Hey, long time viewer here. I gained a lot of knowledge watching your videos. Just upgraded my Ultra bookshelves and dual Pb-2000's to Ultra Towers and dual Pb-4000's and I used your affiliate links for both. You make some quality videos and they are much appreciated. Keep em coming.
I recognize you Johnny, and you're certainly a valued viewer! You've backed me up more than once in the comments, and I appreciate that kind of thing. Sometimes I miss responding to comments, or get people confused, but you've been awesome. Thank you so much for using my links! It's this kind of thing that keeps the channel going, and I really appreciate it! You're going to love the new gear. I'm still a bit shocked at how good the Ultra Towers are. They're broke in now, and my wife keeps remarking how great they sound. Pretty much daily comments over the last week or so. The "Distance Hack" is a bit different for the Ultra Towers compared to the rest of the SVS line. Instead of +4 feet to the subwoofer distance like usual, +1 foot was optimum. The side firing drivers really do reduce a lot of the cancellations. Just be sure to ignore the polarity error during room correction. Thanks again for using my links, and for the positive support! Means a lot!
You're certainly welcome. I only wish I did that when I purchased the 7.2.4 system (Ultras and 8 elevations for surrounds and ceiling heights) from them almost a year ago. I definitely like the SVS sound. It's a warmer sounding speaker and yet very neutral and balanced. I come from the world of high end headphones when it comes to gauging good sound that appeals to me. I've owned an Audeze LCD-3 since it came out & a Sennheiser HD-650. If you're familiar to their sounds, they both have similar sound signatures to the SVS, especially the Audeze with the bass. I think like you, I can't stand harshness or bright sounding speakers. I feel I could listen to the Ultras for a long while without it being fatiguing. Plus I like their style and approach to building speakers. There's an interview on RUclips with Smith Freeman that opened my eyes to their design approach....Home Theater Geeks 260: Designing Speakers for SVS I'll be sure to keep your tips in mind about the distance when doing room eq on the Towers. I'm also going to experiment with bi-amping to see how that sounds and plugging/unplugging the ports. My big challenge would be to dialing the pb4k's to the proper settings that I like for music and what I like for movies. I like that I could incorporate the port plugs for music when I want to. Coming from the pb2k's, this seems a lot more exciting and personally one of the main reason for me to upgrade since the pb2k's already provided ample amount of bass that satisfied me, atleast the kind I enjoyed for movies.
You should have no problems integrating the PB4K's, the signature is very similar across the SVS line, you'll just notice more control and dynamics. More "weight" to the bass. More realism. I like standard mode the best, but it's fun to play around with the different modes. Don't forget to make the change in the app for the port mode. I'd be curious if you notice any discomfort in sealed mode. I'm annoyed that I have that issue, eliminates a lot of subs for me to try out. Thanks for telling me about the Smith Freeman Episode, I'm going to watch it soon. I've emailed him a few times and he's brilliant. I'd be interested to hear the Audeze and Sennheisers. I have pretty much zero experience with high end headphones. Best I've heard are the QC-35 from Bose, which are pretty darn decent, but the main benefit of those is the awesome noise cancelling. I have an insanely loud whole house fan, and I forgot it was on when I was wearing those things. Better than earplugs. I've had a few companies send me headphones, but they were so bad I refused to review them. They were kind enough to send them out, and I wasn't interested in doing a hatchet job. They weren't high end though, $50-$100 range. I agree with you, I can't handle harshness. I've heard some mighty expensive speakers that I just couldn't tolerate. I'm REALLY digging these Ultra Towers the more I listen. I'm looking forward to your thoughts.
Very nice sound system but the dog extra feature is awesome. These black and white changes, from moving to sleeping are giving some calm feeling. Great! Greetings from Germany
I have owned a large number of high-end ($5K -$15K/pair) speakers. The speakers I'm keeping long term are the SVS Ultra towers. I'm also running the Ultra center, Ultra bookshelves and Ultra surrounds as part of a 7.2 system. For the subs, though, I went with 2 JL Audio Fathom 212's (which are absolutely insane and overkill for music but oh so sweet for home theater).
For music always go with full towers, the best you can afford. Then you dont deal with subwoofer integration/ phase issues - timing issues. My 2.0 music setup uses paradigm signature s8, that can go pretty low in my room (maybe 25hz) - for movies I use the SVS ultra bookshelf speakers with SVS SB 13 ultra - crossed over at 80hz. My theater system can’t touch my music system (terms of music) - subwoofers just add so much complexity to a music system
Running 2 channel, I would definitely run 2.2 despite the integration challenges. It's the only way to get truly "full range" sound. It makes a difference, even in music you might not expect. Adding a few feet to the distance setting, or adding a slight delay to the towers reduces the problem substantially. I like these alot, but given the choice between these in 2.0 or Prime Bookshelf and dual PB-2000 2.2, I'd pick the 2.2 for music. The Prime Towers would also be good with dual PB-1000's, but better with the PB-2000's.
