Completely agree with this approach. I placed the ground to a screw on the chassis of my MC452. Dead silent at the subwoofer.

great information ; thank you, John

Yes this works. I had a small hum on my Naim system using the 510 subwoofer and my dealer recommended grounding at the phono plug on the preamp as you suggest in this video. Worked perfectly dead silent no hum at all. One more note…i use your Bassline Blue cable for Naim. You cut the ground wire and then use some old speaker cable to attach (i used small piece of electrical tape) to make it long enough to reach phono ground screw on preamp.

@John_Hunter . I agree that's all you need to do. Ground , Ground , Ground . !!! I appreciate all you and your staff provide for us. But there are some that are not mechanically inclined to understand. Not putting them down . "No" some of them need to be explain a few times to . That's where I appreciate your patience. Bravo , Bravo , Bravo.

@RELAcoustics

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching, and for supporting REL Acoustics!

Very Informative. Thanks.👍

My Sugden A21SE doesn’t have a ground screw to attach a ground wire to…I used a chassis screw and it still hummed. I connected the black wire onto the negative amp binding post to eliminate the hum (grounding noise)

Nice tip video. And timely. I have been using two Marantz MM8077 amps for my home theater system. Those. were class A/B and I currently have the black wire from each of my REL subwoofers grounded to the black terminal. I am about to swap those out for a single Marantz AMP10 which is class D. But it sounds like rather than floating the black wire, I can simply ground it to a chassis screw. I noticed on the AMP10, that in addition to perimeter copper screws on the chassis, that by each set of channel terminal posts are multiple copper screws. Are those also for grounding?

@RELAcoustics

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for reaching out. The Marantz AMP-10 is a Class D amplifier, which means that it will be important to not connect the black wire of your REL's High Level cable to any of the negative speaker terminals on the amplifier. Instead the black wire should be left completely disconnected, or if you experience a hum from the subwoofer then you can try connecting the black wire to any of the outer perimeter chassis screws on the amp which will provide a stable ground reference.

As an owner of 2 REL's, I wish REL would start putting level indicators on on the plate amp behind each dial would really help. Having to count clicks of each dial to figure out what the dial is set at is silly. Imagine a speedometer in a car using clicks instead of markings to show how fast you are driving.

@user-ex9zm7bg3x

Жыл бұрын

Yes the "click" thing drives me batty. And the knobs REL uses aren't the most tactile things in the world.

@CaptainCrunch823

Жыл бұрын

I own 8 REL’s throughout the house from T, R and S series and honestly wondering why you are complaining about this. I play with the dials maybe once per year after changing gear (sometimes not even necessary) so turning one or two clicks per year doesn’t seem like it would be a big deal to anyone. Is there something about your setup that requires you to have to turn the dials frequently?

@kesm66

8 ай бұрын

I mark my sweet spot settings with a sharpie…serves as a reference and pretty much works no matter where I place the sub or what gear I change out. Maybe once you figure out what setting loads your room…you’re good. You can always adjust up or down…but yes…I can see the frustration when those adjustments need to be made you have to look at the dials to know which one to turn and then go from there.

@LS-ti6jo

8 ай бұрын

Thx, agreed. I use strips of tape to mark my settings. Dial markings aren't needed for tuning (whether with an SPL meter or, if you're a grumpy old luddite, "by ear"), they're so you can easily & quickly RESTORE your old settings after trying others. Counting clicks on 3 dials x 2 T9i's is a pain in the ass.. I've done it Asking Rel to finally put dial marking on all their sub, not just some of them, is just common sense. . @@kesm66

Thanks👋👋

Hello Sirs, thank you for all information, very useful. However, still in doubt, how to connect a pair of REL Carbon Special subwoofers to 2023 Classé Delta Stereo amplifier (Class A/B). Nothing in the amplifier manual says it is balanced amp. There is no dedicated ground terminal / bolt to bolt the ground wire. Should I just connect two “hot” wires to + speaker terminal and ground “black” wire to negative speaker terminal for each channel / subwoofer? Thank you for advice.

@RELAcoustics

2 ай бұрын

Thank you for reaching out. When connecting High Level to your Classe Delta Stereo, we recommend connecting the black wire of the High Level cable either to a chassis screw on the amplifier (such as one of the screws along the outside edge of the amplifier's back panel), or to a ground screw on your preamp if one is available. In some cases it is possible to connect the black High Level wire to a negative speaker output terminal, though I would recommend contacting Classe first to confirm if the negative speaker terminals reference to electrical ground, and if so then it will be safe to connect the black wire to a negative terminal.

