SVS sub owners, Past and Present

Two SB13 ultras here.

No complaints; good value, good bass.

As good as the JL F113? No, but they were about 1/3 the cost.

Very fast, but maybe missing just that last bit of extension vs. the ported box.

Personally, I would not have one of the SVS 16" versions. Just me. Good luck.

Glad you got the sub you wanted and the sound you wanted. This HIFI and audio game has its ups and downs, but it's really fun when it sounds good. Sometimes it takes a little while, a small adjustment or struggle ... then the plan comes together.

So,a little update since I’ve had some time to get acquainted with the SB 2000 pros. I’ve had them with the same settings,and positioning for about four days now. I originally had them about 40% down the long wall from the front,facing each other. This probably would have worked great for home theater,not so much for music. I then slid them down the wall further,and back towards the front wall. The closer to the front wall,and farther from my seating position,the better things get. I now have them behind my speakers, closer to the center. This seems to be the sweet spot. It has been suggested to run some programs to get a “picture” of my room modes. I am a caveman. I’m not afraid to admit that. I actually enjoy playing with settings,and location to suit my ears.

Now,on to the subs. I don’t have a ton of experience with many different brands or models. The HSU’s I’ve been running carried me down the road in this hobby,but I knew it was time to step up to the next level, and I feel the SVS’s have definitely done that. On top of the bass frequencies going much lower, these are just so much tighter. I didn’t realize how flabby the STF-1’s were until hearing these. I was going to run the HSU’s in the rear,and have a “swarm” to smooth out the bass. At this point,I’m very please at what I’m hearing from the only seat in the room. Besides,I moved the three HSU’s into the Pit, the STF’s are helping with home theater duty, and the big HSU (see what I did there?) is handling music duty. For music,when you move around the room,yes the bass is very location dependent. That’s ok,I’m the only one that does 2 channel listening,and it is great in that location.
Well,that’s all I got for now,

Ray

@gillsysb, that is quite an extensive list. I may have to rethink these,and move them on. 

I currently own a SB2000 for home theater, and a SB1000 Pro for my dedicated 2 ch audio. Here is a list of what I don't like about both of them.

Thanks for all the excellent recommendations.  Luckily,these subs came with 5 meter cables,so moving these is a snap.  So far,they are blending very well.( To my ears) @jtcf, thanks for the website.  Hopefully I’ll have a few minutes tomorrow to tinker.  I’ve actually had a lot of fun doing this.  I just set up the big HSU in my secondary system.  It is absolutely amazing how moving a sub 3” makes such a dramatic change at the listening position.   Fortunately, carpeting makes moving a 70lb sub relatively easy. Tip it,slide it,tip it back. 😅

Also, SVS has the “crawl” method on their site that might help identify the best locations for your subs and make the adjustment process a little easier.  FWIW. 

@rocray if you go to the Amroc site and put in your room dimensions it shows you what frequencies your room modes are. Then you can set the equalizer exactly where you need it to correct them.It's so easy to dial it in perfectly instead of incessantly going back and forth between subs and chair.Enjoy!

Thanks for the suggestion @soix. I have thought about that.  I guess I’m a dinosaur,or a glutton for punishment.  I really enjoy the hands on approach for getting these dialed in.  I like to hear the difference every adjustment makes. This just helps me understand what,and why I hear things. 
    On a side note, I am only running the two SVS subs. The HSU’s will be used in my secondary system,and also in our theater set up down in the pit. 

Since you got such a good deal on the subs maybe it’s not a bad idea to splurge a little on an integration device to see if it can speed/improve the setup process.  There’s a used DSpeaker 8033 on USAM for only $250 — a small price to pay IMHO if it helps improve your ultimate results.  FWIW, and congrats on the subs.  Love to hear your thoughts on their performance/sonic benefits once you get them dialed in. 

I’ve had the SB2000 pros set up and running for a couple of days. I am very happy with the performance of these. I’m also enjoying the flexibility to integrate these in my system.  I’m tinkering a little bit here and there, but so far,not a whole lot. I have these set up on each long wall,about 5’ from the front wall,facing each other. I’ve never tried this kind of placement before,but it seems to be working well. 

I have one in my office system supplementing a pair of JBL L100 Classic speakers.  

There is definitely some good things going on at SVS.  However, I was actually leaning towards a pair of REL T5x.  Then, I spot an ad for a pair of SB2000 pro’s that I would be insane not to jump on.  They will be here tomorrow, hopefully waiting for me when I get home from work.  I have already moved the old pair of HSU STF-1’s into my secondary system in the “PIT”. I still have the big HSU in my listening room. First, I’m going to just set up the two SVS’s, and get a feel for them. I’m really kind of excited to upgrade the subs. I’ll report back…….

