I can't remember ever posting a review before so here we go...
When I was in high school and my classmates asked "What language did you take?" I always responded "English. Hey, if I can't get English right I shouldn't be trying to learn another language!" So I apologize in advance for my grammar.
Pros: Solid build quality. Excellent fit and finish. Good bass extension.
Cons: Odd looking outriggers.
Pro/Con: Big & heavy.
Packaging:
I received my speakers second hand in the original SVS packaging so I am impressed that ~80 pound speakers survived two trips without a mark on them. I'd say the packaging is good.
They came boxed exactly as one would expect from any Internet direct company that ships almost all of it's product they have sold via UPS, FedEX or common carrier. They covered the speakers in a finish protecting cotton sock. The speakers were supported in the box with custom formed foam supports / cushions and it was all packed into a double box enclosure. UPS Freight did not damage the boxes too badly but just enough that if the packaging was inferior the speakers would have been damaged to some degree. There wasn't a mark on them.
Looks and build quality:
The speakers are the piano black versions and though looks are subjective, like anything else, I do like the way the MTS's are styled. Aesthetically the
speakers are a matte black cabinet with a radiused top, piano black side accent panels and black cloth covered sculpted grills make for a tasteful but modern look. The only part of the design I do not care for are the outriggers. SVS supplies you with two flat black metal bars with radiused edges that bolt to the underside of the cabinet that you then attach the four carpet spikes to. They also supply disks for use with the spikes to protect a un-carpeted floor such as tile or hardwood. This assembly looks out of place on this speaker but I would also highly recommend using them on a carpeted floor so these monolithic towers don't get knocked over easily.
I did not remove any drivers to inspect the internal build quality but the external fits and finishes are excellent. Which I am glad to say adds to the visual quality and over all value of the product.
Set-up:
***During the following parts of the review I will make some comparisons to the Ascend Acoustics CMT-340 SE speakers because many here at Audioholics have not heard the SVS MTS-01's but quite a few of us have heard the CMT-340 SE's / CBM-170SE's.***
The MTS-01 speakers come with some adjustably build in. There is a tweeter attenuation switch with two settings, 0db and -3db. A nice feature especially if you have a very lively / bright sounding room and don't have a receiver with an on board parametric equalizer to help tame the high end. SVS also supplies you with port plugs to seal the rear fireing ports if you so desire. Good to have if the back of your speakers have to be placed close to a wall so they don't sound to boomy.
All comparison listening was done with my very old Toshiba SD-2109 DVD player digitally connected my Yamaha RXV-2500 receiver set to straight mode crossed over at 80htz. My subwoofer was then turned off. I did all of this to nullify the advantage the SVS MTS-01's have in bass extension. I also set the SVS's tweeter attenuation switch to 0db as I thought it sounded better in my room at this setting. No equalization was applied, of course, and I did not install any port plugs. My room has no treatments other than big over stuffed furniture and a small thin area rug over the hardwood flooring. So yes, my "Theater" is my Living room. The speakers were placed in an A-B-A-B configuration. I only did a very basic level match. I played a short section of a song at a given volume and took a reading with an SPL meter. I then played the same section of the same song on the other speakers and took another reading with the SPL meter. This gave me the basic difference I would need to adjust the volume to get an approximate level match.
My subjective thoughts on sound quality:
Compared to my Ascend Acoustics CMT-340 SE's the SVS MTS-01's don't seem as neutral. Both sound very good so this is where your personal preference comes into play. The SVS's are laid back in the mid-range and sound, to me, like there is a hump in the mid-bass response. I suppose it could be the laid-back mid-range that gives me this opinion though. The tweeter in the MTS-01's are a little smoother and more "polite" but not dull. Coupled with the laid back mids these speakers are definitely not fatiguing to me. The Ascend CMT-340 SE's on the other hand with their "crisper" tweeter and more forward sound signature can get fatiguing with harder more harsh music at high volumes after a while. My room could be the culprit here but my point is that the MTS-01's are better at being non-fatiguing compared to the CMT 340 SE's. The SVS's are better than the Ascends at imaging, sound stage and are clearer. What I mean by clearer is that the separation of instruments is more defined. The keyboards and the guitars don't meld together into one sound on faster more complicated pieces of music as much. My guess on this would be the heavy more dense cabinet of the SVS's probably doesn't resonate as much as the Ascends and cloud over what the drivers are trying to transmit to a lesser degree. I feel this is to be expected in a speaker That sells for $1400 a pair compared to $568 plus $100 for a pair of CMT- 340 SE's and the matching stands. To be fair a SVS MBS-01 bookshelf version of the tower I am reviewing versus Ascend Acoustics Higher end Sierra-1 reference monitor would be more evenly matched to compare against each other at the $850-$1000 per pair price point, but this is what I have on hand so it's the best I can do to help any wayward Audioholics on their quest to speaker nirvana. If there is such a thing...
I have to say that I could listen to the MTS-01's in "Pure Direct" mode without a subwoofer. The bass extension and quality is good enough on most types of music at moderate listening volumes not to need a sub. Of course, I don't do it because I have the newest version of the SVS PB12-Plus that came with the towers, along with the matching center channel, but the sub review is for another time. The bass surely as good as it is compared to the 2 way CMT-340 SE's because of the larger cabinet volume and 2-1/2 way design.
Speaking of the matching center channel. The MCS-01 shares the same drivers as the MTS-01's and that clarity that I spoke of in the tower speakers makes the dialog when watching a movie all that much more intelligible.
Conclusion:
If you are looking at spending $1400 or more on a pair of floorstanding speakers try to find a way to give the SVS MTS-01's an audition. I believe they are worth the asking price if a nicely styled traditional speaker with fairly laid-back presentation is what you are after.
Thank you and come again...
