Wahoo! SVS addressing the $400 market...PB10-ISD coming (1 Viewer)

[Maneesh]

I didn't realize the retail cost was going to be >$400 !!

Assumed that '$400 price class' meant $400, not ~$400. This means if I do decide to get one I better preorder.

 

[Kevin C Brown]

Any estimate of weight?

 

[Tom Vodhanel]

About 70 pounds shipped...and about 60 pounds unboxed.

Tom V.
SVS

 

[SteveCallas]

Wait, does that mean that the price will be about $400, but if we preorder it will cost less, or that the price regardless is going to be less than $400?

 

[Tom Vodhanel]

Preorder is going to be $399. Once shipping begins(and the preorder period has ended)...the price is going to rise slightly. How slightly probably won't be determined for several weeks.

Tom V.
SVS

 

[SVS-Ron]

OK as promised the spec and News updates are still being drafted in preparation for pre-orders in the very near future.

Till then I thought four more happy-snaps would be of some interest.

Ron






Photos courtesy of SVS, where on every Friday we proclaim:

Yahoo! Just two more work days till Monday!

 

[brentl]

"Yahoo! Just two more work days till Monday!"

Yep Ron you're nuts

B

 

[Robb Roy]

My smaller system definitely needs one of those! I really want to compare it to my PB2-Ultra. I know it won't be a fair comparison, but it will be fun to hear all out performance vs. value performance!

-Robb

 

[steve nn]

but it will be fun to hear all out performance vs. value performance!
__________________________________________________ _____

Thats as good excuse as any Robb Not sure that it will work in my situation but I'll put my best effort forth.

 

[Kenneth Harden]

Till then I thought four more happy-snaps would be of some interest.

Wow, you guys really are nuts - nice to know I'm not alone

 

[Kenneth Harden]

Now for a real comment:

I am glad to see you guys skipped the hi-level inputs and RCA (not just LFE in) in/out junk. Thats the sort of thing that most of us don't want to have to pay for when trying to get a sub for a good value.

Oh, will I get in trouble if I start asking about cars again?

 

[Kevin C Brown]

Awesome: a phase knob on a $400 sub. Some manufacturers just don't get it. I'm thinking of a very famous relatively new one that starts with a J, that charges $1600 for a 10" and $2200 for a 12" and they both just have a phase switch.

 

[CurtisSC]

One thing to remember though is many receivers and pre/pros now have distance settings for the sub. So soon variable phase on a sub can also be let go for added savings.

Ron...can you put some pictures of the other colors up? I really like the black so far.

 

[Craig Chase]

Ok... this is JUST for humor... We get a comparison test between the PB10-ISD and the STF-2 ... Which subwoofer will Curtis prefer ?

1. The SVS
2. The STF-2

 

[CurtisSC]

Actually, that PB10 is looking pretty good. I like the specs and the look. If it does what is claimed, then I think it is a no brainer.

 

[Craig Chase]

I was wondering if you were around... and I was messing with ya... It does look like a really good design...

 

[CurtisSC]

Yeah...the outside looks great, that's why I want to see the other colors.

 

[SVS-Ron]

Curtis,

Given the huge numbers of perfectly good Dolby Digital receivers that probably won't be replaced soon (plus the fact none of the 3 receivers I have have distance settings for the sub) ... continuously variable phase was one thing that was NOT negotiable on this sub.

It's not the easiest control to use right, but when it comes to fine tuning your in-room frequency response tweakers are finding it invaluable.

Furthermore (and even more significantly) we believe the PB10-ISD might well be the sub many folks get two of at some point. If not at first, then down the road when they move to still larger rooms (the PB10-ISD has been tested to any sane limits and then some in pretty large rooms however).

Twin sub migration just seems to be a natural progression for enthusiasts. When they do THAT is when something better than a 0-180deg. flip switch isn't just "nice to have", it's critical. With a capital "C". The simple fact is, most folks will not co-locate their dual subs. They separate them into opposite sides of their couch, corners or whatever. And unless you are blessed with the world's best room (or rather, the weirdest) you will never get two subs to "work together" by only flipping phase 180 degrees.

And of course no distance setting on a receiver is going to help you there either.

