Help me decide please! Which one, SVS PB1 or PB2-ISD subwoofer? (1 Viewer)

[Jeff Adams]

Well my stellar, PSB Subsonic subwoofer just quit on me. It has done it's duty and has given me 7 years of pure thunderous bass and enjoyment. But now I have an excuse to try one of these SVS subs that everyone has raved about for years. I want your guys opinions. I am ready to make the purchase but want to know if the extra $300 is worth it to upgrade to the PB2, or will the PB1 meet all my needs? I have a large room with vaulted ceilings. I was running my PSB in a dual sub configuration. I have an AAD C-10 that the SVS will be joining. I will corner load the AAD and put the SVS where the AAD was, up in front to the right of my tower speaker. So with this setup do you think that the PB1 or PB2 will work best? Thanks!

 

[Eddie Horton]

I was in the same boat recently. I went the HSU route, and ended up getting the VTF3-MkII. Probably overkill for my room, but I didn't want to feel the need to upgrade for some time, and with the LFE tracks in movies getting more and more demanding, it made sense to go for the gusto. Also, we're going to be moving within the next 9 months, and I will be looking for a house with an unfinished basement room or equivalent that I can turn into a dedicated theater room. My opinion runs along the lines of having it there if I need it instead of wanting it there and not having it. Just my opinion.

 

[Jeff Adams]

Did you get that line from True Romance? I use that line all the time.

And how big is the HSU?

 

[WayneO]

PB2-ISD.......... Just looking at the output side of things, the Hsu cannot match SVS' offerings. There have been comparisons here and in other forums with objective results proving this. As far as sound quality, that is a different subjective issue, but both are highly praised.

 

[SVS-Ron]

Jeff,

Ultimately whether a PB1-ISD is "enough" will rely upon just how large that room is (dimensions?) and just how much you want to push your system. If you have a "significant other" (or worse neighbor, lots of customers are in apartments/townhouses etc) that's always telling you to turn things down, then by all means, don't get more sub than you can practically use.

Having said that, with today's movies and high resolution music there is nearly no such thing as "too much" subwoofer. ANY subwoofer can be turned up too much of course but that's different. Having "more subwoofer than you need" in your HT is really no different than having "more horsepower than you need" in your nice sports car.

How much do you need to pick up groceries?

Or perhaps more to the point, and as most enthusiasts would say... "who cares?!?"

If you have a largish room, and you want to experience movies and music to their full extent... and the extra budget is available (pretty much all of this must fall into place) then there is no doubt the extra cash the PB2-ISD costs will be put to good use.

One thing we see selling countless thousands of subs a year is this however:

Buyer's remorse nearly NEVER works against getting the "better" product. That is, we nearly never hear a customer say "SVS, I LOVE my subwoofer, but I'm afraid I got one that's simply better, more powerful, and deeper than I need. Can I exchange it for a lesser sub??

Nope, it's nearly always like this:

"SVS, I LOVE my sub, don't get me wrong... but well, having become totally addicted to its sound and power I can't help but wonder... if your (insert model name here) subwoofer is THIS good, well what would the next model up be like???"

The bottom line is this: Within reason, considering your listening habits, room size (that's key) and your living situation (which includes both budget and spouse and neighbor variables) get the best subwoofer you can reasonably afford. A subwoofer is literally and figuratively the foundation of the music and movie audio experience. Cheap out there and the disease better known as "Up-gradeitis" will take hold and begin to eat away at you. Symptoms include waking up in the middle of the night and blurting out "What if!!!!"

BTW this matters little with regards to what brand you get. Rest assured we sell plenty of subs to folks coming over from other brands however.

PS My entire lower half of my office/demo area are under construction, but drop me a line and I might be able to arrange a demo of something if you are interested. I think I've got a PC-Ultra here (20-39CS out at the moment), but have been needing to get a PB2-ISD sent for some pictures anyway. Let me know if photo sample might interest you at some point. We generally can discount them some, but not always. All our subs are built/boxed in Ohio so it wouldn't take long to get one out to C. Springs.

