Toweringsubwoofer REL 212 SE deep bass with stereo music.

REL’s second-generation 212 bassmaker proves to Richard Stevenson that the sequel can sometimes be even better than the original

REL’S ORIGINAL 212/SE was a radical design, effectively stacking a pair of subs on top of every other during a single unit. Two 12in drivers, two passive radiators tuned to realize different sonic goodness, one very large amp and a cupboard  that was likened, by my wife, to a glossy black Minion.

 

The sequel is usually a challenge. Building on the success of a box-office hit without destroying the magic of the original are some things the cinema industry is historically . Yet REL has set about making the 212/SX faster, more controlled, more dynamic and with improved resolution of fine detail.

And while dispensing sky-high briefs to the planning team, it wanted it made slimmer and more attractive too. Less of the Minion thing, it said. Probably.

The cosmetic result's a rather more svelte on the attention yet taller offering. a touch deeper, a touch weightier but seemingly ‘smaller’ in visual impact, a minimum of with its clothes on. Pop off the mighty front grille and therefore the aluminium drivers have gained REL branding and crown logos large enough to see from space.

Both drivers and therefore the rear 12in passive radiator use a cast alloy, smooth-profile cone that feels solid enough to prevent a bullet. an easy knuckle rap emits the type of solid thunk associated with vault doors, yet the cones themselves are fairly light. Their structural integrity is enhanced by a layer of carbon fibre bonded to the rear, within the sort of a sheet with seven radial ribs stretching across the rear of the cone. The cone itself is terminated during a rubber roll surround that could double because the side tubes of a rigid inflatable boat, and therefore the whole ensemble is about during a cast aluminium chassis with eight fixing bolts. The downfiring passive, meanwhile, may be a flat-panel, carbon weave affair designed to propagate the deepest bass into the space effectively.

This REL's performance is surprisingly nuanced – yet there is no lack of clout. Massive explosions: check. Stomachchurning LFE: check. Nosebleed-inducing deep notes so far above 100dB volume they're going to rip the mic out of your iPhone trying to live it: check. 

Yet arguably, that bit isn’t tricky. Where the 212/SX scores heavily over my very own venerable Velodyne DD18+ is in its ability to seemingly fill an area with bass without overwhelming the soundstage. there's an interesting lack of room bloom or residual LF swell to swamp your main speakers, and even cataclysmic-scale computer graphics are handled with a tautness and control that permits you to distinguish individual components from the LF noise.

Original Dolby Digital movies might be rumbustious in the LF department as Dolby fought to outgun DTS in those early days of DVD. The nightclub scene in Blade (DVD) may be a prime example. Its thunderous music is meant to drown you within the scene but it can encourage room resonances that will even as easily drown you in falling plaster.