Some have rightly commented on the lean back panel. We see it as a virtue. When working the I/O realm our calculations were quite simple. Were 95% (if not more) of our customers going to appreciate a better woofer and better/cleaner/more linear amp... or inputs and outputs (along with the associated crossover control) they are going to bypass???

Of course, we knew the answer to that. Nearly no one (stay with me, two channel guys) uses the low or high level inputs OR the crossover on our more expensive subs any longer. In fact, one of the most common questions we get is "My receiver has one subwoofer output jack, why does my SVS have two inputs??". Perfectly valid question of course. It's a surround-sound world.

Consequently we resolved to finally dump these legacy "features" (boat anchors from a cost standpoint... and at this price point you can't have ANY boat anchors) and get with what people really use, and need. You have to pay extra for a 3.5" floppy drive in any modern laptop now for the same reasons. Provide a better product and strip off what people are not using.

Two channel guys/gals (and people that simply want a sub before they buy yet another new receiver) are out there for sure. We've already heard from a couple, and we're listening. We'll look hard at ways to address that but in the end it might not be possible at this price point if we keep class shattering performance.

Other folks in the business damn near drop the phone when we hint at what we pay for our amp and our woofers for this new SVS. But in the end paying (what by industry standards is) obscene amounts of money for a robust cabinet, and world-class amp and woofer are the "secrets" to the success of every SVS product, this one included.

This sub nearly never happened to be honest. The demand to have best in class performance (hell, best in the next class up is generally out motto)... met the reality of having a real US factory to pay for, workers with full health care etc. SVS doesn't have "loss leaders" or venture capital thrown at it; every sub has got to pay its way.

We knew the price we had to hit, we knew the performance we wanted, and the features that the vast majority of people actually use. The results of this complex argument are looking at you in that PB10-ISD.

1. More/better performance isn't possible at this price.

2. Less performance wasn't acceptable.

The PB10-ISD was meant to be the essential subwoofer. Anything that got in the way of bringing 1 and 2 to market was cast aside.

Probably more info than anyone cares about, but it shows just how hard you have to work to get such a "simple" product (one that's simply the best) to market. It's so hard even we nearly gave up; and we don't give up easily.

PS, the black and white samples were pressed as final production tests, with the plan to air ship the "Slate" (gray) and "Sand" (tan) cabinets with any changes we needed. We expect to have those late this coming week, photo shoots will follow immediately thereafter. We'll have them posted well before pre-orders start in about 2 weeks. We will probably pick a couple names from the hat in the meantime to get a few PB10-ISD's out for early user reviews, and I might even drag one with me to the sound room we're setting up for the HTF Hollywood Meet 18-24 SEP. Even I don't know who might get to see one (in the short time we have before shipping starts), but the list of folks we know want to see one is long; so please be patient while we spin up the supply pipeline for this new SVS.

I can add this. We've decided on $399 for the pre-order phase (shipping expected in the last week of OCT at this point). Prices after that are still under review since some costing isn't final. We intend to keep the "Regular Price" as close to $400 as possible but I already know it's going to have to climb some. No other sane OEM would price it a dime under $600 I know that. We're not going there of course, this IS still SVS after all ;^).

Ron

 

[CurtisSC]

Very cool Ron!

That Hollywood meet is looking enticing...right in my backyard!

 

[SVS-Ron]

Curtis,

I'm told there will probably be a couple evenings at the Beverly Garland Holiday Inn for movie nights where locals can come to kick the tires in two demo rooms.

Gregg Loewen (of ISF Calibration Fame) is probaly the guy to contact about coming by to check things out. The logistics are pretty complicated (SVS isn't really focused on the trade show booth game) but I hope to have at least a couple SVS's there and do our best to make sure Gregg is earning his pay when the Holiday Inn staff start feeling tremors in the hotel ;^) Should be a nice mix of gear from some participating OEMs you know, and some you don't (I'm not going to tip my hat too much, a competing OEM is going to be in the next room over ;^)

[email protected]

It's Ron Epstein's show (attendees for the full event filled week were finalized quite some time ago) but Gregg should be able to help if you want to swing by for one of those movie nights.

Ron