Thank you for your response. The thing is I dont use an A/V receiver. You can say I am an audio purist, so my setup consists of a Yamaha Integrated amplifier A/S 3000 - which does not offer delay, and timing config, but honestly I cant afford to put anymore money in this hobby (for now, until I save up 5K). I know that JL audio offers CR1 - which is highly complicated crossover, and it should fix my timing / phase issues, but it costs 3K. - I am saving up funds so I can purchase the Anthem STR (www.anthemav.com/products-current/model=str-integrated-amplifier/page=overview) - from my communications with Anthem the STR has extremely good room correction, and timing options - but the issue still remains that the signal will become digital so delay will exist - I am very sensitive to delays for some reason (visually, and acoustically) - must be my OCD.. :(
Depends on the music you listen too. If nothing is below the freq low limit of your tower you might be fine, but lots of the music I listen to has bass that towers can't deliver on their own.
As you may know, I have the Def Tech BP8080 Towers. They have 12” built-in subs and I was pleasantly surprised at the difference they made in my room. I ran a quick sweep with REW the other day and without any tweaking or changing any settings they measured down to 30hz then sloped down. They definitely give me that punch or mid bass where my VTF-3 MK5 has a null or dip. I couldn’t believe how good the measurement (graph) looked.
Subwoofer 101 I have a “slight” dip between 22-28hz and another at 35-40hz. It’s not bad but just a little. I’m running the 12” towers subs (LFE) as Sub1 using a y-splitter and the Hsu as Sub2. I had two Hsu but sold one when I got the towers. I have the Denon X4300H.
When I saw the email notification, I thought it was going to be towers with (built in) subs. Which I have in my Paradigm Monitor p90 v1. Each tower has dual 300w 8” powered subs. If I don’t have them plugged in, the bottom drivers do not work. There is a gain control and frequency adjustment on the back of each. I have had them for a few years and absolutely LOVE them. It has been more difficult to dial everything in with these towers with their powered subs. I still tweak they XO in the Denon AVR, along with distances. These produce deeper bass than my Polk PSW505. The 505 inexpensive and is good for mid-bass. I have it for “near field” bass, aka back massages while playing music, lol. It’s about 2.5 feet behind my La-Z-Boy. I have the Denon distance (currently) at 4.7, and constantly playing with that trying to dial the system in. This is per your recommendation ina previous video instead of playing with the phase. Incidentally, if you do play with the phase, you have to run Audyssey again. Even adding a power amp, you have to run it again. My best results have been holding the mic with my hand, and moving it with in a circle around me no more than shoulder distance. This produces the BEST imaging and broad soundstage.....for me in my chair. Keep plugging away at the RV buddy, you’ll get there eventually. Cheers
Better low end extention than most for sure, but subs really add to the experience. I've been tinkering with and without subs, and the subs just reenforce the low end with better/stronger dynamics. Music has more weight to it. Under 80 hertz, subs are just more dynamic. With a more powerful amp (only 140 watts with the Denon) you could run the crossover down to 60 hertz I imagine. Even dual PB-1000's would augment these nicely, if music is your main use. These are incredible by themselves, don't get me wrong. Without subs they sound amazing, the best I've heard. Adding dual deep bass subwoofers is just better in my opinion. If you don't want to run subs with these, it certainly won't be detrimental. But with subs, the these speakers sound even bigger and more exciting. Going back and forth, with and without subs, I prefer having the subs involved. That's just my own preference.
Hi, just about to order the SVS Ultra Towers, Ultra centre, Ultra Surround and Elevation speakers. My room is about 13ft x 12ft and will be used for 90% movies. My question is about subwoofers. Do you think i would benefit by adding dual PB2000's into this small room? Thanks, awesome channel by the way.
Thanks! I've shoe horned PB16 Ultras into an 11x11 room. Looked weird, but as long as you run room correction, the biggest concerns about too much room gain are dealt with. I'd pull seating as far from the wall as possible, but yes I think dual PB-2000's would be a good fit.
I love love love this video... I spent $1,000 on a good pair of Klipsch floor-standing speakers and was extremely disappointed when I found out that my bass sounded best cut off at 80hz. I felt like I wasted a ton of money and I could have just gone with a pair of bookshelf speakers
Dayton, SVS, Emotiva,and fluance are 3 of the best values in Subs, speakers and seperates. I will throw in technical pro and Pyle for power amplifers, and 2 channe1 receivers/preamps for the lower price. (don't pay the MSRP on the official websites unless its low). Py'les best sounding receivers are the PD series and the Pt395, and PT684BT.
Great video! Every time I think I have my home theatre setup figured out, I watch one of your videos and I start second guessing myself again. Lol... I have 2 SVS PB 16 ultra SW and I’m looking into upgrading my towers. I thought I wanted the Klipsch RF 7 iii but after watching your very convincing video I’m not sure if the ultra towers might be a better fit. I would love to get your feedback on both options.
If you get some towers with dual 10 inch drivers $2000.00 - $ 3000.00 bass is alot more defined and cleaner but a sub will improve that every time .Unfortunately not many companies make dual 10 inch driver Tower speakers anymore and if they do they cost way too much for a sensible person to consider.
Ultras are pretty simple to audition. If they aren't better you can return them. I couldn't tell you which you would prefer more, that's a lot more subjective than bass. More of a personal opinion than something that is measurably different like subs. I would say that if you try them, give them 2-3 weeks of break in before passing judgement. They sweeten up after being played a while. I'd say that they are worth trying out. Been my favorite speakers so far.
