Considered by REL Acoustics as its most “difficult” range of subwoofers due to the conglomerate of features, manufacturing quality, sound pressure levels and price demanded by its potential owners, the S Series has just been the subject of a studied review that brings it a little closer to the achievements of the exclusive Reference Series of the summer British firm. Thus, the acoustic emission has been increased between 3 and 6 dB depending on the model, while the response speed and control have been improved throughout the range. This is undoubtedly contributed to by the use of a family of Class D output stages that offer greater impact on transients and greater bulk than their predecessors, to which must be added an exhaustive redesign of the transducers used. Once this challenge was resolved, the next step was to analyze elements aimed at enhancing another critical parameter in listening, transparency, for which the widely proven polypropylene capacitors present in the exceptional models Nº32 and Nº31, current elite of REL Acoustics, were adopted.
The results of this philosophy are reflected in four models, two reference and two absolute reference, specifically the S/850 and S/550 on the one hand and the 212 Black Label and the Carbon Special Black Label on the other, all of them based on the elegant and effective active/passive system. The most powerful expression of the S Series, the 212 Black Label is equipped with four 305 mm speakers with “CarbonAlloy” cone. Driving them is a 1,000 watt continuous Linear Class D amplifier that allows it to exhibit a sense of scale and dynamics comparable to those of a REL Line Array configuration. For its part, the Carbon Special Black Level is the ultimate in the S Series with intermediate-sized enclosures, combining in this case two 305 mm transducers, a 900-watt continuous Linear Class D amplifier, “LimitLess” limiter circuits and three configuration options (single subwoofer, stereo pair and Line Array), which provide extreme versatility both in terms of performance and the room in which it will be installed.
The third of the REL S that has just seen the light is the S/850, a subwoofer designed to provide uncompromising results, mixing strength with refinement thanks to an 850-watt continuous Linear Class D amplifier and two 305 mm woofers (one active with a “CarbonAlloy” cone and one passive with a lower-emitting “Carbon Carbon” flat diaphragm). Finally, the S/550 can be said to redefine the concepts of sound intensity and finesse in compact subwoofers, for which it mounts a Pure Class D amplification stage of 550 continuous watts, an active speaker with a 254 mm “CarbonAlloy” cone and a passive 305 mm speaker with a lower emission “Carbon Carbon” flat diaphragm. The brand new REL S are completed with a truly luxurious finish and generous cable connectivity (High Level inputs via Neutrik Speakon, Line with RCA connectors and LFE with RCA and XLR plus High Level outputs, Line with RCA and LFE with
