SVS SB-1000 - inside pics, personal thoughts

[ferrellms]

Well, you do need an amp anyway but you can easily add the DSP: https://www.parts-express.com/dayto...MIotfU257S6wIVf4paBR1TsQ10EAQYAiABEgJR9fD_BwE

Of course, and undoubtedly one could convince oneself that he had hacked around and improved what the actual pros had accomplished.

 

[hege]

and the conclusion is that the rationale for building a subwoofer has to be something besides saving money

- Most subs are stupid cubes, I don't want a 50cm+ deep monster filling up my floor space, or inducing unneeded SBIR
- I don't want a plate amp (especially one mounted in the back), I just want to route a simple speakon to it
- I want serious 15-18" performance

Thus for me, building a pair of 35cm deep sealed TOTL 18" was a no-brainer, costs:

- 2 x 57x57x35cm (100l) sealed 21mm plywood boxes from a great local cabinet maker (350€, yes assembled and shipped for this price)
- 2 x BMS 18N862 (1100€)

So let's say 1500€ with all the speakons, filling, screws etc. Add 200€ for DSP (DCX2496, MiniDSP etc) and ~500€ for amp of your choosing. So 2200€ (could convert to $2200 with VAT removed). Could have used cheaper drivers (Faital 18XL1800) or paid extra for fancy painted cabinets, amps can be bought second hand etc, so could go +-500€ in any direction.

There's no rocket science here that only "pros" know how to do. You calculate good box size from the driver parameters, get an amp that has enough power and do DSP according to room.

But if you don't have a great cabinet builder around, it's of course harder. The one here does excellent and cheap CNC work.

 

[Trdat]

​

I can't see what type of Class-D power amplifiers are under the heatsink, but given the 36-pin I thought it might be TDA7498, but looking to https://www.st.com/en/audio-ics/class-d-audio-power-amplifiers.html#products I realized that there's no chip there able to be powered from 53V, so it should be some chip from https://www.st.com/en/audio-ics/digital-audio-power-amplifiers.html#2. Probably STA516BE seems to be able to deliver in mono-BTL configuration 400 W into a 3 Ω load with THD = 10% at VCC= 52 V, based on the datasheet.

So can this plate amp drive a 2 ohm driver?

What is it stable down to...?

 

[trl]

I do not have enough info to answer to you question. I wasn't able to find much info on the Internet about the Sledge-300D amplifier plate.

However, if I'm right about the power chips being https://www.st.com/content/st_com/e.../digital-audio-power-amplifiers/sta516be.html then these can sustain 2 Ohms speakers.

Why do you ask? Are you willing to replace the driver with something else with a 2-Ohms DC resistance?

 

[Trdat]

I do not have enough info to answer to you question. I wasn't able to find much info on the Internet about the Sledge-300D amplifier plate.

However, if I'm right about the power chips being https://www.st.com/content/st_com/e.../digital-audio-power-amplifiers/sta516be.html then these can sustain 2 Ohms speakers.

Why do you ask? Are you willing to replace the driver with something else with a 2-Ohms DC resistance?

I find the SVS SB1000 to be slow and sluggish, I understand its a entry level sub. I do have DIY subs that are pretty awesome so I am considering upgrading my SB1000 as they currently under average for me. I am looking for a driver that is suitable for small enclosures so the QTC can be under .7 and all i need to do is replace the driver.

I have found a cheap(but better quality) driver from China that fits the bill and yes unfortunately it is a 2ohm driver. Its also reaches up to 34 ohms around 30hz to 60hz which makes me wonder about the power loss at those high impedances.

Yeh, appreciate your take on it I suppose I can give it a try but there is no real way to know for sure.

 

[trl]

Given that the built-in DSP is pre-programmed to provide a unique freq. response and probably phase adjust too for this dedicated driver I have doubts that you will achieve better measurements with the new driver.

A better bet for you might be a SB-2000 Pro instead. It plays in a different league and it really shines for its price.

 

[Katji]

15 mm is thin for subwoofers, I'm surprised. ...I wonder if they do it for lower shipping weight, or to save a few cents.
I have standmount speakers, that are not very big, 18 mm. Which is quite typical. Some of Edifier's A series speakers are 25mm, with 10mm thick damping material.

^^

Based on your report, the cabinet for the SVS SB-1000 is 3/4" (nominal) MDF.

OP said 1.5 cm. iow, 15mm.
SB-1000 product page says "Rigidly braced, sonically inert".
Not visible in photos here but there is very little space for bracing.

 

[tecnogadget]

I find the SVS SB1000 to be slow and sluggish, I understand its a entry level sub. I do have DIY subs that are pretty awesome so I am considering upgrading my SB1000 as they currently under average for me. I am looking for a driver that is suitable for small enclosures so the QTC can be under .7 and all i need to do is replace the driver.

