"And now, by the power vested in me, I pronounce the REL S510 a top-rated subwoofer." Thanks for the review, minister Nemo! Hope your other gig went well.
I’ll just say… Nemo is spot on all…. I went from a pair of T7Xs to a pair of these… It was eye opening how drastic the improvement is.. The speed and clarity difference is immediately evident. There is 0 bloat to the bass. The scale is night and day… The old adage that you get what you pay for is totally relevant here
Nemo you absolutely nail it when you do your comparisons, you dont just pick the obvious ! (e.g comparing to the JL audio). I'm never left frustrated wishing you had compared it to something that you didn't. One of the best parts of your reviews and so important to your viewers, keep up the good work 👌
Great review @Nemo Propganda. A few years ago, you were instrumental in influencing my decision to become a Rel customer with the review you did on the HT/1205, which I bought after yours and Rel team's gracious answers to my questions. Keep up the good work!
Wonderful! Thank you for this review, it was long-awaited. Based on your review, I feel like I should demo one when I’m ready to upgrade. Sounds like it ticks so many of my boxes.
Nice review. I considered the S/812 before getting a great deal on a Carbon Special that I could not refuse. The S/S812 sounded excellent and the Carbon Special is a nice step up from it. Completely agree with your assessment of how well REL subs integrate and disappear. Your description of the bass emerging from ink black background, hearing no difference between the speakers/subwoofer and the sound coming from one place is spot-on.
I love the SVS subwoofers and, SVS has the best customer service. My SB 4000 subwoofer was having an issue after six years I contacted SVS hoping they would help me and they came through with flying colors they sent a new amp plate, and now my city is reporting mini earthquakes when my subwoofer is on. Again, thank you, SVS . Now that's customer service.
I agree SVS customer service is very good but why not put this comment on one of my SVS videos instead? I think it would be more helpful that way instead of on a REL video.
Just placed an order based on this review. A demo unit here in Oz costing $3999. Thanks, man, for your honest and thorough reviews. They matter. Can't wait. Because its a 10", not a behemoth. Yet, it sounds large and refined. I had PMC MB2SE before; you can look them up; they were magnificent but just too big for my room. I need better bass than what the poor Harmonix are being asked to deliver. I must work on configuring the upgraded AV8805 I currently use as a preamp into my ARC D240 MKII power amp. With some amazing cables all around, I hope to help the Harmonix relax a little.
I’m incredibly happy with dual S/510s for my 6000 cubic ft room. Started with one but smoothed out the low end extension especially at my LP with the second. Highly recommend it. Thanks for the review Nemo. Always great to get your honest off the cuff opinion.
Been waiting on this review. The t9x was the best sub I've ever heard when it comes to bass quality. I didn't think this could be much better but you made me realise its worth it
It’s not even close. The s510 blows away 9x or 7x. It’s a whole different level and plays harder and reaches deeper. You get a much bigger jump from 9x to s510 than going from s510 to s812. It is the sweet spot and s510 plays close s812 in deep bass but lighter and faster.
Ya S/510 digs much deeper and makes more pressure in the room. I own many subs, look at my post (sort by new) and the S/510 along with my Martin Logan Depth i are permanent keepers. Not gonna sell, will keep them till they die.
Recently I decided that I wanted a new subwoofer. For the last 16 years we have used a B&W ASW610. I went to Best Buy and listened to the Martin Logan 1600X, the bass felt like an out of control nuclear blast. Then I listened to the REL T/9x for the first time. I was impressed by the sound quality. Then I heard REL S/812. I knew right away that was the sound that I was looking for. The REL S/812 is a great subwoofer but it's too big for my space. Then I started looking on TH-cam for information about the S/510. After I watched your video, I decided it's the one for me. I have not heard it yet but, the way you described the features, sound quality, the difference between SQ and SPL subwoofers helped me decide to order the S/510. I also cross shopped JL audio, your analogy using cars as the comparison spoke to me. You sold me the S/510. Thank you.
wooo! Congratulations, that's going to be a HUGE upgrade for you!!! I hope you love it as much as I did, remember subwoofer break-in is real, try to give it a good 10 hours play minimum before you even think about judgeing it, you'll have to constantly turn it down as it breaks in more, have fun!!
Been waiting for your review on this so thanks for delivering Nemo !! I've watched many of your other subwoofer videos in the past and the only decision left to make is S510 or S812. Room is 5x5m, will take a demo from a local dealer and decide from there.
As Nemo suggested, contact Rel. But, you're right on point to demo both. With that in mind, note my room is 25x48 ft with 12-18ft cathedral ceilings. Believe me when I say, ONE s/510 is more than enough to charge my room, and I only have it at slightly less than 30% power! It pairs incredibly well with my Heresy IVs. Do I want a second one...yes. But, only to smooth out some very minor nulls in my soundstage, but not because I'm wanting of more bass by any means. BTW, I am a bass head, but I just prefer refined, high-quality bass, over the flouncy stuff. Hope this was helpful. Good luck.
Have 2 of these. One of the few subwoofers I own that I would never get rid of. I will use them till they die. My subs are: 4x Martin Logan Depth i (my all time favorite and I think one of the best subwoofers under $3000 period. There is absolutely nothing like this that I've heard. Super tight, hits super hard, digs super deep. There is not one thing I can knock on these not one). 2x REL S/510 (used in my 2 channel setup) 2x REL T/7x (used as LFE's for family room TV setup) 1x REL T/7i (for toddler's 2 channel setup in her room) 1x REL S/2 (in my home office) 2x REL HT/1510 (in home theater, work in progress) 1x Klipsh Cinema sub (comes with the Cinema 600 soundbar) (bedroom) Used to own: 2x SVS SB-1000 Pro (more emphasis on lowest octaves and not as refined in mid bass). 2x Klipsch R-12SW (can shake the house but boomy) 1x Martin Logan Dynamo 300 (gifted to my brother in law)
Hey Nemo, great review and well worth the wait. I bought a S/510 in December that replaced a Rythmik E15HP2 and I completely agree with your assessment of their differences. The fidelity, detail, and lightning fast transitions make the E15HP2 feel a bit slow and less defined by comparison even though it’s a detailed and fast sub in its own right. At this point, I would give the nod to the S/510 because I value the detail more than I value ability to play lower and louder. S/812 next?
nice! yeah the e15hp2 is very capable, it has the transients of the much smaller T9X which is a serious accomplishment considering how large it is but somehow the S510 manages to say "hold my beer". I'm not sure I'll cover the S812, I've covered a lot of REL subs in a very short period of time and need to cover seme other brands :)
@@NemoPropaganda Hi there, I personally think it’s perfect time to cover another Rel such as S812 sooner than later while the review of S510 is still fresh in your memory. For accurate comparison between the two models.👍
Really enjoyed that review mate thanks! I have a very small room and am going to upgrade from a T7x, was going to go straight to an 812 but this has made me realise I need to try one of these first
If it's a music only system check with REL first or your dealer, their S line really are designed to work in certain room sizes. Series HT & TX can pretty much be shoved in any room. I'm just thinking if you room is pretty small a T9X might be the wiser choice. If you do theater also by all means go for the bigger S510 :D
@NemoPropaganda hey man thanks for that reply. I have tried to put it out of my head but the way you describe this sub makes it impossible! I have been to my local hifi dealer and they are going to lend me one to try next month after I've done a couple more upgrades and I am hoping it can work!
@@hubertcumberdale3063 in home trial is the best thing you can do!! If you're not getting extension then the room is too small and you need T9X or 1205 MK2 instead. If you're getting good extension to 25hz or lower then it it's a good fit for the room!
Amazing review. I have an SVS SB2000 Pro that sounds so...ponderous. It can't keep up with fast bass lines. It's so frustrating. I was thinking of replacing it with a REL T9x. But now I want one of these! Would this overpower a 12x18ft room?
Since your question is about room size and which REL sub to get I suggest you contact them directly. They have more experience than I do with their own subs in various rooms but based off my experience I think you have the perfect room size for an S510 or T9X and it will really be your personal taste for output & extension that determine which is best. If you want a sonic upgrade without any loss in extnesion that would be the S510, if you don't mind giving up some extension the T9X is also outstanding and smaller overall but doesn't get as low as the S510.
I love my s510. I went from T9/x to s510 and it added everything I thought the T9/x was missing. For a medium to largish room the s510 is fantastic. For small room the T9/x is also great. It’s all about size requirements with subs. If you have a large room get a large sub.. or two.
