Strata 5 REVIEWS
STRATA 5 WINS 'BEST BUY' IN WHAT HOME CINEMA MAGAZINE
The review begins with an incontrovertible truth: ‘when it comes to the art of subwoofing in the UK, REL has always been the granddaddy. Even today, any subwoofer has to benchmark itself against the REL standard.’ The accuracy of the reporting continues unabated with words like ‘speed’, ‘grip’, ‘deep’ and ‘controlled’. But the most informative sentence is saved for the conclusion: ‘the Strata 5’s balance is excellent; it easily becomes the ideal cover-all-bases recommendation, not only for the money, but as an ideal place to start serious bass listening’. What Home Cinema May 2005
STRATA 5 UPGRADES QUAD 989 ELECTROSTATICS IN HI FI WORLD
Hi Fi World Editor David Price used a Strata 5 to extend his Quad 989s in the March 2005 issue. This is no mean achievement for the REL considering the mid-range speed, openness and fluidity of this famous hi-fi loudspeaker, but it does identify the core virtues of tunefulness and agility that distinguish a REL sub-bass design. David Price describes: ‘Using a proper subwoofer such as this is best likened to driving a big V8 car, getting used to it to the point where you wonder why you ever bothered to run such a gas guzzler, and then going back to the in-line four cylinder – whereupon it’s a case of ‘Oh my God – how did I put up with this lawnmower for so long! It’s far more a case of the problems it solves (which you’d become used to in your ignorance) rather than the obvious benefits it brings. Switch off the REL and suddenly what seemed to be a reasonably good bass (especially for an electostatic) becomes light, frigid, tuneless and compressed.’ Hi Fi World March 2005
"REL cements its reputation as the subwoofer specialists of a generation with this latest reworking of its classic music and movies super-sub. When some of the world's best known speaker companies consult REL for subwoofer advice, you know these people have all the bases covered! Audition with a copy of Finding Nemo's bass-heavy soundtrack: the first flight over the reef with Mr Ray is just unforgettable." Home Cinema Choice Subwoofer of the Year (under £1000) 2004.
"The Strata 5 perfectly balances size, performance and price for most mid-to-high-end systems. New gadgets, like the remote, help make life simple, while the sound is so good that it makes subwoofers costing £1000 or more seem less impressive. Correctly set-up, this sounds magnificent..." Essential Home Cinema Issue 32
"The Strata 5 isn't just a wham, bam, thank you mam product: it treats music and films with the respect and subtlety they deserve. A worthy five stars, and there's even a black finish for £100 less."
What Hi Fi? Sound & Vision, June 2004
