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REL HT MKII and Serie T/x:

A Match Designed in Heaven. Or at Least in Berkeley

Know anyone that, in the past few years, has grown accustomed to watching an hour or more of streaming, rich video content from Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, or Disney+? Do you know anyone who doesn’t? Me neither. Once you have your TV set up, you just need a quality sound system to complete the experience.

The MKII generation of Serie HT is an affordable, ultra-powerful theatre-based subwoofers. REL has a tradition of building gorgeous subwoofers, crafted in the wake of the most successful combination of REL subwoofer offerings, the attractive and accessible HT MKII’s look amazing but don’t break the bank.

Less obviously, they create perfect visual and sonic combinations with REL’s classic Serie T/x or Serie S. Some of these new HTs can even keep up with Reference models’ output levels. Whether used on their own or in what is referred to as REL HT/3D systems, these new subs will raise your expectations for affordable, high-output subwoofers. HT/3D refers to their ability (when properly set up) to create fully immersive 3-dimensional sound fields for the enjoyment of movies, high-quality streaming television, and music when delivered through your receiver’s (or processor’s) Dolby Digital or DTS circuits.

Soon after a family realizes they are experiencing home theatre content but their aging av system cannot keep up, they make their first basic sound purchase. Usually, they buy a subwoofer. In a recent industry survey conducted by the CTA, 73% of respondents said they planned to upgrade their system. A better subwoofer topped every other audio component in a dead heat with a new TV. This is reflected in how our HT offerings came into their own during COVID, selling in amazing numbers as families settled in to watch movies and television together. With tons of output, rugged looks, and deep bass for affordable prices, you are pretty much guaranteed success with an HT.

Recently, we have improved our HT by looking to our award-winning Serie T/x models for inspiration. By doing so, we created an interlocking system that allows customers to take advantage of the strengths of both lines (this also applies to our larger Serie S models). During the past 3 years, our HT/3D concept has been using high-level-input-enabled REL models (like Serie T/X and Serie S) to add layers of space and volume to theatre systems while transforming systems into multi-use do-anything entertainment centers that switch seamlessly back and forth between theatre and music.

With MKII HT models mating both visually and sonically at affordable prices, REL customers now have a choice: create a seamless, affordable way to add massive punch to an existing system with a new HT MKII model or—if you just bought a new HT and are looking to keep the party going strong—add a REL T/7x or 9x as a center channel subwoofer connected to the rear of your center channel speaker (set to large or full range) for an epic full range front-of-theatre experience. Whichever direction you choose to take your upgrade, know that your new HT or new Serie T/x look perfectly at home sharing the same space. Their looks and proportions are almost identical, they share similar build quality and finishing touches, and they each play complementary roles in transforming your system. One adds shattering dynamics and insane effects levels; the other turns your living room into a 3-dimensional circus tent that, with a flick of the source selector, plays music like it is inside a concert hall. Nothing else in our industry delivers these levels of enjoyment and versatility and looks so great doing so. Our models do so without breaking the bank.


September 21, 2022 - Posted in: System Thinking