Can anyone hear the difference when you add REL subwoofers when playing two channel


I wonder if anyone else has had problems hearing a difference when adding REL subwoofers to their two channel systems?  I have gone back to a reputable dealer in town to listen to a pair of Vienna Acoustic Mozart's paired with a REL S3 and I couldn't detect a difference when they added and subtracted the REL.  I wonder if this was because the Vienna Acoustic Mozart's are already can extend down to 30 Hz.  I have also read reviews on the Mozart's and they said one of their criticisms was they felt the Mozart's to be too boomy in the bass.  

The dealer keeps telling me I am expecting to hear a more punchy pounding bass sound and that is not what I should be listening to.  He keeps saying I should be listening for greater depth and space to create a larger sound stage.  He went on to say if I had a subwoofer that delivered too much bass, they would eventually drive me out of the room and spoil my enjoyment of listening to music.  I thought I had sensitive ears to sound, but in this case I wonder if I am tone deaf.  My fear is getting a pair of T/9i's in my home and my wife telling me I wasted our money because she could not hear a difference. 

There must be a reason why so many dealers have told me their first pick would be a REL because they are so musical.

I also question why REL manufactures their subs with such low wattage?  For example, their S3 delivers only 400 watts and their T/9i's deliver just 300 watts.  When comparing them to  subwoofers like JL, which deliver 750 watts to $1500 watts, maybe REL subwoofers are just too wimpy.
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Showing 4 responses by wolf_garcia

I have 2 "older" UK made RELs, a 10" Q108MKII at 100 watts, and a Q150e at 150 watts, and they integrate into my listening room extremely well...you do have to pay attention to level, crossover points, phase, and location, but even without a "room correction" gizmo they sound fabulous, and I don't miss a 20hz anything. I did drag my 92lb Mackie HRS (designed for recording rigs and not necessarily pro audio live work, although I have used it for a pro gig...once...) sub in from my recording room when I first bought the thing, and although it's a 19hz capable 500 a/b watts monster,  it didn't seem to add anything that I wasn't getting from my RELs. Sounded fine, but I guess I don't listen to pipe organs much. 
Most people have no idea how powerful 100 watts actually can be, and the 1000 watt or so subs that are around generally use a class d amp to get to that level and only a fraction of that power gets seen by the driver, so it's seemingly a marketing thing as the overall design is what counts more than the horsepower. Stick an Ampeg SVT bass amp (300 tube driven watts into 4 or 8 10" drivers) in a room with the loudest home audio rig you can find, and that bass amp will embarrass the home audio system all day because it actually can use all the power from an uncompressed signal. At full steam you'd have to leave the room. There is no non-pro speaker that wouldn't instantly blow from 1000 actual watts. Highly efficient speakers make low watt amps work beautifully (at least with well designed amps), and a 100 or so watt well designed sub will mate beautifully if set up properly.
Maybe he's not referring to the Speakon plug itself, but the efficacy of the REL "high level" input design. I'm a fan of the angled Speakon because, a. They keep the cables better sorted (whatever THAT means) and, 2. They're made in Liechtenstein. I terminate the speaker end of the Canare Star Quad cables I use for the subs with spades (bare wires? I'm not an ANIMAL), and pile the 
leads on the speaker posts (one for each negative terminal and two on each hot terminal for identical signals to each REL). The main speaker's amp end of the cables are high quality (ripened) bananas that fit the terminals perfectly. Remember, shrink wrap for cable finishing is your friend.
My RELs were found on Ebay a year or so apart for 200 bucks each in excellent condition working perfectly. Lucky score I admit, (and a few years ago)...still...worth looking around as they show up from time to time, especially the Q108MKII.