Would like to know your opinion on my speaker upgrade. I currently have a new Yamaha rx-a1070 (110 watts a channel), SVS Prime bookshelf speakers which I will be using for my surround speakers in a (5.2) system and 2 SB 2000 subs. I also will be getting an SVS Ultra Center speaker. Should I go the route of Ultra Bookshelf speakers or would Prime Towers be the route I should take for my fronts? Or, would the Ultra Towers be overkill. I would like to go with the cheaper Prime speakers, but if the Ultras would sound better I could go that route also, is the sound between the Ultra Bookshelves or the Prime Towers worth the difference in price?
I've been thinking about this one. I've heard some very expensive speakers in stores, and many times I've been turned off. I heard some $25,000 speakers that left me wanting the Prime Towers I had sitting at home. So I wasn't sure the Ultra Towers would be worth the extra scratch, but I really think they are. They say the performance target for these speakers were $5,000 to $8,000 speakers, and I believe they hit their mark. Overkill is subjective, but I'm building a legit home theater in an RV, which is ridiculous in and of itself. My biggest annoyance is that I can't really fit the Ultra Towers or the bigger subs. I want to really bad, but I think it's a no-go. They sound excellent, and if they were an option, I'd at least give them a listen. Biggest issue in my mind is space, but I'd even shoehorn them in a tiny room if I could pull them off the wall a bit. If you plan to go with the Ultra Center, and can swing the Ultra Towers, I think you'd be pretty happy with them. If you can, please use my affiliate link: sub101.link/UltraTower I'm still torn between the Prime Tower and Ultra Bookshelf, but the Prime Tower would probably win out. Not quite as much "sparkle" as the Ultra Bookshelf, but a little more fullness. Hard to go wrong either way, honestly.
Please help. I have the SVS Ultra towers with the SVS Ultra Center and I cannot get alot of bass out of it. I have a Denon 4500h receiver but I dont know which setting on there to increase bass in the SVS ultra towers without running a sub.
Thanks for the video. What’s the best small sub you can buy for the buck? I had dual PB 1000’s and the wife hated them hence they are gone. Thanks ahead of time!
I only heard a few of the recent Def Techs at a local store. Hard to say in a store environment vs how I have things set up in my room, but the Def Techs were neither my favorite nor least favorite in the store. I have SM-450's, and I prefer the SVS in that case. The Def Techs don't sound bad, but the SVS are definitely worth a listen. If the Ultra Towers are on your radar, I can highly recommend them if you have the floor space. The Prime Towers are awesome, but I can really hear where the money went with the Ultra Towers. I honestly didn't expect to be able to, but I was wrong. The difference between the Prime Tower and Ultra Bookshelf was not striking. The difference between those and the Ultra Tower is much more noticeable.
Owning both the SVS Ultra's and the Def Tech STL's (both of the companies flagship speakers), I just had to answer your post. I wouldn't say that one sounds better than the other. Their sound is very different from one another. The Def Tech's have more details and crispness than the Ultra's do. But then again, we're comparing $5000 speakers to $2000. That being said, the sound from the Ultra's have more weight to it. Whenever I switch out from the Ultra's, the Def Tech's sound a little on the thin side. There's really no wrong choice between these speakers. They both sound fantastic. Something worth noting is that the Ultra's sensivity is lower thereby requiring a little more wattage to push them than the Def Tech's. But not a huge difference.
Great video like always! Have you ever listen on the pretty new "arendal" subwoofers and speakers? On alot of tests it seems they outperform Svs speakers and subwoofers. I got 2x pb 2000 by my self and i love them! Will maybe get a Svs ultra towers or Arendal in the future! Keep you good work up man! / cheers from Sweden
Thanks! Arendal aren't available in the USA, but I've been hearing about them lately. I always wonder what metric people use when one sub "outperforms" another, a pet peeve of mine is when people compare Max SPL numbers. It says so little about the depth of presentation. That said, the Arendal seem to be worth checking out, I don't mean to cast doubt on their products.
If you are into music or any kind of critical listening, get the best towers you can afford. A properly crossed, high quality tower speaker is going to blow any book shelf out of the water in both equality of tonality across the spectrum and total power output. FYI cross at 80hz with these towers.
Raymond Leggs you're saying to set the crossover of the towers at 80hz instead of 60hz, even though the towers go down to 28hz? I would have thought more mid frequency response would go to the towers and everything below 60hz would be directed to the separate subwoofer/s? Just trying to understand. Thanks
Like others have stated, the sub can handle the load better period. The only way to benefit from the increase range of the tower more is to set them to full range and send LFE to sub
@@Subwoofer101 i did just readed that but its weird cause i loose bass of my sub when i put my speakers to small i miss out a lot off sound when i do that
All depends on how that bass is structured. Good subs will produce strong output down to 20 hertz or deeper. There are very FEW subs that actually do this. www.subwoofer101.com/best-subwoofers/ The bass drivers in the Ultra Towers are not powered. Beyond that, they only go down to 28 hertz. A good subwoofer does bass better, more dynamically than a tower will. I'm not a fan of overdone bass, I strongly prefer balance. It's actually very hard to get balanced bass from a typical subwoofer. Drove me up the wall the last time I tried. They are usually great above 50 hertz, and trail off under 40 hertz. In contrast, subs on the list produce even response as deep as you can hear. It's a world of difference.
