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Help me understand "the swarm" in the broader audiophile world

I'm still fairly new out here and am curious about this Swarm thing. I've never owned a subwoofer but I find reading about them--placement, room treatments, nodes, the crawl, etc--fascinating. I'm interested in the concept of the Swarm and the DEBRA systems, and I have a very specific question. The few times I've been in high-end, audiophile stores and asked about the concept of the Swarm, I've tended to get some eye-rolling. They're selling single or paired subwoofers that individually often cost more and sometimes much more than a quartet of inexpensive, modest subs. The same thing can be said for many speaker companies that make both speakers and subs; it's not like I see Vandersteen embracing the use of four Sub 3's. 

My question is this: do in fact high-end stores embrace the concept of multiple, inexpensive subs? If not, cynicism aside, why not? Or why doesn't Vandersteen or JL or REL and so on design their own swarm? For those out here who love multiple subs, is it a niche thing? Is it a certain kind of sound that is appealing to certain ears? The true believers proselytize with such zeal that I find it intriguing and even convincing, and yet it's obviously a minority of listeners who do it, even those who have dedicated listening rooms. (I'm talking about the concept of four+ subs, mixed and matched, etc. I know plenty of folks who embrace two subs. And I may be wrong about all my assumptions here--really.)

Now, one favor, respectfully: I understand the concept and don't need to be convinced of why it's great. That's all over literally every post on this forum that mentions the word "sub." I'm really interested in why, as far as I can tell, stores and speaker companies (and maybe most audiophile review sites?) mostly don't go for it--and why, for that matter, many audiophiles don't either (putting aside the obvious reason of room limits). Other than room limitations, why would anyone buy a single JL or REL or Vandy sub when you could spend less and get ... the swarm? 


northman

Showing 2 responses by gdnrbob

gdnrbob
4,492 posts
 
@stringreen ,
Yes, Vandy subs are expensive, but how many subs can last 30 years or more?
My pair of 2w's worked as they should and were over 30 years old.
My pair of 2wq's are over 10 years old and work as they should, as well.
I'll be buying a pair of Sub 3 subs, and be set for the remainder of my days.
And, they integrate seamlessly, and without fussy setup issues.
Bob
gdnrbob
4,492 posts
 
Even Richard Vandersteen believes that multiple subs are better than one or two.
PM ctsooner. He spoke with Mr. V. about this not long ago.
Though I have to say the new Sub 3 with equalization will probably be very close to multiple subwoofers.
I will be ordering them for myself, soon.
Bob
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