Which Sub sounds on par with Rel S12"

Truthstar said:

Hi All,

I demo'd an SVS4000 at Bestbuy. Meh, was disappointing. The Rel 12" was pretty impressive. Would PSA TV 1512 lean towards Rel performance?

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Hi

A few questions:
Did you have any idea of the settings on each subwoofer?
Were the subwoofers level matched?
Were the overall listening levels matched?
Were the subwoofers placed at the same location in the room?

Wrong set-up can make a subwoofer, however good it could intrinsically be, sound bad...

On an objective basis, the SVS 4000 is the superior of most anything REL produces. Maybe their reference line (G1, #25) could give it a run at 3 times the price and even then ... We'd like to see measurements

Best buy listening is generally not effective for choosing subwoofers. Set-up in the space they will be used is critical. Did you listen to the sealed SB4000 or ported PB4000. I am going to assume the REL S/5, a sealed sub. With that said, you won't get anyone on here that will recommend the REL for its price point.

Ported and sealed subs are a bit different animals and you are asking about how a ported PSA sub compares to a sealed REL. A more fair comparison would be the PSA S1512DF and, yes even that PSA will be superior to the REL as far as objective data. What does the ported do compared to sealed? Ported subs have huge efficiency advantages from port tune to about an octave above port tune, somewhere around 2-3X more output. In the case of the Tv1512, that means it has at least a 2x advantage in the area of 12-30 hz vs the S1512df.

One thing about sealed subs is that for plug and play types, for those that aren't expecting the tons of ulf frequency in the 15-35 range, sealed can sometimes sound "better" with less work. They are not actually better per se, but if you are not invested in doing any set-up work, the natural characteristics of sealed (less phase issues and the natural FR roll off, etc) make it easier to come across as better. My theory is that lack of proper set-up is a good part of why the "sealed is better for music" myth is still so persistent.

If you really like the sound from the REL, indeed the sealed Rythmik F15 and the PSA S15 models would definitely save you some cash and be better subs than the REL. However, in order to know what sub may be best for your situation, you need to tell us more about the space you will be using it in (how big, how open) and what your application is (movies, music, etc). Perhaps sealed will be good for your uses, but on the other hand, ported could be a much better option.

bear123 said:

No, it would be much, much better. Comparing it to REL would be insulting, honestly. Would be similar to asking if filet mignon were as good as cube steak.

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maybe bestbuy can’t set up svs properly the 4000 should crush the rel .
Even the sealed version would decimate even the top rel sub that’s like 4k+ .. duel -12”
Bestbuy and big dealers like that aren’t going to stock larger subs , the average consumer wants baby 👶 🍼 Bottle tiny subs like def tech supercell. I don’t blame them for anything wrong 😑 most people buy off looks not performance. Rel loooks spectacular, performance mediocre .

like svs is best brand bestbuy sells on only the pb16 and pb4000 are powerhouses. Tv18-21 are better tho , also quite expensive. I wish I had money for psa subs , insanely nice 👍 ..
rel is the Bose of sub world 🌎
Diy subs are most powerful due to larger box sizes . I can’t even carry a Mary cube haha 😂....
Another option Monolith by Monoprice 15in THX Ultra Certified 1000-Watt Subwoofer Amplifier - Monoprice.com