Had my first SVS experience today!

tryrrthg

I got lucky and noticed someone at the HT forum, who happens to live a few miles from me, who just got the PB2+ and is selling the 20-39PC+. so I got a chance to listen to them BOTH. His room was ENORMOUS, with all the openings to the room he estimates about 10,000 cu ft. He was running it with some old Paradigms (which weren't to my liking but sounded fine for the demo)

How was the sound of the SVS?

One word: INCREDIBLE! even with all that space to fill the PB2+ never missed a beat! He played a few movie scenes including the ring drop. It wasn't as impressive as I was hoping (short) but I realized just now that he has all ports open and probably isn't seeing any room gain so he's probably not getting the extension he needs to really show that scene off. Don't get me wrong the bass hit hard and loud and low without any boom or distortion. Pounding me in the chest. I felt the couch cushion I was sitting on vibrate (I'm sure he could come close to joining the PWC in a 10,000 cu ft space!

I was listening to my set up before I went over to his place. I thought I had my PSW450 sounding pretty good with some music (I usually don't use my sub for 2 channel listening) but after hearing the PB2+ breeze through everything I threw at it I realized what a BOOM machine my polk sub is compared to the SVS subs.

Music is the most important to me. The PB2 was fast, tight, and never boomy. I threw on Bela Fleck and the Flecktones "Flight of the Cosmic Hippo" which extends pretty deep. Now, I've heard this song on a $120,000 2 channel rig (yes I got the number of 0's right!). The system consisted of Wilson Audio Watt Puppies, some spectral amps and pre amps, and a $40,000 dCS CDP, acoustic room treatments, everything. Needless to say the PB2+ gave up nothing and would probably shame that rig with bass. The PB2 spit it out like it was laughing at me.

Everything I threw at it made me remember all the weight and slam I've been missing in my music. I've been missing all that great chest pounding bass that adds so much emotion to the music. Don't get me wrong my Dyn's can rock for their small size but they don't move enough air to put that extra GRUNT in my music. There is no doubt in my mind that after my amp upgrade that the PB2+ will be next in line. With that sub and my speakers I don't see how I could do much better (for my tastes). The hair on my neck was standing on end for most of the demo, there's really not much more I can say. I've never heard bass like that, not even from the $2500 REL Storm! The SVS was/is BREATHTAKING!

Loud & Clear

Nice. While reading things like that, one finds their fingers, quite autonomously, making their way towards a credit card within their wallet. It's like the movie, 'The Hand.'

Man, I really want one of those damn things, any one of them.

tryrrthg

Originally posted by Loud & Clear
Nice. While reading things like that, one finds their fingers, quite autonomously, making their way towards a credit card within their wallet. It's like the movie, 'The Hand.'

Man, I really want one of those damn things, any one of them.

Agreed! I normally am pretty anal about not having credit card debt but DAMN that beast was awesome and might be worth a little hole in my wallet!

I was just thinking that the Wilson Watt Puppy's that I was talking about are basically a monitor speaker setting on top of two passive subs... I'm picturing TWO PB2+'s with my dyn's sitting on top! that would be sweet!

tryrrthg

Hey Doc, if you read this... A question about SVS crossovers:

Is the crossover for the speaker level inputs continuously variable or is it set at some frequency?

Thanks!

brettw22

Originally posted by Loud & Clear
While reading things like that, one finds their fingers, quite autonomously, making their way towards....

I was worried up to this point....thinking........do I REALLY wanna read where he's goin with this? I mean, I've heard of gettin a bit excited, but how ridiculous could this get..........;)

Double_S

Can't wait to get mine:). I don't even feel like watching movies anymore with my old Infinity

Loud & Clear

That's funny, brett, and I can definitely see how one could become concerned at that point in the sentence.

organ

Thanks for sharing your experience with us try. Now I'm thinking about going SVS also. I'll wait for the PSW808 to come out so I can demo it. If it doesn't have that chest pounding, floor warping, gut tickling bass I'll probably get an SVS. My system is used 95% for music and 5% for HT. How much does the cheapest SVS that could go subsonic run for? I'll only need the sub and x-over. I'll use my NAD to power it.

