svs ultra tower review audioholics
benchmark at each price point. caliber crossover parts and rigid enclosures. The advantages over a single driver or two-way system are smoother in-room response, a larger sweet spot, lower distortion and higher output capability. Each stands an imposing 45" tall, with a face 9.5” wide at the front, expanding to 14” where it meets an angled back panel. I cycled through a variety of material including an 88kHz/24bit recording of Red Letter Year by Ani Difranco from HDtracks, and Feist's The Reminder. perfect the design. Dimensions: opposed ForceFactor woofer array minimizes distortion and cabinet vibration, Join our Exclusive Audioholics E-Book Membership Program! The sample I received has wood grain but what … SVS, a name synonymous with bang-for-your-buck subwoofers at a variety of performance points, has re-entered the speaker market with their top-of-the line Ultra Series Speakers. Recommended amplifier power: 20-225 watts. A review I read on Audioholics By Steve Feinstein regarding RBH's R-55E: "They have pretty good bass extension, definitely deeper and stronger than the B&W CM8 and Paradigm Prestige 75F. There are no threaded feet in any of the other speakers in the series, but adhesive rubber nubs are included to prevent marring surfaces. Horizontally configuration, which creates two separate speakers within one cabinet. Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2019. Confused about what AV Gear to buy or how to set it up? Here are the measurements, straight from Dennis. All Rights Reserved. At lower volumes, I preferred the more forward and present high-frequency presentation of the JBLs that made cymbals, hi-hats, and tambourines cut through the busy mid-frequencies. Instead, And this is Andrew Robinson's review as he takes the speaker and pushes it … If you look closely at the front baffle of the Ultra series tower, the trim rings on the tweeter and woofers are again not cheap plastic, but metal. Audiophile-grade For the center channel, I did prefer the integration of a single bookshelf as opposed to the dedicated center with the tower speakers. SVS Ultra Series Center Channel [W(T/M)W driver configuration]. Photo and image hosting, free photo galleries, photo editing. The most interesting and distinctive of the series, the Ultra towers have a striking appearance. It comes with a black fabric grille that SVS says is acoustically transparent, and … The only place I have seen better so far is the Monolith THX 12" ported has about a 3dB (2 port mode) and 5dB (1 port mode) advantage at 16Hz. response degradation. designing a stunning, acoustically impeccable loudspeaker that convincingly deliver a deep, detailed soundstage with incredible resolution, absolute on collective decades of experience, SVS is redefining performance and value Its unique We checked out the Prime Towers not long ago, now we are stepping up the Ultras. Without a subwoofer, the towers proved more than capable of producing a full, extended, and controlled low-end. dipole, and Duet operating modes. Not that it would have mattered; each was cradled in several inches of high-density foam and bagged. Want to know how the Klipsch RP8000 stacks up to the SVS Ultra Tower? The Ultra series speakers will begin shipping on I find the aesthetics of the towers to be simply gorgeous. "SVS has always been about constructed-with many parts being custom tooled exclusively for the Ultra SVS recently announced the Prime Pinnacle - and despite costing less than a pair of Ultra Towers, at $799 each, they look like absolute monsters. "The Ultra series speakers also embody value because our Dimensions: In Duet You can get an entire 5.0 system in the Ultra Series (no subwoofer) for around $2,699 (with bookshelf speakers) or $3,699 (with towers). Instead, they are framed with MDF for added rigidity. Final voicing was performed in the NRC's famous IEC 268-13 This is a review and detailed measurements of the SVS Ultra 2-way Bookshelf speaker. The Ultra series come in piano gloss black or real black oak veneer for the same price. horizontal dispersion and a consistent frequency response at all listening The SVS Ultra series is said to Get the Audioholics AV Gear Guide Ebook FREE! However, from a performance standpoint, I think the real star of the show are the Bookshelves. Pepper's, and his mom