Atalante Stand 3 matching stands. The Stand 3 was designed in collaboration with the A+A Cooren Design Studio to ideally match the dimensions of Atalante 3.

With a height of 599 mm (without feet or spikes) the solid iron 4-leg stands place the Atalante 3s, which weigh 11 kg, at the ideal height to line up with your ears when sitting. I also appreciated that you can bolt the Atalante 3 speakers, which measure 390 mm high x 240 mm depth x 270 mm width, to the stands to ensure a secure mount. Though I would have appreciated it if they had also built in some speaker cable management into the design of the stands. Nevertheless and not surprisingly, the speakers look impressive placed on the stands for which they were specifically designed.

Review system setup

In auditioning the Atalante 3 speakers, I positioned the speakers approximately 2.5 metres apart, slightly toed-in and about 45 cm from the rear wall. While Revival Audio recommends at least 30 cm space between the speaker and the rear wall, it’s worth noting I found they still performed well as close as 15 cm to the wall.

So if you are tight on space, the Atalante 3’s fairly small footprint and flexible placement make it a great match for small to medium-sized rooms. If you do have to place the speakers very near a wall, you can used the supplied port plugs to reduce the bass if needed.

I filled the Stand 3’s legs with sand and, to further isolate the speakers, I replaced the included stand spikes with Auva 70 isolators from Stack Audio (I’ve previously used these on several speakers where they have made a noticeable difference in tightening up the bass and opening up the midrange and treble). In auditioning them I compared them with the Dynaudio Evoke 20s, which were placed on their matching sand-filled Stand 20s and also replaced their speaker spikes with Auva 70 isolators.

Both speakers were connected to my Kinki Studios EX-M1+ integrated amplifier. For my main audio source I used a Schiit Bi-frost 2/64 DAC and Volumio Rivo streamer. Like the Evoke 20s, I burned in the Atalante 3s for more than 100 hours before testing them. So let’s find out how close Daniel has gotten to achieving his dream of achieving audio bliss.

Sensational soundstage !

Both the Evoke 20 and Atalante 3 benefit immensely from excellent drive integration of the treble and bass. The Evoke 20, as I previously stated in my review, excels at providing a relaxing and forgiving sound signature. In comparison, the Atalante 3 immediately gave me goosebumps with its tremendous soundstaging (both wide and deep) and its notably better detail retrieval that pulls you into the music. This is an engaging speaker!

When I played well-recorded performances on the Atalante 3s I felt like I was literally in the recording studio with the musicians. That also means I found the Atalante 3 speakers a little less forgiving of bad recordings than the Evoke 20. However, I also found the more I listened to the Atalante 3s, the more I wanted to pull out older recordings to hear a level of detail I had only been able to previously hear with expensive headphones.

Even though the Atalante 3 is “only” rated at 44Hz – 22kHz (-3dB) compared to the Evoke 20’s stated 40 Hz – 23 kHz (-3dB) I found the Atalante 3’s bass went at least as deep as the Evoke 20, but did so while being noticeably quicker and more controlled.

The instrumental layers to songs were also more clearly separated with the Atalante 3. The soundstage is dramatically wider and deeper than the Evoke 20 and it consistently pulls more detail from each track. Overall, compared to Atalante 3, the Evoke 20s lack the extension and air in the treble that the Atalante 3 provides. That the Atalante 3’s new soft-dome tweeter technology outperformed the very impressive Cerotar tweeter in the Evoke 20 is huge accomplishment.

In my auditioning, I replayed all the songs I tested in my Evoke 20 review on the Atalante 3s. I began with Royal Wood’s “In the Garden,” where the speakers did a marvelous job of conveying the timbre of Wood’s piano. It masterfully captured the transients of the piano, but at the same time there was never any undue brightness.

Moving on to “Time” from Hans Zimmer, a particularly challenging recording for many speakers, it really highlighted the Atalante’s ability to remain composed even while playing the complex and demanding orchestration contained in this score.

I was equally impressed with how engaging the speakers were when playing “The Grants” by Lana del Rey. The speakers did amazing job of separating Lana’s voice and that of the gospel choir so you really felt like you were sitting in the church pew just a few feet away.

Even more impressive was how the Atalante 3s captured Holly Cole’s voice in “Trust in Me” and made it sound so dynamic while expertly controlling the sibilance in the recording which can cause fits for even high-end speakers.

The final track I queued up to test the Atalante 3’s bass response was “I’m Afraid of Americans” (Trent Reznor V1 remix) by David Bowie. With its driving bass and distorted guitars, it’s a great test of speaker’s lower frequency capabilities and these speakers did a marvelous job of producing deep bass punch while remaining coherent and super quick.

