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Any Negatives about SVS? (1 Viewer)

Evan M.

Supporting Actor
Joined
Feb 26, 2002
Messages
910
I do not own an SVS.....maybe someday, but by hanging around hear long enough I learn a lot about these subs. One thing I do hear a lot is when people first hook up their new SVS they are let down at first. They sometimes think it is not even working....ie no "bass", lack of impact.... The big reason for this is often that this was the first time they have heard bass the way it is supposed to sound.....flat, even responce. People with other subs get used to that boomy sound and think that is great bass. When they hear an SVS they almost miss that boominess. Once they have it for a little while they realize that the SVS is FFAAAARRRR better than anything they owned. They just needed to to let their ears adjust to the way bass is supposed to be. Hope this helped.
 

Phil Iturralde

Screenwriter
Joined
Oct 7, 1998
Messages
1,892

Well, I'm not on that list!

After owning over 9 sub's since the early 80's, I've learned to Calibrate all of them seamlessly into my Stereo setup and then learned via Dolby Labs technical documents to REF Calibrate it into my first DD-5.1 HT seutp - 1999.

So, after I got my SVS, ... I knew I had a gem! A tall gem, ... but a real gem, ... with a sub-sonic character air-moving impact and it is by far the best investment and addition I have done to complete my HT setup! :D

Phil
 

Mary M S

Screenwriter
Joined
Mar 12, 2002
Messages
1,544
they are let down at first
I disagree over what causes this letdown effect. You suddenly do not own enough bass heavy DVD’s! . The SVS does indeed do LOUD, these units being right up there in SP Levels when shopping sub stats. I feel there is always far greater impact to loud bass played at low distortion levels than otherwise. Certainly never less impact.
I doubt if the following is a proper description of the differences I feel I hear between my old sub and new. There are great Lords of Bass in residence at HTF who could accurately detail what I am really hearing/feeling. If I am grasping some issues with subs, my old unit most likely had extremely high levels of harmonic distortion particularly when pushed at higher dB levels. This sounded “boomy” and extremely fatiguing after a 2 hr film. The unit tending to a “one note” range of replay. It seemed as if many of the distinct lower tones below a certain F level, - were converted by this sub, to what probably consisted of audibly louder higher harmonic frequencies combining the original lower frequencies into this one note meld of noise. If my hearing levels are not naturally inclined in capability to ‘hear’ the lowest notes sometimes recorded, going below 20Hz, I want it reproduced correctly…not just simply a sub trying to replicate lower frequency ranges before its cutoff/rolloff as noise via harmonics. It seems (if my understanding is correct) a sub should attempt to be closer to the reality of these frequencies when they are heard live. With less mess added into frequencies which overlay above 20Hz, higher than the original tone, which less capable subs seem to do when attempting to reproduce lowest notes. I don’t want falsely increased louder sound pressure level. I want the original note, reproduced…as cleanly as possible. A clear tone felt through the bones, when below
 

Alex Prosak

Supporting Actor
Joined
Dec 9, 2001
Messages
773
Mary,

Your write ups are fantastic! I wish more women, especially my wife, had the passion for audio that you do.

Alex
 

John Garcia

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jun 24, 1999
Messages
11,571
Location
NorCal
Real Name
John
The only negative I could think of is how hard you will kick yourself for not having bought one before...:D
 

Mary M S

Screenwriter
Joined
Mar 12, 2002
Messages
1,544
Thank you!
...I do love music/sound. Not content to simply learn how to improve what I hear...With my typical fall induced restlessness, I have the gall to try to attempt to create / make music.

My new hobby is a ...is a ...violin purchase! I'm not even mentioning this to extended family...(just you guys) I hate the neophyte stage. The immediate family will be building me a soundproofed and (no doubt padded) room directly. :D
 

Kevin C Brown

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Aug 3, 2000
Messages
5,723
Hey, I actually have a real negative that wouldn't be that hard to fix. :)

Just got my PB12-Ultra/2 today. But I couldn't even get it out of the box by myself. (Have to wait for the wife to get home.) What I would like is a box that is somehow designed to be opened from the bottom so I could at least *look* at it until I have the help to move it. :)
 

SVS-Ron

Screenwriter
Joined
Jun 2, 2001
Messages
1,074
Kevin, buddy.

That box IS designed to lift off the top so you can look at it from the bottom.

You don't take the SVS out of the box, you take the box off the sub. Please, make sure you figure this out before your wife comes home or you'll never hear the end of it ;^)

Ron
 

MingL

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Mar 26, 2003
Messages
214
I have a negative about them SVS.

The new model numbers are rather a mouthful. But hey, maybe my mouth is smaller than norm. :b

How do I pronounce "/2"?
 

Kevin C Brown

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Aug 3, 2000
Messages
5,723
:b Ron- I figured out the box. Some text and an an arrow would have helped though.

Ron says two healthy adults can move a PB2-Utra. Well, I would add that 2 guys is almost necessary. :) My wife kind of dragged and guided, and I kind of lifted and pushed, but we did make it from the garage to the family room. Have it all hooked up, but haven't fired it up yet. Big bad mutha of a sub, even not having powered it up yet. :D

With the parametric eq, could have included a test tone disc. (Come on! It's actually really difficult to come up with negatives for SVS, and I'm a pretty critical guy! ;))

Ooh, I have an even better idea: have MP3 files of test tones on SVS' web site. 10 hz to maybe 300 Hz, every Hz. That way, each of could decide what tones we want, and just download them individually. ??
 

MingL

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Mar 26, 2003
Messages
214
Building up on Kevin's idea, I have an idea to propose to SVS. I propose SVS to have a download section on their website consisting of various tests tones for LFE calibration and EQing.

Things like spot tones, warbles, sweeps, cross-over sweeps, noise......etc would be really useful for setting the built-in or external PEQs. I made such a disc myself and I would happily suggest really useful tones specifically for EQ-ing subs.

This way, SVS owners would benefit, non-SVS guys would visit the SVS website more often to dl the tones and this means more interest towards the SVS website. This, in time, would translate into more potential customers for SVS from a crowd (who only wanted to download testones) that otherwise never knew SVS even existed.

In the long run, SVS's test-tone DL section may become as popular as the snapbug guide.

Edit: improved grammar and sentence structure.
 

alan*T

Grip
Joined
Sep 27, 2004
Messages
15
I suggested to SVS about the test tones over email and they say they are going to sell AVIA.

I do wish they can provide some simple test tones free of charge either through download or CD.
 

MingL

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Mar 26, 2003
Messages
214
Alan, I have a CD of comprehensive test tones which you can get from me. Its designed specifically for sub EQ-ing using either SPL meter method or spectrum analyser (RTA) method.

Since we are both in singapore, its no big deal to send a sample over to you.
 

alan*T

Grip
Joined
Sep 27, 2004
Messages
15
Jag,

I am wind30 over at the extremeplace forum... which seems to be down today. Anyway, actually I am thinking about visiting your setup... just to get a reference of what a calibrated system should sound like. you going to the projector shootout on Sat?
 

MingL

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Mar 26, 2003
Messages
214
xtremeplace.com is down. I'll be at the projector showcase on saturday. You can visit me whenever you are free.

Without going too much OT, lets get back to the original topic instead.
 

alan*T

Grip
Joined
Sep 27, 2004
Messages
15
Actually the whole thread is rather OT.

I can seem to find much negative posts about SVS :) In fact I find the exact opposite.
 

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