This is what I discovered today: making an in-depth REL T9x vs T9i video takes one all friggin' day! I can see why there aren't many of these on TH-cam 😂 But do you even appreciate these sorts of videos? Let me know in the comments please! Remember to truly appreciate the recording YOU NEED headphones - speakers won't work properly with this sort of recording. So...REL T9x vs T9i...thought provoking stuff for some of you looking for a new sub, I'm sure. Hope this video helped you in some way 😅 I would kindly appreciate a like for this video (if you have it in you...go on, you know you want to boys/girls/gender neutral people) .... and subscribe. - MDT
For the people that doesn't have 1 hour time of video to yes or no question. *the Tx sounds less bass presence on subwoofers location so you can hear better base through the speakers for better presence* ( That's the general goal of rel ) But the difference its really microscopic though my experience But If you still don't know the difference... Or trying for hours. Then you should know you should get the T9i. Because money. If you really insist of going to TX series. Go to audio store that can compare those two Ti/Tx But on every room they sound different so its always difficult.
Thanks for this review as I've got a T9i and am adding a T9x. You may be interested to hear REL recommend placing the sub directly on the floor for the best bass and not to use an isolation platform.
Thanks for the info - I think I have already mentioned this in my videos - I tested the iso platform live and in my room I agree that it sounded better connected to the floor
Hi! New subscriber from Argentina. Absolutely agree with your statement that if you only need the lower notes from a sub, like 65hz and down, where there's low rumble instead of punch, it doesn't matter whether the sub is ''fast'' or not, sealed or ported; because of their longer wavelenghts, lower notes tend to linger anyway, the rest of the spectrum is better left to the mains, way better suited for it. Egs: cannonblasts, thunderbolts. YET; it's the FIRST time someone agrees with me on this. My floorstanders go down to 39hz, so my 12'' HT sub does a wonderful job supplementing the 25-65hz region on poor recordings. With good recordings, I don't even bother turning it on. So I'm a rare case of not using a sub to extend the frequency response. Cheers!
Nice comparison and great test tracks. Thanks a lot. Actually thinking about upgrading from a T/7i to a T/9x or S/510. Nice you added the isolator test.
Yes, I did enjoy this vid/breakdown very much, so thanks for the time and effort you put into it. Having a hard time deciding on what sub to get and what to focus on... This kind of vids are a good pointer. Running a Q Acoustics 3060s sub now, but there's clearly some room for improvement (understatement). Btw, cheers on the excellent binaural recordings and also impressed by the Monitor Studio's. How that guitarist jumps out (great tip) and crisp top end, loved it. You rock! 😄👊
Haha one of my friends had that Q Acoustics sub with a package he got from Richer Sounds - quite decent for the size though, but he, too, wanted an upgrade. After speaking to me he now has an SVS PC-2000 Pro! Thanks for the praise of the binaural recordings - other channels measure speakers with those room EQ mics like the Dayton Audio one - but I just felt there are so many other channels that do this, what extra value am I bringing when that data can just be researched. The other issue is my room is different to everyone elses - so how valid and transferrable is that data? Another thing - if I record the speakers and show the graph plots, what does that even mean to the end-user? Are people qualified to read and understand those measurements? I would say 9/10 times, the answer would be no. So for me, the binaural thing just helps me to demonstrate what I'm trying to say in the flesh. I think music and data analysis should not mix too often! Take care Mike!
@@propercushty Thank you for the kind words re. my Q3060s. Now I know for sure I have to replace it fast, lol. Just kidding, it's OK for what it is, have to be realistic about it, lol. It was on sale, but I do regret I didn't buy (also on sale) the SVS SB1000 for a bit more. After your latest sub reviews I def. want to explore the ones you mentioned. So, someday I get there. Now, lets bring the good news to my wife ;) I'm quite happy you act on sane groundlevel re. measurements and data, where I often get lost in the data channels you mentioned. The approach you take 'feels' more sound to me. In other words, I can decide better, if that makes sense. Have a good one and take care.
My brother has the t7x and I have the mk1 1205 but I have a question for the insolation pads. How much difference does it to noise going to the floor below?
Great vid , im looki g at getting a tx9 or tx7. Also considering Arendal, and jlaudio. For 2 channel. I noticed on the sweep at 25hz the t9i produced a decent tone,but the t9x was barely audible. Is this a mic issue or something, or was the t9x less present at 25hz? Cheers.
