I had the new REL T-9 and it was a super fast, tight & deep
sub! The best sub I have owned to date. I only sold
it as I upgraded from Emerald Physics CS-3's to the 2.3's and don't need a sub with them. The new RELS are great and look like a million to! |
The T series are designed for home theater and the S series for music. I believe the T uses Class D amps; the S series uses A/B amps. Newer and cheaper seldom equals better in my experience; I almost always buy used and try to select gear that was very highly rated but which has fallen slightly out of favor; lemmings have nothing on audiophiles as to stampeding in one direction. I say this as an ex-lemming; age , experience and general decrepitude have ended my stampeding days; my wallet is thicker for it. |
Another option would be the Rel 'B' series. They use class A/B amps too. |
The "new" T series uses class A/B amps as well. |
I own the T7. It uses a 200w classA/B amp. Doesn't play ultra deep (maybe the high 20's), but integrates extremely well - fast, tight. Great value for money. |
I own the T7, the 3rd REL I have owned. I use this with a pair of Magnepan MMG to fill in and tighten the bottom and I am very satisfied. |
I found the RELs a tad booooomy and have switched to JL Audio subs which IMHO are far superior.
(dealer disclaimer) |
Mwheelerk - Curious as to which other REL models you have owned and how the T7 compares? My new speakers (Daedalus Ulysses) are relatively full range, rated down to 28HZ, but I like the idea of adding a sub to fill things out some more / add some body.
I liked my time with the REL Storm III, but not sure I feel comfortable going with an older sub from a reliability standpoint.
Ultimately, sound quality for 2 channel is my number one priority, even if it means going with the older "ST" series REL's.
Forgot to mention my room is 15' x 21', but with a short ceiling @ 6-7'.
I'm thinking I should have bought the Studio III listed, but the seller got a better offer, so I'm out of contention unless the prospective buyer does not come thru with payment.
Sksos1 - I've tried other subs with little satisfaction, including several from Velodyne, so I'm not interested in experimenting with the JL's even though they may be good. I know and like REL, so that's what I'm sticking with... and they are a better value on the used market than the JL's as I'm guessing the JL's are still new and have some fresh buzz about them. Not sure if JL will still have popularity 5 years from now. |
Pdreher ..
Good to see your off the Harbeths :)I havent heard your new speakers but Ive owned about all the older Rels.I was never a fan of the storm 3,I thought the Strata3 worked better for me.Ive havent listened to all the new Rel line but if me I would buy the newer stuff,I have yet to read a bad review. |
I have a 10 year old REL Q150E that I think sounds better than a friend's newer REL, although his might have an 8" woofer so there's that. Bought mine last year VERY cheaply and all it needed was new cloth and a speaker bolt tightening. I think most RELs are pretty well designed and properly dialed in they make things better...all things...plants, attitudes, humidity, hair thickness.... |
Pdreher: JL Audio was founded in 1975 and is a privately held company employing close to 300 people in two U.S. facilities. A 140,000 sq.ft. facility in Miramar, Florida is home to company headquarters, loudspeaker manufacturing, cabinet assembly (wood and fiberglass) and speaker engineering.
I don't think they are going away anytime soon. |
I just installed a T5 into my system. My room is very small...10'X11', but it is acoustically treated and has a 13' vault ceiling. The T5 is a great sub for this room, adding extension, punch and the ability to match seamlessly with my main speakers. It took a while to get the blend correct, BUT several other a'phile friends have now heard the system are floored by what the little 'mighty mite' can do. BTW, one of them owns a JL112 and while he likes this sub, believes that the REL is a better choice for a room of this size. YMMV. |
I just tracked down a later model Storm III at a good price. I've had this sub before and reluctantly sold it to free up some money for another purchase. I'm pretty confident this sub will fit the bill.
Thanks for everyone's input. |
I would stay away from a used Storm III. I owned one and it was good while it lasted. It blew up and could have also damaged one of my Stello monoblocks, which began malfunctioning at about the same time. |
Vladimir - Thanks for the buzzkill. I owned a Storm III for a few years with no problems. While it's always a possibility for gear to go bad and need repair, I get the impression that REL is quite popular and has a solid reputation for reliability. I'm also buying mine from an authorized REL dealer who got it as a trade-in for a new G1, so I'll have dealer backing should it ever need repair. |
Pdreher...
Sould of held out for a Strata 3..faster due to its sealed cab or checked out the new T series,seems to me you pull the trigger too quickly..IMO |
