REL - which one?

Mike

Mike

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I'm looking at adding a pair of REL subs in my main room. The bass on the Alexia's is fabulous, but there seems to be this underlying belief among audiophiles that just adding a titch from a pair of subs can make a big difference.

If I was to add a pair of REL subs (I like how REL subs connect), which one? G2? 528SE? Wait for the new S series which is replacing the 528SE in May (ish) timeframe?
 
Mike, I can ask my Alexia dealer, they sell REL subs as well. I can see what they'd recommend. Having said that, they generally demo the Alexias without subs.

Would you consider a pair of JL subs?
 
socfan12 said:
Mike, I can ask my Alexia dealer, they sell REL subs as well. I can see what they'd recommend. Having said that, they generally demo the Alexias without subs.

Would you consider a pair of JL subs?
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I've had JL and rel and prefer REL. More musical to my ears.
 
Mike said:
I've had JL and rel and prefer REL. More musical to my ears.
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Big plus 1

The Studio III was the BEST sub I ever heard. I would love to buy one for myself....

One serious sub :D

471-studio3b.jpg
 
Mike
I would go with either the G1's or G2's. As you say IMHO more musical than JL. I like the amps they use and the way you connect them to your amps not the pre-amp. The best part is being able to use the remote to change phase, volume and crossover point from your listening position.
 
Mike said:
If I was to add a pair of REL subs (I like how REL subs connect), which one? G2? 528SE? Wait for the new S series which is replacing the 528SE in May (ish) timeframe?
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Mike-

What do you know about the s series? Will it replace the entire r series?

I'm looking into a subwoofer and will likely go with a rel because I want both a high level and lfe input.

thanks.
 
Djn04 said:
Mike-

What do you know about the s series? Will it replace the entire r series?

I'm looking into a subwoofer and will likely go with a rel because I want both a high level and lfe input.

thanks.
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If you look through my CES 2014 photos/slideshow, you will see picks of the new S series. It is planned to replace the R series. The S5 is planned to replace the 528. The 528SE was a limited production run. According to REL, the S5 is a bit better than the 528SE and they are quite excited about it. The S series however, will not be out until May.
 
Mike said:
If you look through my CES 2014 photos/slideshow, you will see picks of the new S series. It is planned to replace the R series. The S5 is planned to replace the 528. The 528SE was a limited production run. According to REL, the S5 is a bit better than the 528SE and they are quite excited about it. The S series however, will not be out until May.
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Thanks Mike. I think I need to address my priorities in life. I just spent 15 minutes looking for a picture of a black cube, but I found it.

I'll probably wait and see what the s series has to offer. Maybe there will be some deals on r series from dealers looking to unload them.
 
Mike have you ever tried a better cable than the one that is supplied by Rel? I was super skeptical regarding the sub cable. So on a whim I decided to try a Nordost Baseline made to Rel spec. The difference was huge. I heard attack and delay I never knew the Rel B3 could produce.

Something to consider if you never tried it. Anything IMO would be better than the stock cable.
 
octadyndude said:
Mike have you ever tried a better cable than the one that is supplied by Rel? I was super skeptical regarding the sub cable. So on a whim I decided to try a Nordost Baseline made to Rel spec. The difference was huge. I heard attack and delay I never knew the Rel B3 could produce.

Something to consider if you never tried it. Anything IMO would be better than the stock cable.
Click to expand...

Never thought of that. Thanks. Right now I'm holding off on the subs until I get my room treatments done.
 
I had a R-328 in a 2.1 stereo system with B&W 805D in a 14' by 19' room. I would recommend buying the Get better Sound book/DVD to get his take on subwoofers and standing waves, etc. He suggests 2 or zero but I can't confirm the benefits as I have only had 1 or zero in any system.
I had a custom cable made by Bogdan Audio and the performance improvement was worth the effort and cost. The cable was a silver coated copper conductor. The effect was a tightening of the bass with noticeably more nuance and resolution. The tighter bass seemed a bit more authoritative but the primary gain was in resolution.
 
Thanks. I'm going to get my room treatments done. I had measurements done last night and gave the data to Jeff today. We are now formulating a plan to tackle the problem areas. Then, I will look at adding a pair of subs - maybe.


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Makes sense to measure your speaker/room response first, then optimize speaker placement/acoustics, before adding subs. That's the approach I've taken (using XTZ Room Analyzer Pro). After doing everything possible (limited by WAF <g>), I still have a nasty null at ~60 Hz. I've now got one of the new ML BalancedForce 210 subs on order, after having "tested" the concept (with an old NHT sub) that placing a sub mid side-wall will eliminate the null (see pic).

SubTest.jpg

The new ML subs use the Paradigm/ML "Perfect Bass Kit" to measure their room response, and download the appropriate EQ. You still need to manually "dial in" phase and volume, but the rest is automated. I should be able to flatten the remaining bass peaks with EQ. Although the new ML subs are designed to optimally pair with ML electrostatics, they have myriad options for integrating into stereo and/or home theater setups with other brands. I'll eventually post my updated XTZ measurements once I get the sub, and dial everything in (probably another month or so). I'll also host another SAS meeting after that's done!
 
Hi sleepysurf,

How do you like the XTC Analyzer Pro? I just purchased the package to take measurements of my room. Backordered so hopefully will be here in a few weeks.
 
socfan12 said:
... How do you like the XTC Analyzer Pro?...
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Love it! Great "all-in-one" device. I believe REW offers more features, but it's not "plug and play." I still have a lot to learn about using the kit, and interpreting the measurements, but it's already brought huge improvements to my setup.
 
Mike said:
Thanks. I'm going to get my room treatments done. I had measurements done last night and gave the data to Jeff today. We are now formulating a plan to tackle the problem areas. Then, I will look at adding a pair of subs - maybe.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
Click to expand...

Yes but everything is going to change once you install Ultra 5's under your speakers so I would suggest you do that first - would curious if you left the speakers in the same location and redid those measurements to compare.
 
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