The REL 212 Black Label has two 12" active and two 12" passive drivers firing in three planes.
From supertweeters to subwoofers, we have frequency covered at AXPONA.
This year, we have shipped an amazing six pallets of gear up to Illinois for AXPONA 2026. Anchoring our "low-end theory" system in Schaumburg H is a pair of the new REL Acoustics 212 Black Label subwoofers. Informally known as the "poor man's six pack", the 212 has two 12" active drivers and two 12" passives firing in three planes: two forward, one downward, and one to the back.
The front-firing drivers deliver the snap, the detail, the texture. The down-firing equivalent provides what John Hunter of REL calls "room-crawling bass", the deep tones that you feel in your body and your couch. The rear-firing driver brings the sense of air and height created by the upper subwoofers in a six-pack. All this driver acreage is held in an iron grip by a 1,000 W Class-D amplifier. Remember that REL is extremely conservative with its amplifier ratings; if you see any of the REL team at the show, ask them about what these amps are actually able to handle.
The new Klipsch La Scala AL6 has more bass, a richer midrange, and works with a matching active crossover.
In the pre-AL6 days, the REL 212's gain and crossover settings would have had to be cranked for the Klipsch La Scala AL6, a stunning speaker that's always been a little bass-shy. The newest La Scala changes all of that. The 12" woofer might be smaller, but it's now horn-loaded, bringing more bass than any La Scala before it. Crucially, there's even more meat on the midrange. Combine this with 103 dB sensitivity and the ability to run an active crossover for bi- and even tri-amping, and you have a reference speaker system that can grow with you for years to come.
Keeping Magic Realism Alive
Our second system at AXPONA is an imaging monster. We take Fyne Audio's statement piece, the F1-12S, and set the SuperTrax supertweeter on top. The F1's 12" IsoFlare driver with 75 mm tweeter delivers eye-blink dynamics, and because both drivers are coaxial, you get startling realism due to the pinpoint imaging.
The Fyne Audio SuperTrax supertweeter fires upwards and the suspended Tractrix cone creates 360° dispersion.
The already minimal phase issues are corrected by the SuperTrax, with its effects extending from the tippy-top into the midrange and even the upper bass.
As beginner audiophiles quickly learn, there are many shades to the old claim that "the musicians are in the room." The first time you hear good stereo imaging is eye-opening, even on the cheapest system. Then it takes ever better equipment, setup, room treatment, and phase alignment to keep the illusion alive. The Fyne Audio F1-12S with SuperTrax approaches the pinnacle of this magic realism.
We can't wait to meet those of you attending AXPONA. And if you haven't been, consider making a trip out next year. We'll be there!
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