Because you still get signal below the crossover, and your AVR runs cooler. The bass output from the towers still make a difference despite being set as small. I have always used subs with SVS speakers, and these towers easily offer the best sound. This might help: www.subwoofer101.com/setting-up-your-gear/large-vs-small-lfe-main-double-bass-etc/
Subwoofer 101 Completely understood and I watched the video ur points are great but to guy like me in a wooden small room 11 ft by 9ft haveing 8 subwoofers all active and 13 Speackers surrounding me all 6.5 or largest being 8 inch I hav everything set to large and crossover set to 40hz except for center which is at 60 hz Each subwoofer is crossed over differently to wat sounds the best with my bass and crossover knobs that I made so I wouldent hav to get up to play with subwoofers but non over 75 hz to just giv u a range my subs are fillers I use full range from towers and massive book shelf’s then fill in little bits and pices with my sub If u wanna feeling like ur in a live stadium sitting in the hot seat this is the way to go the room breathes but I don’t depend on my subs for wat my expensive full range book shelf’s can do they can easily hit the 40 hz requrment in a small room and yes I have tried crossing them over higher my Speackers all mounted at ceiling height then aimed down on custome brackets I made my self u can hear majority of the bass when set higher like 60 hz come from the subs and just isn’t wat I’m looking lol Gus’s I’m just weird But when u hear a drum solo circle u in a room and u hear how low each book shelf can achieve u get this huge smile across ur face and butterflies in ur stomach from the impressive low hits of quality book shelves u know u have won Trust me ur way great ur making full range speakers with a massive sub and a quality book shelf and there nothing better then using a svs clean sub just not for everyone lol I mean u got to elephants in the room I expected be shake till all my teeth come out of my skull looool and then get shot with a bookshelf in the ear that’s the joy of it right Just take it easily with svs it’s not the end all it’s great but I’ve been in side every brand Speacker there a lot out there I think u would like a klipsch horn very dynamic super imaging but will stop before it kills u lol go great with those subs
Some people don't see the point of running towers if you have subwoofers covering the lower frequencies. It's a question I've gotten a lot. I think it's better to prioritize dual deep bass subwoofers first, but if you have the budget for quality towers as well, it's a good way to go. Was it really not clear, or are you just messing with me?
I like 90 hertz personally. Oddly, my neighbors don't really know what I do. You'd think everyone would know, and I always ask if they are hearing me, but I haven't had a complaint yet. It's kind of comical really.
Interesting design, but strong 20 hertz performance is vital for the experience I'm looking for. For the RV project, I'm deciding between the PC-4000, PB-4000, or the PB-12 plus. PC-4000 will probably be the way I go with it. I could even fit the 16 Ultras in there, but the sectional would need to be gone first.
Hey, long time viewer here. I gained a lot of knowledge watching your videos. Just upgraded my Ultra bookshelves and dual Pb-2000's to Ultra Towers and dual Pb-4000's and I used your affiliate links for both. You make some quality videos and they are much appreciated. Keep em coming.
I recognize you Johnny, and you're certainly a valued viewer! You've backed me up more than once in the comments, and I appreciate that kind of thing. Sometimes I miss responding to comments, or get people confused, but you've been awesome.
Thank you so much for using my links! It's this kind of thing that keeps the channel going, and I really appreciate it!
You're going to love the new gear. I'm still a bit shocked at how good the Ultra Towers are. They're broke in now, and my wife keeps remarking how great they sound. Pretty much daily comments over the last week or so.
The "Distance Hack" is a bit different for the Ultra Towers compared to the rest of the SVS line. Instead of +4 feet to the subwoofer distance like usual, +1 foot was optimum. The side firing drivers really do reduce a lot of the cancellations. Just be sure to ignore the polarity error during room correction.
Thanks again for using my links, and for the positive support! Means a lot!
You're certainly welcome. I only wish I did that when I purchased the 7.2.4 system (Ultras and 8 elevations for surrounds and ceiling heights) from them almost a year ago.
I definitely like the SVS sound. It's a warmer sounding speaker and yet very neutral and balanced. I come from the world of high end headphones when it comes to gauging good sound that appeals to me. I've owned an Audeze LCD-3 since it came out & a Sennheiser HD-650. If you're familiar to their sounds, they both have similar sound signatures to the SVS, especially the Audeze with the bass.
I think like you, I can't stand harshness or bright sounding speakers. I feel I could listen to the Ultras for a long while without it being fatiguing. Plus I like their style and approach to building speakers. There's an interview on RUclips with Smith Freeman that opened my eyes to their design approach....Home Theater Geeks 260: Designing Speakers for SVS
I'll be sure to keep your tips in mind about the distance when doing room eq on the Towers. I'm also going to experiment with bi-amping to see how that sounds and plugging/unplugging the ports.
My big challenge would be to dialing the pb4k's to the proper settings that I like for music and what I like for movies. I like that I could incorporate the port plugs for music when I want to. Coming from the pb2k's, this seems a lot more exciting and personally one of the main reason for me to upgrade since the pb2k's already provided ample amount of bass that satisfied me, atleast the kind I enjoyed for movies.
