Martin-Logan Descent or Rel Stadium Subwoofer

Well I just finished listening to the Rel Stadium and the Descent. I took the Descent home. It matches seamlessly with the Ml-Requests. The boys at ML did their homework.
The depth is fabulous and it is quick as can be. I highly recommend picking one up if you have the means.

Haven't yet heard the Descent. I have heard the Stadium III and good as it is, I'd suggest you also add the ACI Titan II to your short list. You could get a pair of Titan IIs for less than a Stadium III. The Titan II produces superbly accurate bass and integrates seamlessly.

I have the Descent and it seems to match very well with my ML Reqeusts, Areius I's and Cinema. Once I put it in the room it just disappeared.

It puts out a ton of bass, I think I have the volume set to around 2.5 and it is not corner loaded.

Sugarbrie, in filter design the term "high-pass" refers to a filter which "passes" the "high" frequencies, i.e., blocks out the low frequencies. Similarly, "low-pass" is a filter which blocks out high frequencies. Thus the RELs have no "high-pass" filters whatsoever; they allow the amp signal to run full-range to the mains without any interruption or filtering at all. They do, of course, have the best low-pass filters on the planet.

Skip the Stratus III. It is a great sub for what it costs, but is a closed box design and does not go nearly as deep as the Storm III or the Stadium III (which is deeper still).

I am not sure what Karls is saying. All REL subs have High-Pass adjustments. Their high-pass side is what makes them great for audiophiles. If he is running off the amp speaker terminals, then he is running high-pass and I assume he adjusted it to blend/integrate it with his system. (Maybe not?)

I have to respectfully disagree with Gtejr; the stadium III is a major step up from the storm III (which I have owned also) in both extension and authority, giving an overall impression of much greater you-are-thereness. A lot will depend on the size of the listening room; if you are only loading a small room and don't need to reach into the 20-Hz range then the strata/storm will work fine. If you have a larger room and/or value what 15-Hz extension does for the soundstage, impact, and presence of the system (not to be underestimated, IMO), the stadium is a minimum starting point, and the stentor is definitely worth a listen as well.

I have a pair of Quest Z's & a Stadium II between them. I have tried numerous subs & sold them all because I didn't like the sound. When I bought the REL;theML sub was not available. The REL is seamless in it's presentation vis a vis the Logans. Larry W

I was thinking about the descent as well. I currently have 2 ML sets ( 2 channel for music and a surround set up for movies both with ML Requests) both with REL strata III's. I like the flexability the rel offers. For your set up the stadium III would be overkill. Save yourself a heap of cash and pick up a used storm or strata.$ 900-1200 on audiogon. I will let you know if I make the switch and how it works out.

I don't have any experience with the Descents so can't comment on the comparison. I own a Stadium III and it is a phenomenal sub, but it does not have any adjustment for the high-pass side. Like all RELs, it makes the satellites run full-range with no signal interruption at all (can be set up several different ways, but the recommended and best one is to take the signal to the sub from the power amp's output terminals in parallel with the speaker cable connection). I don't know how the Descent is designed to be set up, but I will say that the REL is the only sub I've heard that doesn't get in the way of the music from the sats, because it can't! I also don't run electrostats, but have heard a lot of good things about RELs from those who do.