Can anyone hear the difference when you add REL subwoofers when playing two channel


I wonder if anyone else has had problems hearing a difference when adding REL subwoofers to their two channel systems?  I have gone back to a reputable dealer in town to listen to a pair of Vienna Acoustic Mozart's paired with a REL S3 and I couldn't detect a difference when they added and subtracted the REL.  I wonder if this was because the Vienna Acoustic Mozart's are already can extend down to 30 Hz.  I have also read reviews on the Mozart's and they said one of their criticisms was they felt the Mozart's to be too boomy in the bass.  

The dealer keeps telling me I am expecting to hear a more punchy pounding bass sound and that is not what I should be listening to.  He keeps saying I should be listening for greater depth and space to create a larger sound stage.  He went on to say if I had a subwoofer that delivered too much bass, they would eventually drive me out of the room and spoil my enjoyment of listening to music.  I thought I had sensitive ears to sound, but in this case I wonder if I am tone deaf.  My fear is getting a pair of T/9i's in my home and my wife telling me I wasted our money because she could not hear a difference. 

There must be a reason why so many dealers have told me their first pick would be a REL because they are so musical.

I also question why REL manufactures their subs with such low wattage?  For example, their S3 delivers only 400 watts and their T/9i's deliver just 300 watts.  When comparing them to  subwoofers like JL, which deliver 750 watts to $1500 watts, maybe REL subwoofers are just too wimpy.
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It took me over a year before I was finally able to get my pair of REL T7i integrated properly. 

The first time a heard REL subwoofers was with one T9.  The key is to add two large size REL's.  Otherwise, they really don't add much.

I am going to expound a bit on my original statement of a year's time to integrate. I had never had subwoofers in any iteration. Not in a vehicle even. I had followed RELs instructions in the manual for setting these up. Using the hi level speakon I had limited but unsatisfying results. No matter where I put them or how I angled them. I fiddled with crossover and gain setting knobs more than my wife's knobs. I gave up after a while and at the advice of another forum member and hooked them up via RCA and used my integrated's subwoofer controls and low/ hi pass filters. This gave me what I was looking for or so I thought. After using them in this manner I started thinking, "Could it be better?" and "Why does REL insist the Speakon hi-level connection is best?" These thoughts propelled me to seek. I went back to hi level and worked at it some more. Still disappointed. I reached out to REL and after quite a length (months) of time I was finally contacted by a tech. He had me turn my gain about halfway up and my crossover at 0. I had to 'walk' the crossover up slowly to hear it finally kick in. In other words, I had to not hear it before I could finally hear it. From there it was a matter of listening over a few days and adjusting which, in my case tended to be adjusting down incrementally on both crossover and gain. Have I got it perfected yet? Don't know, but I am finally getting what I paid for and it makes a huge difference in every aspect. Satisfying lows, thump when needed, grab you by the keester, rumbly in your tumbly bass if called for, Timbre, clarity of mids and highs and a much improved soundstage.

My journey could have been shortened quite a bit if the advice of bringing the crossover up from zero slowly had been in the manual. It is in a video online buried in the archives but I never knew about it. It also could have been shortened if REL had been more responsive to my emails and texts. I had almost given up on them but now they are tuned and integrated they are very good. Are there better? More than likely. But wow, what a difference.

 

 

a single REL S5/SHO immediately made a nice improvement to my large tower speakers...I added another a year later, and also an immediate benefit...I used a T/9i with Magnepans in a smaller room and also, immediate quite noticeable improvement...have also used the REL T/Zero lll with small monitors and they add a nice bit of lower frequencies, though not typical "subwoofer" but quite enjoyable...

dadork, clearly, your not a dork.

The improvements I think your seeking can be accomplished with the sub and room relationship, third party monitoring and equalization products using your subwoofer low level inputs. Unfortunately your subwoofers low frequency response has its limits in comparison to many other brands. 

Regardless, there aren't many low frequency rules. Your satisfaction is everything. Good luck with it.