SVS 20-39PCi review

danger boy

Everything has already been said. I have nothing new to add.

danger boy

ok, ok, ok.. the real review.

While i'm not well spoken when it comes to reviewing audio gear... i have had the SVS 20-30PCi for nearly two months now.

Almost every day i am amazed at how well it blends in with the rest of the system. Before the SVS i was using a Polk Audio PSW350... which i thougth was plenty loud.. but it sounded boomy. I didn't realize it till i hooked up the SVS.

Anyway. i got the SVS from a member here who lives in the area. His price was one i just couldn't pass up. Plus i didn't have to pay any shipping either.. what a savings.

I listen to music about 70% of the time. Mostly I listen to everything from Sinatra to Red Hot Chilli Peppers, to dance/techno, and a lots of stuff inbetween. I find that the SVS quietly intergrates well into the music. Once in a while I have to up the volume on the sub.. as some music from CD's or DVD-a lacks enough bass. While i'm not a bass head, I do like there to be bass so that it compliments the lower end of most music. The SVS does great with my RT800i's biwired. I always felt the the 800i's lacked bass when listening to music. Now it's not a problem anymore.

I have a small room, and placement only provided two locations for me in there. I first had it in the left hand front corner near the left 800i. It was fine there.... but i then moved it to where i used to have the PSW350 (right rear corner, under the right rear surround).. and while it's still produces plenty of deep bass..it seem now that i can very easily locate the sub.. it doesn't blend in quiet as well. I'll have to maybe move it once again. I am in NO way disappointed with it's performance.. it well exceeds anything i could ever have imagined.

I never got to demo any SVS before this one. My only experience was with my 350 and my friends upper end Velo with it's massive 15" subwoofer. I knew i didn't have $1200 for a sub like his.... and when I got the SVS... i finally had a sub that could produce good deep bass and very loudly and cleanly, with out the steep price tag.

When watching a movie.. i am sometimes left speechless. I never knew how much low end extension i was missing. I never knew there was such a big difference between a so so sub and one that is truely designed to deliver accurate bass. ONce again, i have to mention here, that the SVS blends extremely well with the rest of the system. Providing just the right amount of bass when it's needed. I now finally can hear the famous ring drop in LOTR... the wonderful glass tap in Finding Nemo, and U-571 never sounded so good.

Even when watching regular satellite broadcasts... football/basketball and other shows have bass now.

If anyone is thinking of buying their first sub.. or upgrading their current one.. I highly recommend you demo this one (if you have a friend) or just buy it blindly. You will not be disappointed in any way, shape or form.

Hope this helps.. if anyone is teetering whether to spend the cash or not on a SVS sub. I know it's going to be with me for a long, long time.

pjdami

db,

Nice review man. Good to hear you are digging the SVS sub. Looks like another happy SVS camper!

I am like you were as I currently have a PSW 350. I have done the unthinkable here on this forum and ordered a Hsu sub (STF-2):eek: I will see how it goes with the Hsu. Kind of went out of the norm but eventually I will need two good subs ... one for the HT and one for my two channel rig so SVS may still be something in my future as well. I like to experiment with different equipment although it does tend to hurt in the pocketbook if I am not pleased and move on to something else.

Paul

Dr. Spec

Great review and glad you are loving the 20-39PCi. Clean, flat, accurate bass and in-room extension to 18 Hz is a good thing. :cool:

pjdami - I'm sure the STF-2 will be a good performer. There is nothing "unthinkable" about buying Hsu. I personally happen to think SVS offers a better value in subwoofers for comparably priced and configured models, but the STF-2 has no direct SVS equivalent, and it just fit your needs better in this situation.

I don't indiscriminately bash anyone's products - I always try to take the high road and compare features and price and let the chips fall where they may. Along the vein of objectivity, I do hope to get a few Hsu products under my roof one day for some instrumented testing against some SVS products. Stuff like that always helps people make informed purchase decisions - separate hype from reality.

theear707

Yes SVS makes very good quality subs,for HT use they beat HSU's counterparts.

I tested dual SVS Ultra driven by a Carver TFM75(1KW RMS/channel),this setup defined deep bass might.With two SVS Ultra you have solid bass down to 16Hz and 110dB capability all the way down to this 16Hz!

Pipe organ fanatics should rejoyce

The newer ISD and dB12 woofers in the "lesser" SVS also can move some serious air.

One of my next subwoofer purchases will be the B4-Plus and PB2-Ultra.

Imagine almost limitless bass capabilities,for less than most high end subs!

I would like HSU comming out with more potent subs to compete with the Ultra and B4 subs.I know Dr HSU is capable of giving SVS's best some competition

Dr. Spec

I see they let you out of your cage over at the Klipsch forum.

Welcome to Club Polk, Ears.

Your best quote EVER was "soon my revenge will be of subsonic and subhuman proportions". Still LMAO over that one.

Doc

theear707

Yep they let me out of the Klipsch cage,I post at the Klipsch forum quite often,will post here too.

I have a few PolkAudio speakers and subs,and Polk makes some fine gear for those who want a great value.

Not being a fanboy I can enjoy many brands and flavors of speakers.I think Polk's newest uppscale range of speakers is real High-End at a very down to earth price.

One brand I will always poke is B0$e,who can resist pointing out how great the Acoustic Me$$ and Direct Repulsive sound is.
B0$e has the best add brainwash campain of any company and it represents an audio urban legend.

And I see a few enjoy the fine SVS and HSU subs