REL Acoustics No. 32 Reference Subwoofer

A 1,000 W reference sub with a 15″ carbon-fiber driver delivering visceral power, coupled with great delicacy and nuance.

No.32 represents the sum of REL’s efforts, research, and knowledge gained over the past three decades as a leader in audio and subwoofers. Nothing else competes with the speed, agility, and vivid dynamic contrasts delivered by No.32.

The cabinet traces a curvilinear path established over a decade ago on the original Gibraltar. Triple-plated steel handles are inset into ellipses that allow for a secure grip. Inside, the rear backing plate is well over half an inch thick and contoured to follow the inner surface, yielding a massively strong structure.

No.32’s new badge treatment combines the materials that appear most frequently within its design; the carbon fibre used throughout the driver is inset within a polished, cast alloy basket that is finished in three layers of plating to achieve a jewel-like sparkle.

A 1,000 W Bass Engine

No.32’s 1,000-watt amplifier was also used in its predecessor for over seven years. Thousands of these amplifiers are in use all over the world; they are a paragon of reliability. Its implementation in No.32 combines a new limiter with a much wider envelope to permit the widest dynamic swings possible. Also, No.32’s dual parametric EQs allow for robust and flat response in the lowest ranges, extending below 20 Hz. When its second EQ is set to frequencies above the crossover point, No.32 meshes perfectly with the main speakers while simultaneously reducing room-based resonances.

No. 32’s heart and soul is its 15” (380 mm) driver. The driver’s cone is constructed entirely of carbon fiber. Additionally, a carbon-fiber center cap is overlaid on the primary cone surface. This cone design results in a far stiffer driver that possesses superior self-damping qualities, removing even minor resonances that can obscure detail retrieval whilst keeping moving mass to an absolute minimum. No.32’s driver suspension permits a full 4” of travel fore and aft, an enormous amount for such a large driver. These are some of the secrets to its performance. Transparency, allied to tremendous dynamics, is the result.

Complete Control

Take control of your No.32 by grasping the REL Reference Remote Control. Its perfect fit in your palm is the result of careful thought and numerous generations of trial-and-error fittings during prototype development. All the controls you need are right at hand, exactly where you’d want them. High (or low if using active speakers) level gain sits comfortably to the right side, the crossover rests in the middle, and .1/LFE gain is off to the left. Below are three metal toggle switches that handle the critical setup functions. 

Features

• Wireless capability via REL Airship II system, sold separately
• Dual parametric equalizer
• High-gloss 12-coat black finish
• Supplied with 30′ Neutrik Speakon interconnect

Specifications

Type: Closed box, front-firing driver

Driver: 15″ (380 mm), 4″ (100 mm) long-throw, carbon-fiber cone with inverted carbon fibre center cap

Low-Frequency Extension (-6 dB): 15 Hz

Inputs: High-level Neutrik Speakon, low-level stereo RCA and XLR, LFE RCA, LFE XLR

Outputs: High-level Neutrik Speakon, LFE XLR, line XLR

Power Output (RMS): 1,000 watts 

Amplifier Type: Class D

Dimensions (WHD): 29-1/4″ x 21″ x 32-1/8″ (743 x 540 x 816 mm)

Weight: 187 lb (85 kg)