REL No. 25

daytona600

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Sep 9, 2012
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scotland
use a pair of REL gibralter G1s - sealed box & AB Amp not the usual ported / bash plate amp all boom & thud used in home cimema
usually don,t hear them at all X/over @ 35hz until deep bass arrives & then deep , quick , tuneful LFE & as quick as my Stats

god knows what six of them them sounds like , but of dub or organ music & the floors rattle
 

Al M.

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Sep 10, 2013
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I have not heard the 25 - yet. However, I have heard the 212/SE. In my opinion, it was hugely better than their older downward firing subs, which I always thought were real "thud buckets" every time I heard them. Not so here.

I have an old downward firing REL, the Storm III. It stands on an ASC subtrap, which makes all the difference -- no "thud bucket" here. There are comments by others on my system thread about the seriously fast bass of high quality in my system.

ASC subtrap:

http://www.acousticsciences.com/products/subtrap

***

Edit: I would expect that a subtrap would benefit forward firing subs as well. I certainly wouldn't want to live without one anymore, regardless.
 
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LL21

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Dec 26, 2010
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I have an old downward firing REL, the Storm III. It stands on an ASC subtrap, which makes all the difference -- no "thud bucket" here. There are comments by others on my system thread about the seriously fast bass of high quality in my system.

ASC subtrap:

http://www.acousticsciences.com/products/subtrap

***

Edit: I would expect that a subtrap would benefit forward firing subs as well. I certainly wouldn't want to live without one anymore, regardless.

Fascinating...i have huge benefits from our Auralex subwoofer isolation platform. But its not 22" off the floor, and with designers like ASC, that is a very compelling solution. I wonder how they compare? by any chance, did you ever look into or speak with anyone about the Auralex subwoofer platform?

The Velodyne DD18+ was too big for it...so i got a different Auralex which is the same design as their Subwoofer platform, but bigger.
 

Al M.

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Sep 10, 2013
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Fascinating...i have huge benefits from our Auralex subwoofer isolation platform. But its not 22" off the floor, and with designers like ASC, that is a very compelling solution. I wonder how they compare? by any chance, did you ever look into or speak with anyone about the Auralex subwoofer platform?

The Velodyne DD18+ was too big for it...so i got a different Auralex which is the same design as their Subwoofer platform, but bigger.

Great to hear that you also have good experiences with a platform under the subwoofer. I had not heard about the Auralex platform before. I wonder if the biggest ASC subtrap (22 inches wide) would be wide enough for a subwoofer as large as yours, but if not I am sure ASC would be willing to make a custom product. They manufacture custom products all the time. -- I use the 18 inch wide subtrap.
 

Jim Smith

Industry Expert
Dec 14, 2012
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I have a pair of 212SE's in our listening room, I am more than impressed. You cannot tell there are subs on until there are bass notes present and a few simultaneous bass lines are a revelation. Although the 212SE subs (2 active/2 passive 12"/1000watt amps) deliver power and authority in the bass region, which changes for the better the soundstage, the depth, the midrange and even the high end, I am most impressed with the bass note nuances, harmonics, decay and texture.

I am thinking of putting the 25 six pack in, but I don't want to mess with the one pair of 212SE's as the sound is so good.

Agreed.

Best REL sub, IMO.
 

Jim Smith

Industry Expert
Dec 14, 2012
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Hello Jim,

Have you had the opportunity to audition the REL 25? How do they compare with the REL 212SE or REL G1 mk2?

Cheers,

VPN

I have worked with the 25. But to be fair to REL, I have not done an a/b with the 212 SE in the same room, nor have I with the G1. It is only my considered opinion that I prefer the 212 SE for it's tuneful agility.

The 25 may be better, but it's not been my experience - though many may disagree...
 

Ron Resnick

Site Co-Owner, Administrator
Jan 24, 2015
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This is not a directly relevant data point, but a friend of mine who uses a pair of 212s with panel speakers prefers them to the larger driver subwoofers (not RELs) he used previously.

I think it definitely is the case that we cannot assume the REL No. 25 is going to be better than the 212 in all situations.
 