I also noticed this. I notice at 30hz the t9x jumps up alot, whereas the t9i seemed to roll off a bit less. I don't think it's the microphone because it is pretty flat down to 20hz - and I was there and noticed something similar to what you're saying. If I turned up the t9x any more on the gain (to get a bit more sub-bass), I found that it would put out of balance the higher bass frequencies. This would expose itself too much when listening to music. So it's probably due to the fact I had to calibrate for my room. And that's why DSP is so handy because you can go and chop out these frequency disturbances like a surgeon. But REL don't believe in DSP for reasons I will not go into here lol My previous video on the REL T9x demonstrates the T9x integration within my room where we talk no dsp vs dsp if you're interested th-cam.com/video/dOC1b-MLrh8/w-d-xo.html
To me after treating with various high end and mid priced headphones. The TX was seamless as can be. No brainer. But it’s a bit base messy when it is overloaded. The Ti does better at those volumes. But simply not as seamless.
You like your music with a lot more bass than I do. I did not enjoy the sound at all (using headphones). I guess a REL is overkill for me. Thanks for the video, though.
@@madcrabber1113 Yes, but I can do that with a much less expensive sub given that I just want to add some bottom to my music. I'm dying to audition a REL, but I don't think the cost / benefit will work for me. Thanks for your comment.
Great binaural recording! Thank you for taking the time to do this for us. t9x revealed more harmonics on the bass guitar for sure and sounded more 3d like.
Ugh!!!, What?, another video where you continue to implement and place the subs incorrectly and then complain???? John Hunter, the owner of REL has taken the time to make TH-cam videos on how to implement and place your REL sub so they work as they should ( and that's not on a platform!!!! ). Why do you even own 2 REL subs if you don't like them, lol.
First and foremost thank for making and posting this video,, I enjoyed it very much. Aww man you make me realise I need to get myself a pair of decent headphones! As far as isolators are concerned can you actually 'feel' any difference (vibrations /reverberations) between with or without an isolator?
yeah without the isolator I can feel and hear my house shaking less around me for sure. I'll be doing headphone reviews very soon as soon as I can get hold of some :)
@@propercushtyfortunately even my internal walls and masonry but I still feel I need to take precautions, especially considering I've got neighbours all around me, so I managed to get both of my Rels more than adequately isolated for less than £15 2 × 2" high density foam £9 2 × 1" Masonry tile (slab) £2 Can of black spray £3.50 I used to get complaints all the time form my lovely neighbours part of the reason was probably... previous I was using dual 12" boom boom conventional subwoofers but now I've changed to a pair of high-performance 8" down-firing rels and of course let's not forget there positioned on my professionally homemade isolators. lol I'm not quite sure if it's the rels or the professionally made isolators which gives me reason to call them my neighbour peacemakers! Obviously I'd like to think it's the latter. 😏
I made some videos on this - when you say benefit, do you mean sound quality or vibration? Watch this video with headphones and you should see my take and hear the difference :)
I own two T7x and to me the T9i is sounding more musical than the T9x...like a live bass guitar ✌️...i think the T9x and my own pair of T7x are a little too tight!
None of this explains how many of Rels subs receive so many positive reviews, not just from you tubers but also from established press. It can’t be that they’re all gullible and following a religion as you put it. Your main gripe is with their marketing and lack of measurements, but that is common amongst all industries. You also note a sub can’t be musical but I disagree. Some ARE more musical than others due to their ability to form an invisible crossover and lack of bass over hang. I agree though that if we have the measurements for this we can fairly compare brands but few of them in the commercial world are doing it (and you only have to look across the industry to see how those that do often massage their stats) Finally your comment that if you don’t like rel subscribe and if you like them then don’t just creates an echo chamber of opinion rather than balance. You note in one of your other reviews that people were being abusive toward you (which I don’t condone), but I read this review and you spend a lot of time targeting others. Poor review.
