Just Got My SVS PB13 Ultra!

[1337rx8]

Damn, I want to see a SVS sub bottoming out. Please make a video soon. Also, I wonder how is your ears after seeing the SVS bottoming out. We all know that SVS are known for insanely high price/performance ratio and VOLUME. SVS subwoofers are known for VOLUME man. How the hell did you bottom it out. It must be a like 120dB when it bottoms out. Tell us what the SPL meter reads when you bottom it out after you get your SPL meter. Again, we want to see that sick excursion.

Oh, I won't be allowing it to bottom out again if I can help it! Again, let me say that it wasn't all that (audibly) loud when it did bottom out since it was definitely a frequency below 20Hz and I was sitting in the area of the room with the least amount of bass at the time. A friend was with me, and he was also surprised at what happened, but then again I've never had a sub that would hit hard below 20Hz. When it did bottom out, it was very obvious (I've heard that terrible sound before from car audio subs) and it looked like it moved in and out about 4 inches. Anyway, the excursion was far more than I've seen from a sub before, but I don't intend to witness that again. I've been busy and haven't had a chance to do a video yet, since I keep on getting home too late, but I'll try to make a video soon.

 

[fugueness]

Has anyone had a chance to compare this sub to the JL Audio F113 or the Aerial SW-12?

 

[Warpdrv]

maybe a couple of pages back on this thread...http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=768150&page=48 craigsub is doing a sub shootout... he got an ultra 13, but it took a dump on him...
but he will be doing comparisons on several subs....

 

[leo1058]

Congrats

its all good

 

[clwendy]

Oh, I won't be allowing it to bottom out again if I can help it! Again, let me say that it wasn't all that (audibly) loud when it did bottom out since it was definitely a frequency below 20Hz and I was sitting in the area of the room with the least amount of bass at the time. A friend was with me, and he was also surprised at what happened, but then again I've never had a sub that would hit hard below 20Hz. When it did bottom out, it was very obvious (I've heard that terrible sound before from car audio subs) and it looked like it moved in and out about 4 inches. Anyway, the excursion was far more than I've seen from a sub before, but I don't intend to witness that again. I've been busy and haven't had a chance to do a video yet, since I keep on getting home too late, but I'll try to make a video soon.

Wow, 4 inches of excursion. The SVS didn't look like it had a lot of excursion though. If what you say is true(most likely it is) the JL f113 has 4 inch excursion as well. Look at that sub's huge surround roll. WOW.

 

[Duffinator]

you know you want to try the new SVS!

I know I do. I really want the JL F112 but that doesn't quite fit into my budget. This sub is just slightly too big for my space. I'd really like not to go larger than my current PB12-ISD. Look for a new thread from me in the next week or two on this topic.

 

[clwendy]

Also, do you remember how bad was your room shaking when you bottomed it out?

 

[1337rx8]

Also, do you remember how bad was your room shaking when you bottomed it out?

The room wasn't shaking that much when it bottomed out, but then again it was sub-20Hz and I was sitting in a bass null. My couch seems to absorb most of the vibration, so that doesn't help too much either (I'm used to really *feeling* it inside a car). Using a resonance test going from 1Hz and up I can shake just about everything in my house at whatever frequency it resonates. The sub's definitely impressive, I just need to put it somewhere else in my room to avoid that null at my normal seating position (or play with the phase, etc.). Right now, the sub is placed at the left end of my couch (I'm sitting at the right end), angled toward me a bit and about 4 feet from a double glass door to my back yard. I have a very unusual room, so I'm sure it will be tricky to get it positioned correctly, but I really only have one other place it will fit at this point.

 

[clwendy]

Even if you're setting in a bass null, you still should feel the room shaking experience. I have a Logitech Z-5500 computer speaker in my bedroom and where I was sitting, which is the place where I use the computer, that place was a bass null as well. I can definitely hear the bass, but if I move back or go to a corner, the bass increases like by 10-15dB. I remember when I turn it loud enough when playing hip hop or a movie, I can still feel the vibration when sitting on the bass null. It doesn't shake a room (10 inch, 200 watt is not going to shake my bedroom), but it will vibrate the room when playing hip hop and rap. It might perhaps lift everything in my room by 1cm when I play a movie. But wherever you sit, you should feel the shake. Did you get your SPL meter?

