REL is dead. Long live REL

I've heard the new Rels quite extensively namely the B1, and the new Rel 205. I own the strata 5 , Q150e and the Q400E.

The new Rel 205 is gorgeous and out of the box, it has the Rel sound that is common to the Rels i owned. After a few weeks break in, I must admit, they sound better and integrates better than my Q150E.

The B1 which I briefly auditioned and loaned from my dealer is just AWESOME!!!!!! Wow, its a bigger 400E on stereods. the bass is just tight, deep and it disappears at the back of the speakers! Its magical. No way boomy or overpowering!! Nope! It seamlessly blends with the speakers.
I'm now in the process of selling my 400E and trading up for the B1. Incredible sub.

I cannot even tell the R series is made in China. The driver looks the same to my Q150E drivers. The box is just drop dead gorgeous. It cabinet is solid and the amp is dead quite. I would like to try the bigger R505 which they claim is better than the Q series even the 400e.

Anyhow, I've own rels for years now and I believe they are very good subs. Yes, they are expensive but truly worth every penny. I use my Rels for home theater and 2 channel set-up. Have yet to be disappointed. Sorry for those who feels differently. To each his own and YMMV.

For those of you who have heard the new rels like the R series or the britania, How would you say they compare to the strata or other ST line? Has anyone compared the Rel's, new or old, to the M&k line or MJ acoustics? I am looking to spend aroun 1000-1500 and want a sub to fill the very bottom in for me. Primary use is 2 channel, but I want some grunt for HT use also. Shouls I get a strata and forget it, or Look elsewhere?
Thanks
S

TAS magazine gave the Rel Britannia B3, subwoofer of the year 2006! And I agree. I own one and its great! Upgrade the Neutrik connector to a Signal Cable or even better Synergistic Research.

Suplerfly, I own a REL strata 3. It sounds pretty good to me, but I've not compared it directly with any other sub.

However, many people on a UK hifi board I visit seem to like the Velodyne DD series subs with the built in equalization, and feel they are superior to REL (even taking into account they cost 2 to 3 times as much in the UK).

You might look at a used Velodyne DD here on audiogon: I think they start around the top end of your price (used, that is).

Hi Superfly676,

Owning both REL's (an R205 and R305) and Velodynes (2* SPL1000R), I offer my .02 cents for a point of reference . . .

I am running two the Velos in my living room where they are doing double duty as in 5.2 HT and 2.2 two channel guise. No complaints whatsoever and, frankly speaking, with my (nearly) full range tower FocusAudio FS-888's going down to a solid 30 Hz, they don't really need much help. However, in my home office two channel system, the importance of the a sub's musical performance was the priority.

Before buying the REL's, and already having the 2 Velo's, my first instinct was to go with a Velo DD. To my ears and it didn't sound that much different than the my SPLR's. That is not a bad thing as I love the Velo's. After hearing quite a few other brands, and hearing so much about the MJ's and REL's 2 channel leaning sound, I thought that it best to give them a listen.

Actually, only in the market for a single sub for my home office system, I very much wanted to go with the MJ given their reputation and very appealing aesthetics that match the decor in the room. What I found was that, while the MJ's sounded nice and tight and build quality top notch, ultimately, I found the new REL's to be tighter and faster - among the best bass I've heard. Long story short, I ultimately chose REL despite it being more expensive than the MJ and comparable Velo and even picked up a second one for my work office system.

No doubt that you can't really go wrong with either as your choice will ultimately come down to personal taste.

Speaking to the original subject of the post . . . the build quality is superb. Looking at both the old and new RELs along side each other, IMO, while the R series is a more modern look, quality is in no way compromised. Quite refreshingly, the real world performance matchs everything I'd heard in print and on the web.