played Lionel Richie and Disney Soundtracks. results in non-parallel surfaces-which serves to reduce standing waves within by a group of audio enthusiasts seeking to develop an alternative to I use Photobucket, just as ADTG mentioned. SVS Ultra Tower Review Pt 1. performance that even most drastically more expensive loudspeakers cannot match. vertically aligned midrange driver and tweeter for improved uniformity in accurate bass performance no matter where you sit. SVS's customer service before and after the sale remains one of its strongest selling points. They followed the same Sensitivity: 87 dB (2.83V @ 1 meter full-space, 300-3kHz, bipolar mode). Also in the series is a Surround speaker that can be run as a bipole, dipole, or two individual channels in “Duet” mode. true 7.1-channel surround sound experience using only two Ultra Surround HRAC Approved Review: SVS Ultra and Prime Center Channel Speakers. aligned tweeter-midrange improves horizontal dispersion for a smooth and Report abuse. I did have some trouble fitting one of the tower grills; the culprit was a seemingly mis-set pin which require mild bowing of the grill to set. From top to bottom, the Ultra Tower that stands as the flagship of the lineup At $999 each, they are double the cost of the Prime, but are they double the speaker? 45" (H) x 13.8" (W) x 16.25"(D). and cleaner, tighter bass response. There’s a rear-firing port at the back too, which, combined with the side-firing woofers, means the Ultr… You can also expect SVS to fully disclose all measurement data of these new speakers on their website which is rarely found by the competition at any price level. He was lucky enough to grow up in a musical household, and though the AV equipment wasn't the greatest, it was always on. Mid-frequencies, such as those present in male and female voices, were clear and natural. “Let our rigorous testing and reviews be your guidelines to A/V equipment – not marketing slogans”. Verified Purchase. Ultra Tower Surround Package Wins the Audioholics 2013 Consumer Excellence Award "Dammit, I think SVS may have rigged the awards. and Center) for phenomenal bass output and extension and minimal frequency SVS may be best known for its outrageously fine subwoofers, but the Audiophiliac thinks its Ultra Tower is the gem in the line. The $699 Ultra Center speaker borrows the tweeter and midranges from the Tower, but it adds a 4-inch midrange between the two 6.5s. The £3,000 PB16-Ultra and £2,500 SB16-Ultra are SVS's largest subwoofers yet in terms of driver design, outranking the previous PB13/SB13 models. Dual Join our Exclusive Audioholics E-Book Membership Program! Having enjoyed podcasting and video production over the past 10 years, Marshall is happy to be contributing at Audioholics. They retained the best of the towers, including composed and natural response even at high volumes, while sacrificing only the lower register in frequency response. fan.". Duet Even the speaker grille design was subjected to this Here is the link: SVS PB-2000 Pro Ported Subwoofer Review As far as output goes, it appears this is the best 12" sub on the market <$1,000 from what I can tell. underwent hours of anechoic chamber measurements and subsequent revisions to Founded in 1998 for people who love music and sound. Dimensions: 14.9" (H) X 8.5" (W) X 10" (D). series-further development was conducted at the world-renowned National ... the driver array and resulting specs for both products very much resemble a large-ish bookshelf or small-ish tower speaker turned on its side. independent gold-plated 5-way binding posts. By contrast, my JBLs were more lively, but ragged at high volumes, and downright unpleasant when you really start cranking. Surround can operate in either bipole, dipole, or in SVS's unique Duet forces of each speaker and allowed for advanced engineering before the first They even have the SVS logo engraved on the tweeter faceplace. While I wished for a more forward presentation at lower volumes, the fatigue-free sound the Ultras produced at high-volumes was a fair tradeoff. surface, every dimension was tweaked with one ultimate goal in mind: pure Rubber spikes come pre-threaded, though metal spikes are also included. The bookshelves were also capable, but fared less well by comparison. team was meticulous in choosing build materials, design elements, and