Most subwoofers connect to an amplifier via a subwoofer output. REL subwoofers, however, can also be connected directly to the amplifier’s speaker outputs via a so-called high-level connection. An atypical approach that often surprises users at the time of installation, but which is an integral part of the British brand’s philosophy.
So why does REL recommend this type of connection, and how does it differ from what is usually encountered with a subwoofer?
Why this connection often surprises users
When installing a subwoofer for the first time, the reflex is generally simple: connect the amplifier’s subwoofer output to the subwoofer using an RCA cable. This is the most common method, and the one offered by most manufacturers. However, REL subwoofers can be used differently. Models with a high-level input, such as REL Serie S subwoofers, are supplied with a special three-core cable for direct connection to the amplifier’s speaker outputs.
For many users, this type of connection may be surprising: why connect a subwoofer in the same place as the speakers?
Yet it is precisely this principle that allows the subwoofer to follow the amplifier’s behavior and integrate more naturally into the audio system.
In most hi-fi and home theater systems, the subwoofer receives a specific low-frequency signal from the amplifier’s internal processing.
REL, however, takes a different approach. Rather than seeing the subwoofer as just a generator of spectacular effects, the brand sees it as a natural extension of the main speakers.
- To find out more, read our full guide to REL subwoofers.
The subwoofer works with the speakers
With a high-level connection, the subwoofer is connected directly to the amplifier’s speaker outputs. This means it receives exactly the same amplified signal as that sent to the main speakers.
The subwoofer follows the amplifier’s behavior, reproducing low frequencies with the same sonic signature and dynamics as the rest of the system.
In a hi-fi installation, this principle can facilitate the integration of the subwoofer. Rather than giving the impression that the bass is coming from a separate point in the room, the subwoofer acts more like a natural extension of the speakers, capable of extending their response in the infra-bass.
This approach explains why REL prefers to speak of a “Sub-Bass System” rather than just a subwoofer.
A home theater-compatible solution
The use of the high-level connection does not mean, however, that a REL subwoofer is limited to a hi-fi installation. In a home theater system, the brand often recommends using two connections in parallel.
The high-level connection then supports the main speakers, while the LFE connection reproduces the specific low-frequency effects of multi-channel soundtracks.
The subwoofer can therefore handle both the bass coming from the speakers and the effects of the LFE channel while maintaining coherent integration with the rest of the system.
How to connect a REL subwoofer
All REL subwoofers with a high-level input are supplied with a special cable. The latter connects on one end to the subwoofer, via a Speakon connector, and on the other to the amplifier’s speaker outputs, using three wires.
Connection is simple, but certain rules need to be followed to ensure optimum integration of the subwoofer into the system.
To understand in detail the different types of subwoofer connections, the principle of the high-level input, and the step-by-step connection procedure, consult our full guide to REL Acoustics’ high-level connection.
