Build a WOW System! REL Subwoofer Six-Packs.
When John Hunter from REL finished setting up six Carbon Special subwoofers, stacked three high on either side of a pair floor-standing speakers to demonstrate the 6-pack concept, to say we were a little bit scared would be accurate. We were thinking, “This is a massive amount of bass and we are about to be blown off our feet like the scene in Back To The Future when Marty plugs his guitar into Dr. Brown’s giant amp. Should we be wearing protective gear?”
But what actually happened was quite pleasing—sublime even. We were treated to a literal wall of buttery, beautiful low-end brilliance, ranging in frequency from upper mid bass to deep, deep low bass. It was full, detailed, emotive—beyond engaging like beginning at the very best music venue in the world in front of the best sound system ever created with a band playing the best show they’ve ever played. It was that good! And far from the full on-slaught of the deep bass we expected.
When you stack six REL subs (already a very musical subwoofer with lots of resolution) three high next to your main speakers, you are able to bring out a range of low frequency sound that you aren’t able to hear with just a standard set of mains and a single sub. First, you are getting all the low end in stereo, which gives you width and depth. Then when you add another level, you introduce height to the mix, making the sound bigger and more dramatic. Furthermore, without the floor to react to, the second tier of subs produces higher frequency bass, so you are now getting fuller range in the low frequency. Finally, a third tier gives you even more height and scale. And, being even farther from the floor, another tier of upper bass frequencies.
With a complete six-pack, an already good sounding system becomes simply amazing. The six-pack is able to bring out layers upon layers of frequencies stand-alone main speakers just can’t produce, giving a system more energy, liveliness, and emotion.
But what about footprint and price? “I don’t have that kind of space or budget,” you might be thinking. Well, you can build a six-pack with a number of REL subwoofer configurations, ranging from large top-tier models like the reference No. 32, coming in at around $55k for a six-pack, down to the Serie HT/1510, coming at around $9600 for a six-pack. So there are options when it comes to space and budget. Furthermore, the performance you’ll get is comparable or better to a much more expensive system built with a pair of ultra-performance main speakers. Which means in the end you can achieve a dream system for far less money.
Once you think you’ve heard it all, somebody like John Hunter from REL shows up and completely changes the concept of a super system. Looks like I’ve got some subwoofer shopping to do.
