SethH

I just realized that nobody has mentioned this here (at least not that I've seen).

SVS just announced an upgrade to their Plus driver . . . the Plus 12.3. It has been shipping for a month now and everything but the cast basket was designed and built by SVS. Initial reviews have been very, very good and look to continue the tradition of the Plus line being the best bang-for-the-buck at SVS.

Here's a link to the SVS News page: http://www.svsound.com/news-news.cfm

mylan

It seems like just yesterday we learned of the 12.2, wonder how this one differs?

Arthur S

I think the major objective was to bring manufacture of the driver in-house. I also wonder about the boast of "sophisticated good looks". I suspect that a lot of people like the aluminum cone look at least as well as the all black look of the 12.3. I don't see much novelty in an all black driver. From the front, it is going to look just about like most other drivers.

Jack Gilvey

Yeah, so it'll be interesting to see how it compares. Seeing as how the Secrets review of the PB12 Plus was with the older driver, you wonder how much tougher the $1000 price point can get...

steve nn

I had the same thought. I always like to use SVS as a barometer (sort of speak) in regards to my DIY projects. All my past info is going to be old has-been without adding a dB or two.

Edward J M

I would expect a flatter FR in the 20 Hz tune, and better upper bass (>50 Hz) output - these are the two areas where I thought the Plus woofer could have benefitted from improvement.

Ed Mullen
SVS Customer Service
sales@svsound.com
techsupport@svsound.com

"What we do in life, echoes in eternity."

steve nn

Well I hope you get a chance/or decide to review it Ed. You have kind of spoiled me in what I look for and like to see in a review. I cant imagen it not being a improvement on a already great and proven product and design.

SVS-Ron

You all have it about right guys.

Objective performance data will be along via third party independents and us soon enough. Expect greater efficiency, and flatter FR (as Ed guessed) in the mid bass and higher regions, since the 12.2 already was virtually perfect in low end extension.

Audibility of this new performance will be highly dependent on listening levels, the program material, and system setup naturally. The bottom line on this (long since complete) transition is that the new drivers will definitely offer more clean output (and a slightly smoother bass response). But, unless you occasionally push your current drivers to their limits (or near their limits) it is tough to gauge just how much of an upgrade you would consider the Plus 12.3 to be.

Looks are highly subjective naturally but we decided to reduce the brightwork on this line in favor of a more stealthy look that'll be somewhat less garish in exposed front fire usage (as this woofer is destined for our SB12-Plus small sealed sub due out this year we had that consideration).

We're making plans to bring back the new company logo on to the dustcap however in the mid-term.

The idea was to get cosmetics in line with its mid-line price and improve performance over an already stellar design. Pictures don't really do justice in this case I don't think. Side by side most seem to prefer the brushed anodized look with the beefy mounting gasket tieing it all in. Everything from the surround to the VC to motor design was done in-house over a grueling period of nearly a year of both objective and subjective testing (read, torture).

Be it cars, or game cubes, or whatever, we feel if top of the industry performance is your goal, you can't rest long in improving materials and design. You'll see this approach applied wherever woofers are up for revision in the months and years to come. Vertical integration is a wonderful thing if you are motivated by performance and value and not profit/bottom line (though everyone knows SVS isn't a charity and we have bills to pay that would make a typical enthusiast cringe, so money's gotta be made along the way of all this fun and cuddly warm feelings about product improvement too).

Anyone that would guess (as we've seen elsewhere) that our motivation for investing two years of work in a woofer is simple cost savings has their own motivational compass askew or knows little about SVS. Anyone that would guess that a woofer this good can't yield audible improvements would likewise be askew in their assumptions (even without substantive changes elsewhere in the design).

Ron
SVS

Apologies to wimpy subs everywhere

Dalton

Yeah there are alot of bashers over at AVS. I don't get why they love to jump all over shit and bash away(especially svs) to try make owners of a product feel bad about their purchase. I have a PB12 plus/2 on order and am a long time SVS customer. But that doesn't mean i didn't go out there and do my research before i pulled the trigger on a new sub. I looked around and did research into several different subs. I was leaning SVS when i started my research(been very happy with my previous SV Subs)and kept an open mind. It came down to the SVS PB12plus/2, PB12 Ultra, and the ACI Maestro. I stuck with SVS for these reasons:
1. I've been completely satified with SVS products and customer service.
2. I just didn't feel the extra $$$ was worth it for the Maestro( i do have a budget to consider as well )
I know SVS is out to make money just like every other speaker/sub company out there but i feel they have earned my $$$ based on their products and customer service. Sorry to veer off topic but i just got a little frustrated with the bashers on that other forum.


Take Care,
Dalton

HoraceHungry

An often seen argument is that because SVS are able to offer so much for so little they must be cutting corners somewhere. If so it doesn't show up in neither build quality, measured performance or subjective listening. My guess Ron is that you are just very good at what you do, and that somehow it seems to intimidate some.

I for one have been impressed by your way of doing business for a long time. Especially at one time where I thought that my PB10 was broken and I flat out had to refuse Tom to send me replacement parts before I was sure that the parts were needed (turned out that they weren't) Your latest offering of almost free upgrade drivers to Plus owners took me by surprise, but I'm not surprised that there are some who manages to give even that a negative spin!!