One of the many conversations that has dominated in-store communication over the past couple of years has been one similar to "I like the sound of my Hi-Fi, I don't want to change its character, but can it give me more?" Our answer increasingly includes the phrase "Have you considered a subwoofer?" which very often is met with raised eyebrows and a slew of expressions on the theme of "Do I look like I spend my weekends listening to repetitive electronic music in abandoned warehouses?"

Hello handsome! The new REL T5x with Arrow receiver peeking over the top.

So bear with me for a moment whilst I explain what I’m talking about…

A couple of memorable subwoofer installations I've had in recent times have included a setup for an elderly lady who was partial to a bit of Wagner, but my favourite has to be a soon-to-be-retired nurse who listened to Choral and Baroque music. Not your stereotypical Bass junkies by any stretch of the imagination - So why did these customers choose to buy a subwoofer? Because the right subwoofer (or as REL Acoustics would have you call it, a “sub-bass system”) will keep the character of your existing system, but expand the range in which it operates, opening up the perceived soundstage to allow us to hear the performance as a whole.

THE PROOF IS IN THE LISTENING

The moment of revelation for our choir loving nurse came whilst demonstrating a REL T5x subwoofer and listening to the popular Welsh song, "Myfanwy". The CD was recorded in Swansea’s prestigious concert venue, Brangwyn Hall and performed by our very own Morriston Orpheus Male Voice Choir. This particular piece held a very sentimental place in our customer’s heart as it featured her own, dear old Dad.

The track opens with the huge, black silence of this revered venue, the choir take a first great breath, it reverberates in the space and in a heartbeat we're transported right to the middle of the Hall.

"Paham mae dicter, O Myfanwy, Yn llenwi'th lygaid duon di?"

("Why so the anger, Oh Myfanwy, That fills your dark eyes?")

The remarkable massed sotto voce fills the room and envelopes you in sound, like sliding into a warm swimming pool. Absolutely jaw-dropping stuff and if you're Welsh, you probably just found the room inexplicably dusty and you’re reaching for your handkerchief…

"Oh! you must think me a sentimental old woman", to which I replied - "No, no don’t worry; happens all the time."

A Rega Brio for scale - it’s neat bit of kit

Press pause, switch off the sub, settle back, restart the track and......nothing. The choir breathes in and starts to sing. And where's the Hall? Where's the drama, the scale, the sensation of space? The tension? All of it has simply disappeared. Desolation. Was it really ever there? Is this some trick?

Pause again, switch the REL T5x back on, sit down, take in a meaningful glance from the customer - (clearly I'd better return 'it') - start the track again... a heartbeat… and we're spirited back to Dad and the boys in the Hall, all those long years ago…

"Do you mind if I hang on to your subwoofer until mine comes in? Sorry to be cheeky Ade bach*, but I don't think I want to be without it now..."

*“Bach” being the Welsh for 'little' or “small”, used mostly by the older generation as a term of endearment, especially towards a younger person.

The business end. Arrow draws it’s power from the T5x which helps cut down on cabling considerably.

The latest version of the REL T/x Series subwoofers has far greater scale and presence than before, rather like the effortless character of the flagship S Series. In fact, i would go as far to say that they are far more like a smaller S series than a supercharged T/i series; a great improvement without a huge inflation on cost.

The T/x Series retain the extremely useful and easy-to-use optional wireless connection kit, the REL Arrow, which enables effective placement without the worrying logistics of how to hide a cable all the way around the room. During this demonstration I realised that my own personal T7i is starting to look somewhat undergunned...

If you're worried about wireless reliability and sound quality - as Rob from REL said to us: "Did Prince worry when he used wireless tech performing in front of 20 million people during Super Bowl XLI's Halftime show?" Well, quite!

Look at all the spaghetti you won’t have to deal with! As you can see, Arrow will ship .1 LFE as well as High Level (full range) audio.

CONCLUSION

I think it’s safe to say that for those of you out there that assume a subwoofer’s sole purpose is to bring hard thumpings lows to your set-up, you’re mistaken. The right subwoofer has the ability to help replicate a real world listening experience that is almost impossible to achieve with just stereo speakers alone.

We have the entire T/x series available in Swansea for demonstration right now. Why not book a demonstration and experience what all the fuss is about?

Thanks for reading.

Ade, Nic and Chris - Audio T Swansea

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REL can be found at the following Audio-T stores