SVS loud but not very accurate (1 Viewer)

[Scot Pritchard]

I was at my dealer were i purchased my b&w cdmnt series speakers and told them i bought a new sub over the internet and that it was a svs. and he said they tried one to just to see how they were . they said they went way loud but are not very accurate.well i just thought how could they bring me down like that ive been loving my svs with music and movies. they said that their velodynes where much better i beleive the hgs series or something. they also said the velodynes are built better and own most of the patents like servo controll and things like that. hope i made the right decision with the svs.

 

[jeff peterson]

You did, Scot
Believe the hundreds of testimonials here and on other HT forums; not a salesman pushing his product. His agenda isn't your best sound but his bottom line.
You will not have any buyer's remorse with the SVS. Like I'm sure your salesman said, "trust me"

 

[Drew Bethel]

Why not take your SVS unit in the store and do a side-by-side test?

 

[Greg_R]

As with any speaker system, setup and room conditions effect the overall sound significantly (more than any other component). Most dealers I've visited did not have their subwoofers calibrated and didn't have any EQ to tame the room peaks. Trust your own ears... how did the Velodyne sound compared to your sub?

 

[Roger Kint]

The only unbiased head-to-head test I've been able to come across does state that the HGS is more accurate than an SVS. Don't get me wrong, SVS does make a compelling product, but if accuracy is your prime concern an HGS would be the more compelling product.
Link Removed
The review states:
1) (The HGS) "...didn't have the same gut wrenching sound the SVS threw out, but unlike the other subs, including the SVS, when it reached its limits, the sonics still didn't suffer."
2) (The HGS is) "...cleaner than the SVS, but not quite as fierce."
3) The HGS may not play as loud as the SVS, but it plays with a little more definition. The SVS has more snap, but the transients with the HGS are like butter.
Butter!??!?!? Geez now that's what I want!!!! but with the $2,999 price tag, I might just settle for the big sound of an SVS. But if I had deep pockets, I probably would get an HGS.
Personally, I think I'd be happy with either one.

 

[Jim_C]

Scot,

He's just trying to promote his gear. Most of these B+M guys dismiss internet based companies as inferior. Don't believe them.

Do yourself a favor, go read the reviews on the SVS website. Look for the Nousaine article, he's the subwoofer testing god. When you finish reading the article, ask yourself the question 'Who do you believe, Nousaine or this salesman?'

Trust the reviews, they're real and not just hype.

 

[Joe Tilley]

Scot, for the line that like that Id take my SVS in and offer up a chalenge aganist his velo and when you get done stompin on his (well I better not say what Im thinkin)you can tell him to bend over and take somethin as big as his line up (well I better not say that eather)you get the idea.
Stay with the SVS you made a good choice the first time.

 

[Michael R Price]

The reason the HGS didn't degrade at its limits is because the limiter doesn't let it distort. In other words, the SVS got louder and started distorting, and the HGS didn't get louder. I'd prefer the SVS in that respect.

And it might be a little 'cleaner' because of the distortion-correction servo. Probably not much. I don't know what I should be thinking about those servo subs.

 

[Jim_C]

>>In other words, the SVS got louder and started distorting

 

[Doug Drake]

I have compared a Velo servo controlled sub (F-1500-R) with a SVS 20-39PC side-by-side in my HT. I would agree with the comments in Roger Kint's post.

I bought both, within a week of each other, and paid about the same for them since the Velo was used. My intent was to keep the winner of the comparison and sell the other one.

I don't have the Velo any more, not because it wasn't a great sub, but I was looking for the punch of the SVS that is referred to in the review.

Doug

 

[Scot Pritchard]

they showed me these tiny little velo subs and i thought yeah right that cant beat my svs. i didnt have time to hear it i was comparing the nautlis line of speakers(B&W). but maybe ill stop buy for a listen sometime.i use the limiter on my pre amp and it seems to sound just as good on the svs i dont know with is better using the limiter or not

 

[SVS-Ron]

Scot,

Ask your dealer who ordered the SVS. As far as we know no dealer has tried one and returned it, or even just tried one. Maybe so, but given the sort of margin they might make on "their" subs I can think of many motivations he might have in saying that. Given a $650 SVS 20-39PCi would be serious competition for a 15" Velo HGS (at what? twice the cost?) can YOU think of some reasons he might say that? Ask him to give you the model, name and timeframe his "evaluation" was done. Or maybe he'd like to contact us to verify that statement?

Roger,

Keep in mind that Brian's "accuracy" statement was very VERY subjective in nature, and just because it's in "print" (or electrons as the case may be) doesn't make it true. If I recall correctly, there were NO accuracy (say, THD) measurements at all. And he certainly never said the SVS's distorted (which is certainly possible to do, but only long after the Velo would die). The "butter" statement might well have indicated that the SVS was more accurate, not the Velo, for all we know. Listening preferences (let's not forget there are lots of folks that still prefer vinyl LPs and far less "accurate" tube amplifiers too) don't always favor the highest fidelity sound source.