Hi. Super video. Just to confirm, can this style of connection be safely used for all amplifier types? and all RELs with the speakon connector? And the worst issue may be earth hum? I have a Cambridge Audio Edge W that has a class of their own creation (apparently). I'm currently using a single channel feed off the preamp to the REL so only getting bass from one channel so desperate to get all the benefits of the high level connection.

@RELAcoustics

5 ай бұрын

Thank you for reaching out. The High Level connection instructions presented in this video will safely work for any amplifier, including your Cambridge Edge W.

On my amplifier I have dedicated ground screw/connection. Is it better to connect black wire to that ground connection or black speaker terminal? Which one to choose?

@TrueAudio

4 ай бұрын

@mateusznowakowski5895 - Is it truly a 'dedicated ground screw/connection' or is this just the turntable's ground screw/connection?

I just bought the rel 9 to be used with my marantz 50. Audio guys used my older RCA connection from my Martin Logan. They didn’t want to use the neutrik connection the rel comes with? With that said, I have humming… and i want to know where the red/yellow connections to input to the amp?

@RELAcoustics

6 ай бұрын

Thank you for reaching out, and we are sorry to hear about the hum that you are experiencing. When you have a chance, please write in to contactus@rel.net and our team will be happy to provide High Level connection instructions and assist with troubleshooting this hum.

When using stereo subs do I still use both yellow and red hots together? Can you wire your sub directly to the back speaker terminals... in theory it should be no different than bi-wiring.

@RELAcoustics

11 ай бұрын

Thank you for contacting us. When connecting a stereo pair of subwoofers using the High Level input, we do recommend combining the red and yellow High Level wires for each subwoofer and connecting to the positive speaker terminal for the corresponding channel (either on the amplifier or on the main loudspeaker itself). If you are powering your speakers using a Class A/B amplifier then it is possible to connect the black wire of the High Level cable to a negative binding post on either the main loudspeaker or the amplifier, though if you are using a Class D, balanced/differential amplifier, or are unsure of the output stage design of your amp then the black wire should not be attached to any speaker binding posts, and instead they should be attached to a chassis screw on the amplifier. For complete High Level connection instructions specific to your system, please write in to contactus@rel.net and our team will be happy to assist.

My listening room is 6 metres wide by 6 metres deep. Directly behind the listening position is an open area the same size. Silly question, when using the calculator on your website, do I enter just the listening area (6m X 6m), or the 2 combined areas (12m X 6m)?

@RELAcoustics

7 ай бұрын

Thank you for reaching out. When deciding the ideal subwoofer model for your home audio system we recommend taking into account the full volume of your listening space, meaning the main listening area as well as any adjoining spaces that your listening area opens up to. This will ensure that the subwoofer is powerful enough to pressurize the full volume of your room, which is essential for achieving deep and dynamic sub-bass output from your listening position.

If high level cable length from REL to the AVR is an issue can one take of the signal straight from the left and right speakers?

@RELAcoustics

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for reaching out. It is possible to connect the High Level cable to the binding posts on the back of each main loudspeaker, rather than connecting to the amplifier's own output terminals, though this is typically easier done when using a stereo pair of subwoofers so that each REL will only need to connect to the back of a single speaker, rather than the cable needing to stretch to both speakers. In addition, we only recommend connecting the High Level cable to the speakers when using a Class A or Class A/B amplifier. If your amp is Class D, fully-balanced/differential, or otherwise does not reference to ground at it's negative speaker terminals, then we recommend connecting the High Level cable to the amplifier so that a stable ground reference can be achieved if needed.

I am stupid enough to just learn the high level pass to class D amp after a good 12 hrs ‘final stage breaking in’ (which is according to the other brilliant video guide by you) of my beloved T5/x using class A/B connecting way… 😢 has it damage the sub permanently already? … plus, my current set up is just a WiiM Amp which doesn’t seem to have a ground bolt on the back chassis, it has a SUBOUT rca input… does it mean that I could only use .1/LFE connection with my particular case? Anyway, big thanks to each informative and very practical video guide you’ve done in here🎉

@RELAcoustics

5 ай бұрын

Thank you for reaching out. Any damage caused by incorrect High Level connection to a Class D amplifier would cause a significantly loud hum/buzz from the subwoofer, which means that if you do not hear this loud hum then no damage was done to the subwoofer. That being said, going forward it will be best to disconnect the black High Level wire from a negative speaker terminal on the amplifier. Since your WiiM Amp does not appear to have any easily accessible chassis screws, if you experience a ground hum from the subwoofer with the black wire disconnected then it will be best to run a basic RCA cable from the .1/LFE input on the subwoofer to any open/unused analog RCA jack on the amp, with the subwoofer's .1/LFE Level control then being lowered to the minimum position, which will provide a ground reference for the subwoofer and will eliminate the hum.

