I was wrong about subwoofers: REL 5Tx

Yes, I was wrong. I mistakenly believed subwoofers were for home cinema, and had no place in a 2 channel system.
I watched a video from REL, where it was demonstrated with Sonus Faber Toy Towers, that a quality subwoofer can not only add bass, but improve the sound as a whole.
I know the Toy towers really well. They go deep enough, but they sounded much better with the subwoofer.
My speakers, Sonus Faber Electa Amator III go down to 40 hz “on paper”. I bought a REL T5X to help them out.
Wow! What an improvement. It took me all of 15 minutes to dial in the sub and perfectly integrate it with the speakers. It adds quality bass and heft to the sound. It makes the whole soundstage come alive. The extra bass actually sounds like it is coming from the main speakers and the soundstage; I don’t hear anything coming from the sub.
If you have been on the fence about trying a subwoofer, I recommend you try it out.

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I keep hearing the same thing about adding quality subs, but I’m lacking space. I’m very intrigue however.

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You”ll want a second one next! A few years back I thought subs were just for bass heads…… they really do add a presence to the soundstage and everything is improved……

I have a pair of s510’s and adding the second was very worth while.

Gary

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One of my dream speakers. For Rel you’re totally right, they integrate seamlessly

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Over 20 years ago I was at the Bristol show where the owner of REL was deming his studio and stentor MK1 units. Was totally blown away with that demo.my father bought a stadium for his esl63’s and had a hat ever since. I bought a strata3 for my atv scm7mk2 also. They need a bit of time setting up.positiining and getting the phase right.ince that’s done it’s great. I actually have minei n-between my speakers in line with their drivers not using the room modes as much but it’s faster and tighter

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Beautiful speakers. How are they compared to your Harbeth C7es3-XD?

Get two. They are rather more than the sum of their parts. I have a pair of REL S/510 for my Dynaudio Confidence C2 Platinum (which already go down to 28 Hz), and am even considering a second pair for a tuned 4-pack array.

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I have a totem sub, it really hides well with any system I’ve put it with, and creates a much more rounded sound.
easy to dial in.

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I have 808’s, and really don’t need anymore bass.

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Is it not more of a case about giving the woofers in your main speakers (and to some extent your amplifier) an easier time by replacing the requirement for them to produce low bass; and not necessarily about more or deeper bass.

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Using subs is about getting better bass, not getting more bass.

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Thank you. Similar rich midrange as the Harbeths. Better, more detailed and airier top end. More bass and slam.

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Yes, I had same opinion too until today.
Took delivery of a stereo pair of REL Classic 98s yesterday to go with some Wharfedale Linton speakers.
Let them do their thing for 24 hours but sounded great immediately.
Followed RELs instructions today wrt phase position i.e. setting in line with strongest bass response which led me down the wrong path for a while - perhaps this is because I have a stereo pair and they are positioned between the speakers (rather than a corner).
To be fair in their literature they do go on to say getting the best blend with the speaker rather than raw output is what counts, but it caught me out for bit.
Nevertheless, once back on right path the improvements to be had are not just confined to a bit of bass re-enforcement.
Very pleased with Classic 98s.

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Strictly speaking I’d say it’s about getting deeper bass rather that better bass. The clue is in the name!

There is more to subs than just deeper bass. Ambient cues in sub bass contribute to soundstage and add dimension across the range. It’s one of the biggest benefits to using a well-integrated sub. Even REL talk about “better” bass and when John Hunter visited my dealer for an open house and public demo he spoke in terms of better bass vs deeper bass.

What sub are you using? Have you not noticed the effects outside just deeper bass?

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My sub is a real cheapie compared to most here. Bought to hear the effect. Absolutely
agree, JDP.

Took only a few bars of Sibelius to appreciate it.

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I use a Rel 510 with Quad 2805 electrostatics and i remember being shocked at how good the system sounded with it. Todays subwoofers are a long way from those of the past.

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I am taking delivery of a Focal Scala next year. Does that speaker benefits from having external sub? I am confused by the amplifier will do less work if using sub. Does that means the amplifier in term will power the tweeter and midrange more powerfully and my Scala woofer will do less work and thus improve overall sound and music further?

Also adding more REL into array setup. What’s the magic on that? Won’t everything be more overwhelming and errr booming?

I’ve never heard a system with subs instead of full range main speakers, which I have regarded as necessary for musical enjoyment. That said, I could see that in a smaller space if full range speakers are difficult to accommodate, smaller main speakers combined with subs may be a good solution.

But maybe good subs can still improve good full range speakers, after all PMC offer the XBD additions to their top MB2 and BB5 speakers… Also subs potentially offer greater flexibility in placement helping address room issues, though I believe at the same time requiring die care to properly integrate.

Your power amp and the woofers in your speakers process the same signal, and provide the same amount of bass regardless of whether or not a subwoofer is connected. The low pass filter on a sub is set so that it plays the frequencies below those that the main speakers can handle.
A well integrated sub may give the perception that it is improving the sound at the higher frequencies which are handled by the main loudspeakers, but it isn’t playing those frequencies.

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