Ron

 

[Eddie Horton]

Never said the HSU would match the SVS output. Just said that's the route I went because when I bought my Ascend speakers, they had great package deals with HSU subs with free shipping on everything. SVS makes some spectacular products.

 

[Jeff Adams]

Thanks for the responses.
I tried out a few different subs this weekend and really did not like any of them. I think I am going to get the PB2-ISD.
Ron,
if I get this sub and for some reason am not happy with it, can I send it back for a full refund?

 

[Edward J M]

You get a full 45 day in-house evaluation period where you can return the sub for a full refund (less shipping). Always save the packaging materials, and SVS will handle all the paperwork in the unlikely event you decide not to keep it.

Proper set-up and decent room acoustics are the key to good sounding bass. You should have the capability of performing a basic in-room FR sweep at the seat (the RS meter, test tones on a CD, and RS meter correction factors will suffice), so you can evaluate the impact the subwoofer controls and sub placement have on the FR.

That's why SVS gives you 45 days; it can take a while to properly set-up a sub and extract the most performance it has to offer. This even gives you time to grab an inexpensive PEQ (like the BFD) if you really need to tame a difficult room.

 

[SVS-Ron]

Ed's a pretty good straight man (I'm sure he's been accused of being a paid shill, but anyone that knows how tight we are with our money [every damn dime seems to go into the product!] you would know how laughable that is).

Having said that, we DO have pockets deep enough to do some pretty outrageous stuff sometimes.

Jeff, if the PB2-ISD isn't the most mind bogglingly good sub for $999 (delivered price) you have ever, or WILL ever hear/feel/experience, I'll not only drive over personally and load it into my vehicle (two man lift, you have to help ;^) I'll write you a full refund check WITH shipping on the spot.

I double-dog-dared someone else in C. Springs with that one time (he was a bit skeptical about all the SVS "hype")... and my wallet is still intact.

I've had guys in our Ohio factory tell me we should discontinue every sub we make and ONLY sell the PB2-ISD. They are that convinced it's that good.

Of course we see the bigger picture in management (not that the thought hasn't crossed out minds). Sometimes the PB2-ISD doesn't get the press it probably deserves, but until we replace it (not bloody likely) I seriously doubt there will be any single subwoofer that'll challenge the depth, accuracy or linear power and frequency response the PB2-ISD does.

Go ahead, make my/our day.

Ron

 

[Allen_N]

It's posts like that that make me eager to get a PB2-ISD. I'm just waiting on one to come in B-Stock to get one

 

[Jeff Adams]

Ed,
Thank you so much for pointing me to your reviews. I have spent a lot of time today reading them and researching SVS. SVS seems to be one very company with stellar products. I am totally sold! Now, like everything else when it comes to the married man, I have to sell my wife.



You're killing me Ron. At first I was set on the PB2-ISD, then after Ed's review I was totally sold on the PB2-Plus. Man, decisions,decisions. I just figure that the extra $350 spent on the Plus looks well worth it. I am going to send you a private e-mail to discuss SVS in more detail. Thank you guys so much for all the help again.

 

[SVS-Ron]

"... I have to sell my wife."

Jeff, I know SVS's aren't always the cheapest subs in the world but there is no need to do THAT!

Then again, if she's willing to cooperate and likes movies too, well go for it.

;^)

The PB2-Plus v. PB2-ISD question is a tough one that really is driven more by room size and your desired output levels than anything. Up to their respective limits the two will sound pretty much alike.

Drop us a note with your room dims (don't forget where you sit, where your other gear is, and any openings to other parts of the house). While I think the PB2+ is more than justified on cost alone (the sexy "Plus" woofer technology in our dB12 drivers and the triple 4" porting being hard to ignore), the PB2-ISD might still be more suitable for your room and SPL desires.

Ron