REL Classic 99 - For even more nuances and resolution

Foto © REL Acoustics Ltd. | REL Classic 99

REL Acoustics Ltd. wants its latest subwoofer, the REL Classic 99, to be understood as a symphony of design, performance and grace.

REL Acoustics Ltd. is a manufacturer that has dedicated itself entirely to the subject of subwoofers, concentrating entirely on the development and manufacture of these solutions at the very highest level, recommending its own products for both home cinema and stereo and always endeavouring to integrate them as harmoniously as possible into the living environment.

This is particularly true for the REL Classic Series solutions, which the company launched at the end of last year with the REL Classic 98 and is now expanding with the new REL Classic 99. Building on the foundation of the REL Classic 98, the new model aims to deliver more on every important attribute: more power, deeper bass and a design that is as pleasing to the eye as it is to the ear, according to REL Acoustics Ltd.

REL Classic 99 – Subwoofer in Mid-Century Modern Design

Of course, the first thing that catches the eye is the unusual design of the new REL Classic 99 compared to the familiar style of the solutions from REL Acoustics Ltd. which, as already mentioned, was deliberately given a certain vintage touch by the manufacturer, as with the already available REL Classic 98. The company itself speaks of a mid-century modern design.

As it is the big brother of the REL Classic 98, the new one is naturally a little larger, measuring 400 × 534 x 350 mm and weighing in at 22,4 kg.

A clear indication of the solid workmanship, for which the developers relied on MDF with a wall thickness of 32 mm and finished it with walnut veneer. Aluminium accents and milled aluminium feet in black add the finishing touches to the attractive design.

Designed as a closed down-firing subwoofer with 12-inch woofer

From a purely technical point of view, the new REL Classic 99 is a so-called down-firing subwoofer, whereby the developers rely on a 12-inch woofer and a closed construction.

The 12-inch woofer in question is a so-called long-stroke driver, i.e. a chassis with a particularly long stroke for maximum power development. The cone is made of multi-layered, hot-pressed paper and a layer of handmade paper and is said to be very light but also very rigid. In addition, the special top layer with its chaotically arranged fibres ensures that a high level of inherent damping is achieved, guaranteeing controlled, accurate reproduction.

Class D amplifier with 450 watts

The drive unit is a Class D amplifier module, which can develop an output of 450 watts with high efficiency. As is customary at REL Acoustics Ltd., the signal processing does not use any DSP whatsoever, relying solely on the fully analogue REL PerfectFilter front end.

Incidentally, the company states that the new REL Classic 99 was deliberately tuned with a slightly warmer sound in order to realise exactly what is meant by vintage sound.

Well-equipped connection panel

It goes without saying that the new REL Classic 99 has a panel equipped with all the relevant connections and controls, with high level Neutrik Speakon, low level RCA and LFE RCA available, and the level, crossover frequency and phase can be adjusted.

The manufacturer also emphasises the fact that the new REL Classic 99 can also be controlled ‘wirelessly’ using the optionally available REL HT-Air MKII Wireless and REL Airship II.

Prices and availability

The new REL Classic 99 is now available for pre-order and will be available from mid-July 2024, according to REL Acoustics Ltd. The company gives a recommended retail price of GBP 1.799,- for this solution.

Getting to the point

It is the bigger brother of the REL Classic 98, which is now available with the new REL Classic 99. It is the second addition to the REL Classic Series, a product line that deliberately plays with a certain vintage touch. Like the already available REL Classic 98, the new REL Classic 99 is intended to present itself with a mid-century modern design, offering a warm sound character, but above all guaranteeing a nuanced, powerful performance with state-of-the-art technology. In the case of the new REL Classic 99, it should even offer more of everything than its little brother, as REL Acoustics Ltd. explicitly emphasises.