Great review as always! I have a couple of S812 in stereo, Im having some problems with phase settings, REL recommends you have to set the phase where it sounds louder,fuller and complements with the front speakers...i do that, but some times it sounds a little muddy and not clean ( set at 180) do I have to decrease the volume or increase the crossover of the subs? When I change to phase 0 the bass decrease a lot and its not punchy with a very low hz bass. Do you have any experience? Regards,
I have a feeling your freq is set too high, many people make the mistake of cranking the freq know to 2 oclock or higher on REL's, try leaving your gain where it is and bring the freq down in 2 click increments and see what happens. Ultimately no sub is perfect for every room and we all have some imperfections at certain frequencies in our rooms we just have to live with but hopefully this helps. With the S510 and most speaker pairings I had my freq knob only around 4 clicks so almost all the way down.
Nemo, this is something I tweeted to REL a long time ago as well. They used to carry a starting entry level S series sub in the last generation, the S/2 which was priced at $1499 and had all the performance features of the S series but in a smaller scale. It was a bonafide S series sub. The issue is there is no sub that fills the gap price wise or size wise between the T/9x and the S/510. If somenone wants something better than T/9x but not spend $3000 per sub, they really should offer a sub at $2000 that is S series but smaller scale. This is a serious miss on their part. Audi and BMW sell a tonne of cars, but their biggest sellers are the entry cars in the brand, not the flagships. Folks want the experience of the German car but not have to spend $60k+ to do it. BMW 3 series, Audi A3/A4 are their biggest sellers by far. They're the most feasible, it makes sense.
@@NemoPropaganda look up the Rel S/2. I own this. It's -6 dB mid 20Hz (this was from the previous S line, before T/x). They can make a smaller S/510 sub with 8" driver and 10" passive
I really enjoy and trust your reviews! All of my audio equipment is in a rack in a separate room from my theater/music room. I only have a coaxial run to wire my subwoofer. Will the S510 sound as good if it is only wired with an LFE?
half the time I was using it I was using RCA cables, as long as the sub can produce the bass quantity your room needs it should sound great either way. Just keep in mind on many AVR's LFE out is for movie effects only. If you do wan't to run high level for some reason you can also tap off the back of your speakers.
Jaw on floor. I can't believe it took you so long to get around to reviewing these. I started with the T9/X, then decided to get one of these. And yes, the difference was amazing. Wish I had the room for a "six pack". But I am very, very happy with the 2 I have. Are you going to keep it? Great review, btw!
Hi, Thank you for your review. What is the best subwoofer integration ? High-level connectors or some a pre-amplifers has subwoofer output which filters signal and take some weight from main speakears. Btw a lot of time passed since S510 released, will be there newer versions? Buchardt announced new subwoofer. Hope you can review it.
I have the buchardt sub and will review it soon, as far as REL's future plans I don't know, companies rarely tell me anything early, and if they do it's usually only a few days or weeks early. As far as best subwoofer setup, there is no best, it depends on the rest of the system and the room.
Love it! I have really been waiting on this review as I don’t think you bullshit us. My question… my room size is 13x16 feet. My mains are Dynaudio Heritage Specials which are really quick speakers. Rel says I should be using the S510 even with my small room. I’m currently using T7x. Thoughts? What size is your room? Was the S510 an issue like too much? Thanks again!
T7x is probably the fastest/most transient in the T/x range. S510 will give you that and then some as Nemo mentioned. It will play louder so in that size room it will be far more impactful. You will likely have to turn down the gain. In comparison have (2) REL T9x in stereo config in a 18x24 with 8ft ceiling room and I had to turn mine down to blend them with my ATC SCM 19's which are similar in size to the heritage but have less bass. I think one will still work in that size room. 2 might be a bit much or just won't be able to leverage all of its' potential output wise unless you like it loud at times 100db.
Couldn't agree more with Brian, one S/510 is more than enough to power my room (26x48ft with 12-18 ft cathedral ceilings) when paired with Heresy IVs. Note, I only have the Rel set at a little less than 30%. One will be more than enough for your use case, and as Brian said, you'll likely want to turn the gain dial down even further to ensure ideal blending. Good luck.
If had the money.... I have had two REL, small ones and i have listened to several. They really are the best subs i have heard. Even the cheaper ones. But it comes with a pretty high price. But fidelity isnt cheap. Great vid.
For many years I've only heard of excellent reviews about REL Subwoofers. A must have for serious audiophiles. Now compare them to HSU VTF-TN1 15" Subwoofer. The features, warranty and the price makes these a serious option.
I don't think HSU and REL have anything in common brother. As far as I know there are only 2 SQ brands for home subwoofers. REL & Rythmik, that's it. Everyone else either makes SPL subs or something inbetween.
Did you try the wireless module? Ow and diminishing returns is about less value per money unit and not that there is more performance for more money. At some point you are spending 5x the money to get the last bit of o,1% value
no, I do not have the wireless module. Yes I understand dimishing returns, I still have not experienced it is what I'm saying. I have yet to come across a product where it's improvement was very small over the price increase of the previous model. I'm sure it exists but I think the phrase gets thrown around anytime something is expensive as a way for people to cope.
Great rewie 😃 How is the S510 compard aginst the ht1205mk2 in raw power output? I got 2 ht1205mk2 and is missing details and fines - And is looking at the 510 but will it make room pressure as the ht1205mk2?
I don't have a way to test that so I'm not sure, if I had to guess I think they are really close in terms of raw output but I think you should contact REL to get the best answer.
Great review, once again! I've been wondering how the proce equivalent rel would compare to the JL e110 (I had a lot of fun with my e110, but have moved on from it, now running a Dali euphonia as2 subwoofer, much more detail). I haven't heard the S line yet, I was kind of turned off passive radiator subs after owning a Sunfire signature subwoofer, that thing was awful.
I don't really consider REL a PR sub. I consider all REL's to be sealed subs. I know what you mean though, most PR subs just sound like compact vented subs. REL takes a unique approach in their PR design to the point they sound completely different which is why I consider them sealed subs.
@NemoPropaganda You used the High Level when you tested the S/510 or you used the Low level connection like you do at times with other Rel subs? Thanks.
@@berj79 it really depends on the rest of your gear but it can be a big difference or a small difference. My preamp has a really good pre-out section so the difference isn't that big for me but when I tested on iotaVX the difference was more substantial.
The REL is probably the ultimate 10" subwoofer offering probably the best blend of SQ & SPL but price aside, the biggest issue for me is that its rather big for a sealed 10 inch.
I think if you want that ink black background integration of a sub using a quality active high pass crossover will get you those results, even with fast speakers like electrostats. This REL looks awesome, great review.
while I don't personally use them I do agree highpass setups make subwoofer setup & integration a breeze! Who makes a good one though? I know there is the pricey JL option and then there are the various DSP's available but I've always wondered if anyone made an affordable one that just got the job done without dsp.
@@NemoPropaganda I use an sublime acoustic active crossover. Its excellent quality analog crossover. They make 2 models K231 and K235 one about $600 the other around $1000.
Great review and comparison! Loved it and would love to hear one sometime. I wonder if the 812 would be the best of both worlds and could handle movies well. Take care man
@@NemoPropaganda was just thinking that the 812 being a little bigger would be closer to the ht 1510 and could play lower but still faster. I’m sure that all would satisfy 99 percent of people out there.
I own 2 S510 and I love them. IMO the only problem I have is it just stops around 20-25 hz. I believe these are more for 2 channel music vs a dedicated movie theater. If you are doing double duty then these will work great.
it shouldn't stop at 25hz unless your room is very short and you're simply too close to the sub, that's a common problem with desktop guys. I don't remember the lengths but 20hz waves are incredibly long. If you room is very short you can still get crazy extension but you really need to DSP the hell out of everything. I had a buddy who's room only had a depth of 8ft so that was a big problem for him, he eventually was able to get down to 10hz but it took dual 18's and loads of DSP.
Interesting. I own only one S/510 and it does an incredible job with music when paired with my Heresy IVs in a very large room (26x48 ft with cathedral ceilings). But, it's just barely acceptable for HT duty. For music, I have it set at slightly less than 30%, but when I watch movies, I turn it up to 100%. Entirely different use cases for sure, and perhaps not a fair comparison. But, I may eventually get a Predator solely for HT use. Before I do, I plan to get a second S/510 to see if that addresses my HT gap. Let's see.
@@Artemis_Prix woo that's a massive room! I'm jealous!! I don't think there are many 10" subs that would do that room justice so I'd say you're lucky if the S510 is even barely cutting it for theater. That size room is dual predators bare minimum!
