SVS PB13-Ultra Subwoofer Review

[Raks]

You can not beat Physics (13" against 15" / 18"). I am not going to get into that territory. But VFM perspective, SVS does not offer anything to an ordinary HT enthusiast. I am not referring to SVS fanboys or some rich HT enthusiasts. Purely VFM.

Raks. nevermind the woofer size. look at the measured ground plane results.
svs 13.5" > ordinary 15" woofer

if you don't think SVS is of value. that's fine. but your comparisons seem to have been done with blinders on.

i've had both a DD18 and a PB13Ultra. my experience mirrors the measurement results.

 

[Raks]

I see the 2 - 1 advantage for HSU...not SVS

How is a 2-1 advantage a "marginal improvement"?

 

[Adam]

When i said VFM, I am not intentding that for SVS fanboys. I was intending that Value For Money (VFM) for common man who spends his/her hard earned dollars.

5 to 7 years ago, both HSU and SVS were competing head on in the same price bracket.

Quick with the insult - but slow on the math. You seem to have ignored my entire post.

 

[Steve81]

Quick with the insult - but slow on the math. You seem to have ignored my entire post.

His logic is sound. SVS is junk. Hsu offers a 15" driver for $1000. SVS has nothing to match that

 

[Adam]

His logic is sound. SVS is junk. Hsu offers a 15" driver for $1000. SVS has nothing to match that

Word.

Am I an SVS fanboy? Maybe, maybe not. But anyone that thinks that $1500 five years ago is great value, but $1700 today for a better version isn't...well, doesn't understand inflation for s**t. Just based on inflation, $1500 in 2007 is $1665 today. "Oh, see! SVS overcharges by $35. Dumb-a** fanboy."

 

[Adam]

Btw, I'm not arguing if SVS is a good value for everyone. Just that they are the same value that they were in 2007.

I eagerly await the logic in the next rebuke.

 

[brianedm]

I eagerly await the logic in the next rebuke.

Ya, like I'm gonna take advice on the internet from a guy with a dog face! COME ON!

 

[Adam]

Ya, like I'm gonna take advice on the internet from a guy with a dog face! COME ON!

Ahem. That's "Jedi" with a dog face.

 

[Raks]

What is the insult Adam ?

Quick with the insult - but slow on the math. You seem to have ignored my entire post.

 

[Raks]

Precisely....SVS will only charge you 2 Grand for a 13" offering....

His logic is sound. SVS is junk. Hsu offers a 15" driver for $1000. SVS has nothing to match that

 

[Adam]

What is the insult Adam ?

Fair enough. "Fanboy" is often meant as one in forums like this. Sorry - doesn't mean that you meant it that way.

I still think that SVS is the same value as five years ago...good or bad.

 

[Raks]

Did you read my post Adam ? SVS and HSu were in the same price range few years ago. HSu does not offer any ported sub at $1500 even now. I am referring to the price range of HSU which is $1000 or below. So you dont even want to read my post and call me slow on math....

Word.

Am I an SVS fanboy? Maybe, maybe not. But anyone that thinks that $1500 five years ago is great value, but $1700 today for a better version isn't...well, doesn't understand inflation for s**t. Just based on inflation, $1500 in 2007 is $1665 today. "Oh, see! SVS overcharges by $35. Dumb-a** fanboy."

 

[Raks]

Any person who does not want to read the basic concept of this discussion...VFM and the corresponding price range is purely getting raged either because of one of the following

1. SVS Fanboy

OR

2. SVS Employees who keep hyping their product online all the time.

 

[Adam]

Did you read my post Adam ? SVS and HSu were in the same price range few years ago. HSu does not offer any ported sub at $1500 even now. I am referring to the price range of HSU which is $1000 or below. So you dont even want to read my post and call me slow on math....

You seem stuck on "cheaper is a better value." That's not true.

I'm not arguing if SVS is a better value than Hsu. Rather, you claimed that SVS and Hsu were both VFM five years ago. SVS's VFM hasn't changed when you account for the time value of money. I thought long and hard about if the SB13-Ultra was a good deal before I bought it, but after doing the math, I realized that it was. I don't have much knowledge of Hsu and their past products (I read about them here, researched them years ago, but haven't kept up), so it's entirely possible that they are a better value for some people that SVS. Totally fair. However, you stated that SVS was a value five years ago...they haven't changed. They might not be the cheapest anymore, but they are the same value that they were. It seems that your bar has changed, which is completely valid.