You should have no problems integrating the PB4K's, the signature is very similar across the SVS line, you'll just notice more control and dynamics. More "weight" to the bass. More realism.
I like standard mode the best, but it's fun to play around with the different modes. Don't forget to make the change in the app for the port mode. I'd be curious if you notice any discomfort in sealed mode. I'm annoyed that I have that issue, eliminates a lot of subs for me to try out.
Thanks for telling me about the Smith Freeman Episode, I'm going to watch it soon. I've emailed him a few times and he's brilliant.
I'd be interested to hear the Audeze and Sennheisers. I have pretty much zero experience with high end headphones. Best I've heard are the QC-35 from Bose, which are pretty darn decent, but the main benefit of those is the awesome noise cancelling. I have an insanely loud whole house fan, and I forgot it was on when I was wearing those things. Better than earplugs.
I've had a few companies send me headphones, but they were so bad I refused to review them. They were kind enough to send them out, and I wasn't interested in doing a hatchet job. They weren't high end though, $50-$100 range.
I agree with you, I can't handle harshness. I've heard some mighty expensive speakers that I just couldn't tolerate. I'm REALLY digging these Ultra Towers the more I listen. I'm looking forward to your thoughts.
Very nice sound system but the dog extra feature is awesome. These black and white changes, from moving to sleeping are giving some calm feeling. Great! Greetings from Germany
Thanks! Greetings from California!
I have owned a large number of high-end ($5K -$15K/pair) speakers. The speakers I'm keeping long term are the SVS Ultra towers. I'm also running the Ultra center, Ultra bookshelves and Ultra surrounds as part of a 7.2 system. For the subs, though, I went with 2 JL Audio Fathom 212's (which are absolutely insane and overkill for music but oh so sweet for home theater).
For music always go with full towers, the best you can afford. Then you dont deal with subwoofer integration/ phase issues - timing issues. My 2.0 music setup uses paradigm signature s8, that can go pretty low in my room (maybe 25hz) - for movies I use the SVS ultra bookshelf speakers with SVS SB 13 ultra - crossed over at 80hz. My theater system can’t touch my music system (terms of music) - subwoofers just add so much complexity to a music system
Running 2 channel, I would definitely run 2.2 despite the integration challenges. It's the only way to get truly "full range" sound. It makes a difference, even in music you might not expect.
Adding a few feet to the distance setting, or adding a slight delay to the towers reduces the problem substantially. I like these alot, but given the choice between these in 2.0 or Prime Bookshelf and dual PB-2000 2.2, I'd pick the 2.2 for music. The Prime Towers would also be good with dual PB-1000's, but better with the PB-2000's.
Thank you for your response. The thing is I dont use an A/V receiver. You can say I am an audio purist, so my setup consists of a Yamaha Integrated amplifier A/S 3000 - which does not offer delay, and timing config, but honestly I cant afford to put anymore money in this hobby (for now, until I save up 5K). I know that JL audio offers CR1 - which is highly complicated crossover, and it should fix my timing / phase issues, but it costs 3K. - I am saving up funds so I can purchase the Anthem STR (www.anthemav.com/products-current/model=str-integrated-amplifier/page=overview) - from my communications with Anthem the STR has extremely good room correction, and timing options - but the issue still remains that the signal will become digital so delay will exist - I am very sensitive to delays for some reason (visually, and acoustically) - must be my OCD.. :(
Depends on the music you listen too. If nothing is below the freq low limit of your tower you might be fine, but lots of the music I listen to has bass that towers can't deliver on their own.
As you may know, I have the Def Tech BP8080 Towers. They have 12” built-in subs and I was pleasantly surprised at the difference they made in my room. I ran a quick sweep with REW the other day and without any tweaking or changing any settings they measured down to 30hz then sloped down. They definitely give me that punch or mid bass where my VTF-3 MK5 has a null or dip. I couldn’t believe how good the measurement (graph) looked.
Measurements can be eye opening! Are you running dual subwoofers? Where are your nulls?
Subwoofer 101 I have a “slight” dip between 22-28hz and another at 35-40hz. It’s not bad but just a little. I’m running the 12” towers subs (LFE) as Sub1 using a y-splitter and the Hsu as Sub2. I had two Hsu but sold one when I got the towers. I have the Denon X4300H.
I really enjoy your videos, I just purchased Svs Ultra towers based on your reviews. I am replacing a pair of B & W Dm602s
My mission 704a towers have subs in them. They really can shake the floor to and its not even turned up. really like these speakers.
When I saw the email notification, I thought it was going to be towers with (built in) subs. Which I have in my Paradigm Monitor p90 v1. Each tower has dual 300w 8” powered subs. If I don’t have them plugged in, the bottom drivers do not work. There is a gain control and frequency adjustment on the back of each. I have had them for a few years and absolutely LOVE them. It has been more difficult to dial everything in with these towers with their powered subs. I still tweak they XO in the Denon AVR, along with distances. These produce deeper bass than my Polk PSW505. The 505 inexpensive and is good for mid-bass. I have it for “near field” bass, aka back massages while playing music, lol. It’s about 2.5 feet behind my La-Z-Boy. I have the Denon distance (currently) at 4.7, and constantly playing with that trying to dial the system in. This is per your recommendation ina previous video instead of playing with the phase. Incidentally, if you do play with the phase, you have to run Audyssey again. Even adding a power amp, you have to run it again. My best results have been holding the mic with my hand, and moving it with in a circle around me no more than shoulder distance. This produces the BEST imaging and broad soundstage.....for me in my chair.