@yamafanboy5514 most modern subs have a subsonic filter but I doubt it would be that high up in the freq range, for something like the S510 i'd guess its around 16hz but I'm really just guessing here :)
Nemo mate another question. I know it is frowned upon to mix subs from different brands. I have a Kef KF92 which I adore. It has transformed music for me. I am however in that dilemma whether KF92 is fast enough. Now I am planning a 2nd sub and eyeing s/510 thinking I can somehow integrate both. My speaker are Kef R3 and 80% music. Do you think I will be able to make KF92 and s/510 work together? Are they vastly different in their approach? Thank you!
Yes very different, the S510 is a purist sub, no DSP and nearly zero group delay while the KF92 has a lot of DSP happening, if you add an S510 to your system you'll stop using the KF92 for music. You might still use the KF92 for theater for LFE but with music you'll end up disconnecting the KF92. I like the KF92 a lot for it's extension but it's not even close, you won't want to use both. It's like having a Camry and then you buy a Lexus and keep the Camry also, you won't drive the camry anymore no matter how much you loved it.
Nice review like always! i hope you review the Sigberg 10D subwoofer one day, its almost the same price as the Rel S510. It uses dual 10 inch Scan Speak Discovery drivers with a Hypex FA501 amp, one of the best components available today. For the size i think its almost the best subwoofer for music, it has way more midbase then even a JL E112 subwoofer. A written review is on the Audioholics website, they like it al lot there also.
The 10D is basically a small version of the dali euphonia as2 subwoofer. I'm currently running an as2 with scanspeak 30w drivers, powered by Dayton sa1000, possibly the best sub I've ever heard
How do you integate subs into your system for reviews? Do you blend with your main speakers, or, use a crossover to high pass to the mains and low pass to the sub?
I've owned a lot of high end subwoofers, including various rels, velodynes, paradigm, JL audio, dali, and more recently PERLISTEN! Have you considered reviewing a Perlisten sub? They're quite expensive BUT they have recently released an entry level R series. I find that these subs have the best of rel and JL (yeah opposite ends of the spectrum, i know). I have the d215s, and it is without a doubt the best subwoofer i have ever heard. Perhaps you could take a look at the r210?
@@NemoPropaganda okay, and how would you say it compares to 1510 in terms of bass extention? Does it hit those low-20s frequencies with similar authority?
Whelp, was looking into a pair of t7x or T9x’s. Now I am considering getting one of these fml lol 😂. Gotta talk to Rel now see what they say would be better for my setup tho. Great review!
Does Rel s510 also move when play loud as t9x? My friend had two t9x's and they moved a little when play hard..also is rel s510 much better then rythmik F12 SE?
REL subwoofers all have clear plastic on the bottom of the footer that you are supposed to remove. The only time I seen the sub move is when the customer didn't remove the clear plastic from the footer. No the S510 did not move at all, it is very heavy and the feet are very grippy.
@@NemoPropaganda tnx great to know I must ask him if he removed it. What about SQ between S510 vs F12 SE? I know that there is price difference but I didn't here none of those two so just so I can imagine the difference?
It’s a good sub, but some caution. I love many genres of music. Everything is fine with level set to low. It reinforces the main speakers, subtly. If you set the base to a high setting gain, you will likely bottom out the sub even with rock, pop, jazz and that kind of music if the volume is high. Mine is at approx 6 clicks on gain and it’s more than enough. The base will be excessive anyway at high gain settings. It will be ok at good volumes. However, switch to rap…..the recording levels of this kind of music is way higher and bass is really big and powerful. The S510 will struggle immediately at high volume levels. I am very cautious when selecting hip hop or rap. This sub cannot handle that level of base at high volumes.
I enjoyed the review! It would be interesting to hear the S510, sounds like quite the sub! I had a Rel T9x and went to a Rythmik F12, not even close to be fair, the Rel paled in comparison in every category.
@@NemoPropaganda Money wise they were pretty similarly priced, but it truthfully wasn't much of a fight once they were dialed in. Both were paired with the Buchardt S400 MKII. The F12 just sounded much better, especially with instruments, guitars, orchestra etc. I ended up going dual F12's and its been beautiful! I have a music only system, perhaps the Rel may be better in home theater? In the visual department, I'll give props to the Rel.
@@stevehuhta1876 oh yeah that makes more sense, I use Rythmik with my S400 MK2 also :). I had dual F12SE originally but sold one because the pair was absolute overkill in my room.
Nice to hear that! I'm also interested in upgrading from the T9i to the F12. May I ask how you connected both subwoofers? Have you tried using the high-level input on the REL? I really like how the REL integrates into my system-it completely disappears. Is the F12 as good?
I have a pair if pmc fact 8 speakers. I find they are lacking in the lower frequencies and was debating between new speakers or adding a sub. My worry about adding a sub is how well it integrates. My speakers simply disappear, Sound coming from the back wall. Does the bass disappear into your speakers stage ?
Big fan here Nemo! I have the 510. I downgraded from the s812. It was too much of a good thing. I have the Sonus Faber Sonetto viii’s. They have 6” woofers that pair best with the s510’s 10”. I have a Parasound halo, Denafrips ares ii which I’ll be upgrading sometime. People don’t think I have a sub. They just think my fronts go down really low. I have it blended beautifully. I have the LFE for HT to Anthem avm70 and the high level via REL’s blue cable to Parasound a51 . Sounds good Real good actually.
Nice! I'm not surprised, there really is such a thing as too much sub for music systems and there are times the smaller model is better. In my room the pair of T7X are perfect, as much as I love the added force a pair of T9X bring me my room is just too small to accomodate them properly. Sound like you have a great setup!
Did you try the regular speakon cable before moving on up to Rels Blue cable, and if so, can you relay the improvements if indeed there were any? Nice setup, btw
I already reviewed the E110, I don't think there will be any additional insight provided by the larger model. JL also doesn't send review samples so I'd have to buy it with my own money which makes revieweing it very prohibitive.
Hey all. I have T/7X at the moment. Looking to upgrade. 2nd T/7X or S510 or JL E110?. My room is 5M x 5M (I am in in Australia) and I listen at fairly loud volumes (95dB). Thank you.
Get a pair of the S510. T7x is weak sauce compared to s510. Listening to Sam Smith Unholy track or Vini Vici Makes us Stronger and fully turned up it vibrates the house. T9x could not produce the same weight let alone T7x. I went from T7x, T9x and s510 and it’s not even close. Your family or house next door may tell you to turn it down. S510 are not subs you own in an apartment 😬. 95db with a pair of s510 in your house means your house is about to go for liftoff 😁
@@andywalters6753 mine has no hums. In fact properly setup, I could not locate either s510s when listening to recordings and forgot they were playing. The bass was always appearing to come from the center on some recordings or behind the back wall. If you have hum I would check the gear and cabling.
Perlisten is the $5000 one I was referring to at the end of the video :). I almost reviewed it but it comes on a pallet and that makes it a no-go for me. Based on it's design Perlisten looks like its more in the direction of JL Audio but I'm really just guessing here.
@NemoPropaganda good to know 😀 Thank you! I am trying to decide on a sub to go with my Bryston Mini T's. The Rythmik D15SE that I have doesn't seem to be the best match for my music only system. These Bryston's have been a pain to dial in. I was looking at the S/510, matching Bryston Mini T sub, or the Perlisten R210. I will probably go with either the Bryston or the S/510. But I have a hard time believing 2 8's will give me what I need 😀 Especially for $5k.
@@shawnpetersen9429 really? The E15 is an incredibly good subwoofer with world class fidelty and SQ, I'm surprised it's not working well for you. It may be too large for the room perhaps?
Maybe. For what ever reason I just haven't been able to get it to blend well with the Bryston speakers. Some songs sound great, and others not so much. It wouldn't be because it's down firing, would it? On some tracks I can hear slight breakup or distortion and it goes away when I turn off the sub. To be honest these Bryaton Mini T's have been kind of a pain to dial in my room. I thought an all Bryston system would be great, but I'm not so sure now.
Is the SVS PC2000 still relevant in today's advances in Subwoofer Tech, size and maybe even affordability? I think it seems to be a forgotten piece of brilliance.. Maybe you'd like to look at it for a review?
I owned a PC2000 many years ago. It absolutely still has it's place. It's a PB2000 in a different shape for those who need that. I wouldn't use one in a music system personally but it's a great LFE sub and I do know many people that enjoy using LFE subs in music systems. If you have a strong taste for exaggerated low end using an LFE sub in a music system maybe a fun option for some.
I have (4) S510's in stereo pairs to go along with Magnepan 3.7's I got to say REL is highly over rated. My main complaint is that the bass is "loose" not tight at all. I hear way more boom than impact. I started out with a pair of T9X's. There wasn't a night and day difference.
