Are SVS subs over-rated?

[Trell]

Looking at it from a slightly different perspective, most Speaker-first" companies which do not specialize in performance Subs, usually don't make great Subs. When you look at performance metrics, compared to Subs like those from SVS and Monolith (as example) you can clearly see the differences.

My first dedicated subwoofer as such was from the German speaker manufacturer Canton over a decade ago: It was big, looked nice but did not perform well at all and was more like a woofer only. When the plate amp of the Canton "subwoofer" died I bought the sealed SVS SB12-NSD that was much smaller, cheaper and more performant as well I recall.

 

[Mike-48]

I've had good luck with the SVS SB-3000 subs, which I find rival more expensive ones I've tried. However, the SVS respond higher up in frequency than some subs, and until I used a crossover to filter out above, say, 130 to 150 Hz, they were muddying the sound a little. Once I did that, I was quite happy. I am not using them at high SPLs.

 

[ferrellms]

So everywhere that i go online, the SVS subs are the first to be recommended for both home theatre and audiophile use.

My understanding is that they 'only' cost $500 USD and this is why they are a good purchase - or have i been mislead and there is something else truly great about the brand?

I have a SB1000 myself that i purchased for about $500USD since it was on sale due to not being a pro model (and it was brand new), even though in Australia a brand you SVS SB1000 pro costs roughly 700-750 USD.

Now i'm wondering, what exact benefits does this subwoofer has over everything else? Apart from the bluetooth application - is there perhaps something inside that separates it from the rest?

I mean, I think that it's good, but i've never had anything else to compare it, so i guess i just 'blindly followed' a trend?

Don't worry. Do you like it? Is the bass low enough? You are fine. Don't rely on the people in this forum. They all have opinions galore, most of which are worth whatever. Unless you are willing to try a bunch of other subwoofers in your room you would probably get better results by EQing the one you have.

 

[Promit]

Nah, I think it is mostly "Promits" idiotic comment. My 25 years of subwoofer experience relates to having both Ht and music interests, multiple brands, multiple models of these brands, multiple houses, multiple rooms within these houses, multiple subwoofer in-room placements and room treatments as well as electronic room correction. Simply put, those 2 svs subs did nice in qty, but not in quality of base, no matter ghe idiotic, simplistic comment from "promit"

I don't really care how many years you have spent buying products. Your post about "slow, inaccurate and with lots of overhang" is an absurd and misleading statement to make. This is how people end up with sealed subwoofers in their open space, listening to 30% THD, because someone told them, "ported is bad for music" and they believed it with no understanding of the facts involved. The idiotic, simplistic comment in the thread was yours, and it shouldn't be a surprise when you're treated as having the same level of intelligence as your comments reflected.

If you're going to say something like that, back it up with facts. Show how your room is treated, show measurements, and demonstrate that you have any understanding of what's going on. Just like speakers, subwoofers are afflicted with people who think they know what they're doing because they've spent money on it.

Based on reading your meager post history, by the way, I feel comfortable with my initial assessment of your competence.

 

[Xenomorph]

I don't really care how many years you have spent buying products. Your post about "slow, inaccurate and with lots of overhang" is an absurd and misleading statement to make. This is how people end up with sealed subwoofers in their open space, listening to 30% THD, because someone told them, "ported is bad for music" and they believed it with no understanding of the facts involved. The idiotic, simplistic comment in the thread was yours, and it shouldn't be a surprise when you're treated as having the same level of intelligence as your comments reflected.

If you're going to say something like that, back it up with facts. Show how your room is treated, show measurements, and demonstrate that you have any understanding of what's going on. Just like speakers, subwoofers are afflicted with people who think they know what they're doing because they've spent money on it.

Based on reading your meager post history, by the way, I feel comfortable with my initial assessment of your competence.

Well, seems I touched a sensitive nerve considering your frustrated and rather long comment. Here is the thing. You're not presenting any facts either, your statements are just your opinion. Which is fine by me. See, I don't care about you or your opinion. You're nobody to me. I have nothing to prove to you and nothing further to say to you

 

[Promit]

I have nothing to prove to you and nothing further to say to you

I know. Remember that next time you decide to get hysterical over criticism.

 

[NewbieAudiophileExpert]

Don't worry. Do you like it? Is the bass low enough? You are fine. Don't rely on the people in this forum. They all have opinions galore, most of which are worth whatever. Unless you are willing to try a bunch of other subwoofers in your room you would probably get better results by EQing the one you have.

Well i've recently managed to ascertain an old and well maintained Cambridge Audio Minx X300 subwoofer which sounds..... ummmm.. great actually... and the SVS SB1000 blows it out of the water - the sort of rumble it generates is unmatchable... especially when I watching the new stranger things season 4.. all of those scenes with 'Vecna'? Yeah, this is where things got intense and eery.

 

[Xenomorph]

Well i've recently managed to ascertain an old and well maintained Cambridge Audio Minx X300 subwoofer which sounds..... ummmm.. great actually... and the SVS SB1000 blows it out of the water - the sort of rumble it generates is unmatchable... especially when I watching the new stranger things season 4.. all of those scenes with 'Vecna'? Yeah, this is where things got intense and eery.

If you are happy with what you have in your room and in your system, then you're good. Satisfaction is what this hobby is all about, no matter other peoples opinion, experiences and what they think they know.