Keep plugging away at the RV buddy, you’ll get there eventually.
Cheers
In English- the SVS Ultra Tower’s will make a very nice 2 channel stereo speaker WITHOUT a sub with great low end extension!
Better low end extention than most for sure, but subs really add to the experience. I've been tinkering with and without subs, and the subs just reenforce the low end with better/stronger dynamics. Music has more weight to it.
Under 80 hertz, subs are just more dynamic. With a more powerful amp (only 140 watts with the Denon) you could run the crossover down to 60 hertz I imagine.
Even dual PB-1000's would augment these nicely, if music is your main use.
These are incredible by themselves, don't get me wrong. Without subs they sound amazing, the best I've heard. Adding dual deep bass subwoofers is just better in my opinion.
If you don't want to run subs with these, it certainly won't be detrimental. But with subs, the these speakers sound even bigger and more exciting.
Going back and forth, with and without subs, I prefer having the subs involved. That's just my own preference.
Hi, just about to order the SVS Ultra Towers, Ultra centre, Ultra Surround and Elevation speakers. My room is about 13ft x 12ft and will be used for 90% movies. My question is about subwoofers. Do you think i would benefit by adding dual PB2000's into this small room? Thanks, awesome channel by the way.
Thanks! I've shoe horned PB16 Ultras into an 11x11 room. Looked weird, but as long as you run room correction, the biggest concerns about too much room gain are dealt with.
I'd pull seating as far from the wall as possible, but yes I think dual PB-2000's would be a good fit.
Thank you for the reply. i'll go ahead and place the order.
Right on, if it's no trouble, please follow one of my affiliate links.
Done
I love love love this video... I spent $1,000 on a good pair of Klipsch floor-standing speakers and was extremely disappointed when I found out that my bass sounded best cut off at 80hz. I felt like I wasted a ton of money and I could have just gone with a pair of bookshelf speakers
Glad it helped! Output is still there, and the lower response does still have an impact.
you more output with the multiple drivers in the towers which is why I went with towers, In fact I might get 2 more lol.
Will you be able to do a comparison between SVS ultra tower vs Definitive Tech's PB9060 tower (that comes with powered subs)?
Dayton, SVS, Emotiva,and fluance are 3 of the best values in Subs, speakers and seperates. I will throw in technical pro and Pyle for power amplifers, and 2 channe1 receivers/preamps for the lower price. (don't pay the MSRP on the official websites unless its low). Py'les best sounding receivers are the PD series and the Pt395, and PT684BT.
Great video! Every time I think I have my home theatre setup figured out, I watch one of your videos and I start second guessing myself again. Lol... I have 2 SVS PB 16 ultra SW and I’m looking into upgrading my towers. I thought I wanted the Klipsch RF 7 iii but after watching your very convincing video I’m not sure if the ultra towers might be a better fit. I would love to get your feedback on both options.
Yes me to I would love to get your feedback on both options?
they do 28 Hz according to specs
or that's what you noticed listening ?
I have the ultra towers and 1 ultra pb 16 sub placed behind me. Only place that will fit. Would you crossover the towers at 50 or still 80?
If you get some towers with dual 10 inch drivers $2000.00 - $ 3000.00 bass is alot more defined and cleaner but a sub will improve that every time .Unfortunately not many companies make dual 10 inch driver Tower speakers anymore and if they do they cost way too much for a sensible person to consider.
True enough. Power towers aren't cheap.
Torn between keeping my definitive technology BP9060’s or trying the svs ultra tower. Thoughts?
Ultras are pretty simple to audition. If they aren't better you can return them.
I couldn't tell you which you would prefer more, that's a lot more subjective than bass. More of a personal opinion than something that is measurably different like subs.
I would say that if you try them, give them 2-3 weeks of break in before passing judgement. They sweeten up after being played a while.
I'd say that they are worth trying out. Been my favorite speakers so far.
Would like to know your opinion on my speaker upgrade. I currently have a new Yamaha rx-a1070 (110 watts a channel), SVS Prime bookshelf speakers which I will be using for my surround speakers in a (5.2) system and 2 SB 2000 subs. I also will be getting an SVS Ultra Center speaker. Should I go the route of Ultra Bookshelf speakers or would Prime Towers be the route I should take for my fronts? Or, would the Ultra Towers be overkill. I would like to go with the cheaper Prime speakers, but if the Ultras would sound better I could go that route also, is the sound between the Ultra Bookshelves or the Prime Towers worth the difference in price?
I've been thinking about this one. I've heard some very expensive speakers in stores, and many times I've been turned off. I heard some $25,000 speakers that left me wanting the Prime Towers I had sitting at home. So I wasn't sure the Ultra Towers would be worth the extra scratch, but I really think they are.
