16 REL R-Series Owner’s Manual
Care and Polishing
The cabinets are best maintained by using a spray-on wax, such as an automobile
wax made by a company called Griot’s. If objects are to be placed upon the top, it is
advisable to use a small mat to protect the surface and to avoid the risk of rattles.
Technical
The R-Series models use an unusual method of bass loading. They are designed to
operate below normal system resonance. This has been achieved without the normal
form of bass boost or electronic equalization. Instead of a constantly increasing bass
equalization response, we simply ensure there is sufficient amplifier gain to drive
the speaker unit to its maximum excursion level at whatever the designated lowest
operating frequency is, and then cut the bass at a controlled rate of 12 dB per octave
above this frequency. Although this may at first seem identical to boosting the bass,
it is actually quite different and ensures that the timing of transients is far improved
compared to the usual bass equalization used. Bass will sound cleaner and faster.
The amplifier is fully DC coupled to avoid phase shifts and compromises in its low
end performance. It is inherently stable and will retain its characteristics over very
long periods of time – important in a unit designed for an exceptionally long working
life. These amplifiers are designed to withstand reasonable abuse and overloads. If in
doubt, please contact your dealer.
We believe that the importance of the electronics, cabinet and drivers being designed
to work in harmony is paramount. This belief allows the R-205, R-305, and R-505 to
achieve the highest possible level of fidelity.
Overload Protection
All REL Sub-Bass Systems are designed as true sub-bass speakers. They are designed
to reproduce those exceptionally deep notes that are felt rather than heard. This it will
attempt to do at whatever volume level you set. If set too high no damage should result
because the built-in electronics will limit the cone movement. This electronic control is
called Set-Safe™. It constantly and instantaneously monitors the output from the power
amplifier and is totally transparent in operation until required. This means it has
absolutely no effect on the sound quality of your REL until an overload is detected.
Ordinarily an overload would cause the power amplifier to go into clipping with
resultant loss of control over the drive unit. This can cause drive unit damage, and
always sounds nasty. Set-Safe™ detects the point of incipient clipping and gently
soft clips the waveform of the signal to ensure actual clipping does not occur.
