Сабвуферы — Rel Acoustics No.31

The No.31 belongs to the Reference Series of active subwoofers made by REL Acoustics and sits between the Carbon Special and the larger No.32. It took over the place of the No.25, which had been priced at USD 7,500, and it carries the same USD 7,500 figure, with a UK price of GBP 7,000. Despite the higher position in the range, its cabinet has a smaller footprint than the No.25 it replaced.

Key specs that matter

The sealed enclosure holds one front-firing 12 inch (300 mm) long-throw driver. The cone is carbon fibre with an inverted carbon fibre centre cap, driven by a specially wound 3 inch voice coil in a 5.9 kg magnet structure. A Class D amplifier supplies 900 W RMS, and REL states low frequency extension of 17 Hz at -6 dB. The enclosure measures 638 mm wide, 435 mm high and 714 mm deep, weighs 52 kg and is finished in a 12-coat high-gloss black.

Engineering and use context

The amplifier is derived from the No.32 unit but is held at a lower rating here because this driver has different excursion limits from the bigger model's unit, and REL's LimitLess limiter circuit protects it at high drive levels. The driver is built more heavily than the unit fitted to the Carbon Special. Curvilinear sidewalls allow the cabinet to be stacked, and with the matching kit up to three units can form a vertical column in the manner of the No.32. Side grab handles help when moving the heavy box. A hockey-puck remote with a lock function prevents accidental changes, and a front LED readout shows the current values. Wireless connection is possible with the optional REL Airship II module, sold separately.

Pairing

REL's preferred hookup is the high-level route, taking the signal from the main amplifier's speaker terminals through a Neutrik Speakon lead, and a 9 m Speakon cable is supplied in the box. For systems where that is not possible, stereo line inputs on RCA and XLR and LFE inputs on RCA and XLR accept a preamplifier or AV processor feed. Speakon high-level, LFE XLR and line XLR outputs feed additional subwoofers, so the No.31 can be used singly, as a stereo pair or in a six-unit arrangement. The adjustable crossover lets the No.31 hand over to main speakers of different bass reach.

Alternatives

The REL No.32 is the bigger Reference Series subwoofer, with a 380 mm driver, a 1,000 W amplifier, 15 Hz extension and an 85 kg piano lacquer cabinet.