Works well with main speakers of the most demanding nature. Great Bottom.

Setup is not easy. Requires break in period that is not emphasised enough in manual.

After living with Quad ESL's for almost 20 years I decided to break down again and see if I could improve the bottom octave. All my prior attempts failed miserably and I made due with the Quads alone. After checking various audiophile boards and my dealers I gave the REL Stadium II's a turn in my system. The set up was not easy- a few days of tweaking -and the speakers really do need a run in period, but the result is really quite good. I really have the best of both worlds by my ear with the bottom I was seeking without messing up the glorious midrange I have been spoiled by all these many years. I can recommend these speakers as worth a try for any Quad owner who hasn't done so.

Similar Products Used:

Not aware of any

This sub frequently make me cry because of its quality and deep bass. This sub goes a long way to giving REL the reputation it has. It can be as loud as you like, or as subtle as you like and will quiet happily vibrate your neighbour's windows for you. This is a sub as it should be - "A sub should be felt, not heard".
I bought this sub without auditioning it, and I am happy to say, this speaker exceeded my expectation. It is a lot of money, but I have not regretted it at all.

Just buy this sub!

System:
Meridian 565
Jamo Concert Series speakers
Valve amplification
Pioneer DVD

I wondered why I had to readjust my Velodyne F-1200R for almost every disc. After a couple of months of adjusting the controls - frequency and gain - it should have been right. So as a reality check, I tested a REL Stadium II in the system. After about an hour of adjustment, I was done. In the year since I bought the REL, I've moved the volume a hair up or down, but mainly left it alone.
I should note that I did not use the Velodyne's high-pass filter, and it was hooked up just like the REL. The REL is better than the Velodyne in the following ways:
Much faster, with far greater low level detail;
Goes deeper;
Is quieter when no bass is playing;
Has no midrange output;
Better match for several speakers;
And, is easier to install with less room problems.

On its own, the REL is fully up to the challenge of mating seamlessly with a pair of Merlin VSM-SE speakers driven by Atma-sphere M60 mk. 2 OTL amps. If you can guess how good that combination sounds, you'll get message about the REL. The servo subs sacrifice good sound for good specs, but the servo itself, in models I've heard, sounds like a filter that blocks low level information. It is this low level signal that gives bass its nuance and emotion. Without it, all you have is a boom box.

I suggest that compared to the REL subs, all others are boom boxes. If you buy a REL, I'd bet you will not be disappointed.

Clean,quick bass,good control in the low end,well built, adjustable crossover frequency and volume.

None unless you attempt to use them in to larger room.

Bass is totally dependant on the room you are attempting to get good sound out off. It took me 6 months to get this sub working correctly in my room, it was worth it. But when I added another Stadium II the effect was awesome. If you can,t afford two good ones drop down to the next level and buy TWO. Two Rel Studio,s must be incredible. For the average lounge Stadium,s do the job, for home theatre as well without the boom. If you are running these on suspended wooden floors you must place them on granite or similiar surface, on top of a spiked subframe to get the best out of them. A sub for music buffs who also appreciate the odd movie(most movies contain music). You must run them off your power amps though, even for home theatre as directed and be prepared to play around with room positioning.

Similar Products Used:

Never used any other subs for music, none up to spec.

Consistent performance for all music types, at all frequencies.

None.

Once you've compared the Stadium II to other subs, you'll realise one thing over all others. The Stadium recreates the bass information powerfully and honestly, other models just vibrate in the corner and hope you'll accept the output as bass. Sadly this is what many people accept, and show off when their friends arrive.
If you are in the market for a quality subwoofer, use the Stadium II as a benchmark. You will not regret it.

Goes Low, Looks Great

Somewhat indistinct and "fuzzy"

This is a follow-up to my review below dated 9/8/98.

I had the REL Stadium II in my music system and a Strata III in the HT system. Just for fun one day, I tried the Strata in place of the Stadium in the music system. What's this? A big - and unexpected - improvement with the smaller sub: significantly tighter, "faster", cleaner sound.

I think the port on the Stadium II contributes to the sound and makes it somewhat indistinct and "fuzzy" sounding, as if each note has a halo around it. Logically, I am thinking that a 4" port right next to a 10" driver, as on the Stadium II, may be the cause of this "halo effect". Visually, it would be like looking at the moon with a halo around it. The moon is very clear, but there is also the added light signature which adds to the moon's image. The sealed Strata is significantly cleaner sounding, completely eliminating this halo.

I ended up replacing the Stadium II with another Strata III. Then, I tried both Strata IIIs in the music system - WOW!!! With one sub, you get the bass notes; with two, you get the power and the majesty of the low end. The improvement going from one to two subs is extraordinary! Instead of buying a Stadium, I strongly recommend getting two Strata IIIs. This is about the same cost, but the quality of the bass is significantly better.

Note: I tried this in two very different rooms and the results were the same. See http://www.21stcenturyservices.com/audio for more information. Thanks, JerryS

Similar Products Used:

Velodyne, REL Strata III, Kinergetics, several others