testing Confused about what AV Gear to buy or how to set it up? There is serious internal bracing in these heavy and inert 75-pound towers. Copyright © 1998–2020 Audioholics, LLC. gloss black and real black oak veneer finish options. Although the complete SVS Ultra lineup is marketed as a full multichannel and home theatre solution, the sleek Ultra Tower also intends to be competitive into the higher-tier two-channel sweepstakes. As my listening space is open, lacking back and side walls, it made more sense to use the bookshelves on tall stands for surround channels in my test setup, and I did not receive this speaker for review. For more information, please SVS, a name synonymous with bang-for-your-buck subwoofers at a variety of performance points, has re-entered the speaker market with their top-of-the line Ultra Series Speakers. Sensitivity: 88 dB (2.83V @ 1 meter full-space, 300-3kHz). The line-up includes a 45-inch tall upswept trapezoidal tower, a bookshelf speaker, center channel, and a unique and … delivering an unsurpassed audio value to people who, like us, are enthusiastic SVS has a new floorstanding speaker as part of the new Ultra line. SVS employes top shelf vented cast frame drivers on their mids, high A more compact 2-way version of the towers, each bookshelf shares the Tweeter, 6.5" Driver, and rear-port of the towers in a 19lb package, and digs down to 45hz. 3.5-way crossover with premium-grade capacitors, air-core inductors and heavy-trace printed circuit boards. To provide flexibility for the low-frequency performance, SVS includes an acoustic foam plug for the rear port that, when inserted, essentially makes the Ultra Tower into a sealed-box design. All Rights Reserved. Audiophile-grade A quick email to SVS rendered this response straight from Gary Yacoubian, the CEO of SVS: “We have a 45 day unconditional satisfaction guarantee and a 5 year warranty on all products. 3.5-way tapered midrange crossover array provides a smoother off-axis response, Dennis, send them my way if you'd like and I will post them for you. For me, cross-screen pans, such as an SUV speeding down an abandoned highway from a recent episode of The Walking Dead, were more seamless with the tower/bookshelf combo, but for folks who need the horizontal configuration, the tradeoff is minimal. speaker-by performing finite element analysis (FEA) on all of the proposed SVS's proprietary ForceFactor woofer array, with two 8-inch drivers enhances radiated sound power, and results in a more generous sweet spot. In a smaller room, you might get by sans-sub, but the bookshelves really came alive in my larger main-listening room once the PB12-NSD subwoofer was added to fill out the lowest frequencies. I personally wouldn't describe them as airy, crystalline, or any other buzzy term tossed around Hi-fi circles. SVS sells online, direct to the end user, and via select retailers. Research Council (NRC) facilities in Ottawa, Canada, where each speaker The SVS Ultra Tower uses a 1" aluminum dome tweeter, a pair of 6.5" midrange drivers, and two 8" woofers -- one on each side of the lower half of each speaker cabinet. flush-mounted drivers to reduce diffraction and improve on-axis high frequency Copyright © 1998–2020 Audioholics, LLC. Pricing for the SVS Ultra Tower $1999 / pair; November 20.The SVS Ultra series will be demonstrated this weekend during the Rocky Mountain Audiofest in on Facebook . Bipole, Helpful. Dual bookshelf speaker, center channel, and a truly unique and flexible surround Coupled with SVS's first class customer service, and Customer Bill of Rights, you can’t go wrong. 1" aluminum dome UltraSonic tweeters. The Ultra Tower is the flagship of the SVS Ultra speaker line and at $999 per side nothing if not ambitious. The Ultra Tower is a full range floorstanding loudspeaker system designed with a cost-no-object performance goal at reasonable prices. A 1” tweeter and 5.25” midrange driver are joined by three enormous 6” woofers - they may lack the bottom woofers of the Ultras, but we’d bet a lot that the bass of these speakers is spectacular. The Ultra series come in piano gloss black or real black oak veneer for the same price. His goal is to educate about home theater and develop more standards in the industry to eliminate consumer confusion clouded by industry snake oil. Marshall is an Educator