REL T/5x Subwoofer Reviewed

I’ve always loved the idea of squeezing every ounce of potential out of a compact system. Don’t get me wrong, I love me a pair of big, imposing floorstanding speakers with massive bass drivers, but for my purposes and in my current home listening space, a compact two-channel system is my sweet spot. My ELAC BS312.2 compact bookshelf speakers (read the review), which play enormously loud and clear for their size, are the perfect example of this. But an audiophile system featuring smaller bookshelf speakers like mine will never fully live up to its potential without being paired with an equally capable subwoofer. Cue REL, a high-end subwoofer company based out of Berkeley, California, that has rewritten the rulebook on low-frequency sound reproduction several times over. 

I was fortunate enough to have had a really helpful phone conversation with one of REL’s leaders, John Hunter, before deciding on which subwoofer model to choose for review and eventual purchase. After reviewing my needs and price point, Hunter recommended the eight-inch T/5x subwoofer (buy at Crutchfield) as the perfect complement to my compact system, which is used primarily for music, but also for the occasional movie or triple-A video game title. The T/5x’s compact dimensions (around 12 inches wide, 12 inches tall, and 14 inches deep), loads of proprietary, industry-leading subwoofer technology, and elegant, high-end aesthetics had me quite excited. Still, with so many strong contenders in the sub-$1,000 category, I couldn’t help but wonder: does the REL T/5x truly earn its premium reputation – and my hard-earned cash – over its competitors? I’ll share my thoughts on that, and much more, in the review ahead.

What Makes the REL T/5x Subwoofer So Special?

• The REL T/5x is a compact subwoofer that punches far above its weight. At the heart of this little powerhouse is an eight-inch, down-firing, long-throw FibreAlloy™ driver, made from a proprietary air-dried paper blend, capped with a rigid aluminum center cone. The downward-firing configuration also helps the T/5x radiate low frequencies evenly throughout the room, making placement a bit more forgiving than other design types. 
• REL opted for a sealed design, which plays well into the musicality of the T/5x. While certainly capable of adding low-end presence to movies, the T/5x feels more at home producing tight, controlled, accurate bass with nearly all musical genres. REL makes plenty of larger, more powerful subwoofers that would love to depressurize your room and rattle your windows, but for my purposes, a tiny-but-mighty sealed sub like the T/5x is the way to go. 
• Aesthetically, the fit and finish of the REL T/5x is absolutely premium. Each cabinet receives five coats of high-gloss lacquer, resulting in a mirror-like finish that rivals high-end subwoofers costing several times as much. Subtle details like the engraved aluminum feet and REL’s signature “crown” logo (you’ll need to peek under the hood to see it on the T/5x) elevate the overall presentation even further. Available in black or white, the T/5x manages to look at once both minimalist and luxurious. And yes, in case you’re wondering, it did earn spousal approval – a rare achievement in my ongoing quest to find the best-looking, best-sounding subwoofer that I can actually afford. 
• The cabinet construction is also incredibly well done. REL uses laminated 21 mm thick plywood, reinforced with heavy internal bracing, resulting in a structure that feels dense and inert to the touch. Weighing in at about 31 pounds, this small subwoofer feels shockingly heavy – pick it up and you instantly understand why it sounds as powerful and controlled as it does. Just be sure to lift with your legs. 
• Powering the T/5x is a high-current Class-A/B MOSFET amplifier, rated at 125 watts RMS, providing plenty of clean, dynamic output for most small- to medium-sized rooms. REL’s choice to use a traditional Class-A/B topology, rather than Class-D, reflects their focus on maintaining tonal warmth and low-frequency detail, qualities that can easily get lost in the pursuit of sheer efficiency. The result is a sense of control and musicality that’s instantly noticeable, especially during musical selections that require nuance and finesse over pure power. 
• The REL T/5x features plenty of connections, including a high-level Neutrik Speakon connection for simplified system integration, mono RCA low-level input, mono RCA LFE input, low-pass crossover control (30-120 Hz), and separate High/Low and .1/LFE level controls.
• In addition to a generous array of controls and input options, the REL T/5x features an ultra-fast analog low-pass crossover and an eight-millisecond input filter network, ensuring near-instant signal transfer from amplifier to subwoofer. This was something I noticed in both music and movies, where the T/5x “disappeared” more often than making its presence known. 
• REL offers an optional REL Arrow wireless transmitter kit (sold separately; buy at Crutchfield), which provides a clean wireless connection free of digital compression. This could come in handy for those with oddly-shaped listening spaces, who may need to move the subwoofer around before finding the sweet spot. 
• All REL subwoofers come with industry-leading lifetime customer support, a three-year warranty, 60-day trial with free returns, and 60-day price protection. That’s about as low-risk, high-reward as it gets. 

Why Should You Care About the REL T/5x Subwoofer?

REL knows subwoofers – it’s what they’ve been working on for more than 30 years. In that time, they’ve continuously refined what many consider the unsung hero of the audio world. This deep (pun intended) understanding of low-frequency reproduction has allowed REL to design subwoofers that blend seamlessly into a system, rather than overpower it. REL builds subs for music lovers who crave depth and texture, not boom and bluster – and that’s exactly what the T/5x delivers, with finesse.

