REL Acoustics Serie S/510 Subwoofer – Piano Black

When it comes to bass and subwoofers there is one specialist name that tends to standout above the rest. British company REL only build subs – nothing else! They don’t want to be a “Jack of all Trades” their aim is to be “The Master of One!”. Here we have an example of the highly regarded Serie S/510 in fair condition, with some marks to the top front corners and some light wear to the gloss finish – please see photographs. It is supplied in original factory packaging and comes with manual, mains cable, subwoofer cable, and our usual 3 month warranty.
REL Say….
Experience unmatched style, powerful performance, and breathtaking speed – all packed into a sleek, space-saving design.
For S/510, every aspect of the previous generation’s inner workings were examined without regard to its critical and customer-driven success. We turned a fresh eye to power requirements, driver improvements, and specialty filters, upgrading each-to extract all the extra performance possible. All this alongside the cabinet refinements necessary for those upgrades to emerge cleanly. This latest S range is a triumphant development that has exceeded every expectation of our design team.
Our requirements were for far stronger deep bass output between 20-35 Hz, vastly improved theatre dynamics, and an even more open and spacious sound-field which benefits both music and film. We turned to our NextGen 3 amplifier, tuned to 500 watts with substantial reserves of power, added a light film of carbon fibre to the rear of the driver to handle the extra power, and developed two new sets of custom filters to extract the utmost in brute force and spaciousness. Finally, we imbued S/510 with the ability to be stacked in 4- or 6-unit line arrays, just like our reference models.
S/510 takes REL’s compact-medium chassis concept to reference-like levels of performance and does so with style, power and incredible speed. S/510 allows those with less space, or when pairing with high end speakers that are slightly less robust to have a perfect dance partner when the S/812 is simply too much of a great thing.
For S/510, every aspect of the previous generation’s inner workings were examined without regard to its critical and customer-driven success. We turned a fresh eye to power requirements, driver improvements, and specialty filters, upgrading each-to extract all the extra performance possible. All this alongside the cabinet refinements necessary for those upgrades to emerge cleanly. This latest S range is a triumphant development that has exceeded every expectation of our design team.
S/510 required upgrades to its ContinuousCast™ Alloy Cone to allow it to survive its massive power upgrades. To permit its thin, aluminum cone to survive 500 watts and incredibly long stroke, we added an ultra-lightweight backing of pure carbon fibre strategically placed over portions of the rear surface of the cone. This produces two benefits; it strengthens and stiffens the cone and also eliminates reversion, wherein the back-wave inside the cabinet is now prevented from interfering with the main launch of bass into the room. The result is more accurate and far louder deep bass.
At 500 watts the NextGen 3 amplifier is borrowed from our former flagship model and produces huge reservoirs of power and current. The 20%+ increase in power (previous version was 400 watts) is needed to deliver the high output levels needed for modern theatre, as well as to produce the extremely deep bass in a high end 2-channel system. This increase in power is necessitated by our development on the musical front of an all-new circuit termed PerfectFilter™ that balance both frequency extremes.
PerfectFilter performs two seemingly disparate qualities; extending the strong, even response of the extreme low end of bass frequencies while simultaneously opening up air and delicacy in the middle and high frequencies of one’s system. Additionally, we applied customized PureTheatre™ filters to allow S/510 to keep up with modern theatre effects without breaking a sweat.
In the real world, bass occurs with width, depth and height. By stacking up to three units per side (stereo or theatre main L-R speakers) the proper perspective and height of sonic events are illuminated. This elevates reproduction from conventional stereo or theatre to a floor to ceiling panoramic, full scale perspective of each sonic event. Reviewers are lining up to marvel at the transformation of music and film into the full-scale representation that REL Line Arrays uniquely deliver.
Specifications:
Type: Front-firing active driver, down-firing passive
Active Driver Size & Material: 250 mm long throw, Continuous CastAlloy™ cone structure, die cast alloy chassis
Passive Radiator Size & Material: 300 mm, Carbon/Carbon flat cone structure, steel chassis
Low Frequency Extension: – 6 dB at 20 Hz Low Frequency
Input Connectors: High Level Neutrik Speakon, Low Level (2) RCA, (1) LFE RCA, (1) LFE XLR
Output Connectors: High Level Neutrik Speakon, (1) LFE RCA or (1) LFE XLR
Power Output: 500 watts (RMS)
Amplifier Type: NextGen 3 Class D
Mains Input Voltage: 220-240 volts
Dimensions: 410 (H) x 400 (W) x 464 (D) mm
Weight: 31.7 kg

For a review from Hi-Fi Choice magazine please click HERE