They say the performance target for these speakers were $5,000 to $8,000 speakers, and I believe they hit their mark.
Overkill is subjective, but I'm building a legit home theater in an RV, which is ridiculous in and of itself. My biggest annoyance is that I can't really fit the Ultra Towers or the bigger subs. I want to really bad, but I think it's a no-go.
They sound excellent, and if they were an option, I'd at least give them a listen.
Biggest issue in my mind is space, but I'd even shoehorn them in a tiny room if I could pull them off the wall a bit.
If you plan to go with the Ultra Center, and can swing the Ultra Towers, I think you'd be pretty happy with them.
If you can, please use my affiliate link: sub101.link/UltraTower
I'm still torn between the Prime Tower and Ultra Bookshelf, but the Prime Tower would probably win out. Not quite as much "sparkle" as the Ultra Bookshelf, but a little more fullness. Hard to go wrong either way, honestly.
Please help. I have the SVS Ultra towers with the SVS Ultra Center and I cannot get alot of bass out of it. I have a Denon 4500h receiver but I dont know which setting on there to increase bass in the SVS ultra towers without running a sub.
Sorry for the late reply.
Just change your speaker settings in avr. Set your fronts to large
Thanks for the video. What’s the best small sub you can buy for the buck? I had dual PB 1000’s and the wife hated them hence they are gone.
Thanks ahead of time!
I just discovered your channel, and I have a question...SVS sounds awesome, but in terms of towers...how do you compare Def Tecs to SVS towers?
I only heard a few of the recent Def Techs at a local store. Hard to say in a store environment vs how I have things set up in my room, but the Def Techs were neither my favorite nor least favorite in the store. I have SM-450's, and I prefer the SVS in that case. The Def Techs don't sound bad, but the SVS are definitely worth a listen.
If the Ultra Towers are on your radar, I can highly recommend them if you have the floor space. The Prime Towers are awesome, but I can really hear where the money went with the Ultra Towers. I honestly didn't expect to be able to, but I was wrong. The difference between the Prime Tower and Ultra Bookshelf was not striking. The difference between those and the Ultra Tower is much more noticeable.
Owning both the SVS Ultra's and the Def Tech STL's (both of the companies flagship speakers), I just had to answer your post. I wouldn't say that one sounds better than the other. Their sound is very different from one another. The Def Tech's have more details and crispness than the Ultra's do. But then again, we're comparing $5000 speakers to $2000. That being said, the sound from the Ultra's have more weight to it. Whenever I switch out from the Ultra's, the Def Tech's sound a little on the thin side. There's really no wrong choice between these speakers. They both sound fantastic. Something worth noting is that the Ultra's sensivity is lower thereby requiring a little more wattage to push them than the Def Tech's. But not a huge difference.
Great video like always! Have you ever listen on the pretty new "arendal" subwoofers and speakers? On alot of tests it seems they outperform Svs speakers and subwoofers. I got 2x pb 2000 by my self and i love them! Will maybe get a Svs ultra towers or Arendal in the future! Keep you good work up man! / cheers from Sweden
Thanks! Arendal aren't available in the USA, but I've been hearing about them lately. I always wonder what metric people use when one sub "outperforms" another, a pet peeve of mine is when people compare Max SPL numbers. It says so little about the depth of presentation.
That said, the Arendal seem to be worth checking out, I don't mean to cast doubt on their products.
Yea Svs goes deeper but Arendal sounds better over 20hz with more dynamic and pounch. All about what you prefer when you choose a sub or speaker tho!
What happened to your HSU
Why not try the crossover at 60hz on the towers since they go down to 28hz?
Because it would reduce the amount of bass I get: www.subwoofer101.com/setting-up-your-gear/large-vs-small-lfe-main-double-bass-etc/
Man I'm still waiting on the receiver for the outlaw audio x12- ultra. There's no reviews that I can have on youtube so I can't make the jump.
Waiting on the receiver?
Subwoofer 101 no the subwoofer. The smaller model of the x13 ultra. Their subwoofer line
Please do a POWERED TOWERS video..with proper set up with standalone sub/s
I was surprised to see a phase issue when i ran ypao on my Yamaha, and I'll admit I panicked Haha. So apparently this is normal with ultra towers?
I panicked too, Ha! Yeah, it's totally normal.
I would have gone with a projector in the RV. Slight weight penalty but much more in the way of space utilization and risk for damage.
If you are into music or any kind of critical listening, get the best towers you can afford. A properly crossed, high quality tower speaker is going to blow any book shelf out of the water in both equality of tonality across the spectrum and total power output. FYI cross at 80hz with these towers.
Joel Doxtator why not 60hz crossover?
Easier to make the sub-woofer blend in. Plus it allows more mid bass SLAM! in the main speakers.
Raymond Leggs you're saying to set the crossover of the towers at 80hz instead of 60hz, even though the towers go down to 28hz? I would have thought more mid frequency response would go to the towers and everything below 60hz would be directed to the separate subwoofer/s? Just trying to understand. Thanks
Juliano A subwoofer have alot louder bass even if the tower go down deep even if the hz are set to 80 the tower will still work.
