By Subwoofers sadly don’t get the respect that they deserve in the audiophile hobby. I don’t know who the jackass was who poo-pooed subwoofers but they have done no favors to the music loving audiophile community. Subwoofers are one of the most simple and cost effective ways to make your audiophile music playback system have more range, impact and emotion. Modern audiophiles who put a high premium on value know where their money is well-spent with an LFE to help them support the lower octave of sound. The cost, logistics and physical size of floorstanding speakers to dip to 20 Hz or lower is often simply prohibitive but having that rock solid foundation for the sonics of your system is something that we all should strive for as we build our systems.
REL is one of the leaders in the audiophile subwoofer space today. They are sold at top AV retailers, through many custom installation venues as well as nationally at Magnolia Stores (inside Best Buy). Their subwoofers are a little different than the standard options in the market for a number of reasons. One big differential is that REL subwoofers tend to not use digital room correction. The REL team is on-call to help any and everybody who wants to get the most from their REL subwoofer(s) via old school, physical setup. It sounds harder than it really is and with support from the REL team in Berkeley and/or a local dealer – it is kind of a snap. Another key difference with REL subwoofers is that they like you to send a signal via your amp – not your preamp (like nearly every other subwoofer in the market today). I asked about this and the head engineer felt like the timing was better between the speaker and the subs. He also suggested that whatever sound/flavor/impact that your amp has on your speakers can be arguably passed through to your subwoofer. The other concept that REL is big into is stacking subwoofers which I was able to experience in full effect in Berkeley in that the new Serie S subwoofers were stacked in a three pack (six total is possible) which wasn’t just more visceral it moved air more like a line array speaker but in this case as a subwoofer. The subs are all crossed over at different points which has a really congruent sonic effect.
The New Serie S REL Subwoofers
The reason for the event was to introduce the new REL Serie S reference subwoofers to the press core. There are a few really sexy options in the Serie S lineup. They all benefit from carbon fiber elements in the drivers which make them lighter and more rigid and fast. There are special edition options like the REL 212 Black Label sub ($5,999) which is a two driver system a 1,000 watt internal amp that is a subwoofer designed to perform with the largest format loudspeakers and in large rooms. There is a REL Carbon Special Black Label sub ($4,999) with a 900 watt class-D amp that is designed for superior speed. The S/850 ($3,999) is the bread and butter of the Serie S lineup with an 850 watt amp and a stackable design. The REL S/550 ($3,299) is where the Serie S starts with a more compact form and a 550 watt amp. The REL S/550 gives you all of the benefits of REL’s best technology in a format that is easier to double down on for a multiple subwoofer configuration. All of these subs are stackable and come with mechanical locks to keep them
Listening at REL’s Facticity in Berkeley, California…
REL doesn’t make subwoofers in California (God, knows how much that would cost if they did) but they do design them in the Golden State. They have a really slick operation just outside of San Francisco complete with a number of listening rooms and vignettes that we broke up into teams to experience. The Serie S Carbon Special Black was matched with some Franco Serblin Accordo Essence speakers (about $25,000 a pair) and was really dialed-in. While a bit cliché (not a bad thing when it comes to audio demos) “Hotel California” from The Eagles Hell Freezes Over was an impressive demo. The bass was not just solid but it was palpable. You could feel the low end but not specifically hear it standing out from the system or the overall mix which is a sign of a very well-setup subwoofer and speaker system. John Hunter, one of the two principals at REL, played a vintage Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitsgerald track that impressed as much with the imaging as it did with control and dynamics. Few, if any, left the room questioning if subwoofers are anything but essential for a top-performing audiophile system.
Finishes and Design Elements on REL Subwoofers
One interesting feature of the new Serie S REL subwoofers is their slatted grills. These grills have a very modern look to them and are optional but really visually differentiate a subwoofer in a room/system. This feature won’t be for everybody but in a world where subwoofers are pretty bland looking audiophile components, REL deserves credit for making their subs look different than the rest.
Colors abound at REL too which is rare in the subwoofer world in the T/x Serie subs. You see that with the ads that they run here on FutureAudiophile.com but they had all sorts of other options on display in Berkeley. The idea of car color paint jobs for audiophile speakers isn’t new as Wilson Audio pioneered that concept 30 plus years ago in the audiophile world but few in the subwoofer space have run with the concept like REL. I am not sure how many people will by a Lamborghini Fly Yellow stack of subwoofers but I will tell you – that makes one hell of a visual (and sonic) statement in any major audio system.