Thanx

Maurice

organ

I just finished looking around at the SVS website. Anybody know how the 16-46CS performs with music? Will this sub pound my chest on bass drums? I'm thinking about saving up for one and buy the equilizer with it. I will most likely use my NAD to power it. I might even consider the 20-39PCi. Saving up will be a challenge, but cleaning up the basement and hiding the PSW650 hoping the parents won't notice the switch will be a lot more challenging.

Maurice

Dr. Spec

Let's see if we can sum up the SVS experience: "Breathtaking" - for HT AND for music. Weight, slam, accuracy, and emotion. Gives up nothing to rigs costing many times more. Makes ordinary subs sound like "one note wonders".

Believe me, for a PB2+ to hit you even moderately hard in a 10,000 ft3 room on the ring drop is nothing short of a miracle. In a 10,000 ft3 room, he really needs two of them co-located and I advised him of this over at HTF last week.

All ports open is the WTG in that room and on the ring drop. The PB2+ is very strong to 22 Hz with all ports open before the SS filter kicks in. I will agree, he is probably getting very little room gain in that size room, but you heard ALL of the ring drop, probably just not as loud as you were hoping.

REL Storm? Are you kidding? The Ring Drop would sound like a **** in church in that room.

The REL Studio III might make it a bit more fair, but even then, the PB2+ has more driver, more port, and more power that the Studio III.

You all need to remember mine is in a 2,000 ft3 room. Yesterday I walked around the room looking for the loudest spot. It is in the opposite diagonal corner from the PB2+, about 15 feet away.

I played the "ring drop" and measured in that corner: 120 dB on C-Weighted Fast. That's about 125 dB actual. It was so loud it squashed my face and ear drums. It didn't sound as good as my sweet spot (115 dB) because of the room acoustics, but it just shows you what the PB2+is capable of in a "normal" sized room. Ditto on the cave troll falling dead and the bridge of Khazad-dum and the Balrog fight - all in the 118-120 region on C-Weighted in that opposite corner.

In a "normal" size room, the PB2+ will astound anyone with both sound quality AND output capability. It is a screaming deal for $1,200 and crushes the big OEM competition costing many time more.

Doc

Dr. Spec

Originally posted by tryrrthg
Hey Doc, if you read this... A question about SVS crossovers:

Is the crossover for the speaker level inputs continuously variable or is it set at some frequency?

Thanks!

The filter is continuously variable, just like any high level input filter, and I think the lower limit is 40 Hz. It has both hi/low pass filters of course. Standard stuff.

Dr. Spec

Originally posted by organ
I just finished looking around at the SVS website. Anybody know how the 16-46CS performs with music? Will this sub pound my chest on bass drums? I'm thinking about saving up for one and buy the equilizer with it. I will most likely use my NAD to power it. I might even consider the 20-39PCi. Saving up will be a challenge, but cleaning up the basement and hiding the PSW650 hoping the parents won't notice the switch will be a lot more challenging.

Maurice

If you want to be kicked in the chest with bass drums, the 25-31 enclosure is a better choice. The 16-46 trolls to about 12 Hz with room gain, and because of the ultra deep extension is more sedate in overall output than its smaller brethren. If you want more of an SBB4 alignment with **** kicking capabilities for popular music and HT, get the 25-31. Overall the 20-39 is a blend between the two and is my personal favorite.

tryrrthg

Originally posted by Dr. Spec
REL Storm? Are you kidding? The Ring Drop would sound like a **** in church in that room.

ha ha! yes it would sound like a **** in church in that room, but I've only heard the Storm in smaller rooms. The sub is VERY good with music, but for the price tag it should be holding the PB2's nut sack while the PB2 pissed all over it!

I would imagine the PB2 ultra (which will be closer to the REL's "price range" would take a dump down the Storm's port!

Bravo SVS!

Dr. Spec

No one is arguing the REL for sound quality. And you get a solid design, a very flexibly hook-up network, excellent build quality, and furniture grade finish.

But for $2,500 you should get far more than a 150 watt amp, a 10" driver, and a single transmission line port. Hell, you can buy a passive B4-Plus for $2,500!

I agree, the PB1-Plus or the PB2-Ultra will be the sub for the enthusiasts who values finish as equally as performance.

The PB2-Ultra will have the same cabinet (of course with natural wood overlay), the same amp design with a bit more power (maybe 1,000 watts continuous vice 900), the same vent arrangement, and the famous TV-12 Ultra drivers. It should offer "about" a 2 dB increase over the PB2+ and check in around $2,000.

