REL Reference No.36 No.35 are the two new flagship subwoofers topping REL’s Reference series, opening for preorder through authorized REL Reference dealers as of September 22, 2026. The Reference No.36 replaces the brand’s long-running 15-inch flagship at $12,000, while the Reference No.35 slots in below it at $10,000, both built around a new generation of carbon fibre drivers and amplification.
New Drivers, New Amplification for REL Reference No.36 No.35
The No.36 carries a 15-inch long-throw driver using a finer 12K carbon fibre weave than its predecessor, with a reinforced cone and revised suspension for extra travel and control. The No.35 gets a comprehensively re-engineered 12-inch driver with a new cast-aluminium frame and an additional 12mm of travel in each direction. Both models move to a new Class AB/D amplifier architecture, pairing the current delivery of a traditional Class A/B power supply with the speed and efficiency of a Class D output stage: the No.36 is rated at 1,000 watts RMS through a 19.5-pound toroidal transformer, the No.35 at 900 watts through a 17-pound transformer.
That kind of output matters most in large rooms and multi-subwoofer configurations, where extra headroom translates directly into deeper, more controlled bass at reference listening levels rather than a shift in tonal balance. It also helps the amplifier avoid the compression and audible strain that lower-powered subwoofers can show under sustained low-frequency demand, an amplifier story that runs through both halves of REL Reference No.36 No.35.
Building a System That Grows
REL Reference No.36 No.35 were designed to slot into existing Reference systems rather than replace them outright. The No.36 keeps the dimensions of the 15-inch Reference models it succeeds, so it can be paired with older No.32 or No.25 units in a Reference Line Array, and the No.35 follows the footprint of the previous No.31, letting owners expand a system without starting over. New precision-adjustable front feet let each cabinet be tilted and aligned for exactly this kind of multi-subwoofer stacking. REL frames a stereo pair, in which each subwoofer carries its own channel’s bass information, as the format that best preserves a recording’s original soundstage before a listener moves on to a full Reference Line Array.
Part of a Broader Push in High-Output Subwoofers
REL Reference No.36 No.35 arrive at a moment when demand for high-output, low-distortion subwoofers keeps climbing well beyond the flagship end of the market. Rival ranges have expanded this year too: Wharfedale, for instance, recently rounded out its own four-model NOVA subwoofer series, aimed at a very different price bracket but pointing to the same broader appetite for serious bass reinforcement.
REL’s own positioning stays resolutely at the top of that market: full specifications, finishes and dealer information for REL Reference No.36 No.35 are available on REL’s official Reference Series product page, where the brand frames the pair as the clearest expression yet of what a Reference-level subwoofer can do in a two-channel or home theatre system.
REL Reference No.36 No.35: Pricing and Availability
REL Reference No.36 No.35 pricing splits the two models by driver size and output: the Reference No.36 is priced at $12,000 and the Reference No.35 at $10,000. Both are available to order now through authorized REL Reference dealers.
REL Reference No.36 No.35: Key Specifications
- No.36 driver: 15-inch (380mm) long-throw, 12K carbon fibre cone
- No.35 driver: 12-inch (305mm) long-throw, carbon fibre cone, cast-aluminium frame
- No.36 amplifier: Class AB/D, 1,000 watts RMS
- No.35 amplifier: Class AB/D, 900 watts RMS
- No.36 low-frequency extension: -6dB at 15Hz in room
- No.35 low-frequency extension: -6dB at 17Hz in room
- No.36 price: $12,000; No.35 price: $10,000