I recently bought a pair of Carbon Specials myself so at least we're both putin gour money where our mouth is :). As far as your experience my brother that is really not inline with most peoples experience. I STRONGLY suggest you get with your dealer to figure out wha'ts wrong, at this price point your dealer really shoudl be helping getting these dialed in perefectly. But for sure either something is not setup right or they're not a good fit for the room, getting 4 subs to play together well and with magnepans is no easy task. And the fact that you feel it was not a big upgrade from T9X further tells me something is not right, even REL haters know there is a huge difference between the two. If your dealer is not helping you please contact REL directly and let them know! Or if you prefer jump in my free discord and see if we can help you get things right because that setup should sound freaking awesome!!!
KF92 is considerably smaller and is amazing for anyone looking for maximum extenion out of a tiny package, that's what it does extremely well. In all other aspects it cannot match the S510.
KC92 is a very different type of sub, it's all about having maximum extension out of a small package and great for compact home theater where space is at a premium. The KC92 is great but a good chunk of the price is for the small size. The S510 is superior in all aspects of bass fidelity.
I've 2 S8/12s purchased them in January,l thought this S510 was a little on the small size,l traded in a a HT1510 fir one S812 and sometimes l wish I'd kept it,as 2 S812's are really too powerful for my room
S812s are overkill and s510s does almost everything 812 can do. The jump is not that big from s510 to s812. You need to go to carbon for next level but then you need the space to properly utilize the carbons
@tagtag-connected5263 carbon specials are £4000 gbp/$5000, so in my room, they'd be even more overwhelming,like l implied 1,S812 plus a HT1510 was an amazing combination,getting 2 identical subs in your system ain't always the best thing to do....nor is 2 rel HT1510's as the 1510’s don't do what one S812 can I've had every rel bar the carbon/reference series in my room and one S812 plus a HT1510 was by far the best all round sound I've had
I'm one of the few and very fortunate audiophiles that does not suffer from upgradeitis. My systems been finished and beyond good enough for a long time now :)
Rel seems good but way over priced. I went with the SVS SB16 Ultra. Like the flexibility they provide with their app. Have to be able to tune the sub to the room.
So what you're insinuating is people should just buy an SVS SB16 Ultra-an obnoxiously unrefined "boom sub" that's inaccurate AF on music and as slow and thick as cold molasses-for it's "app, features and price" over another company's subwoofers that you have "no" actual first hand listening experience with according to your own words, one that "seems good" but you just know it's "way overpriced" despite you obviously never actually having even heard one before🤔...That reads more like the type of dubious comment you encounter from people who like to just "shill" for a product's competitors.
SVS and REL don't have any competing products IMO aside from maybe the 1205 MK2 and the SB2000 Pro, aside from that they're totally different products and sound wildly different.
@@NemoPropagandaeven with those two the presentation is different. I bought an SB3000 pro and 1508 and returned the SVS because the Rel sounded so much better (fuller sound, more depth). I’m not talking SPL either
@@marcusmcmurray77 yup! just like speakers have tonal differences IE some are neutral, some are warm, and some are analaytical subwoofers too have different characteristics so our personal taste is always a factor! I'm happy you found one that fits your taste and listening enjoyment :)
Sorry, not trying to offend you, but if "measurements" is where your head is still at over an actual "real world" listening experience, you're simply doing it wrong, that's a lesson many of us already learned "the hard way" a loooong time ago...I've encountered A LOT of hifi gear over the past 40 years that "measured" wonderfully but "sounded" like a busted chainsaw in "real world" applications.
@@MartinHAndersen I have a few times in the past, my stance on sub break in is this: it's real, it's noticeable, about 2-10 hours gets you most of the way there though some extreme SPL models like JL may need upwards of 24 hours or more. I also believe subwoofers sound different after they've been plugged in and turned on for awhile, especially the A/B powered ones like the T/X range. To the point when I a/b subs I leave them both plugged in and only swap rca or high level cables. Everythign I review is broken in before any critical listening. Hope that answers your question :)
Spending 3000 Dollars on a sub with barely any output below 30hz seems crazy to me. If thats what you wanted most good tower speakers can get down to 40-30hz no problem
Hi time traveler, I don't think that's true or fair to say. Most towers don't do much below 40hz, I've seen a few that can get flat down to 30hz but they generally weigh upwareds of 300lbs each and cost well over $15k. If you're just reading specs sure, every speaker company claims their speaker can extend low, that doesn't mean it can. I think you maybe did not watch the whole video but at the end I said "some people just won't believe me" and that's fine but this sub gets down to 20hz. -6dB is simply another way to say +-3db, I know it's confusing but -6dB is the more technically accurate way to to say it. Either way REL has 4 10" models available starting as low as the currently on sale 1003 MK2 at just $599 so it's not like they only make expensive stuff. Most people think a Porsche 911 is too expensive, and most of those people have never driven one. Some products have to be experienced first hand to understand why they are remarkable. REL is widely distributed, it's easy to demo one if you're in the market.
the phrase overpriced is used when discussing value, value is a personal perspective and there is no universal or agreed upon truth so I don't really discuss those things with anyone who disagrees because its personal. It's like arguing about food being too spicy or not spicy enough, your personal taste makes your truth real for you. Though I do understand $3k for a sub is alot of money and not everyone has that in the budget. But there are a bunch of crazy good affordable options out there too, REL themselves has the 1003 MK2 that is considerably more affordable.
"And now, by the power vested in me, I pronounce the REL S510 a top-rated subwoofer." Thanks for the review, minister Nemo! Hope your other gig went well.
I’ll just say… Nemo is spot on all…. I went from a pair of T7Xs to a pair of these… It was eye opening how drastic the improvement is.. The speed and clarity difference is immediately evident. There is 0 bloat to the bass. The scale is night and day… The old adage that you get what you pay for is totally relevant here
10$ I’ll want one before the video ends. Here we go.
Xcelent my beauty. Please make discuss four India sub woover four equalitee and Martin Luther king dreams
Nemo you absolutely nail it when you do your comparisons, you dont just pick the obvious ! (e.g comparing to the JL audio). I'm never left frustrated wishing you had compared it to something that you didn't. One of the best parts of your reviews and so important to your viewers, keep up the good work 👌
Great review @Nemo Propganda. A few years ago, you were instrumental in influencing my decision to become a Rel customer with the review you did on the HT/1205, which I bought after yours and Rel team's gracious answers to my questions. Keep up the good work!
excellent choice, I still love my the HT range, great sub!!
Awesome to see you getting ahold of higher end models! Congrats! Thanks for your effort with these videos!
Im still amazed after getting HT/1205 MkII , the S510 must sound out of this world !!
Wonderful! Thank you for this review, it was long-awaited. Based on your review, I feel like I should demo one when I’m ready to upgrade. Sounds like it ticks so many of my boxes.
Nice review. I considered the S/812 before getting a great deal on a Carbon Special that I could not refuse. The S/S812 sounded excellent and the Carbon Special is a nice step up from it.
Completely agree with your assessment of how well REL subs integrate and disappear. Your description of the bass emerging from ink black background, hearing no difference between the speakers/subwoofer and the sound coming from one place is spot-on.
wooo! congrats! that carbon special is an absolute beauty!
I love the SVS subwoofers and, SVS has the best customer service. My SB 4000 subwoofer was having an issue after six years I contacted SVS hoping they would help me and they came through with flying colors they sent a new amp plate, and now my city is reporting mini earthquakes when my subwoofer is on. Again, thank you, SVS . Now that's customer service.
I agree SVS customer service is very good but why not put this comment on one of my SVS videos instead? I think it would be more helpful that way instead of on a REL video.
Just placed an order based on this review. A demo unit here in Oz costing $3999. Thanks, man, for your honest and thorough reviews. They matter. Can't wait. Because its a 10", not a behemoth. Yet, it sounds large and refined. I had PMC MB2SE before; you can look them up; they were magnificent but just too big for my room. I need better bass than what the poor Harmonix are being asked to deliver. I must work on configuring the upgraded AV8805 I currently use as a preamp into my ARC D240 MKII power amp. With some amazing cables all around, I hope to help the Harmonix relax a little.
awesome, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!!
Excellent review. Thanks for your experienced insights.🙏
I’m incredibly happy with dual S/510s for my 6000 cubic ft room. Started with one but smoothed out the low end extension especially at my LP with the second. Highly recommend it. Thanks for the review Nemo. Always great to get your honest off the cuff opinion.
Been waiting on this review. The t9x was the best sub I've ever heard when it comes to bass quality. I didn't think this could be much better but you made me realise its worth it
It’s not even close. The s510 blows away 9x or 7x. It’s a whole different level and plays harder and reaches deeper. You get a much bigger jump from 9x to s510 than going from s510 to s812. It is the sweet spot and s510 plays close s812 in deep bass but lighter and faster.