I run three SVS sealed subs, two SB-2000s set at 60Hz and 50Hz, and one SB-3000 set at 40Hz in a modified DBA/swarm set up in a 17 x 21 x 10 foot sized room. Volumes are set low as mains run full-range currently. It blends in well and cements the real bottom end nice and tightly. They replaced a great REL Britannia B1 sub.

Lots of good sub mfrs these days besides SVS, but I remain very satisfied.

I have the SVS SB2000 as well and it has not done one thing to disappoint me.

I am beginning to suspect it's cheating on me.

Hello I have gone up the ladder from the $499 before the new Great app,

to the very respectable 3000sb , then after hearing ,having the 4000-SB in m6 home , my brother owns the Ultra 16s , the 400 SB is a smaller version 

the sb16 is just too Big for any med size room ,I have 20x16 x8 and the 16 are 200+ lbs each , my 4000sb is only 102 lbs each and only a bit bigger then the sb3000, but is more tuneful easier to integrate into the room then the SB 3000

it just has better defined controlled Bass .I only have one currently and fills the room nicely ,I only sit 10 ft from the speakers.

I have a PB2000 pro. 

It is big, makes a 3000 sq. foot house shake and rattle, makes wife mad. What's not to like?

I really want to thank everyone for taking the time to give their experiences.  I was actually expecting a little more negative feedback.  It shows that SVS makes a great product.  When making a purchase, or working on a home improvement project,I always narrow my final choices down to three.  SVS is (obviously) on that list,and is on very solid ground. My other two choices are Rythmik L22,and REL T5x. At this point,I don’t think I can make a bad choice. The SVS is at this time, the leader in price point.

I have a SB3000.that  I really like.  I especially enjoy it now after addressing

its main weakness:  cabinet vibration.

It sits on a 3 inch granite base.   Additionally I placed 100 lbs of lead bricks

on top. Amazing improvement and clarity to the mid-bass and bass.

With the purchase of a brand new pair of subs,my small listening room will have 4 subs. Nice,even smooth bass.

Goodonya!  With four subs I think a pair of SB1000s will be all you need and will save you $$$.  I bet it’s gonna sound awesome, and I’m more than a little jealous. 

Started with a PB1000 and loved it compared to the cheapo 50-200 ones I had before that. Upgraded to a pc2000 when offered s great deal and was blown away.  Now for a high end system Is planned on a REL carbon to go with ML CLX Art speakers but decided to try a PB16 Ultra and am in awe of it. Is like to try it aside by side with the carbon to compare, but can't think of a single complaint. 

I have sb4000 and these are a smaller sb16 ultra the app is very good,

the only thing I wished it had  is full Auto room Bass correction like on the JL audio Fathom line , the app does many adjustments , ifyou want you can buy a usb Mike 

anddownload the REW bass program  and just practice and learn it ,Svs will even help with Thst just down load  reading from the REW program and they will tell you exact where room peaks are to adjust from your tablet ,or phone app.I have mine dialed-in pretty good , it-was a noticeable step up from theSB 3000 sub ,

and you get a45 audition period of the sub ,they will pay freight both ways if not happy, 5 year transferrable warranty ,  a very respectable company to deal with.

they have sales, a a overstock dept you can save hundreds,ifyou buy 2 

get  extra off, and repeat customer an additional5% off ,great warranty and customer service 

I had a an SB 1000 - not bad  for $600

I replaced it with a Dynaudio 18s - $1800. This is a non-ported design with dual opposed 9in drivers. The improvement  was dramatic. The tonal definition of different types of bass instrument is much clearer.

The dual drivers mean that zero vibration is transmitted to the floor on which it is placed - all the sound all comes through the air - transparent and uncolored.

I am on the same page.  I am very happy with the SB-2000.

With the purchase of a brand new pair of subs,my small listening room will have 4 subs. Nice,even smooth bass.  I have 3 now,and that makes a difference over just 2. 

I had the SB12-NSD,and Older Cylinder Sub[cant remember the Model Number]

sold both to friends-they are still working Great,and now use 2 PC2000 Cylinder Subs

no complaints,great service and good Value.I have not had many other good Brands,except HSU=also good;so the only Negative is the lack of Speaker Level Inputs.Buy at least a pair of whatever Brand you end up with.

