SVS Owner's Thread

[Shanman]

Yep, my recent purchase of the 2 Infinity R12 subs from the ongoing Harman sale didn't work out so well. They were ok I guess, my music only system with the Snell 10" ran circles around them actually. They were really big/bulky cabinets, so stacked they were a hideously huge eyesore. I'm being patient and just saving up for a higher end 12" or 15" to go for the HT duties.

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

I think the PB16-Ultra is as about as far as SVS will go for a mega-sub. Keep in mind that SVS deals all over the world, and the logistics of manufacturing a 200 lbs+ behemoth is expensive and complicated. Anyway, a better approach to subwoofage is multiple small subs, not one or two gigantic subs. Monster subs aren't all that great, unless you only have one location to put a sub so you might as well make it the most powerful sub that you can afford.

Well, like usual it depends. SVS is pretty large compared to most of the other ID companies these days and they probably don’t have the flexibility smaller more nimble companies have. What I loved about SVS in the old days was nothing could compete for the same money. They owned value subwoofage. Now they seem to be victims of their own success in that they’ve placed their value in finishes and app controllability. I don’t have a problem with that and obviously many others find all that stuff to be worth it. BUT, IMO when the lights go down, that stuff doesn’t matter as much. Don’t you agree that bass per dollar has been taken over by others? CS is not to be underestimated either, but I just think they could be more competitive where the rubber meets the road.

As far as more smaller subs vs one or two big ones, you know just as much as I do that...”it depends” lol. Room construction, room volume, desires and budget all play into it. For example, in a 12x15 suspended room with a wood floor could probably be ok with a pair of sb2k’s(or better yet 3k’s). However, a room like 18x27 with 12’ ceilings connected to a kitchen on a concrete slab would eat those sb2k’s alive. The second situation is like my room and I would rather have a pair of fv18’s($3600) than 6 pb12-NSD’s($3000). Not to mention finding places for all those little NSD’s.
For the record, I am an SVS owner.

 

[Hamid Khan]

Well, like usual it depends. SVS is pretty large compared to most of the other ID companies these days and they probably don’t have the flexibility smaller more nimble companies have. What I loved about SVS in the old days was nothing could compete for the same money. They owned value subwoofage. Now they seem to be victims of their own success in that they’ve placed their value in finishes and app controllability. I don’t have a problem with that and obviously many others find all that stuff to be worth it. BUT, IMO when the lights go down, that stuff doesn’t matter as much. Don’t you agree that bass per dollar has been taken over by others? CS is not to be underestimated either, but I just think they could be more competitive where the rubber meets the road.

As far as more smaller subs vs one or two big ones, you know just as much as I do that...”it depends” lol. Room construction, room volume, desires and budget all play into it. For example, in a 12x15 suspended room with a wood floor could probably be ok with a pair of sb2k’s(or better yet 3k’s). However, a room like 18x27 with 12’ ceilings connected to a kitchen on a concrete slab would eat those sb2k’s alive. The second situation is like my room and I would rather have a pair of fv18’s($3600) than 6 pb12-NSD’s($3000). Not to mention finding places for all those little NSD’s.
For the record, I am an SVS owner.

Agreed!
It seems SVS is looking to beef up the mid range subs, in better performance and trickle down the features from the higher priced subs to the 2k series to serve the majority of the clients. Personally, I would not consider it a bad Idea. Maybe, this is a strategy to keep persons interested in that specific series. This is just my speculation.

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

Agreed!
It seems SVS is looking to beef up the mid range subs, in better performance and trickle down the features from the higher priced subs to the 2k series to serve the majority of the clients. Personally, I would not consider it a bad Idea. Maybe, this is a strategy to keep persons interested in that specific series. This is just my speculation.

I agree. I think the 2k series has been around long enough for an update/upgrade. Problem is, I’m pretty sure that in the 900-1k price range the HSU vtf-3 mk5 HP($799) is better. Also, Rythmik has the fvx15($1099) and fvx12($899). PSA has the v1512($1149)
When you add in the app control and dsp the balance might shift a little, but I think most users won’t have a CLUE on how to use the app/dsp and could easily make their systems sound worse.

To be clear, I’m not ragging on SVS. As I said, I’m an owner and I’ve been in love since I almost bought a PB12+2(bet you don’t know what that is!) and pasted a blown up picture of one, in beautiful rosewood on the wall to warm my wife up to the idea. What I’m afraid of is I might not be comfortable recommending them without adding that you might get better bass per dollar somewhere else.