Ya S/510 digs much deeper and makes more pressure in the room. I own many subs, look at my post (sort by new) and the S/510 along with my Martin Logan Depth i are permanent keepers. Not gonna sell, will keep them till they die.
Recently I decided that I wanted a new subwoofer. For the last 16 years we have used a B&W ASW610. I went to Best Buy and listened to the Martin Logan 1600X, the bass felt like an out of control nuclear blast. Then I listened to the REL T/9x for the first time. I was impressed by the sound quality. Then I heard REL S/812. I knew right away that was the sound that I was looking for. The REL S/812 is a great subwoofer but it's too big for my space. Then I started looking on TH-cam for information about the S/510. After I watched your video, I decided it's the one for me. I have not heard it yet but, the way you described the features, sound quality, the difference between SQ and SPL subwoofers helped me decide to order the S/510. I also cross shopped JL audio, your analogy using cars as the comparison spoke to me. You sold me the S/510. Thank you.
wooo! Congratulations, that's going to be a HUGE upgrade for you!!! I hope you love it as much as I did, remember subwoofer break-in is real, try to give it a good 10 hours play minimum before you even think about judgeing it, you'll have to constantly turn it down as it breaks in more, have fun!!
Been waiting for your review on this so thanks for delivering Nemo !! I've watched many of your other subwoofer videos in the past and the only decision left to make is S510 or S812. Room is 5x5m, will take a demo from a local dealer and decide from there.
email REl and see what they say :)
As Nemo suggested, contact Rel. But, you're right on point to demo both. With that in mind, note my room is 25x48 ft with 12-18ft cathedral ceilings. Believe me when I say, ONE s/510 is more than enough to charge my room, and I only have it at slightly less than 30% power!
It pairs incredibly well with my Heresy IVs.
Do I want a second one...yes. But, only to smooth out some very minor nulls in my soundstage, but not because I'm wanting of more bass by any means.
BTW, I am a bass head, but I just prefer refined, high-quality bass, over the flouncy stuff.
Hope this was helpful. Good luck.
Thank you for your message .My room is 18ft x 18ft and your input has confirmed the s510 would be perfect
@@Artemis_Prix
Have 2 of these. One of the few subwoofers I own that I would never get rid of. I will use them till they die. My subs are:
4x Martin Logan Depth i (my all time favorite and I think one of the best subwoofers under $3000 period. There is absolutely nothing like this that I've heard. Super tight, hits super hard, digs super deep. There is not one thing I can knock on these not one).
2x REL S/510 (used in my 2 channel setup)
2x REL T/7x (used as LFE's for family room TV setup)
1x REL T/7i (for toddler's 2 channel setup in her room)
1x REL S/2 (in my home office)
2x REL HT/1510 (in home theater, work in progress)
1x Klipsh Cinema sub (comes with the Cinema 600 soundbar) (bedroom)
Used to own:
2x SVS SB-1000 Pro (more emphasis on lowest octaves and not as refined in mid bass).
2x Klipsch R-12SW (can shake the house but boomy)
1x Martin Logan Dynamo 300 (gifted to my brother in law)
Hey Nemo, great review and well worth the wait. I bought a S/510 in December that replaced a Rythmik E15HP2 and I completely agree with your assessment of their differences. The fidelity, detail, and lightning fast transitions make the E15HP2 feel a bit slow and less defined by comparison even though it’s a detailed and fast sub in its own right. At this point, I would give the nod to the S/510 because I value the detail more than I value ability to play lower and louder. S/812 next?
nice! yeah the e15hp2 is very capable, it has the transients of the much smaller T9X which is a serious accomplishment considering how large it is but somehow the S510 manages to say "hold my beer". I'm not sure I'll cover the S812, I've covered a lot of REL subs in a very short period of time and need to cover seme other brands :)
@@NemoPropaganda
Hi there, I personally think it’s perfect time to cover another Rel such as S812 sooner than later while the review of S510 is still fresh in your memory. For accurate comparison between the two models.👍
Really enjoyed that review mate thanks! I have a very small room and am going to upgrade from a T7x, was going to go straight to an 812 but this has made me realise I need to try one of these first
If it's a music only system check with REL first or your dealer, their S line really are designed to work in certain room sizes. Series HT & TX can pretty much be shoved in any room. I'm just thinking if you room is pretty small a T9X might be the wiser choice. If you do theater also by all means go for the bigger S510 :D
@NemoPropaganda hey man thanks for that reply. I have tried to put it out of my head but the way you describe this sub makes it impossible! I have been to my local hifi dealer and they are going to lend me one to try next month after I've done a couple more upgrades and I am hoping it can work!
@@hubertcumberdale3063 in home trial is the best thing you can do!! If you're not getting extension then the room is too small and you need T9X or 1205 MK2 instead. If you're getting good extension to 25hz or lower then it it's a good fit for the room!
Amazing review. I have an SVS SB2000 Pro that sounds so...ponderous. It can't keep up with fast bass lines. It's so frustrating. I was thinking of replacing it with a REL T9x. But now I want one of these! Would this overpower a 12x18ft room?
Since your question is about room size and which REL sub to get I suggest you contact them directly. They have more experience than I do with their own subs in various rooms but based off my experience I think you have the perfect room size for an S510 or T9X and it will really be your personal taste for output & extension that determine which is best. If you want a sonic upgrade without any loss in extnesion that would be the S510, if you don't mind giving up some extension the T9X is also outstanding and smaller overall but doesn't get as low as the S510.
Saving for later. Really interested in versus Rhythmik. Performance not lacquer.
Hey there another great review.. I am waiting for you to review the Rel Carbon special.. That will be interesting.
soon... ish...
I love my s510. I went from T9/x to s510 and it added everything I thought the T9/x was missing. For a medium to largish room the s510 is fantastic. For small room the T9/x is also great. It’s all about size requirements with subs. If you have a large room get a large sub.. or two.
Another excellent review, thank you!! (911 is great... I couldn't afford one, so I bought a 944 🤭)
Great review as always!
I have a couple of S812 in stereo, Im having some problems with phase settings, REL recommends you have to set the phase where it sounds louder,fuller and complements with the front speakers...i do that, but some times it sounds a little muddy and not clean ( set at 180) do I have to decrease the volume or increase the crossover of the subs?
When I change to phase 0 the bass decrease a lot and its not punchy with a very low hz bass.
Do you have any experience?
Regards,
I have a feeling your freq is set too high, many people make the mistake of cranking the freq know to 2 oclock or higher on REL's, try leaving your gain where it is and bring the freq down in 2 click increments and see what happens. Ultimately no sub is perfect for every room and we all have some imperfections at certain frequencies in our rooms we just have to live with but hopefully this helps. With the S510 and most speaker pairings I had my freq knob only around 4 clicks so almost all the way down.
@@NemoPropaganda will try it. Thank you!!
Nemo, this is something I tweeted to REL a long time ago as well. They used to carry a starting entry level S series sub in the last generation, the S/2 which was priced at $1499 and had all the performance features of the S series but in a smaller scale. It was a bonafide S series sub. The issue is there is no sub that fills the gap price wise or size wise between the T/9x and the S/510. If somenone wants something better than T/9x but not spend $3000 per sub, they really should offer a sub at $2000 that is S series but smaller scale.
This is a serious miss on their part. Audi and BMW sell a tonne of cars, but their biggest sellers are the entry cars in the brand, not the flagships. Folks want the experience of the German car but not have to spend $60k+ to do it. BMW 3 series, Audi A3/A4 are their biggest sellers by far. They're the most feasible, it makes sense.
I hear ya but I'm not sure the S510 can get any smaller though.
@@NemoPropaganda look up the Rel S/2. I own this. It's -6 dB mid 20Hz (this was from the previous S line, before T/x). They can make a smaller S/510 sub with 8" driver and 10" passive
@@cyberathlete you don't thin kthat would get outperformed by the T9x?
I would think those interested in mostly music would easily pull the trigger for a smaller S series over the T9
I really enjoy and trust your reviews! All of my audio equipment is in a rack in a separate room from my theater/music room. I only have a coaxial run to wire my subwoofer. Will the S510 sound as good if it is only wired with an LFE?
half the time I was using it I was using RCA cables, as long as the sub can produce the bass quantity your room needs it should sound great either way. Just keep in mind on many AVR's LFE out is for movie effects only. If you do wan't to run high level for some reason you can also tap off the back of your speakers.
