The British company REL Acoustics introduced a new active subwoofer Classic 98 , made in a vintage design. The company emphasizes that this is not just a modern model in “vintage clothes.” With the Classic 98 subwoofer, REL’s John Hunter followed the concept of “vintage design meets vintage sound . ” The new product recreates the classic sound character of REL subwoofers from a quarter of a century ago. At the same time, REL Classic 98 surpasses its ancestors in characteristics and capabilities.
What is classic British REL in the late nineties? First of all, the founder Richard Edmund Lord, whose initials gave the company its name. As well as the STIII series of subwoofers released in those years and quickly becoming popular, especially the junior model of the Strata series. The new REL Classic 98 subwoofer is a kind of homage to those blessed times, and a step towards those audiophiles who lack the “classicity” in the models of the modern T/x series.
The REL Classic 98 subwoofer is equipped with a 10-inch driver with a cellulose diffuser mounted on the bottom wall of the cabinet. The outer cone of the diffuser is made by hot pressing, and the dust cap is made by natural drying. In this way, it was possible to achieve both a characteristic classical sound and modern detail with speed. The speaker is driven by an amplifier operating in class D and developing a power of 300 W. The subwoofer is equipped with a traditional REL high-level input on a professional Speakon connector. In addition, there are two low-level inputs on RCA connectors and a standard set of controls. In addition, REL Classic 98 supports wireless signal transmission using optional proprietary AirShip II and HT-Air Mk II transmitters.
At a level of -6 dB, REL Classic 98 reaches a frequency of 27 Hz. Taking into account the closed acoustic design and the only medium-sized driver, this is an outstanding result. In terms of weight and dimensions, everything is reminiscent of the classics. The vertical form factor case is just under half a meter high and weighs 17 kg. This is exactly how most music lovers imagine a subwoofer. And finally, the cherry on the cake, or rather the nut! The Classic 98 features a premium natural walnut veneer finish, reminiscent of the golden age of audio.
