Are REL the most Musical Subs?

I don’t know if multiple subs would really make a difference?

Yes it makes a difference, as multiple responses have pointed out. The reason is the way bass notes interact with a room.

Bass notes (say 20-60 Hz) have wavelengths in the range of 19 to 56 feet depending on the frequency. As bass notes bounce between surfaces of the room, they reinforce or cancel with the reflections, causing something called room modes, where certain frequencies have peaks and valleys at certain locations in the room.

When you use more than one subwoofer, they are in different positions and each one creates a different room mode pattern. Blended together, they produce a more even bass response in the room. Two smaller subwoofers are capable of creating higher quality bass than a larger more powerful single subwoofer.

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I owned a pair of SVS SB16-Ultra (recently sold).  I now own 2 pairs of Rythmik F8 8' servo subs. 

I am / will use them for 2 channel stereo with my Wilson Audio Duette... and other speakers as well - mostly GR-Research, including Open Baffle MTM speakers. 

The Rythmik F8 completely outclasses the SVS SB16-Ultra subs.  The F8 are faster, more musical, detailed... just better.  They are in a very large room, but still play plenty deep.  I bought 4 of them because I knew 1) they would be good, 2) can be setup as an array, and 3) I can even use the drivers for custom floorstanding setups. 

Rythmik is definitely not "Mid-Fi".  It is top shelf performance.  They aren't fancy, but they absolutely deliver the goods.   

@mijostyn writes:

"You need a complete 2 way crossover and steep filters available only in the digital domain for the best performance. 

The best subwoofers are passive, crossovers and amplifiers are outboard."

I have employed this type of thinking in my main system and really enjoy the efforts of going this route.  I have custom built cabinets for my low frequency (subwoofer) drivers, an external electronic (digital) crossover, separate power amps for subs and the mid/hi (main) speakers, etc.  Removing low frequency information from your main speakers reaps rewards.  The low/mid drivers in your main cabinets really "clean up" by not having to reproduce the fundamentals of kick drum, bass guitar, low synth notes, and low pitches of acoustic instruments, etc. that are found below the crossover point chosen to divide the subs and main mid/high cabinets.

A huge issue is that most people don't really wish to go through the thought processes and expense of getting all this gear together.  There are a fair number of people, if not most, I suspect, that just want "plug and play" and don't want to deal with the added external crossover, subwoofer amplifier, correctly choosing and designing a passive cabinet with your chosen cabinet maker, choosing the right sub driver, etc.  Essentially, it's a pain in the tail end to get it all right.  Hence the popularity of products from REL, SVS, etc.

It's only my opinion (and yours may / probably will be different) that a lot (but not all) of these mass market, more affordable powered subs with DSP are 'colored' to my ear if a lot of eq is used in the pre-programmed DSP section of the sub.  Most likely done in order to get extended low frequency response that the box/driver design process could not accomplish naturally.

"Musical subwoofers" is as silly as "fast bass"! see here. 

Mike

I’ve had a pair of Rythmik and Rels for 2- channel. The mains were Voxativ — very detailed and fast. I sold the Rels. Rythmiks are harder to integrate,