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Are REL the most Musical Subs?

Forgive me if I have created a redundant thread.  I don’t usually post in the Speakers area.

  I have a Paradigm sub in my basement HT that has apparently given up the ghost after about 20 years.  I’m not a huge bass listener.  We used to use the area for movies but lately a different room of the home has taken that over.  I listen to classical music and the system gets used primarily for SACD and Blu Ray.  No desire for multiple subs.  The front speakers are full range, setup is 5.1

  I added a REL sub to my 2 channel system a few years ago, an REL, and have been delighted with the results.  It doesn’t boom at me.  What it does do is add the low level percussion effects that composers such as Mahler, Shostakovich , and modernist composers add to reinforce bass lines.  I never realized, for example, how many gentle tympani and gong effects are in Shostakovich Babi Yar symphony.

The REL integrates all of this naturally without calling attention to itself.  The Paradigm in the basement never did this but it was an older design and more budget friendly.

  So I am inclined to replace the Paradigm with another REL in the basement but was wondering what the current thinking is with subs.  I haven’t paid much attention lately and the stuff that I have pulled discusses multiple subs, Atmos, etc, and doesn’t seem to address my needs.

  Placement will be different as well.  The current sub is placed between the front speakers, and the gear rack is on the other side of the room.  20 years ago I had the energy to bury the cables next to a baseboard heat along the all, after schlepping the sub over the basement testing placement spots,but with advances in DSP I’m now hoping to place the sub next to the rack

mahler123
soix
9,727 posts
 

Several thoughts as I’ve recently done a bit of research on subs:

  • REL makes good subs but do not have a monopoly on naturally integrating into a system. Any good, properly-positioned and dialed-in sub will integrate seamlessly.
  • You should seriously consider adding a second sub especially to your 2-channel system. Two subs can provide substantial benefits over just one and three or four even more so. But two subs should be considered a minimum as it’s such an improvement over a single sub.
  • Placing a sub between the speakers is very rarely the best place to get optimal in-room performance from a subwoofer, so having to place the sub elsewhere could very well work to your benefit especially if you do some basic homework on optimal sub placement (I can provide some helpful links if desired). This is even more important for your 2-channel system if you haven’t already addressed this.
  • For your HT system I’d recommend SVS subs for several reasons. They offer good performance and high value as they sell direct, include a very helpful app to make integration much easier, have excellent customer support, and they offer a 45-day, risk-free trial including shipping both ways. I’d recommend two SB1000 Pro subs as they’re small/inexpensive yet still get you to an honest 20Hz, but if you’re constrained to one sub an SB2000 or SB3000 will still provide a very satisfying HT experience for relatively not much $$$. Rhythmik subs are even a bit better but are a little more expensive and don’t have the convenient setup software that SVS offers.

Hope this helps, and best of luck.

mahler123 OP
3,391 posts
 

My experience in my REL is also that it’s the most musical sub I’ve ever encountered.  Besides Paradigm I’ve also owned subs from B&W, Sony and Polk .

  I’ve heard good things about SVS.  If they are roughly equivalent to REL I’d just stick with the known quantity.  I also like that TEL is sold by a dealer that I have a long history with.  I’ve come to hate having to ship bulky audio products and be at the mercy of the likes of UPS.  Now if the SVS was vastly superior to REL I might be tempted…

  I don’t know if multiple subs would really make a difference?  25 years ago the thinking was that bass was unidirectional and that a properly set up sub should do the job.  Of course the dealers will try to persuade one otherwise 

soix
9,727 posts
 

Sure the REL is a bit better, but it’ll also cost you multiples the price of an SVS sub for similar bass capabilities, and for a HT application you really need to think if spending double or triple for the REL is worth it.  Plus for HT low frequency extension is more important and that’s not a REL strong suit until you spend big bucks.  I think it’s highly unlikely you’d be disappointed with SVS for HT, but it’s your $$$.  And while bass is omnidirectional especially below 80Hz, two subs pressurize the room better and can better deal with modes/nulls and just flat out sound better than a single sub — no contest and no question about that whatsoever. 

mahler123 OP
3,391 posts
 

I don’t know, I just perused the SVS site and the prices seem about the same as REL?  Maybe I’m missing something…

gs5556
1,237 posts
 

I have a pair of S/510's with Tannoy Autograph Mini's in a near field setup (7 feet away) with the subs far removed from walls and corners. The integration with the Tannoys is perfectly seamless, even following their field of imaging and making the subs pull a disappearing act as good as the Tannoys. The Tannoys bottom out at 100 hz and the RELs fill in from there down to 25 hz with no problem whatsoever. Asking a sub to crossover at 100 hz is asking a lot, which is the reason why the RELs are expensive. This setup only costs about $7,500 and will probably out-perform some floorstanders selling at three times the price. When you listen to something like this you instantly notice what is missing without subwoofers.

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