Nothting wrong with that; but while we appreceate the review in question (which resoundingly favored the SVS, and ultimately convinced Brian to buy they SVS's he tested) I would not take it as some sort of definitive statement that servo drive on the Velo (and the sub in its entirety) actually was producing more accurate bass. We don't buy it, and certainly none of the testing Brian could objectively bear out his accuracy characterizations, (whether "butter" or "snap").

At any sort of healthy bass levels, I'd wager that the SVS's tested were actually the more revealing and accurate speakers. The fact no instrumentation was used to delve into this issue should say something about the rather subjective nature of some of this review, favorable as it might have been towards SVS. Personally I think Brian was simply looking for something nice to say about the Velo ;^)

Maybe Scot can get the dealer to loan him an HGS so the customer can give his own impressions, in house as we allow?

Ron

 

[John Garcia]

Financially motivated or not, it does not matter what the salesperson says...do YOU like your SVS?

 

[Tom Vodhanel]

If someone were to compare the $2500 HGS15 and the $649 SVS 20-39PCi...I'm guessing it would be a good race. If the *sales clerk* wanted to compare a like priced VEL...say a CHT120-150(?)...then the SVS would extend deeper, play cleaner, and maintain its FR integrity over a much broader volume window. So it all depends on the application and who has how much money to toss at a sub. The VELs are very good subs though(esp the 15-18HGS units)...so it's nice to be compared to them I guess...
Regarding the Weatherhead review...keep in mind Brian pushed the CS_Ultras(using our old drivers btw) to 3x(!) the output levels the HGS18 maxxed out at in the low bass.
So another way to consider his *butter/snap* remark is...the SVs will give you *X* output and "snap" transient attack(which seems good?). And to reach the same output with "butter" transient attack(which also seems good?)...you'll need $9000(Retail)worth of HGS18s.(3 of them).
In the end, Brian didn't want to send the Ultras back...and he ended up purchasing them from SVS. So I guess they must have been *ok* with music
In any regard...its definitely a clash of *titans* here and I don't think anyone would be sorry with either option.
TV

 

[Roger Kint]

"...do YOU like your SVS?"

Well, some people really like their Bose so may this isn't an end-all statement/question, for any product. Because the source of these questions really is 'I like what I got but is there something better I could have got?

Bottom line, I think the only way to really tell is to do many a BLIND A/B comparison test for ourselves since, as Ron stated, everyone will have their own preferences(folks liking tube amps and vinyl LPs).

Still, I think the flagship subs in this discussion are all of the highest caliber and how could anyone lose with any of them? They are all winners.

 

[Juan_R]

The only time those salesmen lie is when there lips are moving, so try to tuned them out, I do. Do your own test if you are unsure.

 

[Scot Pritchard]

Ron I will try to get that info on when they heard it and how they got one i would like to know to. maybe they just said that i really like my svs 20-39csi with music and movies.their located in phillipsburb nj.i wasnt planning on trying a velo my svs is all i need.

 

[Jeremy Hegna]

"Given a $650 SVS 20-39PCi would be serious competition for a 15" Velo HGS (at what? twice the cost?)"
Actually Ron, it's FOUR times the cost.
I came VERY close to buying an HGS-15, a couple of months before I found this forum. Luckily, I bumped into HTF online and bought a 20-39PC. I did a two week, side by side, in home audition. The Vel is an incredible subwoofer, stellar performance and aesthetics. However, in my room I was able to get better performance from the SVS. I am not an audiophile so I have a hard time writing my thoughts with descriptive adjectives that will impact a reader. I'm also not a musician, so as far as accuracy it's tough for me to comment on which sub could produce a D# in the lowest octave the best...but I do listen to a ton of music and comparatively speaking, the SVS was better in every facet of sonic reproduction than the Vel...with maybe the exception of WAF. That was easily overcome when I provided the financial details of both subs. "Honey, we can buy four of these for the price of the pretty boy"
SOLD!
IMHO, servo mechanisms are unnecessary in a cylindrical sub system. The distortion isn't nearly as evident when you aren't dealing with a closed cube system. It blows me away every time I listen to the $2500 box subs, thinking why haven't they tried a cylinder system? In my experience, without a sub limiter on the SVS, you'll be hard pressed to notice distortion before you bottom it out. The Velodyne (as someone mentioned earlier) does not allow you to find the low end of their sub because it does have a limiter.
It would be a barrel of laughs to bring one of the SVS "SS" class subs to your local Velodyne dealer...course then we're talking similar amounts of money...
Jeremy

 

[Bill Kane]

It was suggested upthread to take the SVS to the dealer's. Tom V. modestly didn't mention that's actually been done, by Adam K.

Adam's review/report is so glowing that SVS has posted it in the SVS website Reviews. Take a look.

 

[Michael R Price]

"The SVS got louder and distorted."
The point is that if you keep turning up the SVS there is nothing in it to prevent it from distorting (though this happens at a level several times higher than other subs, a volume which no one usually reaches). The Velodyne HGS subs won't let anything more than 1% THD (says their website). Something in me says it's better to not actively correct distortion.
It would be cool to see another SVS-at-dealer showdown.