“First I would like to thank Sean from Upscale he was intremental in selecting the right Subwoofer for my Avantgarde Duo horn speakers., and that very important to have the right match. to begin the 212/ SX is a game-changer for audiophiles, Its lighting fast with tremendous dynamic, instruments seem to maintain their original size that place you at a live performance, My horns come with subwoofers but they are no match for the 212, I have found it impossible to live without. Get it, its worth the investment TM”

2 Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

Charles Politi

Verified Reviewer

“I was going to buy two S/812's when fortunately I first talked to Clay at REL about my room. He said that due mainly to my vaulted ceilings in an otherwise not particularly large room, he recommended the 212/SX. I balked at the size and lack of L&R subs and, well, he got some pushback. Other companies might have said go ahead and buy the more expensive gear if that's what you want. Not REL. Clay told me I'd never get the 812's right and would be unhappy, and, for several reasons we'd talked about, stuck to his original recommendation. I thought more about the size relative to a pair of anything else and about John Hunter saying "Bass isn't just below the knees". I bought a 212/SX and OMG. I've never gotten a sub to integrate with my system before. When I think of all the music I haven't been hearing ... (PS -- Upscale has 212/SE videos posted. There is a 212/SX overview from John Hunter on YouTube.) Talk to REL about your room first! They KNOW their product and will get you properly bassed.”

3 Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

Richard West

Verified Reviewer

“I bought a pair of the Rel 212SX's to go along with my Klipsch La Scala's. They are truly amazing sub's and compliment my La Scala's wonderfully. Prior to this, I was using a pair of SVS SB4000's, these REL's were such a huge improvement in sound quality and are very musical. Thank you Kevin and Sean for helping me make the right choice!”

1 Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

Robert Grossman

Verified Reviewer

“Bravo, congratulations, and thanks for the recommendation to purchase the incredible 212/SX Subwoofers. I have been experiencing musical satisfaction and new levels of performance over the past few months that have been revelations. The resolution, details, and transparency of the stereo have been increased in all areas of presentation. I had long known the benefits of adding a pair of quality subs to the system. The pair of JL e112 that I got from Kevin five years ago were not any slouch and weak-kneed performers. Perhaps at half the cost, it's understandable the JL did not have anywhere near the refinements, control, and speed in comparison to the REL 212/SX subwoofers. While I do not want to sound as if I am picking on the JL subs because they worked well with my previous Magneplanar 3.6 speakers, they never kept up and properly integrated when I switched to the bigger, wider dynamic and more transparent Magneplanar 20.7 models. The REL are awesome musical performers. They are doing far more things to the sound of the music system than simply supplying a bottom-end reinforcement. I was accustomed to achieving lots of bass with the pair of JL subs but had to accept a compromised blend and veiling in the overall sound from bleeding into the mids and highs with the coupling of overtones and higher frequencies beyond the crossover point. The REL subs are the first time I have been able to integrate and match the speed and transparency of the Maggie panels while not interfering with the rest of the Maggie presentation. It's actually an enhancement of the main speakers sound because the mids and highs now have better musical information and presentation to offer and hear with a sense of more body and soul. The REL adds a contribution of acoustical space and ambiance as much as the importance of more bass. This is now occurring with the high output connections from the speaker terminals. I was stubbornly running the input to the subs from the preamp for a long time. One day, I finally decided to unplug the Furutech interconnect RCA type of cables going from the preamp to the REL crossover and switch to the stock hi-output wires that came with the REL speakers to make the connections from the amplifier terminals. Wow, was I surprised at the shift and improvements in the output and response. I made some adjustments to the settings and got the balance back into focus from having too much bass so it could enhance and provide significant improvements in all musical areas. This amp connection is the best integration possible when a person has full range speakers and an amplifier with a quality sound that is going to also influence the sound of the subs. This type of high output connection is another beneficial design feature of REL products. It did not take long to reach out to Kat at Upscale Audio to buy a set of the special REL Blue Cables. Their improvements and refinements were another desirable and beneficial upgrade. I think anyone having the upper range REL subs should consider the REL Blue Cables a mandatory part of their purchase to get the best musical sound out of the sub and system. I could go on and on with many musical examples, but you may not need the details and examples of another lengthy rave review. I will just make a long story short by saying playing the bassoon professionally for fifty years would qualify me as an expert on hearing and knowing the bass range. My specialty was performing the second bassoon parts which quite often shares musical lines and harmony with the string bass, cellos and lower brass so my ears are specially tuned for blending and controlling the balance and sound of the lower regions of orchestra instruments. The RELs can capture and allow the essence and foundation of an orchestra presentation at realistic levels of 90 to 100 dB. I am finally able to recreate the bass drum sound of my friend Tony, the tympani rolls of Don, the 9-player bass section led by Hal, and the full organ ranks as played by Peter to recreate the experience and full impact of hearing a Shostakovich or the Saint-Saens Symphony played live when I attended The Philadelphia Orchestra performances. My favorite Stravinsky recordings can magically create the sense of sitting at the concert hall in my living room. Le Sacre can now have the visceral sharp attacks and gut-punching slams of when I was at the EMI recording sessions with Riccardo Muti in the 1980s or the more recent live performances and after concert patch sessions for DG with Yannick. An organ concerto can be enjoyed with having the proper power and authority like when I am standing near the organ loft pipes at the Kimmel Center and feel the flutter of air passing by my trouser cuffs. One of the reasons I enjoyed the JLe112 subs was their contribution to also enhance the ability to hear the acoustical space of the venue. While the walls of the concert hall or recording studio were revealed, it was at the expense of losing some of the Magneplanar transparency and speed. The better quality and design of the REL 212/SX carbon fiber drivers, crossover and built-in amp have eliminated that interference, muddying and veiling of the sound caused when subs crossover and slowness of their drivers overhangs and bleeds into upper frequency overtones that cause a smearing of the sound. I can attest to that achievement as far as the Philadelphia Orchestra recordings since I have been at the multiple locations used for those recordings over the past 40 years as well as knowing the old Academy of Music from the Ormandy days when my teachers were performing there. Growing up in Philly, I even performed at the Academy for high school graduation and other dedicated events as far back as the 70s before I joined the orchestra a decade later. The REL subs even allow hearing the rumbling of the Broad Street subways passing by the old Met Opera House where we made records for Maestros Ormandy and Muti. I am sure if Charles Mingus, Ray Brown, Paul Chambers and Ron Carter could hear the stereo, they would all agree that they now have a proper presence in their great recordings. It is just wonderful to hear big band favorites like Basie, Ellington, Kenton, Oliver Nelson, Gerald Wilson, Thad Jones/Mel Lewis, Maynard, Mingus, and Wynton playing at full live performance volume unrestricted or compressed in any way. I now can enjoy symphonic recordings at realistic and proper concert hall levels of dynamic and ranges. This is the testimony and accomplishments for the utmost satisfaction, emotional involvement and pleasure of what a great stereo can accomplish. Thanks again for all your help and assistance in making this possible. Bob Grossman Retired Principal Librarian of The Philadelphia Orchestra Former member of the Phila Orch Media Committee A former representative for ICSOM and AFof M”

4 Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

Tim Melbourn

Verified Reviewer

“What a game changer. Glad I made the investment. And a shout out to Ken for helping me through the process.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

REL Acoustics 212/SX Subwoofer Reviews