Jaw on floor. I can't believe it took you so long to get around to reviewing these. I started with the T9/X, then decided to get one of these. And yes, the difference was amazing. Wish I had the room for a "six pack". But I am very, very happy with the 2 I have. Are you going to keep it? Great review, btw!
probably not, I already I have a pair of T7X subs and I don't really suffer from the upgrade bug.
Hi, Thank you for your review. What is the best subwoofer integration ? High-level connectors or some a pre-amplifers has subwoofer output which filters signal and take some weight from main speakears. Btw a lot of time passed since S510 released, will be there newer versions? Buchardt announced new subwoofer. Hope you can review it.
I have the buchardt sub and will review it soon, as far as REL's future plans I don't know, companies rarely tell me anything early, and if they do it's usually only a few days or weeks early. As far as best subwoofer setup, there is no best, it depends on the rest of the system and the room.
Love it! I have really been waiting on this review as I don’t think you bullshit us.
My question… my room size is 13x16 feet. My mains are Dynaudio Heritage Specials which are really quick speakers. Rel says I should be using the S510 even with my small room. I’m currently using T7x. Thoughts? What size is your room? Was the S510 an issue like too much?
Thanks again!
T7x is probably the fastest/most transient in the T/x range. S510 will give you that and then some as Nemo mentioned. It will play louder so in that size room it will be far more impactful. You will likely have to turn down the gain. In comparison have (2) REL T9x in stereo config in a 18x24 with 8ft ceiling room and I had to turn mine down to blend them with my ATC SCM 19's which are similar in size to the heritage but have less bass. I think one will still work in that size room. 2 might be a bit much or just won't be able to leverage all of its' potential output wise unless you like it loud at times 100db.
I think your room is a good size for the s510 :)
Couldn't agree more with Brian, one S/510 is more than enough to power my room (26x48ft with 12-18 ft cathedral ceilings) when paired with Heresy IVs.
Note, I only have the Rel set at a little less than 30%.
One will be more than enough for your use case, and as Brian said, you'll likely want to turn the gain dial down even further to ensure ideal blending.
Good luck.
If had the money.... I have had two REL, small ones and i have listened to several. They really are the best subs i have heard. Even the cheaper ones. But it comes with a pretty high price. But fidelity isnt cheap. Great vid.
For many years I've only heard of excellent reviews about REL Subwoofers. A must have for serious
audiophiles. Now compare them to
HSU VTF-TN1 15" Subwoofer. The features, warranty and the price makes these a serious option.
I don't think HSU and REL have anything in common brother. As far as I know there are only 2 SQ brands for home subwoofers. REL & Rythmik, that's it. Everyone else either makes SPL subs or something inbetween.
Did you try the wireless module?
Ow and diminishing returns is about less value per money unit and not that there is more performance for more money. At some point you are spending 5x the money to get the last bit of o,1% value
no, I do not have the wireless module. Yes I understand dimishing returns, I still have not experienced it is what I'm saying. I have yet to come across a product where it's improvement was very small over the price increase of the previous model. I'm sure it exists but I think the phrase gets thrown around anytime something is expensive as a way for people to cope.
Great rewie 😃 How is the S510 compard aginst the ht1205mk2 in raw power output?
I got 2 ht1205mk2 and is missing details and fines - And is looking at the 510 but will it make room pressure as the ht1205mk2?
I don't have a way to test that so I'm not sure, if I had to guess I think they are really close in terms of raw output but I think you should contact REL to get the best answer.
Great review, once again! I've been wondering how the proce equivalent rel would compare to the JL e110 (I had a lot of fun with my e110, but have moved on from it, now running a Dali euphonia as2 subwoofer, much more detail).
I haven't heard the S line yet, I was kind of turned off passive radiator subs after owning a Sunfire signature subwoofer, that thing was awful.
I don't really consider REL a PR sub. I consider all REL's to be sealed subs. I know what you mean though, most PR subs just sound like compact vented subs. REL takes a unique approach in their PR design to the point they sound completely different which is why I consider them sealed subs.
@NemoPropaganda You used the High Level when you tested the S/510 or you used the Low level connection like you do at times with other Rel subs?
Thanks.
I used both :)
@@NemoPropaganda So is the High level really that much better as Rel claim?
@@berj79 it really depends on the rest of your gear but it can be a big difference or a small difference. My preamp has a really good pre-out section so the difference isn't that big for me but when I tested on iotaVX the difference was more substantial.
The REL is probably the ultimate 10" subwoofer offering probably the best blend of SQ & SPL but price aside, the biggest issue for me is that its rather big for a sealed 10 inch.
nothing wrong with that, most people will like one or the other, very few people will enjoy both sides of the spectrum.
I think if you want that ink black background integration of a sub using a quality active high pass crossover will get you those results, even with fast speakers like electrostats. This REL looks awesome, great review.
while I don't personally use them I do agree highpass setups make subwoofer setup & integration a breeze! Who makes a good one though? I know there is the pricey JL option and then there are the various DSP's available but I've always wondered if anyone made an affordable one that just got the job done without dsp.
@@NemoPropaganda I use an sublime acoustic active crossover. Its excellent quality analog crossover. They make 2 models K231 and K235 one about $600 the other around $1000.
Great review and comparison! Loved it and would love to hear one sometime. I wonder if the 812 would be the best of both worlds and could handle movies well. Take care man
I think they can both handle movies my bro, the 812 is just for the guy that has the bigger room!
@@NemoPropaganda was just thinking that the 812 being a little bigger would be closer to the ht 1510 and could play lower but still faster. I’m sure that all would satisfy 99 percent of people out there.
I own 2 S510 and I love them. IMO the only problem I have is it just stops around 20-25 hz.
I believe these are more for 2 channel music vs a dedicated movie theater. If you are doing double duty then these will work great.
it shouldn't stop at 25hz unless your room is very short and you're simply too close to the sub, that's a common problem with desktop guys. I don't remember the lengths but 20hz waves are incredibly long. If you room is very short you can still get crazy extension but you really need to DSP the hell out of everything. I had a buddy who's room only had a depth of 8ft so that was a big problem for him, he eventually was able to get down to 10hz but it took dual 18's and loads of DSP.
Interesting. I own only one S/510 and it does an incredible job with music when paired with my Heresy IVs in a very large room (26x48 ft with cathedral ceilings).
But, it's just barely acceptable for HT duty.
For music, I have it set at slightly less than 30%, but when I watch movies, I turn it up to 100%.
Entirely different use cases for sure, and perhaps not a fair comparison. But, I may eventually get a Predator solely for HT use. Before I do, I plan to get a second S/510 to see if that addresses my HT gap.
Let's see.
@@Artemis_Prix woo that's a massive room! I'm jealous!! I don't think there are many 10" subs that would do that room justice so I'd say you're lucky if the S510 is even barely cutting it for theater. That size room is dual predators bare minimum!
@yamafanboy5514 most modern subs have a subsonic filter but I doubt it would be that high up in the freq range, for something like the S510 i'd guess its around 16hz but I'm really just guessing here :)
Nemo mate another question. I know it is frowned upon to mix subs from different brands. I have a Kef KF92 which I adore. It has transformed music for me. I am however in that dilemma whether KF92 is fast enough. Now I am planning a 2nd sub and eyeing s/510 thinking I can somehow integrate both. My speaker are Kef R3 and 80% music. Do you think I will be able to make KF92 and s/510 work together? Are they vastly different in their approach? Thank you!
Yes very different, the S510 is a purist sub, no DSP and nearly zero group delay while the KF92 has a lot of DSP happening, if you add an S510 to your system you'll stop using the KF92 for music. You might still use the KF92 for theater for LFE but with music you'll end up disconnecting the KF92. I like the KF92 a lot for it's extension but it's not even close, you won't want to use both. It's like having a Camry and then you buy a Lexus and keep the Camry also, you won't drive the camry anymore no matter how much you loved it.
@@NemoPropaganda thanks mate! Well explained.
Awwww yeah been waiting for this.. have a chance to pickup a pair used for a decent price. Just not sure if it was worth a premium over t9x.
Nice review like always! i hope you review the Sigberg 10D subwoofer one day, its almost the same price as the Rel S510.
It uses dual 10 inch Scan Speak Discovery drivers with a Hypex FA501 amp, one of the best components available today.
For the size i think its almost the best subwoofer for music, it has way more midbase then even a JL E112 subwoofer.
A written review is on the Audioholics website, they like it al lot there also.
I never heard of that brand before but if they're willing to send a review sample I'll happily check one out :)
The 10D is basically a small version of the dali euphonia as2 subwoofer.
