Has anyone else had the driver in their SVS 20-39 fall out! (1 Viewer)

[Doug_Z]

It's been some time since I posted here. I obtained alot of great information on this site before finally deciding on purchasing the Ultra last December. I have been extremely satisfied with the Ultra. My friend heard my Ultra and was so impressed with SVS that he recently ordered the the 20-39 PC plus. He was wary about purchasing from SVS but I assured him that from my experience and the experiences of other members on this forum that there would no problems.

He just opened the box and discovered that the driver had pulled away from the wood baffle board.The screws had pulled loose and pieces of wood were on the tips of the screws.I was shocked when he told me this.Unfortunately this happened Friday and SVS is closed after 8pm. He has left a message with Eric but is obviously upset. He's questioning the quality of SVS since all he saw was 8 self tapping screws and couldn't believe that was all that was securing the driver. My Ultra has a hard rubber ring around the outside of the suspension which appears to re-enforce the suspension of the driver. He says there was no rubber ring on his 20-39.

I told him SVS would make this right but I'm embarrased because I assured him SVS quality was among the best and he's upset because he's got to re-ship the Sub and is now questioning SVS's quality. The sub does have the inspection sticker and has the same inspector initials as my sub.

Has anyone else had this problem with an SVS sub? Did someone forget to put the rubber support ring on or does the 20-39 not have a support ring. As I said my Ultra has one but the driver is much heavier in that sub. It just doesn't make sense that SVS shipped a sub that was inspected......but was so poorly mounted that the driver tore away from the wood.............................

 

[SVS-Ron]

Doug,

SVS isn't closed at 8pm (our phone lines shut down that is true). In fact we NEVER close. Have your friend e-mail us (as we indicate in the manual BTW) and we'll be working up a replacement sub to go out Monday. While I can understand your friend's disappointment, even we can't account for what UPS can do sometimes. Screws do hold in the woofer (as yours is held in) but we've had shipments dropped so hard that 1.25" dowels punched thru 1.5" thick baltic birch. Suffice it to say you can damage anything if it's treated bad enough, no matter how good out packing.

Again, have your friend take a moment to simply e-mail us and we'll work up not only shipment of a new sub but pickup of the old unit at no expense.

We have had thousands of these units go out the door. "Poor mounting" of the woofer isn't likely an issue.

Of course if this incident has him so rattled he's not sure he wants an SVS after all we'll be happy to fully refund him, including shipping of course!

Very sorry for the trouble, we'll quickly correct it either way that suits your friend.

Ron Stimpson

[email protected]
[email protected]

24 hours a day/7days a week we answer cries of distress in 12 hours or less.

 

[Doug_Z]

Ron: Thanks. I will try and get him to e-mail you guys. Believe it or not he is one of those computer illiterate people who does not use e-mail.

I talked to him and he has not given up on SVS.I convinced him that this had to be an abberation since I had not ever read of anyone else experiencing this situation. However, before posting I did ask him to look very carefully at all sides and the bottom of the shipping box to see if there was any evidence of damage. If there had been the slightest indication of the box having been dropped I would not have posted the question. He did comment that the sub was packed very carefully and securely. He did leave voice mails but I understand that it is eaiser to deal via e-mail.

I'm still not sure how this could happen unless the box was dropped straight down,which caused all screws to tear away from the wood but left no evidence of being dropped. I told him your company has the best customer service around and that you would handle the situation appropriately.Thanks

 

[SVS-Ron]

Doug,

If you e-mail us his name we can even call him to work the details. Nothing wrong with not using e-mail but the phones are just not the fastest means on the weekend.

Our damage rates are lower than any other OEM we've talked to (constant improvements on our shipping boxes have been key there) but you can indeed drop a box squarely, and repeatedly so that there is no evidence of abuse on the outside.

We once had a Ultra woofer totally shattered and the box looked perfect. We figured it had been dropped off a 8 foot loading dock. Repeatedly.

There are some sick minds in the shipping world.

Our boxes and the products are good enough to deal with 99.5% of of them.

Drop us a private e-mail and we'll call your friend at his convenience.

Ron

 

[Doug_Z]

Ron: Thanks, your company is the best.

 

[Edward J M]

We once had a Ultra woofer totally shattered and the box looked perfect. We figured it had been dropped off a 8 foot loading dock. Repeatedly.

Doug - the above quote should pretty much lay this issue to rest.

