Daniel J SaitRichard Stevenson, our trade-focused reviewer, plays host to the REL T/9x SE subwoofer, a colourful addition to the bass specialist’s line up.
In a world where subwoofers are usually dressed in sombre shades of black to blend into your cinema-noir installs, the REL T/9x SE (£1549.00 retail) crashes the party with luxury automotive coachwork in Italian Racing Red, Le Mons Yellow, or Tangerine Dream – (AKA bright orange). Look no further if your customers have a penchant for something a little different and visually striking.
Yet, the T/9x SE is more than just a pretty face. It’s a high-performance, high-margin and conversation-starting addition to any home cinema or two-channel system. Drawing on REL’s extensive sub-bass expertise, the sonic chops are pretty much assured even before we plug it in. Yet, we can safely say that on the customer menu here is aesthetic Marmite.
The T/9x SE stays true to REL form with Class A/B amplification, all analogue filter networks, high-level inputs and rotary knobs. Yes, those twiddly control things for gain, frequency and phase are rather inconveniently around the back rather than on a smart device interface for set-up. Conversely, you have far more chance of setting the REL up correctly and staying that way without the consumer messing around with the app from their sofa.
Visual and Audio Impact
The SE version is essentially the well-regarded T/9x with fancy paint and some rather lush trim details. Those include a large carbon centre cap on the main 10in driver replacing the branded aluminium cap of the original, a fancy carbon surround on the top badge and larger, luxury chrome-blinged feet. The main driver suspension gets some light tweaking for the new cap weight difference and, underneath, the 10in down-firing passive with REL logo remains unchanged. Power is supplied by a 300W class AB amp.
Connectivity covers mono LFE RCA, which bypasses the low-pass filter in favour of AVR bass management, mono line level in RCA, and stereo speaker level input using a Neutrik connector. The REL analogue filter network handles the line-level frequency integration with the main speakers.
The cabinet is the existing heavyweight and braced MDF unit as supplied on the non- SE version, with the whole unit weighing in at a substantial 19kg. This series forgoes REL signature side handles, so have a polishing cloth handy when you have finished shuffling it around for peak position. It comes supplied with a basic cloth grill mounted on lugs. With the grille off, the lug holes let the cosmetic side down a bit, particularly in the lighter yellow version. Conversely, do the lugs add to the design’s raw automotive engineering style charm? I said the look was polarising; I can’t even agree with myself.
Team Work
Exemplary fit and finish aside, with a fully manual setup via classic analogue crossover, volume, and phase controls, the installer’s expertise is going to play a crucial role in extracting the best performance from the system. There’s no software to update, no frustrating calibration menus, no getting the laptop out and no app to download and log-in to. Like many REL subs before it, the T/9x SE offers an intuitive set-up and an installer-tuned bass experience that rewards careful positioning and adjustment.
It’s far less ‘user plug and play’ than almost all of its competition at the price, creating a handy demand for installer expertise. Offering additional setup services, acoustic treatments, or even recommending multiple subs for a smoother response across the room can be an easy upsell for installers who know their craft.
The trouble is, I am a bit out of practice and a sonic dog’s dinner in the new testing room ensued. A quick word with REL’s Rob Hunt put things back on the right path. A while later, I ended up with corner placement, combined low and high-level inputs from the Marantz M1 streamer/amp and, after much jumping up and down from the sofa, reaching around and knob twiddling, a superbly integrated sound.
Coming straight after the excellent Velodyne MiniVee X, the REL delivers deeper, smoother bass that feels more integrated into the music mix. It goes plenty loud for LFE activities with gizzard-wobbling LFE and digs bass depth seemingly beyond its spec sheet. The little Velodyne packs a faster punch in my room, but that sub feels more like a Ford Focus RS Asbo than the REL’s muscular classic racing car to which its lush paintwork eludes. The T/9x SE adds depth, warmth and realism without a trace of bloated or artificial bass – a trick ably demonstrated to the customer by turning it off.
While it requires a little patience to set up and lacks the convenience of remote adjustments and EQ, the REL T/9x SE subwoofer offers a sonic return that is organic and hands-on, rewarding the installer rather than an anonymous software engineer.
It is an exercise in analogue bass engineering and sumptuous build quality, combining exceptional performance and bold personality. If you need a traditionally unhidden product to leap forward and be the focal point highlight of any system, the REL T/9x SE subwoofer lives up to its suffix as a Special Edition.