 

[tw 2022]

If you are happy with what you have in your room and in your system, then you're good. Satisfaction is what this hobby is all about, no matter other peoples opinion, experiences and what they think they know.

i just received a lesson in this regard recently.. i found a pair of old infinity crescendo 3006's in semi good shape, they were sidewalk surfing a few houses down.. $0 investment , million dollar find.. they probably measure semi decent for "vintage" but they "do it" for me..

 

[rwortman]

I have a SB2000 pro and have no complaints with either music or movies.

 

[NewbieAudiophileExpert]

If you are happy with what you have in your room and in your system, then you're good. Satisfaction is what this hobby is all about, no matter other peoples opinion, experiences and what they think they know.

I am quite happy, i love finding older stuff and using it instead, just because IMO it's rare for speaker or amp technology to have made that much of an improvement in a while...? I mean the Cambridge audio amp I have (Azur 550A) and Minx X300 sub are both from what, 2010? Tet they look right out of 2022...

There's so many bargains out there for treasure hunters if you pay attention and don't rush... some people just have no use for something and 'get rid of it', yet another person may find much more value in it than you'd expect.

I just love to 'collect' these things and play around with them.. and talk about it with people.. ahh

i just received a lesson in this regard recently.. i found a pair of old infinity crescendo 3006's in semi good shape, they were sidewalk surfing a few houses down.. $0 investment , million dollar find.. they probably measure semi decent for "vintage" but they "do it" for me..

Do you think that the person who threw them out considered that he was sitting on gold? I know that that's how i felt about an old amp i purchased off of the classifieds a while back - had the same power rating and features of amps much more expensive.. plus no DAC or unnecessary electronics. When i opened this thing up for an inspection i'd realised just how complicated a good stereo integrated amp is, with all of the relays, pre amrs, power amps, headphone amps, etc.

I have a SB2000 pro and have no complaints with either music or movies.

WHat subwoofer did you have before this latest SVS purchase?

 

[rwortman]

WHat subwoofer did you have before this latest SVS purchase?

I got the SVS two years ago. Before that I had a JBL ES250P for home theater only. My PSB Imagine T2’s go down to the mid 30’s so I never thought I needed a sub for music. When I got the SVS I decided to implement it in both my HT and two channel systems. It does sound better with a bit more foundation at the bottom end.

 

[tw 2022]

Do you think that the person who threw them out considered that he was sitting on gold? I know that that's how i felt about an old amp i purchased off of the classifieds a while back - had the same power rating and features of amps much more expensive.. plus no DAC or unnecessary electronics. When i opened this thing up for an inspection i'd realised just how complicated a good stereo integrated amp is, with all of the relays, pre amrs, power amps, headphone amps, etc

no .. i talk to the guy occasionally too.. next time i see him i'm going to ask him if he has any audio stuff he wants to sell.. it's not my job to educate him , those infinity's are easily a $200 pr. used .. if he wants to unload any more stuff i'll be fair , but i'm not gonna feel guilted into overpaying because of my(previous) good fortune either..

 

[tw 2022]

Do you think that the person who threw them out considered that he was sitting on gold?

i just talked to the guy that put them out .. he had *no* idea .. they were a roommates speakers...

 

[phoenixdogfan]

As a post script, I've just received a replacement grille from SVS. It's the original metal grille for the SB 2000, and I got it Fed Ex on a Sunday at absolutely no cost.

Yeah. This is why I love SVS.

 

[DMill]

As a post script, I've just received a replacement grille from SVS. It's the original metal grille for the SB 2000, and I got it Fed Ex on a Sunday at absolutely no cost.

Yeah. This is why I love SVS.

Good reason. I like them because I’ve had them for a couple years now and haven’t had a single issue that would require customer service. But glad to know it’s there.

 

[warpdrive]

I have the very first SVS Sealed sub, the SB12-Plus. It's still ticking and is in regular use.

I would not say they are overrated. The customer service is great....I was literally conversing with Ed Mullen when I had an issue

 

[NewbieAudiophileExpert]

I have the very first SVS Sealed sub, the SB12-Plus. It's still ticking and is in regular use.

I would not say they are overrated. The customer service is great....I was literally conversing with Ed Mullen when I had an issue

Do you have any other subs that you can compare to?

 

[CapMan]

Massive hype but there is an aspect of value for money.
They are marketed for home cinema and they provide plenty of output and rumble for explosions.
But I wouldn't consider them for music.

The sealed SVS subs have heaps of low end distortion and group delay which appears to be due to massive amounts of bass boost.
Think the sunfire subs.
The ported versions are better but still have issues with group delay and don't sound as clean and tight as a good sub.

Hence both the sealed and ported SVS subs don't blend well with speakers (cancelations and peaks) unless you use a high pass filter for your speakers.

Hi - I have two SVS Micro 3000s and don’t experience any of the issues you state.

They measure fine and blend well with my mains using REW to achieve this integration.

They are well made, nice looking, discrete and have a great app for control functions.

 

[wheresmymoney]

i just received a lesson in this regard recently.. i found a pair of old infinity crescendo 3006's in semi good shape, they were sidewalk surfing a few houses down.. $0 investment , million dollar find.. they probably measure semi decent for "vintage" but they "do it" for me..

This made me chuckle; when I was a kid, I remember driving with my uncle as he stopped and reversed to grab a pair of Infinity's someone was throwing out. Turns out, they were really nice (at least what I understood as a kid). A quick search just revealed they were Infinity Monitor II's with the Walsh tweeter. He was in the industry way back when so probably knew what he saw. Anyway, cleaned them up and replaced some parts and I think still has them.