Hello and thank you for your comment. Below are my replies to your separate points: Why do REL get so many positive reviews - If you look in the right places you'll see the majority of audiophiles do not buy into REL. If you look at the mainstream hifi channels they're looking to attract views - positive reviews keep your audience and suppliers happy. Happy suppliers want to send you more free stuff to review. This helps you grow your channel faster, however this is sometimes at the expense of being completely transparent with your audience. Invisible crossover and lack of bass overhang - REL subs are wired in via high level input which means the subwoofer is always about 8ms behind the rest of your system. If you use DSP, you can get the subwoofer perfectly in phase with your system. I don't agree that RELs are more invisible than other subwoofers. There is a reason why professional studios don't connect the subwoofer via high level input. If you like what I'm saying then subscribe - Please take into account the wealth of comments I get. If I leave a review where I say what I really think, I tend to attract the 'haters'. My message in the video was in anticipation of this - it's a form of automated self defence I guess. I'm working on developing that skill set: I'm not perfect and apologise. Poor review - Sorry to hear that but if you look more closely you will see I have spent the most time on TH-cam reviewing the T9x. I have tried to give the most comprehensive breakdown about this product without any intention to mislead. If you don't agree then that's your opinion and I respect that. Thanks for the comment and I hope this helps. Cheers
This is what I discovered today: making an in-depth REL T9x vs T9i video takes one all friggin' day!
I can see why there aren't many of these on TH-cam 😂
But do you even appreciate these sorts of videos? Let me know in the comments please!
Remember to truly appreciate the recording YOU NEED headphones - speakers won't work properly with this sort of recording.
So...REL T9x vs T9i...thought provoking stuff for some of you looking for a new sub, I'm sure. Hope this video helped you in some way 😅
I would kindly appreciate a like for this video (if you have it in you...go on, you know you want to boys/girls/gender neutral people)
.... and subscribe.
- MDT
For the people that doesn't have 1 hour time of video to yes or no question.
*the Tx sounds less bass presence on subwoofers location so you can hear better base through the speakers for better presence* ( That's the general goal of rel )
But the difference its really microscopic though my experience
But If you still don't know the difference...
Or trying for hours.
Then you should know you should get the T9i. Because money.
If you really insist of going to TX series.
Go to audio store that can compare those two Ti/Tx
But on every room they sound different so its always difficult.
To my ears the T9X was superior by a nice margin.
Thanks for this review as I've got a T9i and am adding a T9x.
You may be interested to hear REL recommend placing the sub directly on the floor for the best bass and not to use an isolation platform.
Thanks for the info - I think I have already mentioned this in my videos - I tested the iso platform live and in my room I agree that it sounded better connected to the floor
This is amazing. Thanks for your efforts in recording live comparisons.
My pleasure!
Thanks for taking the time to create such a detailed review, it's much appreciated.
Thank you mate - that's very kind of you :)
It seems to me that the t9x plays deeper and has more presence but the t9i is faster and blends better also more pleasant...
Hi! New subscriber from Argentina. Absolutely agree with your statement that if you only need the lower notes from a sub, like 65hz and down, where there's low rumble instead of punch, it doesn't matter whether the sub is ''fast'' or not, sealed or ported; because of their longer wavelenghts, lower notes tend to linger anyway, the rest of the spectrum is better left to the mains, way better suited for it. Egs: cannonblasts, thunderbolts. YET; it's the FIRST time someone agrees with me on this. My floorstanders go down to 39hz, so my 12'' HT sub does a wonderful job supplementing the 25-65hz region on poor recordings. With good recordings, I don't even bother turning it on. So I'm a rare case of not using a sub to extend the frequency response. Cheers!
The quality of the recording is a1. Appreciated the nuances of the subs pretty well.
glad you enjoyed this video - more coming
The t9x we can notice that it catches the fade in and fade out better than the t9i, on the first music of the t9i
it's a bit more dynamic yes
Better all around.
Nice comparison and great test tracks. Thanks a lot. Actually thinking about upgrading from a T/7i to a T/9x or S/510. Nice you added the isolator test.
thank you - also, please check out my 'Final Verdict' video for more insight :)
I stay with T9i . To my ear the T9i more pleasant to hear .
t9i is fine for the money - i wouldn't consider t9x a massive upgrade at all
I totally agree! I proved both (x vs i series) at several times in my own system and I ended up to keep on T9i (i series)
Amazing work. I’m blown away with the work you have done. What did you use to record ?
Yes, I did enjoy this vid/breakdown very much, so thanks for the time and effort you put into it.
Having a hard time deciding on what sub to get and what to focus on... This kind of vids are a good pointer. Running a Q Acoustics 3060s sub now, but there's clearly some room for improvement (understatement).
Btw, cheers on the excellent binaural recordings and also impressed by the Monitor Studio's. How that guitarist jumps out (great tip) and crisp top end, loved it.