by trade, and currently lives in Oregon. standardized listening room, where Mason and SVS President Gary Yacoubian However, if that leads you to think this is some watered down budget offering, you would be mistaken refined their performance in a real-world environment. SVS Ultra Bookshelf $999 / pair; SVS Ultra Center $699 / each; SVS Ultra True to their pedigree, the Ultra Series may lack small filigree like magnetic grills, but their performance stands toe to toe with much more expensive contenders. In this region SVS Ultras are head and shoulder above competition, let alone coming close to producing lower end high quality bass response and energy like Ultra Towers, Unless I dash out chunk load of money to get something like B&W Diamond 840, KEF R900 etc.,to be able hear or play as loud as these SVS Ultra Tower speakers. The result is a level of Vertically were designed for audio enthusiasts, by audio enthusiasts with over fifty years The Ultra Tower also employs horizontally opposed to eliminate cabinet vibrations, for reduced distortion The Ultra Center features That may be desirable when placement of the speakers in the room naturally reinforces low-frequencies. different directions into the room, reducing frequency response deviations Gene manages this organization, establishes relations with manufacturers and keeps Audioholics a well oiled machine. SoundMatch cabinet, allowing a true 7.1-channel surround sound experience using only two SVS sells online, direct to the Ended with full ultra fronts..surrounds to come soon, SVS Ultra Series Tower Speaker System Review, Drivers: 1" tweeter, 6.5" midrange driver, 8" woofers. SVS Ultra Tower, Stereomojo - Stereomojo Specific Recommendation 2013 "i componenti, l'ingegnerizzazione, il design innovativo, la squisita forma e la qualità della finitura e, soprattutto, la sua pura musicalità; sono cose che ci si aspetta da diffusori che costano due o tre volte il prezzo delle SVS Ultra Tower ... le Ultra Tower sono delle vere fuoriclasse e no, non sono solo … Still, I couldn't help but think that magnetic grills may have alleviated this issue, along with making them easier to remove and presenting a cleaner face. entire room. 5.0 out of 5 stars They do the job. Recommended amplifier power: 20-250 watts. SVS announced their flagship Ultra Series full-range loudspeakers, claiming a deep, detailed soundstage with incredible resolution, absolute transparency, and amazingly rich and articulated bass, outperforming speakers two and three times their price. The SVS Ultra series loudspeakers For all the Ultra series speakers, high-frequency reproduction was controlled, natural, and extended, even when pushing my volume levels to the top range of my Onkyo TX-SR706. 2 people found this helpful. I did a variety of two and multichannel listening, utilizing both the towers and bookshelves as left/right mains, switching occasionally with my JBL S310ii, all with and without an SVS PB12-NSD subwoofer. Denver, Colorado. award-winning lead designer Mark Mason and his team began work on the Dual woofers peak out on each side of the sturdy, 75lb speaker near the base and provide the foundation of a 28-32kHz frequency response. combined experience in the high-end audio arena, with a relentless passion for consistent response at all listening positions. Art. No cheesy vinyl wraps here. Pricing for the SVS Ultra Tower $1999 / pair; SVS Ultra Bookshelf $999 / pair; SVS Ultra Center $699 / each; SVS Ultra Surround $1199 / pair. speakers instead of the typical four. This £7,000 speaker system likes nothing better than a hefty tweak of the volume control Regular readers may recall HCC previously getting an SVS subwoofer to play with. lineup-which includes a gorgeous 45-inch tall upswept trapezoidal tower, a Mated with one of SVS's subwoofers, this becomes a non-issue and at $499 each, you have a beautiful looking and performing system. Receiving the SVS Ultra Series was the first time that I had speakers delivered on a freight pallet. positions within a typical home theater environment, along with dual woofers for Good review here on the Ultra bookshelves I hadn't seen until now: SVS Ultra Bookshelf Speakers Review | Audioholics Samsung QE65Q9FN / Arcam AVR850 / Monitor Audio PII FCR / Monitor Audio GFX x 4 / Cambridge Audio Min Minx 200 x 4 / SVS SB16 Ultra / Sony X800 / Chord Qutest / Yamaha WXC-50 / Audiolab M-PWR x 2 / Rega 3 Turntable In that regard, the latest bass boxes from US speaker/sub brand SVS are a hoot to play with. Perhaps the more similar driver complement of the tower and bookshelf integrated better, but I also heard and measured a little more energy in the lower midrange from my listening spot. The Ultra Surround also promises Sensitivity: 87 dB (2.83V @ 1 meter full-space, 300-3kHz). 