I have found a cheap(but better quality) driver from China that fits the bill and yes unfortunately it is a 2ohm driver. Its also reaches up to 34 ohms around 30hz to 60hz which makes me wonder about the power loss at those high impedances.

Yeh, appreciate your take on it I suppose I can give it a try but there is no real way to know for sure.

Is that measurable ? The slow and sluggish response.

 

[Trdat]

Given that the built-in DSP is pre-programmed to provide a unique freq. response and probably phase adjust too for this dedicated driver I have doubts that you will achieve better measurements with the new driver.

A better bet for you might be a SB-2000 Pro instead. It plays in a different league and it really shines for its price.

I DIY everything and can design a decent sub but at the moment I am thinking about the ease of just improving the driver and reducing the QTC with a straight swap.

Interesting about the pre programmed DSP, I also have DSP which will probably flatten out the roll off. Its not so much an improved measurement I want, its tighter base. If I am not mistaken the sub is an approximate .9QTC with a bump at the lower end of the frequency curve(this could be the preprogrammed DSP you mention).

So yeh, ultimately depends on what the amplifier can handle.

 

[Trdat]

Is that measurable ? The slow and sluggish response.

It depends if you consider a the QTC rating as measure of quality for me it partly is. Of course there are other tests that I am yet to understand in the measure of subwoofer quality. But at least in this forum the QTC concept exists as range to quantify the bass while in Tecktalk forum many are convinced that the roll off is what determines the flabbiness of the bass so even with a QTC of .7 once you eq you lose the tightness.
Point being is that QTC is pointless...

But no it is not measurable, it could be a combination of a cheap driver, light cabinet with minimum MDF thickness and an average amp. I admit I am taking a guess but I always get improvement reducing the QTC of my subs, the lower I get the better it is at least for me.

 

[trl]

[...]
OP said 1.5 cm. iow, 15mm.
SB-1000 product page says "Rigidly braced, sonically inert".

I only measured the outer MDF case, but here they state the same 3/4" for the outer case and 1" for the front I haven't measured: https://www.thehifiguide.com/svs-sb1000-review/.

 

[gino1961]

Just got few days ago my second SVS SB-1000 and I thought it would be nice to see what's inside the box and "how it works"...

Hi ! imho what makes a subwoofer speaker great is 1st the transducer and 2nd the enclosure design and construction
Arguably the best subwoofer ever is the Krell Master Reference subwoofer That could be considered the ideal unit
It his massive and highly stiff ... braced metal is the way for ultimate enclosure with the possible alternative of compound materials like Panzerholz wood
https://www.lessloss.com/page.html?id=80
It is fundamental that the enclosure does not resonate at all.
Sorry for the rambling but i had to do it.

 

[trl]

Not sure about what's the best subwoofer ever, but I do know that lessloss scams should got to another thread: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...oolery-humour-thread.14494/page-4#post-468271, especially from those selling a piece of metal that does nothing but emptying your pocket with 836$ + shipping + taxes.

 

[Alexander]

I want to share my observation. When turned on, from somewhere from 0.5 meter, chaotically changing low-frequency noise is clearly audible. Amplified in the LFE crossover position. This is normal?

 

[trl]

Nope. I have two of SB-1000 and not a single noise coming out of them.
Try to unplug all of the signal cables and see of when powered ON the issue is still ongoing.

 

[Alexander]

Yes, all cables are disconnected.

 

[Trdat]

I want to share my observation. When turned on, from somewhere from 0.5 meter, chaotically changing low-frequency noise is clearly audible. Amplified in the LFE crossover position. This is normal?

I had SVS send me out two amps as each one sent had noise. The ones sent were an improvement but mildly...

 

[blueone]

It depends if you consider a the QTC rating as measure of quality for me it partly is. Of course there are other tests that I am yet to understand in the measure of subwoofer quality. But at least in this forum the QTC concept exists as range to quantify the bass while in Tecktalk forum many are convinced that the roll off is what determines the flabbiness of the bass so even with a QTC of .7 once you eq you lose the tightness.
Point being is that QTC is pointless...

But no it is not measurable, it could be a combination of a cheap driver, light cabinet with minimum MDF thickness and an average amp. I admit I am taking a guess but I always get improvement reducing the QTC of my subs, the lower I get the better it is at least for me.

I have an SB1000 on my desktop system, and I've never noticed slowness or sluggishness.

If it's not measurable it doesn't exist, especially for subwoofers.

 

[Trdat]

I have an SB1000 on my desktop system, and I've never noticed slowness or sluggishness.

If it's not measurable it doesn't exist, especially for subwoofers.

My DIY sub at half the price blows it out of the sky. Can't revert back to it, I understand its entry level but I got caught out by there strong marketing.

 

[Alexander]

I had SVS send me out two amps as each one sent had noise. The ones sent were an improvement but mildly...

can you get more details?