Svs Pb2-isd (1 Viewer)

[JeffreyMercado]

How come nobody has said anything about this yet? I thought I would see some responses to this news. A new SVS sub is always hot news, so I thought I would bring it to people's attention. A musical sub with two ISD drivers with a built in amp 600 watts, for the low low price of $899
Here is the link: http://www.svsubwoofers.com/subs_pb2_isd.htm

 

[Ron Daily]

wow, they must have just updated the site because i didn't see that until you posted about it. I have been planning on getting the 20-39 pc+ but now i am curious how this sub will perform with 2 isd drivers copared to the 20-39 pc+. hmmmmm....decisions

 

[JessPrice]

Yeah, about 2-3 days ago Ron annouced the new SVS in the PB2+ review thread.

 

[Tom Vodhanel]

Ron,

If you can fit the larger PB-2 enclosure into the room without any fuss, I would definitely go with the PB-2isd over the single 20-39PC+. The only advantage for the PC+ is

 

[JessPrice]

So Tom, are we expecting the same QUALITY bass reproduction at lesser outputs (maybe say 3-6 dB) from the PB2-ISD vs the PB2+?

 

[Ron Daily]

Tom, will the 20-39 pc+ have more kick and a tighter sound because of the improved driver? I have listened to velo,s at circuit city and thought they sounded very loose and boomy sounding. maybe i should save a little more and get the pb2 plus. I would rather stay in the $800-$900 range but want to make sure i get a sub that will sound deep and tight even if i need to spend more. the sub will be placed in the corner of the room and be about 5 feet from my seat. Thanks Tom! Ron

 

[Tom Vodhanel]

Jess,

Yes, while there will be measurable differences...the two models will sound identical with source material up to the clean output limits of the lesser model.

Ron,

Boominess is usually the result of an uneven frequency response curve at the listening positions. A poorly placed subwoofer, poor calibration, or poor room acoustics (or any combination of all three) are often the root cause of this. If you auditioned the cht12 or the cht15 Velodynes and felt they were boomy, it was probably a result of one of the above because those are both good subwoofers with fairly extended, flat response curves.

To be more specific regarding your question though...I don't think you would consider the PB-2isd any more *boomy* than the 20-39PC+ in a direct comparison...if both were placed in the same corner, and calibrated to the same levels..

Tom V.
SVS

 

[Ron Daily]

thank you Tom for answering my questions. I did listen to both velo,s you mentioned and i,m sure they would sound much better placed in a corner than where they were at circuit city. they were on a 6" raised platform with no walls nearby. I'm sure any of the svs subs will make a world of difference to my listening experience. even though i think my entry level polk ps-202 has a nice sound i am ready to move up to a real sub. I will try to decide which sub to get and hopefully order within a month. thanks again! Ron

 

[AlanZ]

I am one of those fortunate enough to have had a chance to pick up an early PB-2isd.....I have owned both a 25-31Pci, and a 20-39Pci and was quite pleased with each. When my wife and I moved into our home, though, we started thinking about upgrading. The PB-2+ was our initial target, but, as happens in life from time to time, circumstances prevented us from being able to reach that goal just yet. I was going to 'settle' for a 25-31pc+, but happened to catch Tom and Ron in the process of making some decisions about this new offering. Well, to make a long story short, I have one in my living room now.....and, big surprise, it KICKS ASS. There is a fair amount of space for this sub to fill, as the 20x20 living room with cathedral ceilings opens up into the kitchen, dining room, bedroom, and is attached to a very open foyer. What is surprising is that our little 20-39Pci actually did provide an impressive amount of bass before we decided to upgrade, but the difference is clearly noticeable with the PB-2. Anyway, as I told Tom and Ron via email after I got the sub, when I played the 39th minute of "The Haunting -DTS" for one of my first demos, in broad daylight with neighbors cutting their grass outside and kids playing in the pool out back, I scared the living sh*t out of myself. The door knocks and all sounded like the stay-puffed marshmallow man from Ghostbusters was out in the driveway pounding on the roof trying to break in! This is the first addition to my set-up that actually startled the dog into the next room. (He may need pet therapy for post-traumatic overpowering bass exposure stress disorder.)I am just now starting to dig through my music collection to see if this thing can do for music what it does for movies.....so far I've gone through Blue Man Group DVD-A, Radiohead Amnesiac, Rascal Flats, Roy Orbison, Diana Krall, Aerosmith, and the Police SACD. Prior to picking up this sub, we had gone about two months without one, relying on our Studio/100's for the low end. And don't get me wrong, they did a very nice job.....but now that we have an SVS back in the mix, it's clear how much of a difference it really makes. I was trying to convince myself while we were sub-less that we really didn't 'need' a sub for just music.....well, I love my 100's, but I don't want to listen to music without my SVS anymore.....the difference is very apparent. I can't report all sorts of test data and various technical details of this sub's performance. But I can tell you that I don't easily part with the amount of money that SVS asks for one of their subs. With that said, I sincerely cannot think of anything else I have ever purchased during my 10 years of interest in this hobby (or any other hobby) that made me feel like I discovered a company that was able to sell you a corvette for the price of a cavalier. I also can honestly say that I've never dealt with a company that won my trust and confidence in their product(s) and reliability to the degree where I could not imagine ANY reason to buy somewhere else. I can definitely attest to all the reports you hear on the forums and elsewhere about receiving emails from Tom, Ron, and Erik in the middle of the night on a Sunday. I mean, I don't know what's wrong with these guys any more than the rest of you do... but I do know that I'm sure glad that we have them around to take care of all our low frequency needs

 

[JeffreyMercado]

Wow excellent review. Thanks for taking the time to post. At 20X20, you got a whole lot of space to fill. I was glad to here the PB2-ISD was able to handle it. It sounds most impressive for the price.

