Can anyone hear the difference when you add REL subwoofers when playing two channel


I wonder if anyone else has had problems hearing a difference when adding REL subwoofers to their two channel systems?  I have gone back to a reputable dealer in town to listen to a pair of Vienna Acoustic Mozart's paired with a REL S3 and I couldn't detect a difference when they added and subtracted the REL.  I wonder if this was because the Vienna Acoustic Mozart's are already can extend down to 30 Hz.  I have also read reviews on the Mozart's and they said one of their criticisms was they felt the Mozart's to be too boomy in the bass.  

The dealer keeps telling me I am expecting to hear a more punchy pounding bass sound and that is not what I should be listening to.  He keeps saying I should be listening for greater depth and space to create a larger sound stage.  He went on to say if I had a subwoofer that delivered too much bass, they would eventually drive me out of the room and spoil my enjoyment of listening to music.  I thought I had sensitive ears to sound, but in this case I wonder if I am tone deaf.  My fear is getting a pair of T/9i's in my home and my wife telling me I wasted our money because she could not hear a difference. 

There must be a reason why so many dealers have told me their first pick would be a REL because they are so musical.

I also question why REL manufactures their subs with such low wattage?  For example, their S3 delivers only 400 watts and their T/9i's deliver just 300 watts.  When comparing them to  subwoofers like JL, which deliver 750 watts to $1500 watts, maybe REL subwoofers are just too wimpy.
128x128larry5729

Showing 5 responses by lalitk

larry,

What are your room dimensions? Don’t be alarmed by low watts. The idea behind employing sub in a two channel setup is to strike weighted balance and full-range musicality not earth shattering bass as in typical home theater setup. 
I am using a pair of REL Carbon Serie S (same Power as S/5) and they added another dimension to overall musicality. I picked out REL for bass quality and their seamless integration with the main speakers.  

To my ears, what makes REL performance extraordinaire is its clarity and focus in addition to its obvious bass extension and dynamic headroom. 

I would like to point out, subwoofer takes bit of patience and tweaking with placement. Once you get them dialed in properly, you wouldn’t imagine listening to your system without the subs ever again. 
“If you want deeper bass, RELs are a poor choice.”

@mzkmxcv,

It’s not all about deeper bass in a two channel audio, does any of these rings a bell....dimensionality, air, presence and texture. 

Which REL sub have you tried in your system to form such poor opinion? If you did try one, how did you connect the sub?


@mzkmxcv,

So you actually have no real experience with any of the subs you criticize or endorse....should I pay heed to someone who peddles his opinions based on measurements posted on intranet or someone who actually have tried and tested the equipment....hmm take a wild guess 😉
“In reality, the cost to build a REL is only about $500. REL manufactures their subwoofers off shore and they use the lowest bidder to manufacture them.”

“REL on the other hand advertises extensively. They can afford to do so because they have a lot more profit margins to be able to afford to do so.”

b_limo,

It certainly seems that way! As I recall, someone commented about Rythmik parts quality and the owner (Brian) went out of the way to challenged the poster. It’s a shame that OP picks one model out of the entire lineup and since T/9 won’t go down to 14Hz, he drags down the brand by dissing the corporate business model.

BTW, REL offers 60 days home trial and free returns plus 120 days price protection.