Audiophilepure

https://www.soundandvision.com/content/goldenear-forcefield-40-subwoofer-review

Knowing the sub’s limitations, I decided to stick with what it does best and concentrate on its musical prowess. First up is Hans Zimmer’s Live in Prague, available from Kaleidescape in 4K with a fantastic Dolby Atmos soundtrack. I jumped through various tracks and settled on “Captain Jack Sparrow” from Pirates of the Caribbean. According to an RTA measurement from REW, this song only features a little deep bass, with a steep roll-off at 35 Hz. Sure enough, the track sounds divine from my main listening position and at sane listening levels. In fact, it sounds similar to my reference subwoofer setup. Words that spring to mind are precise, quick, and natural.

“Victoria’s Secret” by Jax is one of the catchiest tunes I’ve heard in years, and I just can’t seem to get enough of it—just ask my wife, who has banned any further playback in her presence! Jax finished third on the fourteenth season of American Idol, and she wrote this tune for a child she was babysitting. The bass track doesn’t kick in until the 30-second mark, but it hits with authority, clear articulation, and presence when it does. Once again, the GoldenEar doesn’t disappoint as the young lady tells us that Victoria’s secret is “an old man who lives in Ohio.” If you haven’t heard the song, look it up—it’s LOL funny.

Pumping the bass way up, the jumpy, funky bass line in the Average White Band’s “Cut The Cake” pushes my chest cavity in as the volume control goes up. Hunter was headed home at 5 p.m, but I was up with a long list of bass-heavy tracks from RUN-D.M.C., The System, K.C. & The Sunshine Band, and some Prince until about 2 a.m. In the world of stuff, there are a few things I never get tired of, Porsche manual transmissions, the gentle click of a Leica rangefinder camera, and the way a REL subwoofer improves a system. It’s never less than extraordinary. 

The following day was reserved for more heavy rock and jazz. Jaco Pastorius, Stanley Clarke, and Charlie Hayden all sound more similar than different on a lesser sub, but with the No.31, you can easily hear the distinct sound their instruments and playing styles make. Rather than bore you with a long playlist of tracks, the REL No. 31 excels at its function. Even when playing arena rock at brain damage levels, the RELs never run out of excursion.

At $7,500 each, these are not inexpensive subwoofers. However, if you’ve invested $30k to crazy money in a pair of main speakers, will you bring up the bottom with an inexpensive pair of subs? Whether you choose one, two, or six – you will be impressed by the added dimension the REL No.31s can deliver to your system.