Mis à jour le 26 February 2019.
If there is one brand which understands what a subwoofer can bring to a hi-fi or home theater system, it?s SVS. Since its inception, the American manufacturer has been dedicated to designing excellent subwoofers, and its success in this endeavor has been consistently recognized by the specialized press.
Behind this success: a very well-developed catalog featuring efficient acoustic solutions and exceptional drivers. In all, SVS proposes 5 subwoofer ranges: 1000, 2000, Plus, 4000 and Ultra.
Each range is characterized by the presence of both ported and sealed models which share the same driver and amplifier. This approach is easy to appreciate as it allows the listener to choose from two unique sound signatures. While sealed enclosures offer the fastest transient response and widest frequency response, ported enclosures ensure superior output and a slightly delayed diffusion of the subwoofer?s resonant frequency. Sealed enclosures are preferred for hi-fi installations, while ported enclosures offer a more immersive home theater experience.
SVS: exceptional drivers
If SVS subwoofers have acquired such an excellent reputation, it?s because they deliver exceptional value. The smallest model, the SVS SB-1000, is a 13? cube (33 cm) fitted with a 12? (30 cm) driver placed inside of a sealed enclosure alongside a 300 W RMS amplifier capable of reaching frequencies as low as 25 Hz. Ultra linear, thanks to the highly efficient motor powering its driver, this subwoofer?s cone is able to ensure a wide range of movement without generating distortion. The ported version of the SVS 1000, the SVS PB-1000, is equipped with a 10? (25 cm) driver and the same 300 W amplifier. Its gigantic, circular, front-firing port ensures silent airflow.
SVS: 2000 Series
The SVS SB-2000, the sealed model in the 2000 series, also features a 12? (30 cm) driver. Compared to the SB-1000, it benefits from a larger enclosure and a 500 W amplifier which allows it to reach even lower frequencies (19 Hz) while offering higher output. The 2000 series includes 2 ported models: the SVS PB-2000, which features the same driver/amplifier as the sealed model but can descend further still (17 Hz), and the SVS PC-2000, a cylinder-shaped version with the same characteristics as the SVS PB-2000.
SVS: Plus Series
The SVS PB12 Plus and SVS PC12 Plus are clearly designed for hi-fi and home theater installations in large rooms. Their 12? (30 cm) driver boasts additional power thanks to dual Genox magnets. The 800 W RMS amplifier benefits from DSP, and the subwoofer?s frequency response is entirely adjustable via an LCD screen.
The cone of the patented 12? driver is made of a cellulose fiber and fiberglass blend with a dish-shaped surround.
SVS: 4000 Series
SVS?s newest series of subwoofers is composed of 3 models: sealed (SVS SB-4000), ported (SVS PB-4000) and cylinder-shaped with a port (SVS PC-4000). Each model in the 4000 series is equipped with nearly the same driver as the subwoofers in the Plus series, but this time around they are 13.5? (34 cm). The driver weighs? 48.5 lbs (22 kg)! A monster paired up with a 1200 Watt RMS amplifier (4 kW peak power) capable of reaching 13 Hz, while three 4? (10 cm) resonators allow the subwoofer to ensure even more powerful sound.
Note that SVS has lined these resonators with foam in order to lower the port?s resonant frequency and extend the subwoofer?s frequency response.
What?s more, the amplifier?s settings may be adjusted to customize the subwoofer?s response curve, either via the display embedded into the latter?s surface or via a control app for iOS and Android. To this end, a Bluetooth receiver allows the user to adjust the subwoofer?s settings wirelessly.
SVS: 16-Ultra series
16 as in 16? (40.6 cm)! The SVS SB16-Ultra and SVS PB16-Ultra (80 lbs. / 36 kg) have been graced with SVS?s biggest driver (16? with an 8? voice coil). The integrated amplifier provides 1500 W RMS and up to 5 kW peak power. The sealed versions guarantee a frequency response as low as 13 Hz and enough sound pressure to rival the best multiplex movie theaters. The EQ settings are the same as for the subwoofers in the 4000 series, and the app may be used to make adjustments.