I've been trying to use my 2 Amps bridged in mono with a pair of rels connected high level. Nothing has worked to get rid of the hum. Even this. I really don't even know if it's even a hum at this point...the subs just goes nuts.

@RELAcoustics

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for reaching out, and we are sorry to hear about the hum that you are experiencing. When you have a chance, please write in to contactus@rel.net with the serial numbers for your subwoofers and a brief description of how they are currently being connected to your bridged mono amplifiers, and our team will be happy to assist with troubleshooting and resolution options as needed.

Can I use the ‘phono ground’ (turntable grounding terminal) on the back of my amplifier for the black cable?

@RELAcoustics

20 күн бұрын

Yes, the phono ground screw on your amplifier is a perfect place for connecting the black High Level wire to.

Hello - is that the same if your are connecting via the speaker? Does a speaker have chassis ground?

@RELAcoustics

8 ай бұрын

Thank you for reaching out. We only recommend connecting the High Level cable to the binding posts on your main loudspeakers when using a Class A/B amplifier in your system, since in this case the negative speaker terminal can be used for an electrical ground reference. When using a Class D amplifier, balanced/differential amplifier, or any other amp design that does not reference to ground at the negative speaker terminals, then we recommend connecting the High Level cable to the amp's output terminals so that a ground reference for the black wire can be achieved via an amp chassis screw.

What about if you don’t have any ground screw on the back of the amp but on the preamp still works??

@RELAcoustics

10 ай бұрын

Thank you for reaching out, and yes if your preamp has a ground screw then this will work very well for connecting the black wire of the High Level cable to. If you are using a turntable with a separate phono preamp, then that phono pre's ground screw would also be a valid connection point for the black High Level wire.

What if the traditional connection works well? Should I change it for this ?

@Badazz08

Жыл бұрын

Nope. Mine is on the black terminal on my anthem amps, and it works perfectly. He is just making it simple for someone new that is really trying to figure out the right way to hook it up.

@RELAcoustics

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for reaching out. If the traditional High Level connection instructions for Class A/B amplifiers is working well for you currently, then there is no need to change the wiring.

@MarcusDolby

8 ай бұрын

Thank you for confirming. I followed the manual's instructions and connected the black wire to the negative and as far as I know, it's fine. No hum. @@RELAcoustics

I connected my ground to the phono ground. no hum but when I put my ear closed to the sub I can hear rumbling even though there's no sound coming through. Is this normal? also whenever I switch the amp on, I get a pop sometime small sometime louder.

@RELAcoustics

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for reaching out. If you can only hear this faint hum/ruble when your ear is next to the subwoofer's active driver, then it is likely typical amplifier noise and does not indicate an issue with the subwoofer or the connections for it. If the hum can be heard when you step away from the subwoofer, especially if it can be heard from your primary listening position, then feel free to write in to contactus@rel.net and our team will be happy to assist with troubleshooting.

is it better than connect directly to the back of speakers? (2 subs setup) ??

@razisn

Жыл бұрын

Connecting to the back of the speakers is exactly equivalent to connecting to the amp speaker terminals. All relevant disclaimers apply.

@ptg01

Жыл бұрын

@@razisn Correct.... Electircally the exact same points.

I have the Technics SU-R100 integrated amp. I also connected the ground wire to a chassis screw. Sub hum disappears when amp is on but comes back very loudly when I turn the amp off.

@RELAcoustics

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for reaching out, and we are sorry to hear about the hum that you are experiencing when your Technics integrated amplifier is powered off. When you have a chance, please write in to contactus@rel.net with the model of REL subwoofer that you are using and a brief description of how it is connected in your system currently and our team will be happy to assist with troubleshooting and providing resolution options as needed.

@yungsters

Жыл бұрын

Did you ever figure out a solution to your hum when the amp is off? I have the same problem with a McIntosh MI502.

@kevinbailey3786

Жыл бұрын

@@yungsters No. I contacted REL, they double checked my connection and just told me to leave the amp on all the time. Not sure if this is good for my $10K integrated amp!

