Remarkable bass from concealed spaces
JL Audio Fathom IWS-SYS-108 is an in-wall subwoofer system made up of one enclosure with an 8-inch driver and the SA-600W amplifier, with 300 W RMS (short-term) of power.
The 8-inch Fathom systems come from the technologies used in JL Audio's freestanding subwoofers and work while staying out of sight: the enclosure sits inside the structure and only the grille, which can be painted, is visible. The stated frequency response runs from 24.9 to 109 Hz, within ±1.5 dB in anechoic conditions.
Key features
- One thin-line 8-inch driver, already installed
- In-wall installation
- SA-600W amplifier, rack-mountable in one unit
- 300 W RMS (short-term) of power
- Ported enclosure in marine-grade birch plywood
- 18-band D.A.R.O. calibration
- Paintable steel-mesh grille
Enclosure and installation
The enclosure is thin birch plywood of marine grade: this gives the largest possible internal air volume while the structure stays strong and rigid, helped by a web of CNC-machined internal braces. The system suits ceiling joists of 2×6 inches or larger and standard wall studs on 16-inch centres. Every enclosure comes with a fine steel-mesh grille that can be painted and is designed to keep vibration under control; it suits wallboard from 13 to 44 mm thick.
Thin-line driver
The 8-inch thin-line subwoofer has a motor and suspension of unusual design, which draw all the excursion possible out of a shallow mounting depth. DMA modelling looks after motor, suspension and cone to achieve long and linear excursion at low distortion.
SA-600W amplifier
The amplifier takes up a single rack unit and delivers up to 600 W: it can drive one enclosure or two. On board is the Fathom signal processing, with 18-band D.A.R.O. calibration, which automatically optimises how the subwoofer responds in the room, and high-pass outputs for the loudspeakers. Calibration needs a microphone, sold separately. Power-on can be automatic, by signal sensing or through a 12 V trigger.
Supplied accessories
The system includes the enclosure with the 8-inch subwoofer already installed, the steel-mesh grille, the SA-600W amplifier, the power cord and two rack tabs.