 

[Hamid Khan]

I agree. I think the 2k series has been around long enough for an update/upgrade. Problem is, I’m pretty sure that in the 900-1k price range the HSU vtf-3 mk5 HP($799) is better. Also, Rythmik has the fvx15($1099) and fvx12($899). PSA has the v1512($1149)
When you add in the app control and dsp the balance might shift a little, but I think most users won’t have a CLUE on how to use the app/dsp and could easily make their systems sound worse.

To be clear, I’m not ragging on SVS. As I said, I’m an owner and I’ve been in love since I almost bought a PB12+2(bet you don’t know what that is!) and pasted a blown up picture of one, in beautiful rosewood on the wall to warm my wife up to the idea. What I’m afraid of is I might not be comfortable recommending them without adding that you might get better bass per dollar somewhere else.

Certainly, SVS has the competition cut out for them, no doubt about it, compared to the brands you have mentioned. However, my emphasis was strictly to that of the majority of their clients whom have purchase their subs, and if SVS are working on better performance with the added features from the higher models of their series, it would definitely add interest to customers in general, whether they are knowledgeable how to operate the features of the subs. It would be considered as a marketing strategy.

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

Certainly, SVS has the competition cut out for them, no doubt about it, compared to the brands you have mentioned. However, my emphasis was strictly to that of the majority of their clients whom have purchase their subs, and if SVS are working on better performance with the added features from the higher models of their series, it would definitely add interest to customers in general, whether they are knowledgeable how to operate the features of the subs. It would be considered as a marketing strategy.

If I follow you, you’re talking about people already in their ecosystem. To that, I totally agree. It’s hard to leave once you’re in, and especially if you’re satisfied. There are countless happy SVS customers, and rightly so. They’re definitely not shopping around, and when the email hits the inbox, it’s easy to follow the crumb trail. Lol. I’d say we agree?

 

[Hamid Khan]

If I follow you, you’re talking about people already in their ecosystem. To that, I totally agree. It’s hard to leave once you’re in, and especially if you’re satisfied. There are countless happy SVS customers, and rightly so. They’re definitely not shopping around, and when the email hits the inbox, it’s easy to follow the crumb trail. Lol. I’d say we agree?

Conclusion agreed! lol

 

[shadyJ]

Well, like usual it depends. SVS is pretty large compared to most of the other ID companies these days and they probably don’t have the flexibility smaller more nimble companies have. What I loved about SVS in the old days was nothing could compete for the same money. They owned value subwoofage. Now they seem to be victims of their own success in that they’ve placed their value in finishes and app controllability. I don’t have a problem with that and obviously many others find all that stuff to be worth it. BUT, IMO when the lights go down, that stuff doesn’t matter as much. Don’t you agree that bass per dollar has been taken over by others? CS is not to be underestimated either, but I just think they could be more competitive where the rubber meets the road.

SVS's business model in 'the old days' when they were building all kinds of monster subs nearly put them out of business. They were acquired by new owners who made them not just profitable but massively successful. They weren't victims of their own success, they were rescued from total failure. They have turned into a much better company than they used to be. Better engineering, more reliable products, more accessible and better availability, and ultimately more sensible overall. There are other companies that do offer a higher $/dB ratio, but what does that really matter? SVS buyers generally get the level of SPL that they want. Not everyone is after 120 dB. Most of my family and friends would never be able to accommodate a huge sub and would never be able to use it anywhere near its full potential anyway, even if they did have space for it. Keep in mind that the home audio market as we know it is shrinking, and people aren't buying as much subwoofers, AVRs, and large loudspeakers as they used to, yet SVS has been growing. Their products really do measure and perform well, as I have seen time and time again. Wait till you see the measurements for the 3000 subs...

As far as more smaller subs vs one or two big ones, you know just as much as I do that...”it depends” lol. Room construction, room volume, desires and budget all play into it. For example, in a 12x15 suspended room with a wood floor could probably be ok with a pair of sb2k’s(or better yet 3k’s). However, a room like 18x27 with 12’ ceilings connected to a kitchen on a concrete slab would eat those sb2k’s alive. The second situation is like my room and I would rather have a pair of fv18’s($3600) than 6 pb12-NSD’s($3000). Not to mention finding places for all those little NSD’s.
For the record, I am an SVS owner.

One thing that you have to factor in the "it depends" condition is how much SPL is really desired. Some people would be just fine with two SB-2000s in a 18x27 foot room, and others would want way more SPL than two FV18s could produce in that same room. Six PB12-NSDs would be able to get you a much higher quality sound than two FV18s, btw. With placement experimenting, you probably could get a flat response without any EQing at all, which is the ideal. And the SVS system would be very close in headroom as well.