I'm currently running an as2 with scanspeak 30w drivers, powered by Dayton sa1000, possibly the best sub I've ever heard
@@NemoPropaganda Just got a tip about this video and comment, I am sure we can make that happen. Will reach out to you on discord. :)
I'm looking forward to the sigberg 10d review! That'll be a great competitor to the rel s510/812
How do you integate subs into your system for reviews? Do you blend with your main speakers, or, use a crossover to high pass to the mains and low pass to the sub?
I blend by ear :)
I've owned a lot of high end subwoofers, including various rels, velodynes, paradigm, JL audio, dali, and more recently PERLISTEN!
Have you considered reviewing a Perlisten sub? They're quite expensive BUT they have recently released an entry level R series.
I find that these subs have the best of rel and JL (yeah opposite ends of the spectrum, i know).
I have the d215s, and it is without a doubt the best subwoofer i have ever heard.
Perhaps you could take a look at the r210?
I have a 100lb weight limit which stops me from revieweing larger subs, maybe one of their smaller subs in the future :)
Great review! Does it dig as deep as HT1508?
I never heard the original 1508 only the 1510.
@@NemoPropaganda okay, and how would you say it compares to 1510 in terms of bass extention? Does it hit those low-20s frequencies with similar authority?
@@krzysztofgilowski1736 both subs measure down to 20hz, the significantly larger 1510 can play those lower frequencies at louder volumes.
Whelp, was looking into a pair of t7x or T9x’s. Now I am considering getting one of these fml lol 😂. Gotta talk to Rel now see what they say would be better for my setup tho. Great review!
soooo this is not the $300 sub you were teasing huh? 🤣 Great review none the less!
Does Rel s510 also move when play loud as t9x? My friend had two t9x's and they moved a little when play hard..also is rel s510 much better then rythmik F12 SE?
REL subwoofers all have clear plastic on the bottom of the footer that you are supposed to remove. The only time I seen the sub move is when the customer didn't remove the clear plastic from the footer. No the S510 did not move at all, it is very heavy and the feet are very grippy.
@@NemoPropaganda tnx great to know I must ask him if he removed it. What about SQ between S510 vs F12 SE? I know that there is price difference but I didn't here none of those two so just so I can imagine the difference?
It’s a good sub, but some caution. I love many genres of music. Everything is fine with level set to low. It reinforces the main speakers, subtly. If you set the base to a high setting gain, you will likely bottom out the sub even with rock, pop, jazz and that kind of music if the volume is high. Mine is at approx 6 clicks on gain and it’s more than enough. The base will be excessive anyway at high gain settings. It will be ok at good volumes. However, switch to rap…..the recording levels of this kind of music is way higher and bass is really big and powerful. The S510 will struggle immediately at high volume levels. I am very cautious when selecting hip hop or rap. This sub cannot handle that level of base at high volumes.
of course the S510 is still a 10" sub at the end of the day, a single 10" sub from any brand will have its limits when pushed.
I enjoyed the review! It would be interesting to hear the S510, sounds like quite the sub! I had a Rel T9x and went to a Rythmik F12, not even close to be fair, the Rel paled in comparison in every category.
really? of course the F12 is a top tier sub, can extend much lower and play much louder but in regards to fidelity i felt the two were about equal.
@@NemoPropaganda Money wise they were pretty similarly priced, but it truthfully wasn't much of a fight once they were dialed in. Both were paired with the Buchardt S400 MKII.
The F12 just sounded much better, especially with instruments, guitars, orchestra etc. I ended up going dual F12's and its been beautiful! I have a music only system, perhaps the Rel may be better in home theater? In the visual department, I'll give props to the Rel.
@@stevehuhta1876 oh yeah that makes more sense, I use Rythmik with my S400 MK2 also :). I had dual F12SE originally but sold one because the pair was absolute overkill in my room.
Nice to hear that! I'm also interested in upgrading from the T9i to the F12. May I ask how you connected both subwoofers? Have you tried using the high-level input on the REL? I really like how the REL integrates into my system-it completely disappears. Is the F12 as good?
I have a pair if pmc fact 8 speakers. I find they are lacking in the lower frequencies and was debating between new speakers or adding a sub. My worry about adding a sub is how well it integrates. My speakers simply disappear, Sound coming from the back wall. Does the bass disappear into your speakers stage ?
yes, REL is very good with that. as long as you setup the REL properly it will simply make your speakers sound larger.
Loved your comparison between audiophiles n theater guys !!!
Good afternoon!!!! Gorgeous sub!!!! Are you going to Axpona in Chicago????
yes, will be booking my hotel & flight later this week :)
Big fan here Nemo! I have the 510. I downgraded from the s812. It was too much of a good thing. I have the Sonus Faber Sonetto viii’s. They have 6” woofers that pair best with the s510’s 10”. I have a Parasound halo, Denafrips ares ii which I’ll be upgrading sometime. People don’t think I have a sub. They just think my fronts go down really low. I have it blended beautifully. I have the LFE for HT to Anthem avm70 and the high level via REL’s blue cable to Parasound a51 . Sounds good Real good actually.
Nice! I'm not surprised, there really is such a thing as too much sub for music systems and there are times the smaller model is better. In my room the pair of T7X are perfect, as much as I love the added force a pair of T9X bring me my room is just too small to accomodate them properly. Sound like you have a great setup!
Did you try the regular speakon cable before moving on up to Rels Blue cable, and if so, can you relay the improvements if indeed there were any?
Nice setup, btw
Kef KC92 next? 🤝
no, I don't have a review sample yet, hopefully soon :)
Any thoughts on how it compares to arendals top sub?
Arendal does not have any comparable product.
Great review and you're right, and that's coming from a Velodyne DD owner great SUB. Dont listen to the haters buddy.
Was the output better than 2 T9x’s for HT
since my entire focus is 2ch stereo I think you will get a more reliable answer from REL directly since they make both products.
Now we need the S812 & Carbon Special Review lol
maybe in the future :)
Would love you to review the jl audio e112.
I already reviewed the E110, I don't think there will be any additional insight provided by the larger model. JL also doesn't send review samples so I'd have to buy it with my own money which makes revieweing it very prohibitive.
How does it compare to B&W 10 inch subwoofer
B&W subwoofers are priced very poorly in the USA so I don't review them. They do make good stuff but nothing like the S510.
Hey all. I have T/7X at the moment. Looking to upgrade. 2nd T/7X or S510 or JL E110?. My room is 5M x 5M (I am in in Australia) and I listen at fairly loud volumes (95dB). Thank you.
Get a pair of the S510. T7x is weak sauce compared to s510. Listening to Sam Smith Unholy track or Vini Vici Makes us Stronger and fully turned up it vibrates the house. T9x could not produce the same weight let alone T7x. I went from T7x, T9x and s510 and it’s not even close. Your family or house next door may tell you to turn it down. S510 are not subs you own in an apartment 😬. 95db with a pair of s510 in your house means your house is about to go for liftoff 😁
@@tagtag-connected5263 Thank you for the reply. Does the S510 suffer from REL's hum like the 7X?
@@andywalters6753 mine has no hums. In fact properly setup, I could not locate either s510s when listening to recordings and forgot they were playing. The bass was always appearing to come from the center on some recordings or behind the back wall. If you have hum I would check the gear and cabling.
@andywalters6753, I was just wondering if you happen to sort your grounding out? If indeed the noise was caused from grounding
I would love to see what you think of a Bryston or Perlisten sub.
Perlisten is the $5000 one I was referring to at the end of the video :). I almost reviewed it but it comes on a pallet and that makes it a no-go for me. Based on it's design Perlisten looks like its more in the direction of JL Audio but I'm really just guessing here.
@NemoPropaganda good to know 😀 Thank you! I am trying to decide on a sub to go with my Bryston Mini T's. The Rythmik D15SE that I have doesn't seem to be the best match for my music only system. These Bryston's have been a pain to dial in. I was looking at the S/510, matching Bryston Mini T sub, or the Perlisten R210. I will probably go with either the Bryston or the S/510. But I have a hard time believing 2 8's will give me what I need 😀 Especially for $5k.
@@shawnpetersen9429 really? The E15 is an incredibly good subwoofer with world class fidelty and SQ, I'm surprised it's not working well for you. It may be too large for the room perhaps?
Maybe. For what ever reason I just haven't been able to get it to blend well with the Bryston speakers. Some songs sound great, and others not so much. It wouldn't be because it's down firing, would it? On some tracks I can hear slight breakup or distortion and it goes away when I turn off the sub. To be honest these Bryaton Mini T's have been kind of a pain to dial in my room. I thought an all Bryston system would be great, but I'm not so sure now.
