I've got a B2 and will consider the cable upgrade if I keep the sub. I'm considering Revel F208's and I'm my room I wouldn't need the REL with them. |
REL now offers their own upgraded cable called the Bassline which utilizes teflon coated slow-drawn high purity copper and silver solder for the connections.
I haven't tried the Bassline but I do use the SR Tesla REL SPEC Resolution Reference cable on my Strata lll and Stadium lll subs and it is miles ahead of the stock one in terms of extension, clarity and soundstaging.
Another upgrade that took me by surprise was replacing the stock mains fuse with SR20 fuses. It provides more of the same attributes that the cable upgrade provides and alot cheaper! I highly recommend anyone who owns a REL to give the SR20 fuses a shot, you will not be disappointed!! |
Jafreeman,
I have to thank you for this information. I had some Furutech FS Alpha speaker wire in the closet terminated with Furutech rhodium spades. I made the connection you suggested by splicing the Furutech onto then ends of Synergistic Research REL cables -- and then making the Furutech connection into my power amp. You are absolutely right. Not only does the bass sound better but the whole sound stage is improved with improved detail, as well. This is actually like an upgrade. I am very happily surprised. Thanks again. |
Nmmusicman,
I see you also have the SR REL cable. You might want to try the splice mod I detailed in my earlier post. It is well worth the effort. Quite amazing, actually. And my Furutech cables have not even burned in yet. |
Thanks for the reminder on the fuses, NMman--I will replace the stock fuses. |
Nmmusicman
Thanks for the insight. Can the REL cable be ordered online and what is the value\rating of the fuses ? Tried to check the fuses in my G1 but the font is way too small to read.
Pradeep |
Sunnyboy, the mains fuse for the G1 are 5 Amp semi delay(slo-blo) 230 volts, 10 Amp semi delay(slo-blo) 115 volts.
Yes the Bassline cable can be ordered on-line, Music Direct has them. Also, not sure about the G1 but my Stadium lll also has two fuses inside on the amplifier PCB as well as the mains fuse. I changed all three. |
Nmmusicman
Many thanks. Found the MD link. Checking with the local REL dealer if can order the baseline .
Hopefully should acquire the SR fuses.
Cheers |
Thanks, this convinces me to upgrade the signal cables for my RELs (R205 in the library, Stadium II for the main 2ch and StrataIII in the HT room).
AMR gold fuses are a no brainer for its price, I prefer HiFi Supreme.
As for power cords, I would like to hear your recommendations as I need in some case long cables so have so far refrained from getting any good ones like the HiDiamond P3 as to keep the original equipment price / upgrades ratio sane. I do have a dedicated 20A line just for the sub in my HT and that made a big difference. |
Sorry for the stupid question, any idea how to change the fuse in a rel t7? Thanks in advance. |
Jamfreeman,
I have to thank you for the information about your Furutech DIY cable. Coincidentally, I happened to have a 1-meter length of FS Alpha speaker wire with Furutech rhodium spades sitting in the audio closet. Since the length was too short to reach from my REL to my power amp I spliced the Furutech wire onto the end of my Synergistic Research REL reference cable. The improvement in the sound is amazing. For sure, the bass is greatly improved. But the whole sonic picture has greatly improved, as well. As you mentioned, the sound is more sweet and clear. Low level detail is greatly improved and imaging is superb. The sonic improvements are the equivalent of a component upgrade in my system. Thanks again. |
Kalbi23, to change the mains fuse in the T7, power off the unit and remove the power cord from the IEC inlet. Directly below the IEC inlet is a small rectangular insert that is part of the IEC module. You will then notice a small recess on the top outer edge of the insert. Take a small flat blade screwdriver and with the blade in the recess, gently pry forward. The fuse holder/fuse will pop free and you can then pull the fuse holder/fuse free of the IEC module to change the fuse.