@kevinbailey3786

Жыл бұрын

@@RELAcoustics See my comment below.

@kevinbailey3786

11 ай бұрын

@RELAcoustics I have tried the two methods described by Rel. I left the black ground wire alone unattached and connected to a chassis screw. When I turn the Technics integrated amp off, the sub produces a loud hum. When I power the amp ON the hum will "click" off after about 10 seconds.

I have two PS audio stellar M700 mono blocks, and it states explicitly that I cannot hook the two mono blocks to one single high-level sub. Would the solution you explained override this warning? I have long been thinking about installing a single sub, but that warning has kept me from doing it.

@razisn

Жыл бұрын

Not really because the two amps might be at slightly different ground potentials. Get 2 subs, it is better anyways. In case you want to try, ground the sub to only one of the amps and make sure the 2 amps are fed from the same mains socket or, at least, line. If you don't get any hum from either the sub or the main speakers it should be ok.

@RELAcoustics

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for reaching out. In order to fully utilize the High Level connection method in a system which uses monoblock power amplifiers, it will be necessary to use a stereo pair of subwoofers with one assigned to each monoblock. This will be the case even if you connect the black wire to a chassis ground screw, such as with your PS Audio M700 monoblocks.

Class D: Another REL video says to use an unused Pre-AMP INPUT as you are "just getting ground" by doing this. So I am a bit confused.

@RELAcoustics

4 ай бұрын

Using an RCA cable connected from the .1/LFE input on a REL subwoofer to the system's preamp or AV processor is a valid way to achieve a signal ground reference for the subwoofer, and if using this connection it will not be necessary to connect the black wire of the High Level cable.

What about if your amp has a float or ground switch?

@RELAcoustics

2 ай бұрын

Thank you for reaching out. Connecting the black wire of a REL subwoofer's High Level cable to a chassis screw on the amplifier or on your preamp will almost always provide a stable ground reference for the subwoofer, though it will be best to contact the manufacturer of your amplifier regarding how to handle this ground/float switch.

Can I do this with a single powered car subwoofer that has speaker 4 wired coming out of it. I don’t understand why it has 4 wired for 1 speaker.

@RELAcoustics

3 ай бұрын

Thank you for reaching out. Car audio is very different from home audio, and it will be best to contact a car audio installer in your area for feedback regarding wiring to this speaker.

@LikelyLagging

3 ай бұрын

@@RELAcoustics greatly appreciate the reply. Thanks

Thanx JH! (=

I have a Marantz 30 amp. I have two REL. Still the best way?

@scottking2821

Жыл бұрын

Absolutely. The Model 30 is a class D. Do not use the black speaker post, as there is a voltage output, and it will burn your internal REL sub amplifier out really quickly.

@Vinyl-Movement

Жыл бұрын

@@scottking2821 Oh wow. I really need to change this quickly. Wasn’t aware that this might happen.

@scottking2821

Жыл бұрын

@@Vinyl-Movement Have a look back through the REL videos. John addresses Class D amps specifically in one of them. I contacted Marantz, and they concur.

@ptg01

Жыл бұрын

@@scottking2821 I too have Model30 (and LOVE it )... but are you saying the black speaker level terminals of Class D amp is not GROUND ? That's news to me...

@scottking2821

Жыл бұрын

@@ptg01 My Model 30 is still in its box, haha. Still using a Cayin tube amp currently. That’s correct. It’s a class D quirk. As I said above, John covered it in a previous video. It’s well worth a look. In it, he says to either float the black wire, use a grounding screw (as here), or run an RCA cable from a spare output, to the LFE terminal on the sub.

doesn't this show that high end speaker wire is a hoax? That looks like super thin radio shack quality wire there. Maybe 16 gauge at best. things that make you go hmmm.

@RELAcoustics

2 ай бұрын

Thank you for reaching out. While the High Level cable and input on our subwoofers does function as a speaker-level connection, due to the high impedance of this input circuit the signal that it draws from the amplifier is closer to that of a line level signal, and does not carry the same amp wattage/power as speaker wire does. This is why the High Level cable can use 18AWG wire, while for main speaker wire depending on the application you can use much thicker wire and achieve improved performance. This high impedance (approximately 150,000 ohms) of the High Level input also allows the cable to connect to the amplifier's speaker output terminals without drawing any power away from the main loudspeakers and without placing any current load on the amplifier.