Initial SVS20-39+ Impressions
jesyjames
Posts: 52
The truth is I always knew my PSW-350 Polk sub wasn't that good. Not because I personally felt it's shortcomings, but because on nearly every home theater forum you go to people talk about bigger and better. For me, I liked the Polk sub. It integrated perfectly in my system. Played cleanly at the volumes I needed it to. It did it's job and did it well.
When the opportunity came to try out an SVS 20-39 PC+, I decided to bite. I'd read so many glowing reviews that I had to try it for myself.
The initial set-up was truly plug-n-play. I simply put it where my Polk sub was, did a brief levels calibration, and sat in my trusted spot. Full scale calibration/integration would come later. I'm not sure I was prepared for what was to follow.
First up: Unbreakable. Mostly because my wife hadn't seen it and I wanted to watch it again. If you've seen the movie, you know there's Bruce Willis on a train at the very start. If you've seen the movie using a PSW-350 you know that there are some cool surround effects as he goes through various tunnels. Now, if you've seen the movie on the SVS 20-39 PC+ you will know you better be prepared to duck when the train passes through those tunnels. That's exactly what I did. I ducked. I simply wasn't prepared for the sheer impact that scene provided. My only reaction was to duck. I thought the room was collapsing. While she won't admit to it, my wife uttered a "whoa."
Consider me impressed.
Once the movie ended, I immediately hooked my Polk sub back up and ran that same train scene. I can honestly say you wouldn't even know there was low bass content on the Polk sub. It simply didn't play it-- which, to it's credit, is far better than trying to play and choking gloriously.
I then proceeded to Toy Story 2. The opening intro scene was always a favorite demo of mine, one I thought the PSW-350 did well on. Having previously been prepared with the Unbreakable experience, there was no ducking this time around. Yet, I was not necessarily prepared for a real, live recreation of what a rocket jet pack feels like. If I didn't know better, I'd of thought I was at a space shuttle launch. My couch rumbled and shook in the most realistically convincing way. With the PSW-350 there was bass, there was impact. With the SVS there was a realistic recreation. The contrast was pronounced.
As my wife put it when I asked her if she noticed a difference between the two subs: "Well, the difference is that you feel it." I could not say it better. While the Polk sub was for all intents and purposes adequate, the SVS sub truly reveals soundtracks in ways that weren't possible with the Polk sub(as in Unbreakable).
It's like seeing a cropped picture that you think is beautiful. Only to then later see that same image uncropped and to realize that there was a completely different dimension you never knew even existed. The SVS subwoofer lets you hear-- feel-- all of the soundtrack.
My impressions are still limited owing to time constraints, but based on my brief experience I can fully recommend the SVS line of subwoofers to people not content to be restricted because of their subwoofer's inherent limitations.
I always had the low frequency part of LFE with my Polk. As it turns out, I never had the actual "effect." The difference is startling. I never thought I'd be ducking in my home theater.. .
When the opportunity came to try out an SVS 20-39 PC+, I decided to bite. I'd read so many glowing reviews that I had to try it for myself.
The initial set-up was truly plug-n-play. I simply put it where my Polk sub was, did a brief levels calibration, and sat in my trusted spot. Full scale calibration/integration would come later. I'm not sure I was prepared for what was to follow.
First up: Unbreakable. Mostly because my wife hadn't seen it and I wanted to watch it again. If you've seen the movie, you know there's Bruce Willis on a train at the very start. If you've seen the movie using a PSW-350 you know that there are some cool surround effects as he goes through various tunnels. Now, if you've seen the movie on the SVS 20-39 PC+ you will know you better be prepared to duck when the train passes through those tunnels. That's exactly what I did. I ducked. I simply wasn't prepared for the sheer impact that scene provided. My only reaction was to duck. I thought the room was collapsing. While she won't admit to it, my wife uttered a "whoa."
Consider me impressed.
Once the movie ended, I immediately hooked my Polk sub back up and ran that same train scene. I can honestly say you wouldn't even know there was low bass content on the Polk sub. It simply didn't play it-- which, to it's credit, is far better than trying to play and choking gloriously.