 

[1337rx8]

Even if you're setting in a bass null, you still should feel the room shaking experience. I have a Logitech Z-5500 computer speaker in my bedroom and where I was sitting, which is the place where I use the computer, that place was a bass null as well. I can definitely hear the bass, but if I move back or go to a corner, the bass increases like by 10-15dB. I remember when I turn it loud enough when playing hip hop or a movie, I can still feel the vibration when sitting on the bass null. It doesn't shake a room (10 inch, 200 watt is not going to shake my bedroom), but it will vibrate the room when playing hip hop and rap. It might perhaps lift everything in my room by 1cm when I play a movie. But wherever you sit, you should feel the shake. Did you get your SPL meter?

No SPL meter yet, been too busy with work and other stuff lately to even mess with the sub. As for the shaking, I mentioned that I'm used to bass in a car (with a JL 13w7) for reference, as there's no way the shaking will approach that in a house, so my expectations were already too high anyway. Add in the really heavy leather sleeper sofa which seems to absorb most of the shaking and there isn't that much tactile feedback, especially compared to a car seat bolted to the body, hehe. Anyway, hopefully things will die down at work soon and I'll get a chance to mess with this sub and get it set up right.

 

[clwendy]

Do you think your JL in your car sounds better or the SVS? How much was the JL?

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

The JL in his car is equivalent to the drivers in the Fathom home subs. They are about as good as they get. I have to agree with OP, car bass will rattle your brain. Home bass will rattle a few items in the kitchen cabinets. There's just such a small space in a vehicle to fill with sound waves compared to a family room or den. No comparison. Now, put that sub inside a minivan and you might lose your hearing. It's all based on interior room volume.

My Plus/2 overpowers my family room which opens up to a kitchen, dining room, basement, and hallway. It's overkill, but the beauty with that sub isn't necessarily dB's - it's sub 20Hz bass. These subs don't shine with chest pounding rock or rap - they impress with movies when you're least expecting it.

I'm anxious to get up to SVS' Head Quarters to do a side by side comparo. I was leaning heavily towards the single original Ultra, then heard it next to the dual Plus and Ultra. No comparison in my opinion. With this new driver and cabinet design, I'm anxious to see the huge difference.

 

[1337rx8]

Do you think your JL in your car sounds better or the SVS? How much was the JL?

I've always felt that the JL is very accurate and definitely sounds the best of any car sub I've heard, but I can't really compare a sealed car audio sub with a ported home audio sub. Although my car is dampened and reinforced for the sub, there is enough noise from things rattling that I couldn't really compare the two subs anyway.....noisy, small environment with very focused intense vibration versus quiet home theater with vibration more distributed. My setup would probably hit around 140dB-145dB (based on what others who don't compete generally achieve with this sub and similar amp), but I've never pushed it much past 120dB or so (while outside the car using a remote), which is a guess as I don't have an spl meter. I just know that my car's bass is louder and cleaner than just about anything I've ever heard.

I got the JL 13w7 sub for $250 at a police seizure auction (was about $550 used on eBay at the time, not sure how much new) and a used Zapco AG750 amp for about $200 ($750 new retail). I built my own box using laminated 3/4" high-density particle board (1 1/2" total thickness), as I couldn't find MDF anywhere for reasonable prices. Total weight of sub and box is about 90 lbs and still plenty of trunk space. Anyway, I'm very satisfied with the JL sub and the very powerful Zapco amp.

Back to the SVS, it sounds wonderful, I just may need to add a Buttkicker to my couch for more tactile feedback, but we'll see after I get a chance to really play with it. I would say that it moves about as much air and has about the same excursion as my JL car sub, and I get about the same effect while standing in front of it. Anyway, I don't think I really have anything more to add to the discussion, and please keep in mind that I'm very inexperienced in the home theater area anyway and slowly learning while gradually assembling my dream system.

 

[clwendy]

Wow, you got the W7 13 for a really cheap price. You know the MSRP is $999. Thanks for all the quick replies. Hope you make a video soon.