REL The Next 35 Years

It’s fun and easy to look back at the past 35 years.

REL has been almost exclusively responsible for elevating the rising consciousness in audiophile circles that ultra-high-quality subwoofers make an enormous improvement in the quality of high-end 2-channel systems. Some reviewers have gone on record saying, “if If you’re not using a REL Line Array, you’re simply not hearing your system.”

We only state that hearing music Full Range is as natural as—well, life.
We take in sounds throughout our entire lives in “Full Range.” We just don’t realize it. But when we listen to most systems—and they’re not full range—something’s missing. Indeed.

A Brief History:

So, if the past was all about rejuvenating the notion of a High-Level Connection to a subwoofer (What—you thought it was a good idea to listen to a flawed connection that sends a different signal to your subwoofer than the one being sent to your speakers?), or our Theatre Reference Connection system that uniquely enables a single subwoofer to properly restore the full, rich timbres of speech, the spatially natural recreation of space and the ultra-dynamics of special effects (LFE) bass in movies...

Or perhaps you’re one of the lucky ones who daily enjoys the speed and openness, not to mention the shattering dynamics, that our Reference Filter Boards deliver in our No.31 and No.32 models?

These, and more, are part of what makes REL both great and unique.
We think about bass from the perspective of musicians—what live music sounds like, either on stage or near it.

A Glimpse Into the Future:

What, then, does the future hold?
Let’s start with what it likely won’t hold:

1. Heavier-than-air gases inside our cabinets.
Nope. It was a technique I’d filed away for years but ultimately had to discard.
Back in my retail days, I auditioned (and passed on) a pair of speakers designed by Mike Wright of Dayton-Wright. He was a brilliant man who built rare electrostatic speakers—and hit on the idea of using a heavier-than-air gas called sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) to enhance the bass output of a small box speaker.

Think helium (a lighter-than-air gas makes your voice pitch higher). SF6 does the opposite—deepening pitch and enhancing bass. He even figured out how to trap the gas inside what looked like a normal, sock-covered black box.

But SF6 is now listed as a gas that aggressively destroys our atmosphere. And while I love the idea of a subwoofer the size of a T/9x making bass like an S/812...
I like the idea of breathing even more. As should you.

2. The rotary-blade-driven subwoofer.
Yes, really. Not all subwoofers use conventional drivers. It’s possible to use alternative methods—and they can work. But... the challenges.

The cabinet had to be enormous. Air-sealing the edges of the blades at the exit vent? Difficult. Then there was rise time—how fast it could respond to fast transients, especially in home theater.

Let’s just say you could measure it with a sundial. Deep bass? Yes.
Fast? It was not.

Back to Our Glimpse of the Future:

Where might the future take us?

First off, I’d love to revisit a concept we tried 15 years ago. It was at least a decade ahead of its time: a pure planar form that floats just off the surface of a wall—and puts the room to work creating remarkable bass.

Imagine a 4” thick (110mm) cabinet capable of reaching into the lower 30Hz range with active drivers (and into the mid-20s with passive ones), mounted on a wall—or sitting near one on the floor.

Something that looks sleek and modern—but hits like a sledgehammer.

Open floor plan rooms can be a challenge. With few wall boundaries and large cabinets scattered around, it can kill the aesthetic of a beautiful, open space.

But…what if you didn’t have to sacrifice looks for sound? What if you could have your cake and eat it, too?

That’s the idea—and we hope to bring it to life in the not-so-distant future.

I’ve been using a small version for a couple of years as my center-channel sub in a high-performance HT/3D system, and I’ve never heard a better center sub.

Plus, it looks so cool mounted just below our 11’ (133”/3.35M) screen and center channel speaker. A sleek black form that floats on the wall and rocks the room. Naturally, we’d have to offer it in gloss white too.

Ultimate Theatre:

I’d like to challenge myself to produce an infra-bass generator for state-of-the-art theater applications. Not a conventional subwoofer—but one that handles only bass below 20Hz.

Physics demands far more power (we’re talking 1500–2400 watts) and either a very large driver surface (30–50 inches / 762mm–1270mm), or some creative combination of compact cabinet volume and multiple drivers. Probably dual 18” drivers. And no, they won’t be cheap.

But home theater keeps evolving, thanks to brilliant minds like Trinnov (France) and newcomers like Acurus (USA), who are building 32–36 channel processors that unlock stunning 3D theatrical experiences never before possible.

They’re Called Reference for a Reason:

We will, of course, continue evolving our Reference systems—and our (increasingly) near-Reference models like Serie S—to take advantage of new materials and higher-wattage amps.

Right now, I can’t think of a way to improve the No.31 or No.32... but eventually, we’ll discover something that moves the needle. And when we do, we’ll test it, refine it, and bring it to life.

But not anytime soon.

These models are the foundation of our future, and they allow us to push innovation into our more affordable ranges. And that’s not just talk.

The T/9x SE already uses a carbon fiber center cap derived from one of our Reference models. It’s clearly an upgrade over the standard T/9x.

Turns out, chasing the state of the art is good for everyone.

Sometimes the Future Looks Like the Past:

I really like what we’ve done with the Mid-Century Modern Classic models. Both the Classic 99 and Classic 98 have been solid hits, embraced for their performance and style.

I’m actively thinking about how to evolve this idea of honoring design trends we all love.

That doesn’t necessarily mean bigger, pricier RELs in walnut that play louder and deeper, though that’s not off the table.

We’ll continue studying emerging trends to see if the ‘60s and ‘70s have anything worth embracing. After all, Mid-Century Modern spans from the 1930s to the early ‘60s.

And yes—we’ll look at design trends from the ‘90s too.

Signing off for now...

One thing is certain: the future looks brighter than our glittering past.