# SVS SB13-Ultra Subwoofer Review Discussion Thread



## Dale Rasco

*Read the full review HERE!*

The SVS SB13 Ultra is a completely different animal all around. It is not only a gorgeous piece of hardware but it performs like no other sub I have ever heard. While the ground plane test and published specs may be on par with other manufacturer products, at least on the low end, there is no way to measure articulation. The real story for the SB13 is not how it stacks up to competitors but rather how will other sub manufacturers possibly reach the bar that SVS has set with the SB13 Ultra. It is not just the aesthetics. It is not just the power. It is not just the precision and it is not just the level of detail that can be heard in the VLF range. It is all of these things combined that make the SB13 Ultra my Sub Zone Reviewer’s Choice. There is simply no better performing subwoofer in its class. Knowing that there is a subwoofer that can reproduce incredibly dynamic bass with as much clarity, precision and 'Refined Brutality' for less than $2K ($1599 with free shipping to be exact) is a testament to the commitment of the SVS team and they should be applauded for it. Job well done!

*Read the full review HERE!*


----------



## JBrax

Thanks for the review Dale. I'm not surprised in the least that SVS has produced another stellar subwoofer. It's quite clear when they throw their name and logo on a product that it's going to be a good one.


----------



## Dale Rasco

Hey Jeff, I was expecting a great product, I just wasn't expecting it to be this great!


----------



## Todd Anderson

Dale, this one is sealed, correct? I haven't had much experience playing around with a sealed sub (aren't they more geared for music as opposed to HT, or is that a misconception of mine?)... but your review makes this sub sound mouth watering!

Great review, as always, by the way...

T


----------



## JBrax

I can't imagine the disappointment you'll be feeling when you have to pack it up and send it off.


----------



## tonyvdb

I am so surprised that SVS can pack so much sub into such a small footprint. If I had the cash I would get two of these and move my PB13u upstairs although Im sure getting a second PB13u would also work well.
SVS just gets better and better products.


----------



## Dale Rasco

JBrax said:


> I can't imagine the disappointment you'll be feeling when you have to pack it up and send it off.


"LALALALALALA! I AM NOT LISTENING TO JEFF!!!" Very disappointed my friend.



tonyvdb said:


> I am so surprised that SVS can pack so much sub into such a small footprint. If I had the cash I would get two of these and move my PB13u upstairs although Im sure getting a second PB13u would also work well.
> SVS just gets better and better products.


Indeed Tony, I am so impressed with SVS and what they have accomplished on this one.



27dnast said:


> Dale, this one is sealed, correct? I haven't had much experience playing around with a sealed sub (aren't they more geared for music as opposed to HT, or is that a misconception of mine?)... but your review makes this sub sound mouth watering!
> 
> Great review, as always, by the way...
> 
> T


I would not say that they more geared for music versus HT, I would say that they are more geared for music versus a ported sub. The biggest issue that people often run into with sealed subs is around the output. A general rule for subs is that if you need more output go with ported, if you need deeper or smoother extension go with sealed.


----------



## Todd Anderson

Obviously this one has no issue with output... I'm assuming that lesser sealed subs have those issues.

Man... I would live to take this SVS for a test drive!!!!

Thanks for responding. Have a great night


----------



## tistru

Thanks for the review. I hope to have one of these in my room soon


----------



## typ44q

Great review! This is very high on my list of drool worthy (but could one day own if I really stretch my budget) subs. 
I am going to hold off any new purchase until the new e series subs from JL Audio are out but I have a feeling they will not be able to match this beast.


----------



## ALMFamily

Thanks for the review Dale! :T

I wonder if I should consider going with more than 2 subs because this one sounds like a beast.... :devil:


----------



## jeffreyfranz

Nice review of an attractive product.


----------



## pyrohusband

Thanks for the nice review. I know these SVS subs never let anyone down. I have always dreamed of having the PB13U in my home and this sounds even more impressive.
Not sure if its ok to post this here but I am looking forward to a new subwoofer line coming out from another company that guarntees to slam any other sub available. I would like to see what I could do to have these reviewed here.


----------



## Dale Rasco

Hey Jason, here is a link to our 'suggestion' areas for The Sub Zone. Just drop the recommendation there! And thanks for the input!

http://www.hometheatershack.com/for...-soon-suggestions-recommendations-thread.html


----------



## pyrohusband

Dale Rasco said:


> Hey Jason, here is a link to our 'suggestion' areas for The Sub Zone. Just drop the recommendation there! And thanks for the input!
> 
> http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/sub-zone-subwoofer-testing/62803-subwoofer-testing-coming-soon-suggestions-recommendations-thread.html


Dale, thanks I actually just did comment there. I really like the thread and your work involved for helping others out.


----------



## jwo011

Dale,
What made you decide to buy SB13 Ultra and not KK 12012 which has also been highly rated?
Thanks


----------



## Dale Rasco

jwo011 said:


> Dale,
> What made you decide to buy SB13 Ultra and not KK 12012 which has also been highly rated?
> Thanks


I knew I would eventually have to answer this question and believe me when I tell you that it was one of the hardest decisions I have had to make with regard to my home theater. In the end it came down to the overall value of the SB13 Ultra. It has a more robust set of features such as the PEQ and the difference in sound quality was not enough to justify the additional cost. I really liked the KK12012 and believe me that it was a very hard decision indeed!


