The T5 is a sonic powerhouse, delivering true deep bass from a small, elegant cube. Measuring less than a cubic foot, the T5 goes where no other REL can and performs to the high sonic standards REL has set without compromise. Every aspect of the T5 from the amplifier and crossover to the driver and cabinet are made with true REL performance in mind.

The T5 is able to achieve shockingly deep & tuneful bass from a modestly sized box. Although the T5 does have limits, they are surprisingly high and even in our massive listening area we were quite impressed at how well the little T5 kept up with our large reference speakers. You will be blown away by the improvements this affordable REL sub will add to almost any audio system.

“A special round of applause is owed my current choice for the ideal mini-sub for music lovers. Fast tight, yet tonally replete, with highly defined pitches, the REL T5 is also remarkably extended–stunning so for a single 8” driver in a sealed box. Musical, superbly natural, and robust and durable, as all RELs are, this is a pocket-sized classic!”
– Neil Gader, The Absolute Sound, Golden Ear Award 2011 

T5 Design
The T5 borrows liberally from the design elements of the R-Series and the engineering of the T-series. The T5 is a sealed box woofer, thus, REL was able to create a smaller box and lower cost while still retaining REL sound quality. Like the rest of the T-Series, the T5 uses a custom-made woofer, an 8" in this case, mated to a powerful Class A/B amplifier delivering a true 125 Watts. The crossover is identical to its larger brothers and offers the same broad control for ideal loudspeaker matching. 

REL-D
In the past, if someone wanted to connect a REL sub-bass system to a digital amplifier, a special cable with a circuit built-in was required so the REL wouldn't damage that amp. However, now that digital amplifiers can be found virtually everywhere, REL has installed a special circuit in the T5 called REL-D, which makes any special precautions unnecessary.

Amplifier
REL takes great pride in building powerful, reliable and musical Sub-Bass systems. A critical element of every REL Sub-Bass unit is the amplifier. The T-Series employs wideband, high-current Class A/B amplifiers, with large high-quality power supplies and excellent overload protection. These amplifiers are purpose built for driving REL Bass Engines and give the T-Series virtually unlimited power to play louder, deeper and cleaner with extremely low distortion.

On a “Green” Note
T-Series amplifiers have a unique power saving feature called “power starvation”. Whenever there’s no signal present, the amplifier goes instantly to maximum power saving efficiency, consuming a mere 4W of power (less than an LCD TV in standby), yet the amplifier remains at maximum readiness to immediately respond to a sudden transient signal, even after a long quiet period and regardless of level. This innovative feature eliminates the need to switch off a T-Series woofer when not in use.

Crossover
The crossover in the REL T-Series is a 12dB/Octave hand-built crossover manufactured by highly skilled Welsh technicians. The precision and testing that goes into the T-Series crossovers are consistent with the highest manufacturing practices to ensure long life, reliability and consistent performance. This does not mean added complexity! To adjust the crossover point upwards, simply rotate the crossover knob clockwise, to lower the crossover point downwards, rotate counter-clockwise. In adjusting the crossover, please notice that REL has chosen to use a “stepped” switch instead of the more conventional smooth rotating crossover adjustment. This allows the user to precisely define the exact crossover point with confidence and the ability to achieve 100% repeatable results. This also makes integrating a REL extremely easy, simply move the crossover point one click at a time until a proper blend has been achieved. Want to double check the results? Simply adjust the crossover by one click up or down; does the REL sound better? If not, simply reverse the change and the REL is exactly where it needs to be. This precision and attention to detail are hallmarks of REL products and engineering.There’s a great tip for setting the crossover point for T-Series woofers in the owners manual.

"There may be a tendency to set the crossover point too high and the volume of the Sub-Bass System too low when first learning how to integrate a REL with the system, the fear being one of overwhelming the main speakers with bass. But in doing so, the resulting set-up will be lacking in bass depth and dynamics. The proper crossover point and volume setting will increase overall dynamics, allow for extended bass frequencies, and improve soundstage properties. Note: volume must be adjusted in conjunction with crossover changes. In general, when selecting a lower crossover point, more volume may need to be applied."

Connections
REL has a different approach to low frequency reproduction and also a different perspective on how to achieve this goal. All REL Sub-Bass systems offer two types of connection, a unique High-Level (Speaker Level) connection and a .1/LFE connection (RCA), each with their own volume controls. The T-Series has an additional input, a Low level input (RCA).

The High-Level connection is highly preferred as it connects the REL directly to the system’s amplifier, allowing the REL, chameleon-like, to take on the sonic character of the entire system. The very high input impedance (100kΩ) of the High-Level connection ensures that the system’s amplifier doesn’t even see (electrically speaking) the REL, yet this connection enables the REL to very accurately reproduce both the timbre and timing of the system.

The .1/LFE RCA connection is a separate connection designed to be used in tandem with the High-Level connection to provide unparalleled flexibility in a home theater environment. The High-Level connection provides low-frequency reinforcement to the main speakers while the .1/LFE connection provides reproduction of the exclamation point bass the LFE channel is intended for. Simply connect an RCA cable from the LFE output on the surround processor to the .1/LFE input on the REL. This input has its own volume control, but all crossover adjustments for this input are done at the surround processor.

If for some reason the High-Level connection cannot be used, (e.g. a system with powered speakers) then the Low-Level input should be used, allowing the T-Series to be connected via an RCA cable. This is a mono input, so if stereo output is available from the preamp or processor, a y-adaptor should be used to combine the signals. The Low-Level input shares the crossover and volume control of the High-Level input. The Low-Level input is not the preferred connection, only use if High-Level connection is simply not possible.

Good, Better, Best
The Good, Better, Best philosophy too often leads to compromised products or a “one-model fits all” mentality. REL does not adhere to this flawed marketing scheme. There are no compromises in REL models and in our opinion every single REL woofer is worth owning. However, like all high quality tools, every REL is engineered for a specific purpose, which makes it easier to pick the right tool for the job; some models work better in small rooms, some models work better with large speakers, some integrate better with small speakers, some models even work better with planar speakers! With REL, there are no bad choices and hopefully the description above has helped guide your choice, but if you have questions that aren’t answered here or if you’d like a recommendation for the best fit for your system, please don’t hesitate to call us and ask for a REL specialist.