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dbeau

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Apr 20, 2018
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OKC,USA
This is not a directly relevant data point, but a friend of mine who uses a pair of 212s with panel speakers prefers them to the larger driver subwoofers (not RELs) he used previously.

I think it definitely is the case that we cannot assume the REL No. 25 is going to be better than the 212 in all situations.

FWIW, in discussing this with 2 different dealers regarding my Wilsons, they both state that the 212 is audibly 'slower' than the 25 and thus matching to the mains in that respect is important.
 

LL21

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Dec 26, 2010
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Hi Dbeau,

Just following up on this...did you ever compare the REL 212 to the 25? Most curious as to how they compared. Thanks!
 

dbeau

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Apr 20, 2018
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OKC,USA
Hi Dbeau,

Just following up on this...did you ever compare the REL 212 to the 25? Most curious as to how they compared. Thanks!
Hi Dbeau,

Just following up on this...did you ever compare the REL 212 to the 25? Most curious as to how they compared. Thanks!

NO as there is not a REL dealer in Oklahoma with the nearest being in Kansas/Devo or Texas and neither were able to demo both on hand. Devo is offering a demo 212SE at discount if anyone is interested. I am now more interested in the 212SX vs. G Mkll. Likewise, I am unable to hear/compare those two but have queried REL Friday for their opinion/input and will probably have to trial them at home IF REL allows that with their Reference series. Devo might be willing when he is back open from Covid mess.
 

LL21

Well-Known Member
Dec 26, 2010
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NO as there is not a REL dealer in Oklahoma with the nearest being in Kansas/Devo or Texas and neither were able to demo both on hand. Devo is offering a demo 212SE at discount if anyone is interested. I am now more interested in the 212SX vs. G Mkll. Likewise, I am unable to hear/compare those two but have queried REL Friday for their opinion/input and will probably have to trial them at home IF REL allows that with their Reference series. Devo might be willing when he is back open from Covid mess.
Excellent...they all look interesting. I am continuing to investigate deep bass myself.
 

dbeau

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2018
204
168
148
OKC,USA
Excellent...they all look interesting. I am continuing to investigate deep bass myself.
Ordered a pair of G1 Mkll yesterday and it will be about 2 weeks before delivery and possibly a week of break-in before evaluation of the contribution (or not) to my X1v3 system. I have not used subs before so this is a step one project from that standpoint.
LL21 I see that you have moved to XLS - Do you still see a need for sub support/addition?
 

LL21

Well-Known Member
Dec 26, 2010
14,377
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Ordered a pair of G1 Mkll yesterday and it will be about 2 weeks before delivery and possibly a week of break-in before evaluation of the contribution (or not) to my X1v3 system. I have not used subs before so this is a step one project from that standpoint.
LL21 I see that you have moved to XLS - Do you still see a need for sub support/addition?
Hi Dbeau,

Congrats! Take your time with the careful setup. In our own setup and those of many big Wilson owners:
1. Let the main Wilsons run full-range
2. Cut off the sub from playing music above 38hz-40hz or so
3. Watch the volume...the idea that you cannot tell where the sub is or if it is playing is surprisingly good advice. And then as you start to get it right...when you switch it off...THEN you realize there is a foundational element and a spacial element that disappears...rather than just pure outright bass hits that actually disappear (In my limited experience, if you suddenly have bass hits disappearing, then it is 'possible' the sub is up too high.)

As for XLF, I suspect the answer is yes, I expect to continue use of subs...the reason is because the idea of subs (for me) is not about increasing bass hits (which the XLF can do very well on its own, as can all the big Wilsons)...it is about giving unlimited capability to the sound system to create sub-40hz frequency (but really sub 30hz) where spacial information and 'sense of venue' seems to lie.

In fact with the XLF, I would actually like to explore increasing/improving the 'unlimited capability' for effortless delivery of that subterranean information (as it is i am on very low volumes with 1 sub)...to see whether or not having 'massive amounts greater' cone dispersion capability enables an effortless ability to fill that spacial void even better than 1 single sub can. I suspect the answer is it will.
 

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