 

[Danzilla31]

SVS's business model in 'the old days' when they were building all kinds of monster subs nearly put them out of business. They were acquired by new owners who made them not just profitable but massively successful. They weren't victims of their own success, they were rescued from total failure. They have turned into a much better company than they used to be. Better engineering, more reliable products, more accessible and better availability, and ultimately more sensible overall. There are other companies that do offer a higher $/dB ratio, but what does that really matter? SVS buyers generally get the level of SPL that they want. Not everyone is after 120 dB. Most of my family and friends would never be able to accommodate a huge sub and would never be able to use it anywhere near its full potential anyway, even if they did have space for it. Keep in mind that the home audio market as we know it is shrinking, and people aren't buying as much subwoofers, AVRs, and large loudspeakers as they used to, yet SVS has been growing. Their products really do measure and perform well, as I have seen time and time again. Wait till you see the measurements for the 3000 subs...


One thing that you have to factor in the "it depends" condition is how much SPL is really desired. Some people would be just fine with two SB-2000s in a 18x27 foot room, and others would want way more SPL than two FV18s could produce in that same room. Six PB12-NSDs would be able to get you a much higher quality sound than two FV18s, btw. With placement experimenting, you probably could get a flat response without any EQing at all, which is the ideal. And the SVS system would be very close in headroom as well.

Wait till we see the measurements on the 3000 series eh? Shady you dirty tease!!!!

 

[Danzilla31]

SVS's business model in 'the old days' when they were building all kinds of monster subs nearly put them out of business. They were acquired by new owners who made them not just profitable but massively successful. They weren't victims of their own success, they were rescued from total failure. They have turned into a much better company than they used to be. Better engineering, more reliable products, more accessible and better availability, and ultimately more sensible overall. There are other companies that do offer a higher $/dB ratio, but what does that really matter? SVS buyers generally get the level of SPL that they want. Not everyone is after 120 dB. Most of my family and friends would never be able to accommodate a huge sub and would never be able to use it anywhere near its full potential anyway, even if they did have space for it. Keep in mind that the home audio market as we know it is shrinking, and people aren't buying as much subwoofers, AVRs, and large loudspeakers as they used to, yet SVS has been growing. Their products really do measure and perform well, as I have seen time and time again. Wait till you see the measurements for the 3000 subs...


One thing that you have to factor in the "it depends" condition is how much SPL is really desired. Some people would be just fine with two SB-2000s in a 18x27 foot room, and others would want way more SPL than two FV18s could produce in that same room. Six PB12-NSDs would be able to get you a much higher quality sound than two FV18s, btw. With placement experimenting, you probably could get a flat response without any EQing at all, which is the ideal. And the SVS system would be very close in headroom as well.

On a serious note I'm wondering if the new PB 2000 pro will have any improvements on actual performance

The double ports the new special drivers would any of that yield any improvements possibly Shady?

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

SVS's business model in 'the old days' when they were building all kinds of monster subs nearly put them out of business. They were acquired by new owners who made them not just profitable but massively successful. They weren't victims of their own success, they were rescued from total failure. They have turned into a much better company than they used to be. Better engineering, more reliable products, more accessible and better availability, and ultimately more sensible overall. There are other companies that do offer a higher $/dB ratio, but what does that really matter? SVS buyers generally get the level of SPL that they want. Not everyone is after 120 dB. Most of my family and friends would never be able to accommodate a huge sub and would never be able to use it anywhere near its full potential anyway, even if they did have space for it. Keep in mind that the home audio market as we know it is shrinking, and people aren't buying as much subwoofers, AVRs, and large loudspeakers as they used to, yet SVS has been growing. Their products really do measure and perform well, as I have seen time and time again. Wait till you see the measurements for the 3000 subs...


One thing that you have to factor in the "it depends" condition is how much SPL is really desired. Some people would be just fine with two SB-2000s in a 18x27 foot room, and others would want way more SPL than two FV18s could produce in that same room. Six PB12-NSDs would be able to get you a much higher quality sound than two FV18s, btw. With placement experimenting, you probably could get a flat response without any EQing at all, which is the ideal. And the SVS system would be very close in headroom as well.

While it’s true, the old days could have been navigated in a smarter manner, it’s also what put them on the map, AND what all other ID companies wanted to achieve. Victims of their own success wasn’t the right wording, for sure.
They are definitely a better company than they used to be, but even you offer other suggestions first when it comes to absolute value. What makes the pb2k pro is as good as the vtf-3 mk5 hp that’s even less expensive? Maybe it is, but I’d have to see some measurements to believe it. I also think there’s more to it than $/dB.

