My REL Strata III doesn't have that boom, boom thud that most subs have. It sounds like I have a full range pair of speakers. When I first heard the REL I was really shocked, it was the first time that I had ever heard a sub that stayed in time with the mains. I was a "sub-hater" converted. You also have the advantage of setting the REL's for 5.1, and 2 channel from the speaker terminals with separate settings for each.
Natural sound (REL Subwoofers)
I am looking for a natural sounding subwoofer, and I hear that REL makes some of the best in the business. I am interested in the REl Stadium and Stentor. Has anyone had the opportunity to try these subs or make comparisons to similarly high-priced subs? I have heard less expensive subs like Sunfire and Velodyne and they seem too boomy, and therefore not worth the money...I am looking for something that will add ambient "space" to my music. I have heard the Snell 18" subs that go with the reference "A" speakers ...very nice sound but too big. Others that I am considering are Audio Physic, and Talon. Please tell me about your experiences, preferences, and biases. I have an aleph 3, proac 2.5s and plan on running them straight from a resolution audio cd55. Thanks