In this review, we will be comparing No.36 and No.35, two Powered Subwoofer speakers by REL. Being Powered subwoofers, they both have built-in amplifiers so you don't need an external power amp or an integrated amp to power them. Let's have a brief look at the main features of REL No.36 and REL No.35 first before getting into our more detailed comparison.
The sections below take each area in turn: driver and amplifier, frequency response, physical size and connectivity.
Drivers
The efficiency of a subwoofer is directly proportional to the total radiating are squared hence the woofer quantity and diameter.Both REL No.36and REL No.35 have a single woofer setup however the REL No.36's woofer is 15-inch whereas the REL No.35 features a 12-inch woofer.
Frequency Response
No.36 has a frequency range of 15 Hz (-6dB, in room) whereas No.35 has a frequency range of 17 Hz (-6dB, in room). With a minimum frequency of 15Hz, the No.36 can go slightly deeper then the No.35's min frequency of 17Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Subwoofer class in our database.
Low Frequency
Subwoofer Speakers
High Frequency
Subwoofer Speakers
Cabinet Type
Both REL No.36 and REL No.35 have Sealed type cabinets.
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare REL No.36's and REL No.35's external dimensions. REL No.36 has external dimensions of 541.0 x 743.0 x 816.0mm (21-5/16 x 29-1/4 x 32-1/8inch) whereas REL No.35 has external dimensions of 435.0 x 638.0 x 724.0mm (17-1/8 x 25-1/8 x 28-1/2inch).
REL No.36 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 105mm wider, 106mm taller and 92mm deeper than REL No.35.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers 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 surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
REL No.36 needs about 31% more floor or shelf area. REL No.36 is 92mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. REL No.36 is 106mm taller.
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the REL No.36 is approximately 6062.9cm2 / 939.7inch2 and base area of the REL No.35 is approximately 4619.1cm2 / 716.0inch2. The No.36 requires 31% more surface area than the No.35 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a subwoofer may become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often to find the optimal positioning, also known as 'Subwoofer Crawling'. The REL No.36 weighs 91.80kg / 202lbs and the REL No.35 weighs 59.00kg / 129.8lbs. This makes the No.36 56% heavier than the No.35.
Here is a comparison of how No.36 and No.35's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Powered Subwoofer class.
Weight
All Subwoofer Speakers
What's in the Box of REL No.36?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of No.36:
- Subwoofer
- Grille
- 6 ft AC power cord
- 32 ft Neutrik Speakon cable
- User manual and warranty information
- Reference remote
- 2 AAA batteries
- Line Array mounting hardware
What's in the Box of REL No.35?
Here are the items that come with the No.35:
- Subwoofer
- Grille
- 6 ft AC power cord
- 32 ft Neutrik Speakon cable
- User manual and warranty information
- Reference remote
- 2 AAA batteries
 Woofer Size |
15 inches
vs
12 inches
|
Larger woofer |
| Low Frequency Response |
15 Hz
vs
17 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
435mm
vs
541mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
4619cm2
vs
6062cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
10000USD
vs
12000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
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 31% more floor area. REL No.36 stands 92mm further into the room. REL No.36 is 106mm taller.
| General |
REL No.36 |
REL No.35 |
| Brand |
REL |
REL |
| Speaker Type |
Powered Subwoofer |
Powered Subwoofer |
| Max Amplifier Output |
1000 watts |
900 watts |
| Frequency Response |
15 Hz (-6dB, in room) |
17 Hz (-6dB, in room) |
Amplifier |
|
|
| Watts RMS (Continuous) |
1000-watt RMS |
900-watt RMS |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
15" |
12" |
| Woofer Composition |
Carbon fibre |
Carbon fibre |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
- |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
541.0mm (21.3") |
435.0mm (17.1") |
| Width |
743.0mm (29.3") |
638.0mm (25.1") |
| Depth |
816.0mm (32.1") |
724.0mm (28.5") |
| Weight |
91.80kg (202lbs) |
59.00kg (129.8lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Sealed |
Sealed |
| Finish |
Piano Black Lacquer, 12 coats |
Piano Black Lacquer, 12 coats |
| Available Colors |
Black |
Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
|
| Labor Warranty |
|
|
Siblings in REL's Reference range - same design thinking, different size. It comes down to your room and your budget.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass depth | evenly matched | Effectively the same reach (15Hz vs 17Hz). |
| Amplifier power | evenly matched | Much the same amplifier (1000W vs 900W RMS) - under 1dB apart. |
| Driver area | A | REL No.36 moves more air: 15" against 12" is 1.56x the cone area, not the 1.25x the diameters suggest. More area means the same output with less excursion, and less distortion with it. |
| Enclosure | evenly matched | Both are sealed designs, so they roll off in much the same way. |
| Cabinet size | depends | REL No.35 is about 39% smaller by volume. In a subwoofer that is a real trade rather than a preference: box volume is how you get output low down without a bigger amplifier. |
| Price | B | REL No.35 costs less - $10,000 against $12,000, about 17% less. |
A REL No.36 B REL No.35
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both subwoofers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
The usual trade-off: REL No.36 measures better, REL No.35 costs about 17% less. In a normal room, placement will make a bigger difference than the gap between these two. If placement is the constraint - a corner, behind a sofa, under a desk - REL No.35 is the one that will actually go there, and a well-placed small subwoofer beats a badly-placed big one every time.
One thing outweighs everything above: where the subwoofer stands. Room modes can add or remove 10dB or more at a given seat, which is far larger than any difference on this page. Before spending more, try the sub in two or three positions - the crawl test, where you put it in the listening seat and crawl the room to find where the bass sounds best, costs nothing and usually beats an upgrade.