You rock! 😄👊
Haha one of my friends had that Q Acoustics sub with a package he got from Richer Sounds - quite decent for the size though, but he, too, wanted an upgrade. After speaking to me he now has an SVS PC-2000 Pro!
Thanks for the praise of the binaural recordings - other channels measure speakers with those room EQ mics like the Dayton Audio one - but I just felt there are so many other channels that do this, what extra value am I bringing when that data can just be researched.
The other issue is my room is different to everyone elses - so how valid and transferrable is that data?
Another thing - if I record the speakers and show the graph plots, what does that even mean to the end-user? Are people qualified to read and understand those measurements? I would say 9/10 times, the answer would be no.
So for me, the binaural thing just helps me to demonstrate what I'm trying to say in the flesh.
I think music and data analysis should not mix too often!
Take care Mike!
@@propercushty
Thank you for the kind words re. my Q3060s. Now I know for sure I have to replace it fast, lol. Just kidding, it's OK for what it is, have to be realistic about it, lol. It was on sale, but I do regret I didn't buy (also on sale) the SVS SB1000 for a bit more. After your latest sub reviews I def. want to explore the ones you mentioned. So, someday I get there. Now, lets bring the good news to my wife ;)
I'm quite happy you act on sane groundlevel re. measurements and data, where I often get lost in the data channels you mentioned. The approach you take 'feels' more sound to me. In other words, I can decide better, if that makes sense.
Have a good one and take care.
My brother has the t7x and I have the mk1 1205 but I have a question for the insolation pads. How much difference does it to noise going to the floor below?
Love the bass levels and the comparison video! Love the red color!
cheers my man take it easy
I was looking at the prices on these little subs and wow they sure are pricey!
Quality isn't cheap.
Great vid , im looki g at getting a tx9 or tx7. Also considering Arendal, and jlaudio. For 2 channel. I noticed on the sweep at 25hz the t9i produced a decent tone,but the t9x was barely audible. Is this a mic issue or something, or was the t9x less present at 25hz? Cheers.
I also noticed this. I notice at 30hz the t9x jumps up alot, whereas the t9i seemed to roll off a bit less.
I don't think it's the microphone because it is pretty flat down to 20hz - and I was there and noticed something similar to what you're saying.
If I turned up the t9x any more on the gain (to get a bit more sub-bass), I found that it would put out of balance the higher bass frequencies. This would expose itself too much when listening to music. So it's probably due to the fact I had to calibrate for my room.
And that's why DSP is so handy because you can go and chop out these frequency disturbances like a surgeon. But REL don't believe in DSP for reasons I will not go into here lol
My previous video on the REL T9x demonstrates the T9x integration within my room where we talk no dsp vs dsp if you're interested
th-cam.com/video/dOC1b-MLrh8/w-d-xo.html
To me after treating with various high end and mid priced headphones. The TX was seamless as can be. No brainer. But it’s a bit base messy when it is overloaded. The Ti does better at those volumes. But simply not as seamless.
Excellent video, (Bose headphones used). Recorded well, you can hear the differences. Very helpful
Glad it was helpful!
Yes. With Bose it sounded sensational
You like your music with a lot more bass than I do. I did not enjoy the sound at all (using headphones). I guess a REL is overkill for me. Thanks for the video, though.
You can adjust the crossover and gain to be the exact amount of bass that you want. The room in the video is also highly reflective.
@@madcrabber1113 Yes, but I can do that with a much less expensive sub given that I just want to add some bottom to my music. I'm dying to audition a REL, but I don't think the cost / benefit will work for me. Thanks for your comment.
Great binaural recording! Thank you for taking the time to do this for us. t9x revealed more harmonics on the bass guitar for sure and sounded more 3d like.
Glad you enjoyed it!
How is T9x on extremely high volume? Does it has any distortion?
i wouldn't recommend it for high volumes - it moves around the room
Who cares, it's not made for that.
@@tms372 me cares, if I’m asking.
Ugh!!!, What?, another video where you continue to implement and place the subs incorrectly and then complain???? John Hunter, the owner of REL has taken the time to make TH-cam videos on how to implement and place your REL sub so they work as they should ( and that's not on a platform!!!! ). Why do you even own 2 REL subs if you don't like them, lol.
You miee records speakers only, without a sub.