I then proceeded to Toy Story 2. The opening intro scene was always a favorite demo of mine, one I thought the PSW-350 did well on. Having previously been prepared with the Unbreakable experience, there was no ducking this time around. Yet, I was not necessarily prepared for a real, live recreation of what a rocket jet pack feels like. If I didn't know better, I'd of thought I was at a space shuttle launch. My couch rumbled and shook in the most realistically convincing way. With the PSW-350 there was bass, there was impact. With the SVS there was a realistic recreation. The contrast was pronounced.
As my wife put it when I asked her if she noticed a difference between the two subs: "Well, the difference is that you feel it." I could not say it better. While the Polk sub was for all intents and purposes adequate, the SVS sub truly reveals soundtracks in ways that weren't possible with the Polk sub(as in Unbreakable).
It's like seeing a cropped picture that you think is beautiful. Only to then later see that same image uncropped and to realize that there was a completely different dimension you never knew even existed. The SVS subwoofer lets you hear-- feel-- all of the soundtrack.
My impressions are still limited owing to time constraints, but based on my brief experience I can fully recommend the SVS line of subwoofers to people not content to be restricted because of their subwoofer's inherent limitations.
I always had the low frequency part of LFE with my Polk. As it turns out, I never had the actual "effect." The difference is startling. I never thought I'd be ducking in my home theater.. .
Post edited by jesyjames on
Comments
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My experience exactly. I went from the PSW350 to the dual 20-39 CS+ and LOVE the opening scene to Toy Story II. Great little movie. How about the scene in the ventilation system of the building? That rumble is kick ****!
Congrats and have FUN!
HBomb***WAREMTAE*** -
Wow! What a super endorsement! That'a great way of describing the difference between the two subs.
As time goes on, you will only grow to appreciate the SVS more. It is so polite, detailed, and subtle when need be, and then BAM, it whomps you upside the head whenever the soundtrack calls for it. It has just as much power and clean output at 20 Hz as it does at 40 Hz. That is a startling effect to hear the first time.Once the movie ended, I immediately hooked my Polk sub back up and ran that same train scene. I can honestly say you wouldn't even know there was low bass content on the Polk sub. It simply didn't play it--
That scene has been spectra analyzed and has strong content at 22 Hz. Far below the PSW350's ability to play. I tested the PSW350 before I sold it and it has decent output to about 32 Hz and then it's goodbye Charlie, being about -20 dB at 20 Hz with quite a bit of doubling apparent.
Doc"What we do in life echoes in eternity"
Ed Mullen (emullen@svsound.com)
Director - Technology and Customer Service
SVS -
Good stuff, jesy. I picked up a PSW350 roughly a month ago in an ebay purchase. My intent was to play with it for a while, then give it to a friend who I've also given a pair of RT35i's to, because we often booze-up and rock-out at his place. The addition of the PSW350 makes all of the difference in the world to that system.
What I'm getting at is, the PSW350 has an application and purpose; it makes for a very nice .1 in a small-to-medium music system.
On the down side: while I really enjoyed the pace and tonality the PSW350 displayed with my polk home theater speakers ... in musical settings that is, my Velodyne CT-120 (I can only imagine how your SVS, with even more extension and current, would contrast the 350) was significantly more extended and powerful, and superior, for theater purposes.
Two Channel Setup:
Speakers: Wharfedale Opus 2-3
Integrated Amp: Krell S-300i
DAC: Arcam irDac
Source: iMac
Remote Control: iPad Mini
3.2 Home Theater Setup:
Fronts: Klipsch RP-160M
Center: Klipsch RP-160M
Subwoofer: SVS PB12NSD (X 2)
AVR: Yamaha Aventage RX-A2030
Blu Ray: Sony BDP-S790
TV Source: DirecTV Genie -
"What we do in life echoes in eternity"
Ed Mullen (emullen@svsound.com)
Director - Technology and Customer Service
SVS
