REL is dead. Long live REL


Hi Guys,

REL Acoustics has been sold to Sumiko!!!

Per a recent press release:

It’s all change for REL. The UK ’s best known subwoofer brand has changed hands, having been bought out by its US distributors, Sumiko.

Richard Edmund Lord, the mastermind behind all the company’s previous award winning products, and affectionately known as The Lord of Bass, is no longer involved.

Rising from the ashes of REL is an entirely new company, REL Acoustics.
Its upcoming 'R' series subwoofers have been conceived by Sumiko and will be built in China . Further distancing themselves from previous REL products, they will utilize digital amplification.
jdog428
Interesting. Should keep them competitive on price. Digital amplification seems a no-brainer for subs.
So it will be like buying a RCA, Quasar, Sylvania or GE Television. Just a mass produced clone dressed up to look like the original on the outside.
What a shame Rel is no more.

I love the sound and build quality of my Rel Stentor III subwoffer.

It sounds like the new Rel is going for price and market share with cheaper products. This makes it all the more likely I will not depart with my Stentor III anytime in the future since really supurb products in the audio world are getting to be a rare breed.

Mr. Lord really cared about producing a quality woofer and his engineering expertise will be missed in the market place.

Johnny
Sumiko's integrity is not at issue. It is a simple case of marketing. They bought REL and are now starting to sell subwoofers that Richard Lord had nothing to do with. Those who were fans of Mr. Lord are not likely to buy a new model just because of the lettering on the case.

Why not call them Sumiko subwoofers? Because the REL name sells.

They basically bought a brand name as market tool. The same as my TV example. At one time a lot of older American's would not buy a Japanese or Korean TV. They wanted the same brand like Zenith, etc, they always bought. So the asian companies bought up the American names and put those names on their sets. It worked like a charm.

No sooner did Mark Levinson sell out to Harmon International and Mark Levinson branded car stereo suddenly appeared in Lexus automobiles. Probably just a Harmon Kardon car stereo with a fancy name to fit the Lexus high class image.