REL T9X SUBWOOFER REVIEW

REL T9X subwoofer costs £1299 (€1575, $1449) and is the top model in the new TX range that replaces REL’s Ti range of subwoofers. Dan Worth takes a listen for HiFi Pig.

Nicer looks than the previous models but still clearly a REL.

The X in a REL T9X Subwoofer stands for Xtra. The new TX range replaces the Ti range which I had the pleasure of listening to on many occasions and I also reviewed the T9i.

The T9X which is the flagship TX subwoofer has been rumoured by REL to rival S3 performance – I lived with an S3 for some time and it is a truly capable machine so we will see. The S3 can hold the most dynamic and twisted bass notes, yet can also create subtleties of suspense.

More recently I’ve been using the powerhouse that is the S/510, again a much-loved unit and one that has all the capabilities any discerning home user would ever really need. It’s dexterous, effortless, commanding and incredibly agile, but again, like other REL subwoofers, poised, subtle and expressive. So, given that I’ve had a long relationship with the REL range, I was really curious to hear what this latest offering from the subwoofer specialist.

The UK Sales director brought the unit for review and we chatted a little about the new sub – he was really pleased with it as he always is when a new REL is born, but this time there was more than just a glint in his eye as he said to me “This will better the S3”. Now I’m not one for going with hype until I’ve heard the product myself, nor am I easily swayed in opinion without first experiencing something firsthand. For me, the S3 was the sweet spot in the range for the average-sized room. The S5 would cope with bigger spaces, but the S3 (or two for optimal balance) was where I think a lot of users planted their flag. It delved deep with accuracy and blended into a 2 Channel system unobtrusively after you took a little time to fettle and fine-tune settings and positioning.

The T9X has a smaller footprint than the S3 by a few inches all around yet is slightly bigger than the former T9i in height and width at around an inch or so difference, but is an impressive three inches shallower whilst having a larger volume cabinet. I personally think it’s a great compromise and made for some interesting results when fine-tuning positioning. For instance, being able to place the T9X a little further into the room from a corner allowed me to position it with more acute and less impeding angles, with bass able to disperse better from behind the cabinet and thus creating less bloom from the room – which is very well controlled by the infinite baffle design and new passive bass radiator anyway, but no designer can account for all of our room anomalies and furniture positioning.

The T9X has rear inputs for line level, high level, and LFE, with LFE having its own separate gain control to allow the user to run home theatre and HiFi independently of each other but with simultaneous connections. There’s also a dial for tuning in the crossover point of the main speakers and room and phase control.

REL’s new amp pack packs a bigger punch too! There’s 300w of quickly dished out power and the updated heart of the T9X gives the new drivers a real workout. Made from a stiff and lightweight composite material the new driver has a longer excursion, and due to its additional rigidity can be driven much harder and for much longer without break-up. Both the 10” long-throw driver and accompanying 10” passive radiator offer the equivalent surface delivery area of a 15” drive unit.

As with all REL subwoofers, the finish on the T9X is beautiful. The latest TX series is a bit sexier with rounded edges, new feet (which aren’t stackable) and resonant control plugs in the form of the top badge. Each REL subwoofer has a different-sized top badge which has a particular width and thickness which aids the overall resonance control of the cabinet – it’s not just for looks! Promotional shots show quite a bit of branding all over the subwoofer, but when in situ the logos are very subtle indeed and for most of the time not noticeable, so don’t be put off by the high res studio lit images, unless you’re looking for them they won’t be noticed.

The T9X’s size makes it easier to accomodate in tighter spaces.

SETUP AND POSITIONING 

There are two areas within my particular listening space (which is a standard-sized domestic living room) where I can place and tune a subwoofer. One is more invasive of the space and the other is far more discrete and more favoured, though it doesn’t always work with it being dependent on overall cabinet size when attempting to get the best from larger units.

The T9X with its more compact size offered me the ability to pull it out much further from the wall and gave me much more room to really play with positioning – certainly further than the S3 when it was in this space, and, of course, the larger S/510.

As the subwoofer is situated on the opposite side of the room to the speakers and equipment, and knowing from experience how well the wireless mode works (and which in all honesty I prefer to the wired setup) I chose this option to complete the connection.

Fine-tuning the integration of the T9X with either my XTZ Divine standmounts or my Ayon Seagull Ceramic floorstanders was very straightforward and I’d say a lot easier this time around. This was mainly because I wasn’t having to play around as much with the physical cabinet’s positioning in order to find a really good match, and due to the additional space I could offer it. In addition, I don’t believe that the curved sides to the subwoofer are just a nice cosmetic touch as the bass response seemed to roll out more smoothly and more openly than the older T9i. Alongside the newly designed drivers, the performance was instantly attention-grabbing.

The T(X is also avaialble in black.

SOUND AND MUSIC 

From first thoughts after the initial setup was that the T9X really impressed me. It sounds a lot bigger than its size would imply and its ability to control notes down to 20hz in-room was really quite astonishing. London Grammar’s “Hey Now” sounded articulate, full, and extended when listening to the series of five beats which carries its baseline along and with a clear depiction of the drum’s skin. Much the same as Damien Rice’s “Blower’s Daughter” which again dug deep, controlling roll-out remarkably and showing off great extension of a note.

