Сабвуферы — Rel Acoustics Tzero MKIII

The Tzero MKIII is the most compact subwoofer made by REL Acoustics, designed for small rooms of up to around 14 m2, such as dens and apartments. It arrived in 2021 at GBP 399, and in the USA it sells for USD 599. Unlike older REL models of this size, which used Class A/B amplification, the MKIII relies on a Class D power stage.

Key specs that matter

Its 6.5 inch (165 mm) long-throw unit uses a new anodised aluminium cone in place of the earlier generation's design, is built on a steel chassis and points downward from a closed box. The NextGen Class D amplifier provides 100 W RMS, and the quoted in-room extension reaches 37 Hz at -6 dB. The cabinet measures 216 mm wide, 241 mm high and 260 mm deep and weighs 6.8 kg, or 8.1 kg packed in a 305 x 279 x 356 mm carton. The finish is Piano Black or Gloss White lacquer, applied in five coats.

Engineering and use context

Because the driver faces the floor, the cone is hidden and the small cabinet shows only lacquered surfaces. With no port in the sealed cabinet, the aluminium cone works against a fixed air volume inside such a small box. REL fits its fast 8 ms delay filter set, and the controls are mounted on the back panel. A separate .1/LFE input with its own level control lets the owner set music and home theatre levels independently without a remote handset. The gain control covers a range of 80 dB, and a phase switch offers 0 or 180 degrees. The unit accepts mains supplies from 100 to 240 V and uses 2 A semi-delay fuses. A standby circuit is built in, and REL covers the product for 3 years on parts and labour against manufacturing defects. With the HT-Air MKII wireless adapter, sold separately, a dual parametric filter also becomes available.

Pairing

The High Level input uses REL's Neutrik Speakon connector, and a 10 metre cable comes in the box to link it to the speaker terminals of the main amplifier. This suits compact stereo amplifiers and small bookshelf speakers in a desktop or bedroom system. The Speakon input presents an impedance of 150 kOhm, so the main amplifier sees almost no extra load. A single RCA Low Level input at 10 kOhm handles a preamplifier or line output, while the 10 kOhm RCA LFE socket takes the .1 channel from a TV soundbar or AV receiver in a 2.1 setup.

Alternatives

The REL T/5x is the next step up, pairing an 8 inch FibreAlloy driver with a 125 W Class A/B amplifier and reaching 32 Hz.