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Has Rel fallen out of favor with audiophiles?

I own a Rel Storm 3. which I've had for 10 yrs or so. My new hardwood floor has really opened things up, especially in the bass area. much more pronounced bass and excellent sound stage.  I was planning on upgrading my sub after completing the floor. My Rel Storm 3 is pushing at its max to keep up in a 5k+ cu ft  room. Ten yrs ago the Storm 3 was one of the best on the market. It integrates very wall into the 2 channel system. Now, there is SVS, Rhythmic, PSA  etc which have much better specs than the Rels for less $$$. But the question for me is whether they actually integrate with the main speakers as well as the Rel? I use mine  for music 95% of the time. Music doesn't need to plumb the 16hz range as much as HT does. And most of the reviews seem to come from HT sources, IE AVS forum and the various HT magazines. From what I can tell, then Rhythmic seems to cater to the audiophile more than HT. But how about a sealed  SVS ?. And will they both integrate as well as the Rel with the high level speakon input? 

So, for audipophiles, do you sacrifice the ultra low hz for the good integration of the Rel? Or do you go with then SVS, Rhythmic, etc with their lower octave output? IOW, do the integrate as well?
Thanks for your help

arte
128x128artemus_5
artemus_5's avatar
artemus_5 OP
1,969 posts
 
bdp24. I am somewhat familiar with the flat packs at Parts Express and the DIY kits from Rythmik. Are you saying to buy the 4 cu ft flat pack from Parts Express and the DIY  woofer/plate amp/etc kit from Rythmik? Or is the GR Research kits sold at PE the same as the Rythmik DIY? Sorry if I have confused the issue

i think you have given a good explanation for a viable way to get what I am looking for. Thanks
BTW, does the Rythmik setup allow for high level input? I think it does. But I'm unsure.
pgibby's avatar
pgibby
11 posts
 
I ventured into the Rythmik DIY sub. Went with the DS1501 kit with the DIY Sound Group Flatpack. Total cost, I’m in around $850 total, including all materials and some very high quality curly maple veneer to match my Meadowlark Nighthawks. I’m added some rib bracing to the external walls...only mod I did to the flatpack.

You would have to go VERY high up the chain to beat this sub for the combo of integration, musicality, and extension.

I’m very pleased how it turned out.

And yes, the Rythmik amps allow for high level input. Have a look at their amps available, they have quite a few options. I went with the PEQ amp and use the high level input, which also includes a single band parametric equalizer. My room had one mode that I was able to flatten out quite easily with that option.

Now, my dad has integrated a pair of REL Gibralters with his highly modded K-Horns. They integrate extremely well there too, but cost is significantly more than I was willing to do for myself...that and I can’t resist the DIY bug.

There’s no one single right or wrong answer here. Audition if you can.

Rythmik does offer returns after audition (you pay for return shipping). For $50 or so, that’s a great investment to see if one of theirs will work for you.
artemus_5's avatar
artemus_5 OP
1,969 posts
 
bdp24  I now see that GR Research is the custom install / DIY line of Rythmik
tablejockey
3,916 posts
 
"Seems I just read that the Storm 5 was never sold in the US because of its poor performance. IIRC, it was at the time when Rel was 1st sold by the original owner. The Britannia model was sold instead.

artemus_5
Good to see that the older REL's are still  in service. I have 2 of the B3's. They're a little clunky looking,compared to newer, compact models, but they seem  to do the job. 

I think the B series was the last British made before being picked up by Sumiko, and like many-made in China.

tubegroover
2,320 posts
 
To answer your original question in your opening, a resounding YES, I would NEVER EVER sacrifice integration/coherence not to mention the benefits of a meatier more real midrange, greater image and soundstage accuracy and more natural presentation, for the sake of ultra low hz? yeah maybe if you're a headbanger or maximum low frequency SPL's are the goal, different strokes and musical tastes would dictate. 
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