REL 12" Carbon vs JL Audio 12" Fathom


I decided to make a new thread on this.  Plenty of people love both of these.  I am looking for two new 12" high end musical subs for two channel audio.  I am familiar with and LOVE the REL Carbon Limited's. The New Carbon Specials are supposed to be even better.  But now I am looking at the JL Audio Fathom F112v2's.  Because they have EQ that would be great for my boomy basement.  I want: 12", super musical and fast for high end audio.  I also want EQ. But are the JL's as musical as the REL's?  We are truly comparing similar spots in each company's line...12" sealed, $4000 list.  Would love to hear from folks who have compared...Happy Holidays!  Ken
fastfreight
I know this is an older thread but Rel vs. JL is no longer a complete comparison.  You have to hear evaluate Perlisten subs.  The D12s can easily go toe-to-toe with either of these and IMO, has a better DSP for integration.  The DSP recalculates 1000 times / second to ensure it is optimised.  It is incredible technology and I think will be in huge demand once the reviews hit.  
["mijostyn; I hate muddy bass. I like my bass lean and tight. I want to feel every kick drum beat and I want to hear every single note a bass plays. I always adjust my system so that there is a 2 dB or so dip centered on 125 Hz covering about 1 octave and increasing volume from 75 Hz down so that the bass is up 5 dB at 20 Hz. This approach gives me the bass I like which is what I think most people mean when they say "fast."]
+1
Mostly analog I can't mess with the 125Hz neighborhood but I'm just below you, slightly feathering in my crossover EQ in the high 60's.  

I had both of these brands in the house for a short time. There was a huge adjustability and performance disparity between the two. 
Aside from the speaker level connectivity convenience R. E. Lord designed in back in the day, adding some low frequency pressure is better than no sub at all.   

Appreciate this thread is a few years old but I find myself with the same question. 
 

f112v2 versus the Carbon Special. Curious what users say today?

 

GD

Hello @gdfein ,  Still loving my 2 pairs, one Carbon Limiteds and one Carbon Specials.  Once dialed in they disappear and make everything better.  I did move them around a bit, one pair is run with REL wireless, the other wired.  They are not in 'standard just inside the speakers' position, but rather off to the sides, pointing at right angles to each other.  I have not tried the JLs, but love my RELs.

Friends don’t let friends buy JL Audio. I have had 5 failed JL E112s subs in under 10 years. They keep fixing them ($500 my cost to fix) but must not know what they are doing as the same failures with electronics keep happening (fail crossover, failed volume pots, dead amp…). I still have one working for now but I don’t even think I am going to fix the 5th one. No point, time for a new brand, JL is dead to me. They have a good repair program which is good, because you will need it.