Rel Serie T/5x Subwoofer, Black

I have always been sceptical about soundbars and subwoofers but recently purchased the Sennheiser Ambeo Max soundbar from Richer Sounds in Leeds. This was to enhance watching TV movies and the results were excellent! I believed that the soundbar might replace the Spendor S8 loudspeakers in my HiFi system, if i were to add a subwoofer that was musical friendly so after some investigation i booked a demo at Richer in Leeds to see how the REL T5x performed. I decided to purchase along with some cable upgrades and all is now installed. I have now installed everything and listened to a couple of hours of music and have concluded that the subwoofer and soundbar whilst very good at doing the movies the combination would not be a replacement for my main speakers! What i ... MoreI have always been sceptical about soundbars and subwoofers but recently purchased the Sennheiser Ambeo Max soundbar from Richer Sounds in Leeds. This was to enhance watching TV movies and the results were excellent! I believed that the soundbar might replace the Spendor S8 loudspeakers in my HiFi system, if i were to add a subwoofer that was musical friendly so after some investigation i booked a demo at Richer in Leeds to see how the REL T5x performed. I decided to purchase along with some cable upgrades and all is now installed. I have now installed everything and listened to a couple of hours of music and have concluded that the subwoofer and soundbar whilst very good at doing the movies the combination would not be a replacement for my main speakers! What i didn't expect was to be absolutely amazed at how the subwoofer has enhanced my Hi-Fi system!! I thought my system was already great but using the Speakon cable form my main speaker terminals to the sub has added another dimension to the sound, not only in the deep and defined base notes but also in the rest of the mid-range notes. I have spent a couple of hours playing CD as well as Hi-Res music files with and without the sub and find myself absorbed in this new sound! My wife who normally finds it hard to distinguish between my system upgrades agreed that this was a distinct improvement so enough said!!

The short version is that a pair of these Rels added to my Rotel A11 Tribute amp and Monitor Audio Silver 100 7g’s makes a palpable difference. The sound I get now is richer, like warm chocolate. Body and character are added to almost everything. Often the difference is subtle, but try the same track with them on and off, and it’s easy to hear that with them off something is missing. So if you want to improve your sound, without going to floor-standers, and have a medium sized room, I can recommend these Rels used as a pair.After much deliberation with James at RS Southampton, who was very helpful, I took a chance on a pair of Rels. Seeking to enhance the already excellent sound from my system. I had been using a Sonos amp, which was convenient and sounded very ... MoreThe short version is that a pair of these Rels added to my Rotel A11 Tribute amp and Monitor Audio Silver 100 7g’s makes a palpable difference. The sound I get now is richer, like warm chocolate. Body and character are added to almost everything. Often the difference is subtle, but try the same track with them on and off, and it’s easy to hear that with them off something is missing. So if you want to improve your sound, without going to floor-standers, and have a medium sized room, I can recommend these Rels used as a pair.After much deliberation with James at RS Southampton, who was very helpful, I took a chance on a pair of Rels. Seeking to enhance the already excellent sound from my system. I had been using a Sonos amp, which was convenient and sounded very good, but acting on James’s suggestion I swapped out the Sonos from my lounge with the Rotel A11 Triute I’d been using in my office. I was surprised at how much nicer the Rotel sounded. Adding the Rel’s further enhanced what my partner and I were hearing. Old CD’s had a new lease of life (using another purchase from RS, in the form of a Rotel CD player) and music streamed through the other purchase this time, an AudioLab 7000n has never sounded so good.Rel and to some extent RS are evangelical about this range of subs. But they are not wrong in terms of the quality being delivered. I did not get on so well with the Rel YT videos, as they all boil down to flick the phase switch one way or the other, fiddle with the crossover/gain controls, and if possible shift the position of the Rels. Rel seem to think everyone can place these units where the units are happiest, as opposed to where they will fit. By far the best most helpful and most honest explanation/ review is on YT under the title ‘Do You Want Rel T5x In A Stereo System’ by someone called iiWi Reviews. The link for that is here. https://youtu.be/rNQEf9V4SIU?feature=sharedI must also make clear that Rel are old school. They are missing a trick by not having a switch to use either manual or app setup. There is no app. So getting these to work optimally with your system, involves a lot of manual twiddling, making micro adjustments then moving back to your listening position. So best done when the other half is out. Something with good bass, such as the full version of ‘Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone’ by the Temptations, or ‘Safe From Harm’ by Massive Attack are great for those adjustments. Once done, it’s worth the effort.

I purchased the REL T/5x in white to accompany a Cambridge Audio AXR85 receiver and B&W DM310 speakers. The subwoofer adds bass extension to the 2-way speakers that can't otherwise be achieved. The REL works seamlessly with the system overall. I used the high level connection with the zero compression wireless. A nice option to avoid dealing with a cable. I'm still not sure if the sub is perfectly tuned or not, but I think it's pretty close. It's sitting in close proximity to the speakers so the impression is the sound is coming from them and not the sub. Moving the REL further away diminishes this illusion. Overall, I feel the quality is very high and I like the diminutive scale and unobtrusiveness of the unit. Every now and then, I'll notice a delay in it ... MoreI purchased the REL T/5x in white to accompany a Cambridge Audio AXR85 receiver and B&W DM310 speakers. The subwoofer adds bass extension to the 2-way speakers that can't otherwise be achieved. The REL works seamlessly with the system overall. I used the high level connection with the zero compression wireless. A nice option to avoid dealing with a cable. I'm still not sure if the sub is perfectly tuned or not, but I think it's pretty close. It's sitting in close proximity to the speakers so the impression is the sound is coming from them and not the sub. Moving the REL further away diminishes this illusion. Overall, I feel the quality is very high and I like the diminutive scale and unobtrusiveness of the unit. Every now and then, I'll notice a delay in it receiving a signal, which may be due to the crossover I have set or it may not be reacting until it's needed. Even at low volume, I can hear the bass effect and it makes the whole system sound a little richer. REL's claims are valid and I'm very pleased with the purchase. I would not hesitate to recommend the brand, especially for 2 channel musical setups like mine.