SVS PB10 Arrived today, first impressions (1 Viewer)

[Morgan_]

Well, it's here. First impression out of the box: IT'S BIG!!
It's a really nice looking sub, real solid. The UPS guy used a "climber" to bring it upstairs. First, I just want to say how impressed I am with my towers that I created about 6 months ago. I never really appreciated how deep and low, and musical they are until I sold my Velodyne sub, and went "subless" in just stereo. Man, I love my towers! They have twin Vifa 8" drivers, the same ones used in Mackey studio monitors, cast magnesium baskets, mineral filled cones, coupled with 1" Vifa silk domes, and Audax midranges, I'm amazed when I listen to them, and yes, they too respond down to 20hz.

Now, listening impressions of the PB10-ISD. I listened first to the towers by themselves in stereo, then the PB10.
Played Darious Rucker "This Is My World", because it has nice and deep bass, good imaging, just a very clean song. After adjusting the sub level to a nice even level, it roughly ended up at half way on the dial, I compared the sub to the towers. It sounds great, it adds db's on the very lower octaves, and fills the room out really nice with bass. It would be easy to over adjust it to too high of a level, and it would overpower the music, you need to adjust to blend in just right, and it will be in the background and still let you hear all the fine details and imaging.
After I set the levels, I play one more song, Eminem "Just loose it" and it really shined, it's a very musical sub, and it likes showing it's different tones, and the song has kind of a "boing" bass beat to it, and it reproduced it to a Tee, you certainly feel like your hearing exactly what they heard when they created and mixed the song.
After the two songs, I did some measurements, the meat and potatoes, low bass sweeps with the sound meter. I can loop a audio segment over and over, so I did some full sweeps, then concentrated on the two lowest segments, the 25hz, and 20hz. First, I get a uneasy, scary feeling when I listen to 20hz, it just kind of freaks my nerves out even at low levels, if you haven't heard it before, it's a weird feeling. It must have something to do with a natural reaction, primordial earthquake sensing, I don't know
Anyway, at the two lowest octaves, my towers drop about 3db's at 25hz and 6db's at 20hz. The PB10 is amazing, it does not drop at 20hz, it goes up 2db, and amazingly, it goes up further about 4.5db's at 20hz. Every sub I've ever tested has gone down at these last two octaves except for the PB10-ISD! And like I said, it's a really freaky feeling at 20hz, sounds like you need to turn it down because your brain thinks something is happening like a accident or something. I may be sensitive, I don't know Anyway, it's going to be fun watching a movie tonight, because I know that's where the real impact will happen, on music I may or may not run it depending on the material, there is something to be said for running stereo subs like in the towers, it sounds really good too.

 

[Morgan_]

You may see what looks like a blemish along the top edge of sub, I had to look at it again, this is just the shine from the camera flash along the razor sharp top edge of sub. I had to put that on the record. This is a very well built sub, no defects what so ever.

 

[frank manrique]

Congrats, Morg! The 'lil guy is really "musical," isn't it? Enjoy!
(btw, those are real good looking towers too).


You know, it is really gratifying to see that more and more SVS bassaholics are beginning to populate the Inland Empire!...

-THTS

"...hi, my name is Frank...and am an SVS bassaholic..."

 

[Morgan_]

Yeah Frank, I played some music the next day, and I can't believe the musicality, or the tightness of the PB10!! I was really surprised, and I never suspected that they would put out that kind of tight, low bass! What I really expected to be honest, was that it would sound like a low hitting and maybe a little low muddled subsonic sounding because of the port tunedge at 20hz, but WOW!! Tight as a friggen drum, and low. I played some 50 cent today, "In Da Club", and the sub is just massively quick, I mean, it doesn't do any long decay at all, it's just boom and on to the next note!! It isn't a one note Charlie either, it's very musical and plays all the octaves. I know I need to break it in some more, but I'm impressed by it's performance. I was right about my ideas of how long the 3" port would have to be in order to stay flat to 18hz, it is as I figured, approx. 15" long. Anybody could actually build that sub with the right materials, but the driver is the real secret weapon in the thing, that's what makes it, along with the BASH 300watt amp. I watched part of "Troy", and although it sucks(watched like 45mins only) the musical soundtrack is big and dynamic, and for the first time, NO KIDDING, I felt that I was truly in a theater. I guess thats what sub 20hz will do for your HT experience huh. Congrats on the B4+'s, it will surely be easy to locate you now in the Redlands!!

 

[Dr. Anthony Rosalia]

Thanks again Morgan for your order. We are glad you are enjoying your sub. If you need any assistance with integration, placement, etc. email us at [email protected] anytime. You have found out why we like SVS so much. Remember this is the SMALLEST of their box subs too.

 

[steve nn]

What I really expected to be honest, was that it would sound like a low hitting and maybe a little low muddled subsonic sounding because of the port tunedge at 20hz, but WOW!! Tight as a friggen drum, and low.
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Congrats Morgan. I know exactly where your coming from.

Nice write-up.