The fit and finish of the physical REL subwoofers is also of note. These are not cheaply made, Chinese throw-away Chi-Fi toys. REL subwoofers are as much sculpture as they are audio component. They are solid enough to stack multiple subwoofers on top of each other. They are made of dense materials and are, as you would expect, are very heavy but it is all of the little details like the well-designed feet and the solid, tactile feel of the buttons that exude quality.
My Vinyl Shopping with Michael Fremmer
This event was populated by a really compelling group of media members. Historically, we’ve all been “writers” but in today’s new media, most of the people at the event were “content creators” who are somehow technology influencers, short-form video producers and/or social media mavens. For many of them, the world of very high end audio was new and very exciting to them. It was great to vibe on their enthusiasm and energy.
The three old school audiophile veterans at the event were Neil Gader, Michael Fremmer and myself. Now Neil and Michael have 20 years plus on me but we’ve all been around in this business for a while. One day two, REL took us to the classic Amoeba Records to do some record shopping. Michael Fremmer and I get along about everything other than the facts when it comes to vinyl (low dynamic range, high distortion, authentic, 100 plus year old format) but that didn’t keep us from having fun flipping through bins and bins of nicely curated bins of vinyl records.
I was able to find the new Turnstile record which is the band that my brother is the guitar tech for these days. I love record stores even if they are hard to find anymore. One of the best parts of buying physical media is supporting bands that are up and coming. Turnstile is now featured in a national television commercial – that’s some mainstream growth. They got three Grammy nominations last year and they are touring as a headliner now (they were out with Blink 182 before that) which is great to see. If you aren’t hip to their groove, they are a metal band with a bit of surf punk mixed in. How that came from Baltimore, I have no idea and I don’t really care as they are just a lot of fun. I am taking my 13 year old son and his friend this weekend to see Turnstile and we will get to go backstage and see the sound check which should be super fun for the boys.
Fremmer was picking out records for me but we got into the what turntable to buy conversation. I am not quite ready for one logistically but I am getting close. I have been thinking about a spaceship-looking VPI which is appealing as I love the architectural concept of a really high end turntable and VPI delivers on that in spades. Michael had some other super-cool recommendations that likely will be out of my budget for a starting turntable. I was listening to his recommendations however as he is Mr. Vinyl.
The Record Plant Can’t Call Themselves The Record Plant Anymore but the History of That Studio is Simply Fantastic
The group went out on night one to hear some live music which is always one of the key benchmarks of evaluating any audiophile system. On day two, we headed to 2200 Studio in Sausalito which was the San Francisco outpost of the Record Plant. Built in the 1970s, the vibe is decisively retro in this classic recording venue where the likes of Prince, Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Wonder and others have laid down tracks. They were using a REL S/550 Serie S sub in Studio B which was pretty relevant.
REL wanted the press core to see how music was made (using their subs) so they rented out the studio for the day as well as employed a local band called The Departures to come in and play for us. These young musicians are quite talented and were able to lay down some tracks while we sat in the back of 2200 Studio’s Studio B and observe the process of how a recording actually gets made. This was a big part of my college education and it was fun to see the other media members get their first look at how the music actually gets made.
Final Thoughts on REL and Their New Serie S Subwoofers …
2025 has been the most trying year of my life without question. Within reason, I could have taken a pass on going to an event like this but I know the REL folks and they are so much fun to visit with and this event sounded like a blast. And it absolutely was. I was able to interact with REL’s designers to learn how and why they do things a little differently than other subwoofer companies. That was educational at a minimum but the real take away when I got back to SFO and was flying down the coast was to realize how blessed we all are to be part of this hobby. Owning a bad ass stereo system is a true privilege and tons of fun and nobody gets the fun part more than the REL people. Their product is next-level, California design at is best with a rock and roll soul. Some people say that it doesn’t matter who you buy your audiophile equipment from as long as it is good but I respectfully disagree. REL is a rock and roll audiophile company who truly get it and their products are representative of that concept. I am proud to call them a client as well as to be a bit of a REL super-fan.
