At REL, we design subwoofers that go far beyond simply making bass. We build state-of-the-art speakers that just happen to deliver extraordinary bass. In doing so, we help create connection between you and the music you love, the films that move you, and the moments that demand to be felt, not just heard. The new Serie S lineup is our most advanced and expressive work in the medium chassis category, representing the bridge between our more affordable efforts and our no-holds-barred Reference line. Every model in this generation was reimagined to deliver greater speed, deeper bass, more intense dynamics, and a new standard of elegance in design.
Our mission has always been to elevate the performance of your entire system, not simply deliver bang and boom. With the 2025 Serie S lineup, we’ve done that and more.
Introducing Serie S (Third Generation):
The new Serie S family consists of four models:
- 212 Black Label – Nothing else in REL’s entire lineup delivers this much of everything that the experienced audio connoisseur demands. 1000W and more delivers massive dynamics, speed and inner detail, gets to the inner workings of complex music and delivers sledgehammer-like bass for special effects. Engineered with two active and two passive 12" (305MM) drivers firing in three planes brings you remarkably close to the performance of our legendary Line Array.
- Carbon Special Black Label – A 900W purist’s dream with a pure carbon fibre-coned active driver that delivers explosive dynamics but retains precise control under all conditions. Simply incredible, it’s the closest thing to a No.31 Reference at half the price and showcasing that gorgeous premium wood grille.
- S/850 – A step back from Carbon Special Black Label, yet bigger, more relaxed, and far more powerful, than S/550. S/850 was developed first and yielded all the secrets that our new amplifiers and drivers supplied in the rest of the line. Grand in scale and thunderous in dynamics, with incredible speed from a carbon fibre center cap.
- S/550 – S/550 takes up where its predecessor left off. Much more usable power, greater heft and body, higher output, faster reactions, and more fluid than earlier Serie S models. Sounding substantially larger than its size suggests, it’s a big step beyond the best T/x can deliver.
Designed to be Superior
Serie S moves up into a design category that pushes deep into Reference territory. It’s done by employing remarkable restraint and a deft touch. Wider, lower, deeper. The proportions are borrowed from our Reference models yet simplified into a familiar rectangular form that looks just right. Delicate horizontal strake lines divide the side walls into sectors that the eye can understand. On our 212 and Carbon Special Black Label models, a single vertical line leads the eye to a black crown embedded in perfect piano black lacquer. Additional badging similarly performs multiple functions, giving an overall sense of maturity, polish, and purity of form that’s enhanced by the eight coats of hand rubbed lacquer.
Speed May Kill, But Slow Drivers Destroy
At REL, we pride ourselves on the continuous improvement of our drivers. These new Serie S subwoofers set a new standard for impressive refinement of the underlying physics. The result is that many of these drivers now deliver nearly 50% more output, while the moving mass of each has been reduced. The passive radiators, often an overlooked component, underwent even more improvements than the active drivers. Its lighter weight means more powerful amplifiers can loft a driver to its peak with greater ease in less time. We’ve moved to carbon-fibre-infused passives, except in the 212 Black Label’s down firing primary passive, giving far more control over how energy is released into the room. This update, paired with a redesigned bracing and cabinet reinforcement, allows us to deliver more output, more precisely, and with less effort. We call this “quiet speed.” You don’t just hear notes; you sense their shape and decay and the space around them. It’s especially noticeable in stereo music applications, where timing and texture matter most.
Amplifiers That Work with You
We’ve engineered a completely new range of two amplifiers: Pure Class D™ for the S/550, consuming just 13 watts at idle. We’re also introducing our Linear Class D, a Class A/B 1,000-watt hybrid monoblock that uses Class D for the power output stage, combining the best of both worlds. The sledgehammer-like slam and explosive energy of Class A/B, married to the energy conservation of Class D in the output that sips just 40w at idle. Each amp is carefully matched to its driver and cabinet volume, allowing it to deliver higher headroom and lower distortion at all listening levels. Whether you’re using a single Serie S or stacking line arrays, you’ll experience the kind of power delivery and effortless musicality that feels as though a sonic waterfall is cascading over you.
Beautiful by Design
We also took a hard look at how Serie S fits into people’s lives. The new lineup is as beautiful to look at as it is thrilling to hear. We’ve refined the industrial design, minimized visual distractions, and introduced a new modular grille system to better integrate into any space. The Carbon Special Black Label now comes with a sculpted wood grille, while the classic cloth grille remains standard on all other models. For those looking to further elevate the look, an optional premium wood grille is available for the 212 Black Label, S/850, and S/550. For those looking to elevate the look of other models’ standards, versions of this furniture-grade grille are available for 212 Black Label, S/850, and S/550 optionally. After all, the rest of us should have access to the finest life has to offer. More on that in an upcoming blog.
Sometimes the Best Wire is No Wire
All Serie S models are Airship Direct™ compatible, allowing for the highest-quality wireless connection available in the industry. Because, while great cables can help make a systems performance come alive, there are so many instances where hardwiring certain elements in a system are impractical, unsightly or simply impossible. Airship Direct makes going wireless simple and easy. Its receiver plugs directly into a special connector on the back (no additional wires needed), and once plugged in, this system pairs in under one second. Clean, easy, elegant.
REL Line Array, the Legend Grows
For those pursuing the pinnacle of performance, our Carbon Special Black Label, S/850, and S/550 are all engineered to be employed in REL Line Arrays, three per side, for a total of six. Much has been written about these already. Suffice it to say, no single advancement in audio playback in this century has done more to tear down the wall between recording and live music. Line Arrays deliver a holographic 3-dimensional view into a live soundstage with real performers in real space. Our smaller models can be used with extremely high-quality speakers of modest size, in rooms of average dimension, to deliver sound quality that can challenge that of the largest hundred-thousand-dollar (pound, euro shekel) - plus speakers. The remarkable speed and dexterity of our latest Serie S puts the impossible before you.
The REL Ideal
Serie S exists because we believe performance and beauty are not mutually exclusive. Because we think subwoofers should integrate with your speakers, your space, and your soul. And because once you experience sound the way it was meant to be felt…there’s no going back.
Whether you’re building your first high-end system or chasing perfection, the new Serie S is built to move you.
—John
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