 

[Steve81]

I suppose at this point, it's worth taking Swerd's advice from Alex's signature.

 

[Adam]

I suppose at this point, it's worth taking Swerd's advice from Alex's signature.

But...some of us like that.

Don't you judge me...

 

[Raks]

Adam...I corrected my self saying a few years ago...not exactly 5. If you see the past history of SVS, you see that HSU and SVS products prices were very similar in this past decade. So excuse me for mentioning it as 5 years initially.

I raised this here because I helped few of my friends (atleast 5 HT set ups) and tried to include an SVS sub in budgets ranging from 6K to 8K not including the furniture. I could not get a quality SVS sub into that budget (only their base ported sub was the only one that could fit in). Tell me how many general HT enthusiast population would want to go beyond a budget like that to include a decent SVS sub into their set up ? That is why I raised this Value For Money (VFM) factor here.

You seem stuck on "cheaper is a better value." That's not true.

I'm not arguing if SVS is a better value than Hsu. Rather, you claimed that SVS and Hsu were both VFM five years ago. SVS's VFM hasn't changed when you account for the time value of money. I thought long and hard about if the SB13-Ultra was a good deal before I bought it, but after doing the math, I realized that it was. I don't have much knowledge of Hsu and their past products (I read about them here, researched them years ago, but haven't kept up), so it's entirely possible that they are a better value for some people that SVS. Totally fair. However, you stated that SVS was a value five years ago...they haven't changed. They might not be the cheapest anymore, but they are the same value that they were. It seems that your bar has changed, which is completely valid.

 

[Adam]

Adam...I corrected my self saying a few years ago...not exactly 5. If you see the past history of SVS, you see that HSU and SVS products prices were very similar in this past decade. So excuse me for mentioning it as 5 years initially.

I raised this here because I helped few of my friends (atleast 5 HT set ups) and tried to include an SVS sub in budgets ranging from 6K to 8K not including the furniture. I could not get a quality SVS sub into that budget (only their base ported sub was the only one that could fit in). Tell me how many general HT enthusiast population would want to go beyond a budget like that to include a decent SVS sub into their set up ? That is why I raised this Value For Money (VFM) factor here.

Gotcha. Raks, I definitely see your point. $1400 for me five years ago was a huge splurge (and I'm into this stuff). I don't regret a single dollar of it, mind you, but it was a lot of money. I was just trying to say that SVS is the same value as five years ago, not that they are a great value in the minds of everyone.

Now, do I think that a lot of people would be willing to pay $1600 or more for a sub? Not at all. When I first saw that a PC13-Ultra goes for $1700 now, I did think, "Wow, I'd never buy one at that price. They've lost their edge." So, I can understand what you're saying. However, I realized that it wasn't that much different than what I paid five years ago. To put my initial reaction to their current prices and my mind into perspective, I generally refuse to pay for a candy bar because they were 25 cents when I was a kid.

So, yes - I agree that not everyone will consider SVS a good value. Not everyone will consider Hsu a good value. A $100 Polk might fit the bill nicely, and there's nothing at all wrong with that. I had a desire to go below 20 Hz, I chose SVS based on my reading at the time, I was in a position to afford the best that they could offer so that I wouldn't ever wonder if I should have gotten it - so I went with the Ultra. It really is a wonderful sub. I've heard the same about Hsu.

 

[mike c]

You can not beat Physics (13" against 15" / 18"). I am not going to get into that territory. But VFM perspective, SVS does not offer anything to an ordinary HT enthusiast. I am not referring to SVS fanboys or some rich HT enthusiasts. Purely VFM.

apparently, you've not heard about excursion capability.

a 13" bucket will move more water than a 15" plate.

 

[mike c]

Any person who does not want to read the basic concept of this discussion...VFM and the corresponding price range is purely getting raged either because of one of the following

1. SVS Fanboy

OR

2. SVS Employees who keep hyping their product online all the time.

and if insults like this keep flying, you will be trolling some other forum.