Rayleigh Hi-Fi carries an excellent range of REL subwoofers, all active designs, at all stores and will be pleased to demonstrate their capabilities.

REL is a pure high-end company and a REL subwoofer is a SYSTEM, hence the term Sub-Bass System. REL also aim to build the most reliable subs in the industry. Their subwoofers connect via a special high-level connection whenever possible and they permit crossing over quite low to ensure their designs produce truly deep bass rather than focusing on very loud middle bass.

REL design their drivers to reproduce low bass, with resonant frequencies that are exceptionally low, with long travel suspensions to allow high output and ideal motor assemblies to energize the system. REL refer to them as bass engines, since this more closely defines their function, and these engines are carefully designed to start and stop quickly, since it is the quiet in between notes that more clearly defines the music.

REL drivers are a major aspect of their subwoofers performance. With less cost restraints, such as on the Gibraltar range, they use expensive carbon fibre cones with substantial die cast frames for energy control. When stepping back to Serie S, they retain the heavy duty die cast allow frames, but have designed a complex multi-layer hand thrown paper cone. For Serie T/i, budget constraints require the use of stamped steel (rather than alloy) frames, and REL again use paper, but less expensive to produce heat-pressed cones that retain excellent lightweight properties while still maintaining some of the structural integrity of their dearer peers.

All current REL designs benefit from careful hand fitting of intricate internal bracing. Borrowed from acoustic instrument design, the bracing is vastly different from the normal hard-edged windowpane braces that produce audible noise when driven as hard as their bass engine designs drive the cabinet. With the bracing, each internal surface is carefully radiused to eliminate hard-edged surfaces that produce audible noise and distortion. Gibraltar uses marine-grade laminated bracing, while Serie R uses interior grade plywood bracing and Serie T uses HDF composite bracing.

REL cabinets are built from substantially massive, heavy medium density fibreboard (MDF) and in the Gibraltar, they utilise the highest-grade MDF selected for its superior sonic qualities.