 

[Ron Daily]

Alan, great review! it sounds like the pb2isd is gonna be a hot seller.

 

[AlanZ]

Thanks, guys......I this sub is a great option for those who want a little more 'oomph' than a single sub, but can't quite step up to the PB-2+. Not to mention it looks pretty cool, too I hope to have some pics up later this week of my HT. In the meantime, going to grab some more demo material and have some fun with it

 

[Kinson_Y]

What do you folks think about the PB2-ISD compared to the upcoming PB1-Plus? I ask because it seems the latter has now lost its bang-for-buck value/niche in the SVS box sub line. The PB2-ISD has 100 watts more power, presumably goes lower and louder, also has tuning ports AND costs at least $100 less than the PB1-Plus!

My wife will definitely not accept the size of the PB2's enclosure in our living room, so I'm going to have to settle for getting the PB1-Plus. (And don't even think about suggesting one of the cylinder subs for us!)

I'm just kind of feeling stuck because it seems like we're going to be paying more for lesser performance; getting less value for our money. And I'm finding it hard to understand the cost premium. Comparing the PB2-ISD to the PB1-Plus on paper:

1. Both subs have the three (two pluggable) ports with respective tuning frequencies.
2. The PB2-ISD's two ISD drivers cost about the same as the Plus driver in the PB1-Plus.
3. The PB2-ISD's 600 watt amp should cost the same if not slightly more than the PB1-Plus's 500 watt unit.
4. PB1-Plus's enclosure is going to have real wood veneer, BUT its smaller and so actually requires less raw material (and hence less cutting/mitering/etc.) overall.

 

[Alan Wong]

Kinson,

I think it's all about #4 in your statement. I was going to get the PB1-ISD and when the lead times started to get long, I cancelled the order to wait for the PB1+. This would have made the wife happier as the box is wood stained.

But when I saw the PB2-ISD on SVS' website for around the same cost as the PB1+, I went ahead and ordered it. Now I'll have to justify the black box again to the wife and find a way to say it's even bigger than the PB1. I'm getting the blanket now for my walk out to the doghouse.

 

[Ron Stimpson]

Kinson,

AFAIK no price has been announced for the PB1-Plus, just a ball park, you are probably close though, (the price differential is still being worked in any case). Still I think it's worth noting that smaller often costs more, especially when performance is close, as it will be with the PB1-Plus. Probably there IS "lesser" performance on the PB1-Plus (testing is ongoing so I'd hardly make that a proclamation ;^) but we're talking very very high levels of performance that are not typically explored by the customer as it is. You might predict (and might be right) that the PB2-ISD will go louder but don't assume "lower" too for instance. Tuning for the two are very very close (exact details are close hold as you might imagine).

Either way you are really comparing apples and oranges that are targeted to different groups of customers.

By way of background, since nothing is totally as it might appear on the surface, the enclosures are totally different, not even from the same parts of our supplier network. Different enclosure MATERIALS even, made in wholly different ways and in different projected quantities (all of which affect costs of course).

The fact we're talking about hand finished American wood veneers in 5 finishes (compared to textured black only for the PB1-Plus) means costs based on asctetics and value for customers (not to mention difficulty in managing so many options) are very hard to factor indeed. God knows you can't just crank in costs based on square inches. 8^) I sure wish it worked that way! This sort of cabinet grade work (just in terms of raw enclosures even) isn't cheap; add stains and veneers and satin top coats and prices often go up exponentially I'm afraid.

I don't know if that helps your decision any but if smaller size, still extreme high performance and naturual wood finishes are considerations for you then rest assured we're planning to price things as low as is practical and sustainable.

If size is NOT a factor, basic textured black is OK, cost IS a factor... and you ARE out for the max bang for the buck in terms of clean output ... then indeed the PB2-ISD might well be on your short list now.

Ron

 

[Kinson_Y]

Ron,

Thanks for elaborating on the differences and pros/cons of the two models. I don't feel quite as bad now about (eventually) spending a bit more than the price of the PB2-ISD.

Here's a weird thing I just noticed while on the SVS website: The PB2-ISD is currently lists a CONUS shipping of $50 while the 5lb. heavier PB2-Plus ships for $99. Huh? Is the packaging that much different between the two?

Or is the higher shipping cost due other factors like having gone over a set weight class and/or higher insurance fees due to the $300 higher MSRP.

I ask only because it seems odd; not trying to be a wiseguy or anything like that!

Thanks again!

 

[Robb Roy]

Kinson_Y,

The shipping you are looking at on the PB2-ISD is an introductory shipping offer (look how heavy the thing is -- there's no way the shipping company will allow that for long!). The PB2+ had the same deal until recently.

-Robb

 

[Ron Stimpson]

"not trying to be a wiseguy or anything like that!"

Too late!

;^)

Actually we announced the $50 shipping (as with the PB2-ISD) was a special promotional rate for a limited time. We lost money on shipping every one of them and only recently raised the price to reflect something approximating our true costs.

You are right in that sending the two subs costs us about the same. It's just that we can't explain to our accountant why we're losing money on shipping on a model when we can't even keep pace with demand.

Accountants hate that.

Ron

 

[GarAlb]

Any word on when these will start shipping? I made the jump a couple of weeks ago on one of these and can't wait . My first SVS :b.

 

[Wade Rob]

I'm also waiting on one. It seems so long ago when I got the wife approval to order the PB2-ISD, that I'm hoping when the truck shows up, she remembers she ok'd it. Well, if she doens't, I'll be sleeping in the home theater room, which is where I planned on spending a lot of time any way.