And while we’ll never know for sure about my hypothetical six NSD’s vs the fv 18’s, I still hold my opinion. I don’t think the NSD’s drivers are as good so the “quality” as you say wouldn’t be as good, and I believe the fv18’s would be much more efficient giving them the edge in headroom. You’d only have to place 2 as well, which would be important, unless we’re talking about a theoretically ideal room, and not dealing with furniture etc. Setting up 6 subs vs 2 for the average guy would also be difficult and could be a bad deal overall.
We seem to agree that each application is situational and one mans too much is another’s just right. But it depends...

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

Wait till we see the measurements on the 3000 series eh? Shady you dirty tease!!!!

Yes please!!!

On a serious note I'm wondering if the new PB 2000 pro will have any improvements on actual performance

The double ports the new special drivers would any of that yield any improvements possibly Shady?

You just wanna talk about ports!!!!! Lol

 

[Danzilla31]

I am a very happy owner by the way of 2 PB 4000's by the way although there are better subs for the money I doubt. It need them I can't even come close to maxing these out. They have a ton of headroom.

I have to agree with Shady here I'm a loyal customer due to there changes that he referred to the customer service is top notch the warranties are some of the best in the business. And there products are all solid all the way around. They won't be the beast but they don't disappoint

And by the way they move some serious air with deep bass for drivers and subs of that size it's pretty impressive actually what they can do for the driver size.

Plus they are showcased in my favorite store Bjorn's here in San Antonio. So not only do I get great service from SVS but Bjorn's matches it and they have a full repair shop where I can take the sub too and or have a service technician come out too repair at my home

Combine this with nice aesthetics the new app is killer dialing everything in from the phone is so useful instead of getting up and adjusting I'm pretty happy with em

At least for myself

 

[Danzilla31]

Yes please!!!

You just wanna talk about ports!!!!! Lol

I'm in therapy for that sir and doing very well so I'd appreciate your support for my recovery so I don't return to that other me thank you very much! It's been 3 days since my last port incident!

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

I am a very happy owner by the way of 2 PB 4000's by the way although there are better subs for the money I doubt. It need them I can't even come close to maxing these out. They have a ton of headroom.

I have to agree with Shady here I'm a loyal customer due to there changes that he referred to the customer service is top notch the warranties are some of the best in the business. And there products are all solid all the way around. They won't be the beast but they don't disappoint

And by the way they move some serious air with deep bass for drivers and subs of that size it's pretty impressive actually what they can do for the driver size.

Plus they are showcased in my favorite store Bjorn's here in San Antonio. So not only do I get great service from SVS but Bjorn's matches it and they have a full repair shop where I can take the sub too and or have a service technician come out too repair at my home

Combine this with nice aesthetics the new app is killer dialing everything in from the phone is so useful instead of getting up and adjusting I'm pretty happy with em

At least for myself

I think the 4000’s are really great and I also own SVS. The CS is the best, and the app has a lot of potential. I think I’m going down a side road though. To be clear, I’m an SVS fan, and owner. I just wasn’t impressed with the 2000 Pro thing. Maybe they’re better than I think, and I’ll eat my hat. Lol

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

I'm in therapy for that sir and doing very well so I'd appreciate your support for my recovery so I don't return to that other me thank you very much! It's been 3 days since my last port incident!

Good job Dan!!! Every day should be considered a success!!n I’m so proud of you.

 

[snakeeyes]

I think the 4000’s are really great and I also own SVS. The CS is the best, and the app has a lot of potential. I think I’m going down a side road though. To be clear, I’m an SVS fan, and owner. I just wasn’t impressed with the 2000 Pro thing. Maybe they’re better than I think, and I’ll eat my hat. Lol

So you’re saying you are ordering 6 or 7 NSDs? LOL

 

[snakeeyes]

I am a very happy owner by the way of 2 PB 4000's by the way although there are better subs for the money I doubt. It need them I can't even come close to maxing these out. They have a ton of headroom.

I have to agree with Shady here I'm a loyal customer due to there changes that he referred to the customer service is top notch the warranties are some of the best in the business. And there products are all solid all the way around. They won't be the beast but they don't disappoint

And by the way they move some serious air with deep bass for drivers and subs of that size it's pretty impressive actually what they can do for the driver size.

Plus they are showcased in my favorite store Bjorn's here in San Antonio. So not only do I get great service from SVS but Bjorn's matches it and they have a full repair shop where I can take the sub too and or have a service technician come out too repair at my home

Combine this with nice aesthetics the new app is killer dialing everything in from the phone is so useful instead of getting up and adjusting I'm pretty happy with em

At least for myself

That iPhone App does look cool. Does the 3000 have that too?

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

So you’re saying you are ordering 6 or 7 NSDs? LOL

Lol.....

 

[snakeeyes]

I doubt most people would choose to have more than 4 subs on purpose. Maybe @Danzilla31 would if they were the PB4000 because of the triple ports.