TV & Ron: Is there an upgrade program for us Ultra buyers too? (1 Viewer)

[John Morris]

Originally, I had a pair of SVS 20-39CS subs which, in my room, suffered from major cancellation and room mode problems. Based on TV's recommendations, I opted to sell my CS subs, rather than return them to SVS, and then bought one of the first Ultra subs available to us common folk. It has performed admirably over these past months. Still, I yearn for more bass in my room, from a single subwoofer.

Recently, SVS announced that they were offering an upgrade for the CS subs which brought their performance "almost" up to Ultra standards. I was very happy with the fact that others could now enjoy the deep, relatively flat bass that I've heard for months for a few bucks less. That is good business!

Then, I read that the Ultra driver had also been upgraded to the new and improved Ultra driver which surpasses the old Ultra driver in both flatness and output. Since then, I have been waiting for that same upgrade program to be offered to us early Ultra Adopters...

IMO, not offering it to us is Bad Business!

When is SVS gonna offer this upgrade progam to us too?

Thanks for your help SVS!!!

 

[Jeffrey Forner]

John;

I can't answer your questions for you, since I'm obviously not with SVS, but I do want to clear up a little bit of incorrect information in your post:

Recently, SVS announced that they were offering an upgrade for the CS subs which brought their performance "almost" up to Ultra standards.

This driver upgrade to which you refer doesn't quite give you that much more performance. I think you're getting the CS line mixed up with the CS+ line. The new driver upgrade is for old CS and PC models. However, the new driver is not the same one as the CS+ line, which does offer 80% of the performance of the Ultra subs for only 30% of the price (according to our good friends at SVS). The new driver, currently featured in the CS line and the newly release PCi subs is completely different. It brings you a little closer to the CS+ line, for a reduced price (if you're buying it the sub brand new), which is most certainly a good deal methinks. However, the Ultra drivers are in another league... at least from what I can tell from the pictures. Yowza!

Anyway, just wanted to clear that up.

 

[John Morris]

Hi Jeff F: Thanks for you help! I'm not quite sure then, where all the SVS drivers fall in line? So? Are you saying that the new SVS Ultra drivers do not outperform the old Ultra drivers; and, to the same extent, as do the New CS drivers to the Old CS drivers??? Whoa...? Is that what you are saying? How bout some proof then?

Are you saying that the new Ultra's are no better than the Old Ultra's drivers? If so, what data can you produce that will prove this belief???

Thanks for your data and proof!

 

[Jeffrey Forner]

Uh... well, I actually didn't say anything about the Ultra drivers. But before I go any further, let me see if I can't put the SVS drivers in order from lowest performer to the highest, so you know what I'm talking about.

• Old CS and PC Drivers
• New Drivers for the CS's and PCi's
• CS+ Drivers
• Old CS Ultra / SS Driver
• New CS Ultra / SS Driver

I hope I got that all straight.
Again the driver upgrade you mentioned in your first post replaces the original driver in the CS and PC subs with the new one for all current CS subs and the new PCi's. I can tell you from experience that this driver swap does make a difference, but I doubt it comes close to what a CS Ultra can do.
Now, whether or not the new Ultra drivers offer much in the way of improved performance, I can't say. I have yet to hear an Ultra sub. That's a question I'll leave up to head sub-humans themselves.
And if they don't make the new driver available as an upgrade option, it could be because the new design won't fit in allotted space for the old Ultra driver. I remember someone asked Ron and Tom if they could swap the original CS and PC drivers for a CS+ driver, and the answer was, "It wouldn't fit." However, that's only speculation on my part and is something I'm not qualified to answer. Again, I'll let the SVS boys do that.

 

[Glen_L]

Here's what TV had to say on the matter from this thread:

We will consider an upgrade for existing CS_U owners as soon as we have time to crunch all the numbers. This won't make a day/night difference though...a dB maybe 2 of more clean output capability. So the *diminishing returns* factor is something to consider here...although we've found out there's quite a few CS_Ultra owners who don't seem to care about that and just want the absolute best performance possible from their SVS product.(we've already received a bunch of emails asking when we'll have the upgrade package in place!).

 

[Matt Malto]

John- Calm down. Sheesh...

 

[Tom Vodhanel]

Hi guys,
Jeffrey has the pecking order of the SVS drivers down pretty good
Nothing has changed since I posted the info already quoted in this thread. We will definitely consider offering the new Ultra drivers in an upgrade package...we just need to catch up on current subwoofer orders first.
TV

 

[Brian Bunge]

John sounds like the perfect candidate for a DIY sub!
How does an 18" driver in a 14ft^3 enclosure, tuned to 18Hz, with 119dB at 18Hz (anechoic) and 1400W behind it grab you?
Brian

 

[John Morris]

Nothing has changed since I posted the info already quoted in this thread. We will definitely consider offering the new Ultra drivers in an upgrade package...we just need to catch up on current subwoofer orders first.

TV: Thanks for the info... err, at least I think that was info.
Brian B: Man, if only I had the time and the energy, we could make that sub AND 6 ACI Jaguars. And, only 1400watts? Heck, I'm already pushin 2kw now.:b
Matt: Wow. Good thing we have folks like you to help the rest of us properly gauge our emotional status and to help keep us under control.(sic)

 

[Brian Bunge]

John,
My own personal K2 arrived yesterday! I'll be using the same 18" driver I referenced above in a 5ft^3 sealed enclosure (stuffed like hell). I just don't have room for a 14ft^3 tube. But, I'll still be looking at 110dB anechoic at 20Hz!
Brian

 

[John Morris]

Brian: I have two words for you... slab insurance.

 

[JerryW]

John, I'll buy your old Ultra driver if you get an upgrade for your sub. Let me know how much you want for it... I'm going to be building a 284L sealed sub for my music only system and that driver would be perfect for it.

 

[John Cain]

Thx for the post and question John, I was wondering the same thing.

And thanks for the answer Tom.

-- John