Conclusion

The Dynaudio Evoke 20 has the type of sound signature in that you can listen to it all day without getting fatigued. In contrast, the Atalante 3 provided a more exciting listening experience because I was constantly drawn into the music – its audio signature, while neutral, was just so exciting and musical.

The Atalante 3 was particularly impressive in how it accurately reproduced the most complex passages while still remaining highly musical in its sound signature.

After listening to your latest creation Daniel, you can tell your 14-year-old self I think you are closer to your dream today than ever.

Software tracklist

Lana del Rey: The Grants
Hans Zimmer: Time
Holly Cole: Trust in me
David Bowie: I’m afraid of Americans
Royal Wood: In the Garden
Tidal and Qobuz (streaming music services)

Hardware checklist

Revival Audio Atalante 3 speakers
Revival Audio Stand 3 stands
Stack Audio Auva 70 isolators
Kinki Studios EX-M1+ integrated amplifier with Burson V7 Vivid single op-amps
Schiit Bifrost 2/64 DAC
Volumio Rivo streamer
Teddy Pardo Mini Teddy power supply
Ricable Cables Invictus Reference speaker cables
Supra Cables Excalibur USB cable
Mogami Platinum XLR cables
Synergistic PowerCell 8SX power conditioner
Synergistic Foundation SX 12 power cable
Synergistic Foundation SX 10 power cables

Technical specifications

1 1/8” (28mm) soft-dome tweeter equipped with Revival Audio ARID (Anti Reflection Inner Dome) patent technology with a large back chamber with low resonance frequency of 520Hz
7” (18cm) BSC (Basalt Sandwich Construction) woofer
Frequency Response (+/-3db) 44Hz – 22kHz (-3dB)
Sensitivity (2.83V/1m) 87dB/2.83V/1metre
Nominal Impedance 6 ohms
Minimum Impedance 4 ohms at 175Hz
Crossover Frequency 8kHz
Recommended Amplifier Power Power handling: 150 watts, starting from 30 watts.
Recommended Room Size 15 to 35 m2
Dimensions (H*W*D) 390 mm x 240 mm x 270 mm
Net Weight 11 kg. (24.25 lbs.)

Price

Revival Audio, Atalante 3: €2.380/$2.600 U.S.
Revival Audio, Stand 3: €399/$435 U.S.

This review is part of our Best Hi-Fi Loudspeakers 2026 buying guide, where we compare it against 11 other speakers.

Visit the Revival Audio website for full specifications and pricing.

Frequently asked questions

How much does the Revival Audio Atalante 3 cost?

The Atalante 3 costs €2,380/$2,600 U.S. (without stand); the matching Stand 3 costs an additional €399/$435 U.S.

What is the key technology in the Atalante 3’s tweeter and woofer?

The Atalante 3 has a 28mm soft-dome tweeter with patented ARID technology (Anti Reflection Inner Dome) and a special rear chamber that Revival Audio says absorbs more than 95% of the speaker’s resonance, combined with a 7″ BSC woofer (Basalt Sandwich Construction) — the first ever used in a high-end loudspeaker.

How does the Atalante 3 compare to the Dynaudio Evoke 20?

Both speakers are similarly priced, with the Evoke 20 at just over €2,000/$2,185 U.S. and the Atalante 3 at €2,380/$2,600 U.S. The Atalante 3 immediately gave the reviewer goosebumps thanks to its wide, deep soundstage and better detail retrieval, while the Evoke 20 excels at a relaxed, forgiving sound.

What are the key technical specs of the Atalante 3?

The Atalante 3 has a frequency response of 44Hz-22kHz (-3dB), a sensitivity of 87dB/2.83V/1 meter, a nominal impedance of 6 ohm, and a recommended amplifier power of 30 to 150 watts.

Who is the Atalante 3 suited for, and what’s the verdict?

With a score of 9.5/10, the reviewer says the Atalante 3 “truly represent the ‘best of high end'” and has earned a place in his reference system. He gives it his highest recommendation and calls it a must-audition for anyone considering a standmount loudspeaker in the 2,000 to 4,000 euro/dollar price range.

Revival Audio Atlanta 3

€2.380/$2,600 U.S (without stands)

The Atalante 3s truly represent the “best of high end” and have earned a place in my reference system. For their price, they come with my highest recommendation and are a must audition for anyone considering a standmount speaker in the 2.000 to 4,000 euro/dollars U.S. price range.