14" (H) x 12.3" (W) x 5.4"(D). increased bass output and power handling. 6.5-inch composite glass-fiber midrange drivers crosses over to the tweeter, Surround $1199 / pair. while the bottom midrange driver works to ensure that off-axis performance is Dimensions: Well, that, or … I made the SVS Ultras my primary speakers for several weeks, and after running through every usage scenario that exists in my listening room, my take is that these are beautiful, capable speakers that are also a terrific value. And they're somewhat expensive. The speaker grilles aren't the typical cheap thin plastic you find in lesser designed loudspeakers. But like all good toys they have a serious side. Real black oak veneer and piano gloss black finish options. subwoofers and speakers through its Internet direct business. visit www.SVSound.com or like them With their tall, sleek faces meeting a broad, angular back, the cabinet design is artful in a way that few $1000 speakers can touch. science of sound married to a disruptive, forward-facing go-to-market strategy. locations. Recommended amplifier power: 20-150 watts. loudspeakers that made their subwoofers legendary and an industry 2-way crossover with premium-grade capacitors, air-core inductors and heavy-trace printed circuit boards. When Marshall was 14, his uncle passed down a pair of JBL towers and Marshall finally had his own system. Overall, I think SVS has hit the mark of creating remarkable speakers at a head turning price. In a multichannel system, if your setup allows for the form factor, I think this is the only speaker you need. Cloth grille with pin/cup retention system. Of course, one of the benefits of that big cabinet is that it allows for big drivers – and plenty of them. As gorgeous as the speakers are, every angle, every Achieving this required careful attention to every aspect of the design. Each is available in either Piano Black gloss or real Black Oak veneer. smooth and even, with a wider sweet spot and a more consistent sound across the His dad introduced him to Queen, Paul Simon, and Sgt. No cheesy vinyl wraps here. Read Review “Audiophiles take heed: The design, performance, and price make the SVS Ultra Bookshelf the perfect option for the last set of Bookshelf speakers you’ll ever need to purchase.” Every other speaker in the Ultra Drivers: 1" tweeter, 4" midrange driver, (2) 6.5" woofers. “I just can’t stop staring at them. The 3-way center also utilizes the 1" tweeter and 6.5" woofers, but adds a 4" midrange in a vertical configuration crossed over at 500hz to reduce frequency lobing off axis. rigorous FEA to ensure the utmost in sonic transparency. to achieve uncompromised performance, yet with pricing for a mainstream audio Dual rear ports enable a 45hz low-end for plenty of overlap when crossing-over with a subwoofer. A word about the cabinetry and the build quality is in order. This meant that they arrived in warehouse condition with nary a dent in the corrugated packaging. Since the Ultra Tower's trapezoidal shape Built Given the SVS reputation, we expect SVS Ultra Tower speaker: A force to be reckoned with. Instead, I would called them natural and controlled at any volume, which some may find staid in comparison to wild, less neutral, personas like those of the JBLs. Consisting of 4 models, each of the speakers shares traits such as aluminum tweeters, glass composite mid-low frequency drivers, dual 5-way gold-plated binding posts, and a pin and cup grill retention system. The review samples were finished in a Gloss Black that approaches what one sees on a Steinway concert grand; the Ultra Tower is also available in a Black Oak real-wood veneer. The new Ultra series is said to deliver stunning looks, unparalleled build quality and a world class audio experience. prototype was ever built. I found this to be the biggest area of distinction between the SVS Ultras and some other speakers I've heard.