Some Things You Might Not Like About the REL T/5x Subwoofer …

• The REL T/5x doesn’t include built-in room correction or auto-calibration – something that initially surprised me before researching the brand. That said, they connected me with a local rep who was willing to come to my home to help fine-tune the subwoofer for my listening space. Lucky for me – and it sounds fantastic – but not every buyer will have that luxury or necessarily want it. Once dialed in, the T/5x completely exceeded my expectations, proving that sometimes the old-school, manual approach still delivers the best results. To their credit, REL offers a wealth of setup tutorials online and even encourages customers to call for one-on-one assistance. That level of support speaks volumes about REL’s commitment to getting their products sounding right, no matter what it takes.
• The T/5x bottoms out at 30 Hz. For most music, that’s plenty – there’s very little musical information below that point. But if you’re a bass enthusiast craving gut-punching subsonics, or you want your living room to rattle during a helicopter flyover in a Michael Bay blockbuster, you’re probably looking in an entirely different category anyway, and REL has plenty of options for you there, too. 

Listening to the REL T/5x Subwoofer 

Musicality was evident from the get-go, but the T/5x also delivered confident sonic power. I was eager to see how this compact subwoofer would balance precision with impact, and it didn’t disappoint.

The first musical selection for my review was carefully curated by my 11-year-old daughter. She would not allow me to write this review without including a song from the Netflix sensation K-Pop Demon Hunters and specifically chose “Your Idol” for its sheer room-shaking bass. Her instructions were clear: “Turn the big white speaker way up.” 15 seconds in, it was obvious she was onto something. The initial crescendo builds and builds before plunging into an earth-shattering drop, and the REL T/5x never sounded small. It handled the deep sub-bass with authority and control, making the track feel alive from start to finish. I could not believe how much bass was coming out of this compact subwoofer, and it brought the track – and admittedly the rest of the movie – to life in a way I didn’t think possible. 

Switching gears, I moved to Bon Iver’s “Walk Home” from SABLE, fABLE. This R&B-inspired track is all about musical bass, and the T/5x delivered it beautifully. The deep, pulsing drums blended seamlessly with the prominent bassline, creating rhythm and texture that lesser subwoofers often muddy, or miss entirely. On other systems, the bass in this track can sound bloated or muffled and, without a subwoofer, the low end disappears almost entirely. With the T/5x in place, every note felt intentional and nuanced. Each bass note was distinct, precise, and fully articulated, proving that this sub is just as much about finesse as it is about power.

Will the REL T/5x Subwoofer Hold Its Value?

I have a hard time imagining a scenario where a REL subwoofer doesn’t hold its value over time. REL has built a reputation on quality, craftsmanship, and longevity, and that reputation only continues to strengthen as the brand’s online presence and following grow. Anecdotally, I almost never see REL products pop up in local buy/sell groups or on Facebook Marketplace – and when they do, they’re often gone within hours. That kind of scarcity usually signals strong demand. In other words, investing in a REL subwoofer isn’t just about enjoying its performance today; it’s a safe bet that your purchase will retain value far better than most competitors in its price range.

What is the Competition for the REL T/5x Subwoofer?

You’d be hard-pressed to find a REL T/5x lookalike at the $799 price point. That said, there are several sub-$1,000 subwoofers with similar specs and performance that are worthy of comparison.

First to mind is the Sonus faber Gravis I.  It pairs a 150-watt RMS Class-A/B amplifier with an eight-inch treated paper cone and a sealed design, much like the REL T/5x. The soft leather top and polished finish give it a distinctly luxurious vibe. At $1,100, it costs a few hundred bucks more, so it comes down to whether you value that extra layer of refinement as much as you do sonic performance.

The tiny but mighty SVS 3000 Micro is an 11-inch cube that seems to defy physics. Rated down to 23 Hz, powered by an 800-watt RMS (2,500-watt peak) Class-D amplifier, and fully controllable via the SVS app, it that delivers massive, precise bass from a ridiculously small footprint. While it doesn’t have the refined aesthetic of the REL T/5x, it’s hard to argue with its performance, particularly for home theater setups or anyone who wants bass that hits hard without completely taking over the room (buy at Crutchfield).

Last on my list is the GoldenEar ForceField 30 (buy at Crutchfield), a compact eight-inch subwoofer that features a front-firing woofer, a 500-watt RMS digital amplifier, DSP, and a bass reflex/passive radiator design. The sleek black cabinet with its perforated metal grille looks like something out of a higher-end product catalog. At $899, it’s a strong performer worthy of a spot on any audiophile’s listening room floor, though color options are limited and the design leans minimalist rather than luxurious.

Final Thoughts on the REL T/5x Subwoofer …

After spending ample time with the REL T/5x, I can say without hesitation that my search for a compact, high-performance subwoofer has come to an end. The REL T/5x is a tiny powerhouse that blends precision, musicality, and aesthetic polish in a way that feels rare, especially at this price point.

The REL T/5x was tight, controlled, and surprisingly deep, handling everything I threw at it without ever sounding bloated or overbearing. Unlike some competitors that chase sheer output or flashy features, the REL T/5x prioritizes accuracy and integration, disappearing into my music rather than announcing itself with unnecessary bravado. And for those of us pairing it with compact two-channel systems, that makes all the difference. 

If you’re in the market for a small sub that feels expensive, sounds precise, and integrates seamlessly into your system, the REL T/5x earns every penny. I’ve already made up my mind – it’s staying here with me, and I can’t wait to enjoy it for years to come. That is, until I finish my basement audiophile renovation project and purchase a REL subwoofer line array. Stay tuned …