I bought a PB2000 in 2021 and truly like what it does. I don’t like the size and heavy weight.

I think you'll have a hard time finding many complaints about SVS subs.  I have a SB-12 NSD in one of my small systems and I have two SB-13 Ultras in my main system with a pair of Rythmik F25 subs.  If you're going to use them for 2 channel, go with a sealed model that is the appropriate size for your space.  If I had to choose between Rythmik and SVS, I'd go with the servo technology in Rythmik.  You can get a lot of bang (not boom) for your buck with SVS though and it would be very affordable to put together a "swarm" system with some of the entry level SVS subs.

Whatever you do you’re better off getting two subs rather than one.  You can get two SVS SB1000 subs that will get you down to 20Hz for under $1k, which is a compelling value IMHO.  Just a thought.  Best of luck. 

Shame on most of you for liking SVS. LOL!  Looks like SVS remains on the list. On that list is,also,REL,and Rythmik. To be continued……

Sorry, can't help you out as I do not have anything I have disliked about my SVS SB-4000 Subwoofer used in a home theater application.

I’ve had a SB3000 for 4-5 months now in a two channel system to supplement a pair of Dali Helicon 800 speakers.  For the price I can’t complain.  
 

The interactive app is good with one exception.  This is only my opinion.  You can create profiles/settings. But the app has no way to show the summary of the settings of the profiles you have saved.   If it had that capacity so you could see at a glance the overall settings it would be stellar.  

I love everything about my 4 SB16 ULTRA and 2 PC13 ULTRA Customer service is amazing 

I had an SB ultra13 for 5 years and I thought the world of it. Even had tuned for music. But when I put in a Servo Based (like had 20 years ago with my F15R velodyne) Rythmik G25HP and that was then end of that.  The theory of just move more air with bigger throw is not a true replacement for true bass.  

Allears4u, which model Velodyne did you have?

I had to use the Russound adapter because my tube amps don’t have sub outs. The SB3000 beat my Rel s/3 and s/5 with many speaker combinations. All my mains have gone to the low 30’s or below. I prefer to use subs to fill under 30 only. One you get above 35hz is that really a sub?

I own SVS sb2000 pro. Added to my system since Klipsch Lascalas lack a bit of punch at bottom. And on that I'm satisfied. My problem was trying to get Bluetooth system to sync so I could use the app to tailor the details to fit my weird environment. Following instructions per manual I eventually gave up. My wife who is more savvy on these matters ripped the guidelines out of my hands and said this will be easy! Nope...epic fail! .BUT I set it manually and have been loathe to touch anything since BECAUSE after Velodyne, Sunfire, Boston Acoustics, this is the only sub which blends PEFECTLY with my Lascalas. I built suspension bungee platform for it to sit on and have been a SVS fan ever since. Stupid app    

Thanks for all the input folks.  I know this thread may sound like I’m trolling.  I know I can find wonderful reviews everywhere, but I’m really interested in finding real world info. I will more than likely have the next pair of subs I buy until it’s check out time. It will be a long term relationship,so just trying to be realistic about what ownership might be like down the road.  

Interesting... I bought a very big sub from them 15+ years ago for HT. I think it was the SVS PB12-NSD/2. I live in Ohio so i picked it up. I had it for a few years, it was hard to tune in, because of the two styro foam plugs. The driver developed a problem and I thought I could get it serviced. Nope. They really didn’t want to touch it. They wanted for me to buy a new sub. I inquired about buying the driver and replacing it myself. Nope. Sold it at a garage sale for next to nothing owch! Years later I visited a stereo/home theater store looking for stereo subwoofers. They told me they had problems when SVS was accepted as a brand. SVS was still selling direct to consumer and were giving better prices??? Not a great business model. Long story short, not a big fan of SVS. Right now, I am a fan of Rythmik subs for music.

The piano gloss black finish on my SB16-Ultra is a dust magnet, so there's that. Still, I don't wish I had opted for the black oak.

I had  a SVS PB 13 6 years ago that I could never integrate well  when using for 2 channel applications. Perhaps the  SB 13 would have been a better choice. I ended to selling the PB13 and now have dual Jl Audio F113’s.  Much better.

I owned a pair of their SB12+ that didn't have enough output for our open floor plan home, and needed to move up to a pair of sealed 15s. That's about the only issue i had, and it was more poor application than anything.

I own the SB2000 and can’t think of one damn thing I don’t like although I do wish they offered speaker-level inputs like they do on the 1000. Sorry I can’t be more help.