Once you have changed the fuse, insert the fuse holder back in the IEC module ensuring that it is fully seated. Note that it can only be inserted one way so make note of it's direction when removing the holder. |
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Sabai, it's nice to hear that you found the same improvements through your REL, and I have Nmmusicman to thank for the fuse idea. I have the SR 20's on order. I have had very good results with Furutech fuses in Maggies. |
Jafreeman,
I am an inveterate tweaker and tinkerer and have an open mind to most "fringe" ideas. Thanks for your helpful suggestions. |
I have placed the SR20's into my RELs. They are the same amperage rating as the stock fuses. I am doing some listening comparisons of music well-known to me, and so far, there may be a bit more depth--not sure yet--hard to quantify at this point. I have not changed my sub volumes or crossover points. There may be some burn-in potential--or not--in these rather small fuses. Perhaps it would helo to push the amperage ratings for a larger filament. I have doubled the ratings in my Maggies to 5 amps for tweeter, 10 for midrange and have never had a problem--not worried at all. The SR's certainly do not detract in any way, and it's a fun tweak. My thanks to all. |
I'm very interested in anyone who has experienced changing to stock REL Neutrik cable for the REL bassline blue cable. Is it worth it? Significant improvement in sound? |
Jafreeman, when I changed to SR20's in both my REL's I had to bump up the volume just a smidge to rebalance, also didn't notice any burn-in changes. I generally bump up the amperage ratings of all the high-end fuses I implement although in electronics I don't go over ~1 amp more than rated. |
Phil
If you unscrew the stock neutrik connector it's pretty obvious that REL is using some very ordinary, thin copper cable more like an electric lamp chord . Any thicker gauge copper cable should make a difference. If you have some older speaker cables you can easily create a superior neutrik cable with 3 lengths per side ( +,- and neutral).
That said I hope to get a pair of the Bassline blue next week and report on the results.
Pradeep |
Sunnyboy1956,
I agree. But you don't have to go to all that trouble, especially since it is often a very long run from subwoofer to amp. You can splice a short length right onto the ends of the REL cables. If you use a high quality Furutech bulk cable you may be stunned by the improvement in SQ. Please see my description in the above post. |
For smaller units one could consider putting an ASC Subtrap (or similar devices) under it which can tighten the mid-bass. It works very well for my R205 |
Thanks for the info Pradeep. Please report back you experience with the Bassline Blue! |
Phil
The Bassline cables arrived on Sunday night. Long way from breakin. It's a decent gauge copper wire unlike the original which is more like a lamp chord. Initial impressions : bass is tighter and the higher frequencies are cleaner, IME , a sign of quality bass. Definitely recommended though you could achieve similar ,if not superior results ,at a fraction of the cost using high quality single strand copper wire. The Neutrik connectors with the Bassline Blue appear to be sturdier and better quality.
FWIW, I also got the SR fuses for the RELs.
Cheers
Pradeep |
Sabai
Many thanks. It appears the improvements you describe came after splicing Furtech connectors on a SR REL cable. I am guessing that if you had done the same with the standard REL cable the improvements may have been less dramatic given the ordinary construction of the cable.
NJoy
Pradeep |
Thanks for the info Pradeep! |
Sunnyboy1956,
You're very welcome. I suspect the stock cable would have rendered less impressive results. But, frankly, I was underwhelmed by the SR REL reference cable. The difference between it and the stock cable left me wondering. |
Sabai
Imagine I was about to order either the AQ or SR cable and only discovered the Bassline on this thread. That's what makes this a great forum to exchange ideas, learn and enjoy his hobby/affliction
Cheers
Pradeep |
Sunnyboy1956,
I learn a lot from others here. I am glad to pass on information I think can be helpful. |
Sunnyboy1956
Now that you've had the Bassline Blue cables for over a week can you go in more detail of what you hear vs. the standard REL cable?
Thanks
Big Al |
Alwebb
I don't think I am anywhere near breakin with barely 10 hrs playtime. The Bassline uses pretty decent gauge copper wire. There is greater clarity in the midrange, bass is tighter and the upper frequencies a wee bit cleaner. I also swapped the fuses in the RELs, the amps and the phono stage with the SR 20s. On current reckoning a pretty good modest investment, definitely recommended. I would add that the original REL cable is pretty ordinary and any half decent copper gauge cable will result in some improvement.
Cheers
Pradeep |
Much appreciate the input Pradeep. I may get a couple of pair of Bassline Blues for my two REL G1s. I use them with my Magico Q5 speakers.