When listening to a more up-tempo beat such as Ed Sheehan’s “Bad Habits”, the T9X kept pace with the main speakers and completely disappeared. REL subwoofers do this remarkably well, which is not always the case with lesser subwoofers which are more often used to convey the drama in a movie but fail to keep up so well with the music. The REL T9X sounds like an extension of the speaker. It sounds like the bass end of a speaker driver, being tighter, more detailed, and controlled to give far more information to the listener.

Dynamically the T9X does a fantastic job. It can start and stop with pinpoint accuracy, leaving no overhang to muddy delicate decays. With acoustic guitar and bass guitar, the REL sounded very natural and fuller in note density than other offerings I’ve heard at home.

The T9X does a wonderful job of enhancing midrange performance to give further transparency and separation within the soundstage. Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain” gains a more spatially rich and more informative and believable upper midrange and treble performance – the under-pinning capabilities of a REL sub in the upper registers have always been one of their more unexpected revelations for me. The overall upgrade in main speaker performance can be perceived as the loudspeakers having been physically changed, as the additional benefits are all focused right in front of you inside the soundstage and not off to one side of the room, even if that’s the only place you can accommodate a subwoofer.

An easy to access and logical set-up panel makes for easier integration into a two-channel system.

Interestingly, playing with different plinths underneath the T9X helped with some room anomalies too. Whether on carpet, wood or concrete the REL T9X will work its magic, but if you find that you have an awkward hump/node somewhere then a granite slab underneath will tighten this making it less obtrusive. I also had great results using a thick bamboo plinth on a wooden floating floor over concrete with some felt pads on its underside. Not only can this help to tune out the odd hump, but it also allowed for more punch or slap when partnered with faster standmounts. So I’d advise you to give consideration to isolation, depending on the floor on which you are placing a subwoofer and ideally, and especially if you have floorboards, give any sub the rigidity of a solid surface to sit on and it should perform better. REL subwoofers are very rigid, well-damped and well-weighted onto their isolation feet, and from previous experience, I have had greater benefits introducing solid plinths with ported designs and with suspended floors, but there are additional benefits to be had! As a tip, an inexpensive flat patio slab makes for a great test to see if your room will benefit from a plinth of some sort.

Late-night listening is especially nice with a T9X! Generally, music of a less emphatic character (providing you’re not still 20!) will be being played at this time of the day, and at lower volumes, the T9X doesn’t sound as if it’s switched off. It will deliver the same performance and engage with you in terms of presenting the broadness of notes even at low volume. Music always sounds better at night when there is less ambient background noise and if you’re lucky enough to be able to play at reasonable volumes, your admiration for the T9X will be firmly cemented.

CONCLUSION

I can’t emphasize enough how important the newfound sound of a well-integrated subwoofer becomes once installed correctly into a 2-channel music system. It neither needs to be turned up loud, nor its crossover elevated too much into the region of what the loudspeaker can already accomplish. Less is more when configuring a sub like the T9X into a 2-Channel system and when done correctly it becomes an extension of the sound from top to bottom, enhancing the three-dimensionality of the stereo image to give more natural and realistic interpretations of the material being played and can potentially be one of the biggest upgrades you can make.

The T9X has a smaller footprint than the T9i, it looks sexier, and has a more powerful amplifier and woofer complement than the S3. The T9X is a true leap in performance, bringing the TX range to the standard most discerning audiophiles will appreciate. 

AT A GLANCE

Build And Features:

REL has really refined what was an already solid and well-thought-out design

The nicer curved sides, smaller footprint, and aesthetically more pleasing

The new phase plugs to finely tune the new cabinet are very cleverly done

Sound Quality:

REL has done it yet again by producing a subwoofer that literally punches above its weight

The T9X is fast, authoritative, can untangle complex bass lines and can convey great detail all the way down to the deepest notes

Value For Money:

For performance this strong, I would say the T9X represents great value

We Loved:

New sleeker look

Smaller footprint with larger internal volume

More powerful

Easier positioning

Powerful controlled and well-integrated performance

Ability to simultaneously connect a home theatre and 2-channel music system

Can be used wirelessly

We Didn’t Love So Much:

I think some people would have liked the ability to stack them

A limited number of finishes

I’d like to see an option for room calibration at some point, as an add-on unit akin to a minidsp yet easier to install and operate

Price: £1299 (€1575, $1449)

Elevator Pitch Review: The combination of a smaller footprint, larger cabinet volume and a more powerful amplifier/driver compliment, the sexier REL T9X has some gorgeous curves, pristine finish and a more dominant presence within higher priced setups. Previously a T9i was a fantastic addition to any reasonably good system and a pair would outperform many single sub offerings. The T9X has the ability to sit in a higher-end system and perform similarly to the older S series, if not better. At the price, I’d imagine the T9X will fit in both mid-priced and higher-end systems. Remember, a good sub isn’t just for enhanced bass performance, it will open up every aspect of the soundstage and overall performance of your loudspeakers.

SUPPLIED BY REL

Dan Worth