REL Classic 99 Sub

@kmmd 

I really appreciate you for sharing your journey up the REL line—that’s quite the progression! I can only imagine what a pair of No.31’s must sound like, especially if they still feel powerful even turned down. Ever since Classic 99’s came out, I’ve been curious to see how the 99’s performs in my room. That said, your point about the Carbon’s carbon fiber driver really resonates with me—it’s exactly what led me to purchase them in the first place.

I’ve found the Carbons can be a bit overwhelming on certain material. What I’m hoping for with the 99’s is more of that steady texture, tone, coherence and depth that just works across the board. We’ll find out soon enough 🙂

Looks like no one here made a move to Classic 99. I am going to pick a pair in upcoming weeks! 

“Paper specs on some levels are meaningless”
@tablejockey 

Exactly!  I used to own a pair of B1’s in cherry finish..I should have hung on to them. 

@wfowenmd 

Thank you for your interest, I plan to post my impressions by year end. I got two other equipments ahead of REL project :-) 

Update: I’ve got a pair of Classic 99’s being delivered this Friday. Planning to give them a fair shake and will post impressions after a couple of weeks of listening. They’ll be going head-to-head with my Carbon Limited’s, and I’m particularly curious to see how the 99’s handle scale and room interaction in my setup — especially with the front-firing vs. down-firing design differences. 

Update: After some listening with a single Classic 99 (awaiting delivery of the second next week), it’s evident the 99 is purpose-built for 2-channel music enthusiasts. In direct comparison to the Carbon Limited, the 99 conveyed faster transient response and greater articulation in the low end. It conveyed bass detail and nuance without masking or overwhelming the finer musical information.

Albums /tracks used in my comparison, 

the bassface swing trio, duende (live), fausto mesolella (live in alcatraz), diana krall (when I look in your eyes), tron (legacy), the dark night (why so serious?), Bach Starker (suites for unaccompanied cello), Stevie Ray Vaughn (tin pan alley) 

As far as placement, tried Classic 99 on carpet, but bass felt a bit soft. Placed it on a 2” Apple-Ply shelf from my Core Audio rack—huge improvement. Bass is punchier, cleaner, and integrates way better with the mains. This means, a solid wood spiked platform in walnut finish would complement and complete the finished look :-)

Pics posted in my virtual system - https://www.audiogon.com/systems/11092