Doc

mantis

In all my years I have yeat to hear any sub company sound better then REL.Louder Yes,more powerfull allday but musical I have not.

REL sub's all of them are very good sub's.You can call them sub's as they all hit down in the low 20's and behond.

The REL Storm III isn't 2500.00,it's 1999.99 in cherry or wood grain and 1799.99 for basic ash black.

Not many sub's made could pressurize that size of a room.The Krell Master could with ease and the Wilson Watch dog.

As much juice as I read about the SVS only makes me want to hear them more.I wish they where sold around here so I could go play.....

We as Tweeter are now carring Velodyne again,funny Rel is now out the door.I hate that as I feel REL is our best selling sub lines as well as the best sounding sub's we ever carried,we carried Velodyne years ago and now there back with new lines.I can't wait to start demoing them.

dorokusai

Ho hum another positive review of an SVS sub....sheesh this is getting old....damn them for being kickass!

I would find it rare to have a product that consistently annihilates other subwoofers....its almost too good to be true.

I am sold also, on SVS, and when the rest of the system is squared up, then sub will add the piece to satisfaction.

Meanwhile I will tear this lil' PSW202 up, and damnit if it doesnt sound ok for the moment.

tryrrthg

Agreed! the REL is a fantastic sub. VERY musical, and their hookup options are the best I've seen. I would be HAPPY to own one, but it would HAVE to be bought used! No way could I justify the price tag... even used Storms go for the price of the PB2+ so Its a toss up. I'd love to hear them in the same room and see what happens!

mantis

setup correctly I have not yeat heard a better musical sub dollar to dollar.I have heard thousands of different subs,none of which where SVS......they simply aren't nowhere around here anywhere as no owners I know of.....shame.

RuSsMaN

Well Dan, listen and you'll see. There is a difference in knowing bass, and walking a dog with bass. I can show you the door, I cannot make you walk through it. (though I can help your head hit the doorjam if you should decide to pass)

Experience SVS, and be transported to 'Zen Whoopie'. The Shaolin Monk Silver String Submarine Band never sounded so good.

You crackpot.

Cheers,
Rooster

Credits:
Based on original ideas from: GG and FZ

Disclaimer:
REL is *great* gear, but far from the be-all, end-all in it's pricepoint. There ARE options, thank goodness.

Loud & Clear

Well Dan, listen and you'll see. There is a difference in knowing bass, and walking a dog with bass. I can show you the door, I cannot make you walk through it. (though I can help your head hit the doorjam if you should decide to pass)

Experience SVS, and be transported to 'Zen Whoopie'. The Shaolin Monk Silver String Submarine Band never sounded so good.

~~ lol. That **** from George was hilarious, and you've taken the baton rather nicely. ;>} (used to post under another name, so the comedic zen of this situation is not lost on me)

RuSsMaN

Roger that.

It's amusing, yet frustrating at times. Sometimes I HAVE to say something, most others I just chalk it up to "those who don't know, don't know they don't know".

My work is done here, I need to get back to listening to my Pat Boone and Nirvana records, backwards, searching for hidden meaning.

Cheers,
Rooster

organ

Thanks for the help Doc. So you're saying the smaller enclosure will have more slam and dynamics? Their new box versions look very nice too. Do all SVS go below 20hz? I might get a powered version instead because I want to use my NAD to power the surrounds. Once I find my favorite tube combo I'm going to shake the house with an SVS. My system is set up along the long wall of the room. Side walls are about 9 ft away from each main speaker. The mains and subs are about 8-9ft away from the sweet spot.

Thanks

Maurice

mantis

Hard to listen to whats not avalible in the area.

Something about online only products......alot of trust I feel.

Dr. Spec

Originally posted by organ
Thanks for the help Doc. So you're saying the smaller enclosure will have more slam and dynamics? Their new box versions look very nice too. Do all SVS go below 20hz?

Thanks

Maurice

Yes, the smaller enclosure will play louder and have a great deal of power in the 25 Hz and above region.

In an anechoic chamber, the SVS cylinders are -3 dB at 25, 20, and 16 Hz, respectively. With room gain, you will of course see about a 3-4 Hz extension of that number.