REL has replaced the top of its Reference range. The REL No.35 has a 12 inch driver and costs 10,000 dollars. The REL No.36 has a 15 inch driver and costs 12,000 dollars. They take over from the No.31 and No.32.
The REL No.36, with a 15 inch carbon fibre driver and a 1,000 watt amplifier
We held 10 REL subwoofers, and the most expensive was 2,199 dollars. So I added both new models today, with specs and prices from REL's own site. While I was there, I found that three of our older REL prices were out of date, and fixed those too.
Quick facts
- No.35: 10,000 dollars, 12 inch carbon fibre driver, 900 watts, 59 kg.
- No.36: 12,000 dollars, 15 inch carbon fibre driver, 1,000 watts, 91.8 kg.
- Both are sealed, with a new Class AB/D amplifier, a remote in the box, and Speakon, XLR and RCA inputs.
- Both stack. Up to three make a REL Line Array. Three No.36 cost 72,000 dollars.
- Not orderable yet on REL's US store when I checked.
Where they land among 279 subwoofers
Only six of the 279 subwoofers we hold cost 10,000 dollars or more, and these are two of them. The No.36 is fourth, after the Wilson Audio Subsonic (47,250 dollars), a Perlisten in-wall sub and the Focal Sub Utopia EM Colour Evo. The No.35 is sixth, just under the Perlisten D215s.
A three-high line array is another matter. At 60,000 dollars for three No.35 and 72,000 for three No.36, either one costs more than the Wilson.
The watts are not where the money goes
Here is the number that surprised me. The No.36 has a 1,000 watt amplifier driving a sealed 15 inch driver. REL's own HT/1510 Predator has exactly the same: 1,000 watts, one 15 inch driver, a sealed box. It costs 2,199 dollars.
| FEATURE and SPECS COMPARISON | |  |  |
| Model | REL HT 1510 Predator | REL No.36 |
| Driver | 15" | 15" Carbon fibre |
| Enclosure | Sealed | Sealed |
| Firing Direction | - | Front |
| Amplifier Power (RMS) | 1000 watts | 1000 watts |
| Amplifier Class | - | Class AB/D |
| Frequency Response | 20-200 Hz | 15 Hz (-6dB, in room) |
| Phase | - | Yes |
| Line Level Inputs | - | Stereo RCA and XLR, LFE RCA, LFE XLR |
| Speaker Level Inputs | - | Neutrik Speakon |
| Speaker Level Outputs | - | Neutrik Speakon |
| Wireless | - | Optional |
| Handheld Remote | - | |
| Height | 458.8mm | 541.0mm |
| Width | 542.9mm | 743.0mm |
| Depth | 544.5mm | 816.0mm |
| Weight | 45.22kg | 91.80kg |
| Finish | - | Piano Black Lacquer, 12 coats |
| MSRP | 2199 USD | 12000 USD |
| Check Current Price | Amazon | Amazon |
And it is not only REL. Of the 251 subwoofers we hold with a power rating, 43 have 1,000 watts or more. The No.36 is the most expensive of them. The cheapest is the GoldenEar ForceField 3, at 599 dollars, with an 8 inch driver.
REL would say a watt figure tells you very little, and that is fair. A cheap 1,000 watt amp and a well-built one are not the same thing. But it means the price is paying for other things.
So what does the money buy
A pair of REL No.35 subwoofers, one showing the rear panel with Speakon, XLR and RCA connections
- The amplifier design. A big traditional power supply feeding a Class D output stage. On the No.35, REL says the transformer alone weighs 17 pounds.
- The driver. A carbon fibre cone in a finer weave than before. On the No.35, REL quotes 12 mm more travel in each direction than the No.31.
- The cabinet. Curved, heavily braced and finished in 12 coats of hand-rubbed lacquer.
- The setup. A remote that adjusts gain, crossover, phase and two parametric EQ bands from your chair.
- Stacking. Up to three form a line array. A No.35 is the same size as a No.31, so owners can mix old and new.
Here is the full No.35 vs No.36 comparison.
| FEATURE and SPECS COMPARISON | |  | |
| Model | REL No.35 | REL No.36 |
| Driver | 12" Carbon fibre | 15" Carbon fibre |
| Enclosure | Sealed | Sealed |
| Firing Direction | Front | Front |
| Amplifier Power (RMS) | 900 watts | 1000 watts |
| Amplifier Class | Class AB/D | Class AB/D |
| Frequency Response | 17 Hz (-6dB, in room) | 15 Hz (-6dB, in room) |
| Phase | Yes | Yes |
| Line Level Inputs | Stereo RCA and XLR, LFE RCA, LFE XLR | Stereo RCA and XLR, LFE RCA, LFE XLR |
| Speaker Level Inputs | Neutrik Speakon | Neutrik Speakon |
| Speaker Level Outputs | Neutrik Speakon | Neutrik Speakon |
| Wireless | Optional | Optional |
| Handheld Remote | | |
| Height | 435.0mm | 541.0mm |
| Width | 638.0mm | 743.0mm |
| Depth | 724.0mm | 816.0mm |
| Weight | 59.00kg | 91.80kg |
| Finish | Piano Black Lacquer, 12 coats | Piano Black Lacquer, 12 coats |
| MSRP | 10000 USD | 12000 USD |
| Check Current Price | Amazon | Amazon |
What you give up
- Space. The No.36 is 816 mm deep, about 32 inches. That makes it the deepest subwoofer we hold, and it has the biggest footprint. The No.35 has the second biggest. Neither will hide in a corner.
- Weight. The No.36 is 91.8 kg, the fourth heaviest sub we hold. The No.35 is 59 kg.
- A bass number you cannot compare. REL quotes -6 dB at 15 Hz (No.36) and 17 Hz (No.35), both measured in a room. A room adds bass, so those figures read better than the anechoic numbers most makers publish.
- Wireless costs extra. REL's AirShip Direct is sold separately.
- One finish. Piano black lacquer, nothing else.
See how the No.36 compares in size with the Predator below.
Size, drawn to scale
Both subwoofers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same floor and pushed back to the same wall, so the bigger one visibly takes more of the room.
REL No.36 needs about 105% more floor area. REL No.36 stands 272mm further into the room. REL No.36 is 82mm taller.
REL Reference Line Arrays, three No.35 on the left and three No.36 on the right
Who they are for
Someone with a large room, a system already worth a lot more than 12,000 dollars, and the space for a box 32 inches deep. For everyone else, the Predator gets you the same watts and the same driver size for about a fifth of the price.
REL No.36 Powered Subwoofer Speaker Key Specs
- 1 x 15" Carbon fibre Woofer
- 15 Hz (-6dB, in room) Frequency Response
- 1000-watt RMS Class AB/D Type Integrated Amplifier
- Stereo RCA and XLR, LFE RCA, LFE XLR Inputs
- Handheld Remote
- Weight:202.50 lbs / 91.80 kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 21-5/16" x 29-1/4" x 32-1/8" / 541.0 x 743.0 x 816.0mm
- Read the Review
Tell me in the comments: would you rather have one No.36, or five Predators?