Company History
In this article, we will be going over the REL Classic 98 subwoofer. Ever since 1990, when REL was founded, they have produced some of the most highly respected subwoofers in the industry. The Classic 98 draws its design from REL subwoofers of the past but has all of their current technology for performance that has made both music lovers and home theater enthusiasts love their products for decades.
Most subwoofers these days are a matte black or high gloss black box with the woofer facing forward. But if you go back a few decades, subwoofers looked more like a nice piece of furniture. I suspect this is because back then, home theaters did not yet exist, with their usually easy way to hide a subwoofer. In those early days, a subwoofer had to fit into a living room and blend in with the rest of the furniture. REL, and almost all subwoofer companies of the day, produced beautiful wooden subwoofers that housed a downward-firing woofer. And in that time frame, no one had to think about subwoofers handling massive explosions, so the focus was on music only and blending the subwoofer perfectly with the main stereo speakers.
As home theater exploded, and so with it a demand for subwoofers, most companies switched to the black box you see today. Fast forward to 2023, and the resurgence of vinyl and big interest in owning classic vintage audio gear has changed the landscape. While home theater is still extremely popular, there are large groups of music lovers who put together a vintage stereo system in lieu of a home theater. And there are some who have done both. These systems are usually not hidden away in a bonus room or separate space and might be the focal point of a modern home.