SVS extensively tests each and every sub that leaves Ohio. Your friend can rest assured his PC+ was in perfect working condition when it left the factory. And you can also be assured that eight wood screws into Baltic Birch have more than enough strength to anchor a dB-12 driver running at full power for decades.

UPS destroyed this sub - pure and simple.

 

[Doug_Z]

Edward: Thanks. Your input is always appreciated.I assumed that if this had been a problem with driver mounting, others would have responded with similar experiences. I know you have participated on this forum for some time and would know if such a problem existed.I'm confident that it was a shipping problem. Tom has already e-mailed me about contacting my friend. The quick responses by Ron and Tom have re-enforced my strong feelings about SVS support.

 

[steve nn]

Yes! Pure and simple. My first and only thought as soon as I read your post. UPS is the culprit here definitely. Your friend is in good hands though as you yourself are aware. I bet SVS puts him on the expedite track and considering how fast they are in the first place this is saying allot.

 

[Mike Sloan]

How is the woofer secured in the PC+?

 

[DonnyD]

The shipper is definitely the problem here. Those around here who've had to use shipping companies to receive or send packages are well aware of the problems with getting any packages without some type of damage. It seems that electronics get "special" attention through shipping docks.......
In the last 6 months, 3 damaged shipments have cost UPS/FEDEX about 1500 bucks for their damage to amps and speakers I received or shipped. High end equipment just seems to have a tag on it that reads "please mishandle" sometimes......
You have to wonder what the shipping companies actually do about having to pay out hundreds of dollars for these damaged goods and if anyone is ever repimanded or fired. Tracking certainly shows the time the item went through the terminals and the routing it took so it should be easy to pinpoint a dock and/or shift that seems tohave more claims against it. BUT.... who knows. It is still a crap shoot about getting an undamaged shipment.
There is "no luck" involved in SVS taking care of this problem... but there's definitely some luck involved in a new sub getting to you......!!!

 

[JerryCulp]

I once had UPS destroy a box so badly, it was simply no longer a box, it was a bag. This was a heavy duty cardboard box in good shape that apeared to have benn rolled from Dallas to Memphis. It literally was like a thick paper bag, there was no part part of the bax that had any integrity left.
Since then I have only used FEDEX when I ship a package, and I always choose FEDEX whenever given a choice when I am shipped anything.

My 20-39PCi came delivered in fine sape, even though it was obvious that the UPS guys had laid it down despite the warning on the box and used it as a bench seat.

 

[Doug_Z]

How is the woofer secured in the PC+?

Mike Sloan: My Ultra has a 3/4" wide x 1/2 tall hard rubber ring that has 8 screw holes.The ring encicles the driver next to the suspension. The driver, which I believe is about twice as heavy as the on in the 20-39 plus, appears to be secured by the screws that thread through the holes in the rubber and into the birch. I don't know the length or thickness of the screws.I have had no problems.

I don't know about the 20-39+. My friend said it did not have a ring securing his ill-fated 20-39 driver. I can't tell you if there was suppossed to be one. He said there were 8 self tapping screws that appeared to have torn away from the wood. I didn't ask him there length or width. Maybe someone else knows.

 

[steve nn]

I had to replace a + driver the other day and it had no ring. I remember reading in the directions that some do and some don't have the rings. I figured it was the Ultra that had the ring because of the weight of the driver?

 

[Edward J M]

Ring or no, the TV-12 Ultra driver is still ultimately secured to the same Baltic birch endcap in the same manner as the dB-12 Plus driver - with wood screws.

If that method of attachment is good enough for the heavier TV-12 driver, it is certainly good enough for the dB-12.

With a wood as strong as birch, even small wood screws have a high pull-out rating. A wood screw's holding strength depends on four main factors: 1) The screw cross-sectional area; 2) The quality of lumber; 3) The orientation of the wood grain in relation to the axial load; and 4) The depth of the screw penetration.

While the static axial load of the driver could easily be supported with less than eight wood screws, the dynamic load with reactionary forces considered is much higher and hence the need for additional screws.

Regardless, dropping a 30 pound driver from a considerable height will create a much higher stress on the fasteners than any operational/dynamic load ever could. The failure of the fasteners/endcap to withstand that type of load should not be viewed as any sort of design flaw. To think otherwise would be akin to expecting the suspension and tires of your new car to survive being dropped onto the pavement from a one-story building.

 

[Bob McElfresh]

.. had shipments dropped so hard that 1.25" dowels punched thru 1.5" thick baltic birch.

Yep. That happened to mine. SVS took care of me as I am sure they will do with your friend.