Like others have stated, the sub can handle the load better period. The only way to benefit from the increase range of the tower more is to set them to full range and send LFE to sub
hey do you know why i lose all the bass from the towers and sub when i set my mains to small?
Yeah, it's doing what it supposed to do. This will help: www.subwoofer101.com/setting-up-your-gear/large-vs-small-lfe-main-double-bass-etc/
@@Subwoofer101 i did just readed that but its weird cause i loose bass of my sub when i put my speakers to small i miss out a lot off sound when i do that
Add more gain to the subwoofer.
@@Subwoofer101 then it sounds crap it sound perfect with the speakers on big but they are not made for that they only go to 37hz
@@calvinpas3384 What setup are you running again? Speakers, crossover, amplifier, subs? Gain on subs, sub level on AVR?
Do the towers have subs built in? If they do why do you need the other 2 subs? Bass overload not realistic sound. Unless I'm crazy.
All depends on how that bass is structured. Good subs will produce strong output down to 20 hertz or deeper. There are very FEW subs that actually do this.
www.subwoofer101.com/best-subwoofers/
The bass drivers in the Ultra Towers are not powered. Beyond that, they only go down to 28 hertz. A good subwoofer does bass better, more dynamically than a tower will.
I'm not a fan of overdone bass, I strongly prefer balance. It's actually very hard to get balanced bass from a typical subwoofer. Drove me up the wall the last time I tried. They are usually great above 50 hertz, and trail off under 40 hertz.
In contrast, subs on the list produce even response as deep as you can hear. It's a world of difference.
Do you use the svs app on phone ?
I still love that doggie.
Good you keep them in all your videos.
Why buy towers if ur not running them full range ? No wonder there no pumping out bass
Because you still get signal below the crossover, and your AVR runs cooler. The bass output from the towers still make a difference despite being set as small. I have always used subs with SVS speakers, and these towers easily offer the best sound. This might help: www.subwoofer101.com/setting-up-your-gear/large-vs-small-lfe-main-double-bass-etc/
Subwoofer 101
Completely understood and I watched the video ur points are great but to guy like me in a wooden small room 11 ft by 9ft haveing 8 subwoofers all active and 13 Speackers surrounding me all 6.5 or largest being 8 inch I hav everything set to large and crossover set to 40hz except for center which is at 60 hz
Each subwoofer is crossed over differently to wat sounds the best with my bass and crossover knobs that I made so I wouldent hav to get up to play with subwoofers but non over 75 hz to just giv u a range my subs are fillers I use full range from towers and massive book shelf’s then fill in little bits and pices with my sub
If u wanna feeling like ur in a live stadium sitting in the hot seat this is the way to go the room breathes but I don’t depend on my subs for wat my expensive full range book shelf’s can do they can easily hit the 40 hz requrment in a small room and yes I have tried crossing them over higher my Speackers all mounted at ceiling height then aimed down on custome brackets I made my self u can hear majority of the bass when set higher like 60 hz come from the subs and just isn’t wat I’m looking lol Gus’s I’m just weird
But when u hear a drum solo circle u in a room and u hear how low each book shelf can achieve u get this huge smile across ur face and butterflies in ur stomach from the impressive low hits of quality book shelves u know u have won
Trust me ur way great ur making full range speakers with a massive sub and a quality book shelf and there nothing better then using a svs clean sub just not for everyone lol I mean u got to elephants in the room I expected be shake till all my teeth come out of my skull looool and then get shot with a bookshelf in the ear that’s the joy of it right
Just take it easily with svs it’s not the end all it’s great but I’ve been in side every brand Speacker there a lot out there I think u would like a klipsch horn very dynamic super imaging but will stop before it kills u lol go great with those subs
omg you got them ultra towers cant wait fpr a good review
this is exactly my dream setup
It sounds great! The Ultra towers are quite nice.
Where is the sub 20hz list?
www.subwoofer101.com/best-subwoofers/
Very confusing. What exactly is the point of this vid. What are you really trying to say.
Some people don't see the point of running towers if you have subwoofers covering the lower frequencies. It's a question I've gotten a lot.
I think it's better to prioritize dual deep bass subwoofers first, but if you have the budget for quality towers as well, it's a good way to go.
Was it really not clear, or are you just messing with me?
You will find yourself asking that question with all of his videos 😁
Def techs Bp8080st or goldenear Triton
two of those humongous subs?!?!? ridiculous!!!
As they say, don't knock it until you've tried it!
cross the sub over at 55hz if you have towers that go down to 40 so you won't have 80Hz peak that pisses of the neighbor
I like 90 hertz personally. Oddly, my neighbors don't really know what I do. You'd think everyone would know, and I always ask if they are hearing me, but I haven't had a complaint yet. It's kind of comical really.
Oh sorry, towers crossed at 90 in the AVR, crossover disabled on the subwoofer.
Check out the KEF T2 subwoofer. It's a slim design perfect for the small space you have but it only goes down to 30hz us.kef.com/t2
Interesting design, but strong 20 hertz performance is vital for the experience I'm looking for.
For the RV project, I'm deciding between the PC-4000, PB-4000, or the PB-12 plus. PC-4000 will probably be the way I go with it. I could even fit the 16 Ultras in there, but the sectional would need to be gone first.