@NemoPropaganda what about the S/510 vs say the Rythmik G22? How does those compare if you don't mind my asking?
2x Rel T/9x or one S/510???
that is a good question to ask REL directly because it depends on your room and rest of your gear.
You're a sick dude Nemo, just so you know. Love your 0 f's given attitude. Keep it rocking and much love ✌
I appreciate that
Is the SVS PC2000 still relevant in today's advances in Subwoofer Tech, size and maybe even affordability? I think it seems to be a forgotten piece of brilliance.. Maybe you'd like to look at it for a review?
I owned a PC2000 many years ago. It absolutely still has it's place. It's a PB2000 in a different shape for those who need that. I wouldn't use one in a music system personally but it's a great LFE sub and I do know many people that enjoy using LFE subs in music systems. If you have a strong taste for exaggerated low end using an LFE sub in a music system maybe a fun option for some.
I have (4) S510's in stereo pairs to go along with Magnepan 3.7's
I got to say REL is highly over rated. My main complaint is that the bass is "loose" not tight at all. I hear way more boom than impact.
I started out with a pair of T9X's. There wasn't a night and day difference.
I recently bought a pair of Carbon Specials myself so at least we're both putin gour money where our mouth is :). As far as your experience my brother that is really not inline with most peoples experience. I STRONGLY suggest you get with your dealer to figure out wha'ts wrong, at this price point your dealer really shoudl be helping getting these dialed in perefectly. But for sure either something is not setup right or they're not a good fit for the room, getting 4 subs to play together well and with magnepans is no easy task. And the fact that you feel it was not a big upgrade from T9X further tells me something is not right, even REL haters know there is a huge difference between the two. If your dealer is not helping you please contact REL directly and let them know! Or if you prefer jump in my free discord and see if we can help you get things right because that setup should sound freaking awesome!!!
How does it compare to Kef KF92?
KF92 is considerably smaller and is amazing for anyone looking for maximum extenion out of a tiny package, that's what it does extremely well. In all other aspects it cannot match the S510.
@@NemoPropagandathanks mate. Love your reviews!
how does this compare to kef kc92?
KC92 is a very different type of sub, it's all about having maximum extension out of a small package and great for compact home theater where space is at a premium. The KC92 is great but a good chunk of the price is for the small size. The S510 is superior in all aspects of bass fidelity.
I've 2 S8/12s purchased them in January,l thought this S510 was a little on the small size,l traded in a a HT1510 fir one S812 and sometimes l wish I'd kept it,as 2 S812's are really too powerful for my room
S812s are overkill and s510s does almost everything 812 can do. The jump is not that big from s510 to s812. You need to go to carbon for next level but then you need the space to properly utilize the carbons
@tagtag-connected5263 carbon specials are £4000 gbp/$5000, so in my room, they'd be even more overwhelming,like l implied 1,S812 plus a HT1510 was an amazing combination,getting 2 identical subs in your system ain't always the best thing to do....nor is 2 rel HT1510's as the 1510’s don't do what one S812 can I've had every rel bar the carbon/reference series in my room and one S812 plus a HT1510 was by far the best all round sound I've had
would it work with klipcsh speaker ?
plz email REL with any questions regarding speaker pairing.
hope u can review the hsu tn1
I've tried to establish a line of communication with Hsu a few times in the past, they don't seem interested in working with me.
Can anyone give a suggestion of a good SQ subs? not looking for SPL, but more quality for music liseting.
budget?
@@NemoPropaganda $2k-$5k.
@@Pabula okay, how about this S510?
@@NemoPropaganda Thanks Neno, i agree, just looking for other options.
@@Pabulathere are not many other options. There are only 2 pure SQ brands. Rythmik & REL.
I don’t care for Porsche anymore after driving and buying a Camaro ZL1 1LE . Great review though like all
the GM Cadillac CTS V
@@NemoPropaganda same platform but I like the Camaro looks better
@@marklloyd4153 The cadillac styling certainly can be polarizing.
@@NemoPropaganda yes it still has some old person styling points I don’t like but great driving car 🚗
@@NemoPropaganda I’m in Florida I take it to Sebring and Daytona for Track days I don’t drive it on the street
I have two of these bad boys and it’s epic. Get the 510s…get one first and then in a year, get another one. ☝️
Is it a keeper for ya or are you still on the hunt?
I'm one of the few and very fortunate audiophiles that does not suffer from upgradeitis. My systems been finished and beyond good enough for a long time now :)
Rel seems good but way over priced. I went with the SVS SB16 Ultra. Like the flexibility they provide with their app. Have to be able to tune the sub to the room.
So what you're insinuating is people should just buy an SVS SB16 Ultra-an obnoxiously unrefined "boom sub" that's inaccurate AF on music and as slow and thick as cold molasses-for it's "app, features and price" over another company's subwoofers that you have "no" actual first hand listening experience with according to your own words, one that "seems good" but you just know it's "way overpriced" despite you obviously never actually having even heard one before🤔...That reads more like the type of dubious comment you encounter from people who like to just "shill" for a product's competitors.
Totally different brands and uses cases. But yes SVS is a better value for SPL subs.
SVS and REL don't have any competing products IMO aside from maybe the 1205 MK2 and the SB2000 Pro, aside from that they're totally different products and sound wildly different.
@@NemoPropagandaeven with those two the presentation is different. I bought an SB3000 pro and 1508 and returned the SVS because the Rel sounded so much better (fuller sound, more depth). I’m not talking SPL either
@@marcusmcmurray77 yup! just like speakers have tonal differences IE some are neutral, some are warm, and some are analaytical subwoofers too have different characteristics so our personal taste is always a factor! I'm happy you found one that fits your taste and listening enjoyment :)
Any measurements? Or just a conversation?
Sorry, not trying to offend you, but if "measurements" is where your head is still at over an actual "real world" listening experience, you're simply doing it wrong, that's a lesson many of us already learned "the hard way" a loooong time ago...I've encountered A LOT of hifi gear over the past 40 years that "measured" wonderfully but "sounded" like a busted chainsaw in "real world" applications.
Come and measure my noise floor if you want ❤
being a subscriber does not give you permission to minimize my process.
You've got the air of a spirit leader about you all of a sudden...
some may say this review is divine :) lololol.
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
3 min track.. like Beethoven 9, eh?
yup
I got two 😊😊
lucky you!
@@NemoPropaganda Thanks. You never talk about sub break-in, why?
@@MartinHAndersen I have a few times in the past, my stance on sub break in is this: it's real, it's noticeable, about 2-10 hours gets you most of the way there though some extreme SPL models like JL may need upwards of 24 hours or more. I also believe subwoofers sound different after they've been plugged in and turned on for awhile, especially the A/B powered ones like the T/X range. To the point when I a/b subs I leave them both plugged in and only swap rca or high level cables. Everythign I review is broken in before any critical listening. Hope that answers your question :)
Spending 3000 Dollars on a sub with barely any output below 30hz seems crazy to me. If thats what you wanted most good tower speakers can get down to 40-30hz no problem
Hi time traveler, I don't think that's true or fair to say. Most towers don't do much below 40hz, I've seen a few that can get flat down to 30hz but they generally weigh upwareds of 300lbs each and cost well over $15k. If you're just reading specs sure, every speaker company claims their speaker can extend low, that doesn't mean it can. I think you maybe did not watch the whole video but at the end I said "some people just won't believe me" and that's fine but this sub gets down to 20hz. -6dB is simply another way to say +-3db, I know it's confusing but -6dB is the more technically accurate way to to say it. Either way REL has 4 10" models available starting as low as the currently on sale 1003 MK2 at just $599 so it's not like they only make expensive stuff. Most people think a Porsche 911 is too expensive, and most of those people have never driven one. Some products have to be experienced first hand to understand why they are remarkable. REL is widely distributed, it's easy to demo one if you're in the market.
2900 for a 10 inch sub that is 6db down at 20 hz 😂😂😂😂😂 obviously for the ultra rich only craziness and I thought svs were overpriced
@yamafanboy5514 home theater and 2 channel mainly why ?
the phrase overpriced is used when discussing value, value is a personal perspective and there is no universal or agreed upon truth so I don't really discuss those things with anyone who disagrees because its personal. It's like arguing about food being too spicy or not spicy enough, your personal taste makes your truth real for you. Though I do understand $3k for a sub is alot of money and not everyone has that in the budget. But there are a bunch of crazy good affordable options out there too, REL themselves has the 1003 MK2 that is considerably more affordable.
I’ve never tested an Sq sub. I may be an Sq guy and not even know it.
if you find most subs fatuge your ears a bit or crush your midrange you might prefer an SQ sub.