Niles Audio SW6.5 and SW8 Ultra-Compact Subwoofers Preview

The new SW6.5 and SW8 are made in the same custom installer centric stride as every other product Niles makes. But this is a good thing because installers need products that are flexible and bulletproof. These two subwoofers are likely not the best choice for a client demanding ultimate performance, but rather a business needing background music or installations where you can’t use a larger free standing or in-wall subwoofer.  Think soundbar in a bedroom, these subs seem to be a perfect for that!

Let’s start with the general design. The two units are nearly identical except for the driver size and amplifier power. Both subwoofers have one active driver on the front and two passive radiators on the sides. Adding multiple passive radiators is very common when trying to design ultra-compact subwoofers as it allows for increased surface area without using a larger driver. And these subs are ultra-compact, the SW6.5 is 8-5/8” H x 8-3/8” W x 9-5/8”  and the SW8 is 8-5/8” H x 8-3/8” W x 9-5/8”. The SW6.5 has three 6 ½” drivers (one active, two passive), a 220w RMS/800w peak Class D power amplifier and is rated down to 42Hz. The SW8 has three 8” drivers, a 300w RMS/1200w peak Class D power amplifier and is rated down to 36Hz. The woofers are anodized aluminum for increased rigidity compared to paper cone designs. 

SW6.5 & SW8 

Both subwoofers are compatible with OmniMount 30.0 ST-MP wall mount so they can be hidden easily in commercial installations. No sub cable/RG6 ran to where you want the sub? No problem. They are compatible with Niles’ FG01672 Wireless Receiver and feature an RJ45 input for use with compatible CAT-5 baluns. Technically you could use a standard stereo audio balun with any sub, but with these subs you only need to purchase the sender portion of the balun kit, not the receiver as well.  If you want to add multiple subs there are LFE and stereo line-level inputs and pass-through outputs to cascade up to three additional subwoofers.  There is an adjustable lowpass filter which can be set in a bypass mode when it is turned over 150Hz. There is also a variable phase control (0°-180°) rather than just a switch between 0° and 180°, which is a nice feature to see.                                             

Conclusion 

Unless otherwise indicated, this is a preview article for the featured product. A formal review may or may not follow in the future.