Moreover it sounds like subs are set too loud, they dominate over rest of frequences.
First and foremost thank for making and posting this video,, I enjoyed it very much.
Aww man you make me realise I need to get myself a pair of decent headphones!
As far as isolators are concerned can you actually 'feel' any difference (vibrations /reverberations) between with or without an isolator?
yeah without the isolator I can feel and hear my house shaking less around me for sure.
I'll be doing headphone reviews very soon as soon as I can get hold of some :)
@@propercushty just checking, without the isolator you feel less vibrations?
@@rog86 you feel more vibration when the subs sits on the floor bare..the isolator stops the energy transfering into the floor
@@propercushtyfortunately even my internal walls and masonry but I still feel I need to take precautions, especially considering I've got neighbours all around me, so I managed to get both of my Rels more than adequately isolated for less than £15
2 × 2" high density foam £9
2 × 1" Masonry tile (slab) £2
Can of black spray £3.50
I used to get complaints all the time form my lovely neighbours part of the reason was probably... previous I was using dual 12" boom boom conventional subwoofers but now I've changed to a pair of high-performance 8" down-firing rels and of course let's not forget there positioned on my professionally homemade isolators. lol
I'm not quite sure if it's the rels or the professionally made isolators which gives me reason to call them my neighbour peacemakers! Obviously I'd like to think it's the latter. 😏
Does this kind of downfiring passive radiator sub benefit from an isolation platform?
I made some videos on this - when you say benefit, do you mean sound quality or vibration?
Watch this video with headphones and you should see my take and hear the difference :)
Great vid. cheers mate
thanks for the support mate have a good day
So what was the verdict? IS the T9x better, yes by how much....
i'm still thinking about this and am going to give the verdict in the full review
on the Tx sounds less bass presence on subwoofers location so you can hear better through the speakers.
T9i is my choice for my 2.1 setup.
I raised my T9X up 18" for a much better integration. I had the T9i, glad it's gone now.
I own two T7x and to me the T9i is sounding more musical than the T9x...like a live bass guitar ✌️...i think the T9x and my own pair of T7x are a little too tight!
t9x sounds significantly better
Indeed.
T9i is tighter but people love bloated subs
None of this explains how many of Rels subs receive so many positive reviews, not just from you tubers but also from established press.
It can’t be that they’re all gullible and following a religion as you put it.
Your main gripe is with their marketing and lack of measurements, but that is common amongst all industries. You also note a sub can’t be musical but I disagree. Some ARE more musical than others due to their ability to form an invisible crossover and lack of bass over hang. I agree though that if we have the measurements for this we can fairly compare brands but few of them in the commercial world are doing it (and you only have to look across the industry to see how those that do often massage their stats)
Finally your comment that if you don’t like rel subscribe and if you like them then don’t just creates an echo chamber of opinion rather than balance.
You note in one of your other reviews that people were being abusive toward you (which I don’t condone), but I read this review and you spend a lot of time targeting others.
Poor review.
Hello and thank you for your comment. Below are my replies to your separate points:
Why do REL get so many positive reviews
- If you look in the right places you'll see the majority of audiophiles do not buy into REL. If you look at the mainstream hifi channels they're looking to attract views - positive reviews keep your audience and suppliers happy. Happy suppliers want to send you more free stuff to review. This helps you grow your channel faster, however this is sometimes at the expense of being completely transparent with your audience.
Invisible crossover and lack of bass overhang
- REL subs are wired in via high level input which means the subwoofer is always about 8ms behind the rest of your system. If you use DSP, you can get the subwoofer perfectly in phase with your system. I don't agree that RELs are more invisible than other subwoofers. There is a reason why professional studios don't connect the subwoofer via high level input.
If you like what I'm saying then subscribe
- Please take into account the wealth of comments I get. If I leave a review where I say what I really think, I tend to attract the 'haters'. My message in the video was in anticipation of this - it's a form of automated self defence I guess. I'm working on developing that skill set: I'm not perfect and apologise.
Poor review
- Sorry to hear that but if you look more closely you will see I have spent the most time on TH-cam reviewing the T9x. I have tried to give the most comprehensive breakdown about this product without any intention to mislead. If you don't agree then that's your opinion and I respect that.
Thanks for the comment and I hope this helps.
Cheers
I soldi all my subs wasting Money. I kept rel. I'm not religious. I Just think I like my rel.