Big Al |
Anyone had an opportunity to compare neutrik cables offered by REL, Kimber Kable and Synergistic Research ? Of course, if I'm going to upgrade, I want to get the "best" cable for my Storm III. |
Rockyboy,
I spliced Furutech speaker wire onto the amp ends of the Synergistic Research REL reference and the improvement made the SR wire sound pale in comparison. |
In my simple mind I'd have to think that removing SR wire altogether and using only Furutech wire with a neutrik termination would be better yet. Where am I going wrong? |
Rockyboy,
You may be right. It is just that I only had a short run of Furutech. So, I did the splice. |
Hello there,
I own a subwoofer REL B1 (version 220/240 Volts) and I would like to replace the mains fuse with a SR20, but I apercu that there are two others on the main board of 6.3 Amps I believe if I read correctly (can anyone confirm?), I also have to replace them with fuses SR20 for best results ?
What type of fuse SR20 choose for my REL B1, slow or fast ?
Thank you very much for your help |
Thanks! for sharing Jafreeman. I concur that REL is the best sub out there. Excellent build quality, outstanding sound and very easy to massage into anyone's system. Happy Listening! |
Hello there
I'd like to try the SR20 fuses on my REL B1, you mean the fuse 5 Amperes but there are two others on the main map n I have also replaced for best results, or should I replace only one of 5 amperes?
Can someone please help me |
"I'd like to try the SR20 fuses on my REL B1, you mean the fuse 5 Amperes but there are two others on the main map n I have also replaced for best results, or should I replace only one of 5 amperes?"
Hi Pakito, for ultimate performance gains one should replace all 3 fuses but beware that removing the amp/interface from the enclosure to get to the two internal fuses might void your warranty if in the highly unlikely event something should go wrong.
I believe the B1 has two internal 5 amp slo-blo fuses for each power supply rail and a 6.3 amp slo-blo fuse in the IEC inlet but you will have to pull them to be absolutely sure. I would also suggest bumping the amperage rating by a small amount with the new fuses. For example, I would go with 7 amp slo-blo for the IEC inlet and 6 amp slo-blo for the internal fuses.
If you're not comfortable opening the unit to get to the two internal fuses, just changing the IEC fuse gives a nice bump in performance.
Hope this helps. |
Hello Nmmusicman ,
Thank you very much for your help!
Personally, I opted for the fuse Quamtum RED instead of SR20! I noticed that by reversing the direction of the fuse holder, it has an impact on the final result, I tested the fuse dands 2 directions and chose the direction that offers a quality of the bass faster and defined! there is a meaning to install the fuse! then I suggest you try this if you have done it again!
Next step will be the cable REL BASSLINE BLUE and better cable Power Supplies!
Please tell me, what interest to replace the main fuse 5 Amps by one of those 7 and 6.3A on the main board replaced with 6 Amp?
Thanks again for your help! |
Hi Pakito,
Yes fuse directionality should be explored by everyone who has taken the time to upgrade their fuses and with high resolution fuses even more so.
The reason I bump my fuse ratings up slightly is that since most high end fuses are on the costly side, as compared to generic hardware store glass fuses, I want to increase the headroom margin so as not to risk blowing a fuse in the event that the circuit designer chose to be on the conservative side of current protection and to also provide circuit protection in the event that a circuit malfunction does occur.
Hope this helps. |
Taking the whole fuse directionality thing a little farther, wouldn't it make a great deal of sense to ensure that all wire everywhere is in the correction direction. You know, things like internal wiring of electronics, internal speaker wiring, cartridge wiring, tonearm wiring, power cords, interconnects and speaker cables, of course, romex, wire in transformers, all those tiny little wires in flat cables, jumper cables, capacitors, things of that nature. |
Signal Cable has been offering improved speaker-level cables for REL subwoofers at a great price for many years. |
I 2nd the Signal Cable SPKON connction. Signal Cable makes an awesome upgrade for the REL. I own a B2 and I love this cable it has the SPKON connection on 1 end and the amp side has bananas for super easy hook up, the cable is stiff and about an inch or so in diameter. It really improves quickness, tightness and solidity plus weight. Signalcable.com |