----------



## jwo011

I bet. I have a similar problem to tackle as well. To make it even more difficult, I can buy Paradigm Sub15 for slightly more than SVS or KK for that matter. What would you say to that? Is Paradigm even worth considering?


----------



## Dale Rasco

I recently tested the Sub 2 in  and I did use it for about a week in my HT and I just was not impressed with the overall fidelity of the unit. It had a ridiculous amount of power, but it just wasn't very refined.


----------



## orion

Hey Dale, How would you compare the SB13-Ultra to Two Chases' SS18.1 paired with a MQ600 Amp. 

Both would be around the same money at this time.


----------



## chashint

For a sealed sub the ground plane measurements are more than impressive.
This unit looks like it is a viable option in a space that has little to no room gain.
I went with a ported sub because I wanted to start out with a flat frequency response.
Hopefully I will get a chance to hear this sometime soon.


----------



## snowmanick

Dale Rasco said:


> I recently tested the Sub 2 in  and I did use it for about a week in my HT and I just was not impressed with the overall fidelity of the unit. It had a ridiculous amount of power, but it just wasn't very refined.



Wow, that is surprising. Considering this is the P-Digm flagship and costs as much as a decent motorcycle, I'd expect more. Did you try the Paradigm "Perfect Bass Kit" with the Sub2? Did it help with the fidelity issues at all?

Not that this sub is really on my radar (just too much $$$$ for me), but from an engineering point of view it looked to be a monster.

Thanks for the straight up opinion BTW.


----------



## mark_anderson_us

Hi Guys

I'm looking for a better sub (probably in a few months). i have a denon 4311CI with Audessy XT32. How would you go about setting up this combo given that the sub AND both have room EQ. I'm guessing you'd setup the sub first, which would hopefully cause Audessy not to have to do too much to the sub's EQ.

Anyone got any experience/suggestions?

Thanks

Mark


----------



## asere

mark_anderson_us said:


> Hi Guys
> 
> I'm looking for a better sub (probably in a few months). i have a denon 4311CI with Audessy XT32. How would you go about setting up this combo given that the sub AND both have room EQ. I'm guessing you'd setup the sub first, which would hopefully cause Audessy not to have to do too much to the sub's EQ.
> 
> Anyone got any experience/suggestions?
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Mark


Per Auddysey is the sub has eq you would eq the sub first and then run audyssey to finalize.


----------



## snowmanick

mark_anderson_us said:


> Hi Guys
> 
> I'm looking for a better sub (probably in a few months). i have a denon 4311CI with Audessy XT32. How would you go about setting up this combo given that the sub AND both have room EQ. I'm guessing you'd setup the sub first, which would hopefully cause Audessy not to have to do too much to the sub's EQ.
> 
> Anyone got any experience/suggestions?
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Mark



The order that asere mentioned in the last post is correct, but I'd check to see if you want/need the 1/2 PEQ's in the sub after running Audyssey XT32. In my case, stacking additional EQ's wasn't wanted or needed. I used to use an Anti-Mode 8033C along with Audyssey XT in my old 4306, as the added EQ made a measurable difference. Once I got my 4311CI, I took the Anti-Mode out.

Maybe if you were looking at installing a house curve in something like a MiniDSP or BFD it would make sense, in which case you'd install the house curve post Audyssey calibration. But in regards to just lessening the workload for XT32, you're not looking at much benefit (if any).


----------



## mark_anderson_us

Thanks Guys


----------



## dougri

Dale Rasco said:


> I knew I would eventually have to answer this question and believe me when I tell you that it was one of the hardest decisions I have had to make with regard to my home theater. In the end it came down to the overall value of the SB13 Ultra. It has a more robust set of features such as the PEQ and the difference in sound quality was not enough to justify the additional cost. I really liked the KK12012 and believe me that it was a very hard decision indeed!


Care to weigh in on the similarities/differences between the SB13U and the Rythmik F15HP you measured? The Rythmik appears to have a bit more extension below roughly 25Hz, but at what cost? The THD measurements are missing from the F15HP test, so I'm guessing there was something that led you to the SVS even with the additional cost. At least from a numbers standpoint, group delay at the low end appears to be the only significant advantage of the SB13U over the Rythmik (of course, you've stated elsewhere that not everything can be captured in the numbers). I ask because I'm deciding between the E15 (slightly smaller cabinet F15HP) and the SB13U... the size is similar, performance appears similar, but the E15 is (currently) about $300 less shipped. Was hoping you could shed some light on the differences you noted in your tests.


----------



## mark_anderson_us

pyrohusband said:


> Thanks for the nice review. I know these SVS subs never let anyone down. I have always dreamed of having the PB13U in my home and this sounds even more impressive.
> Not sure if its ok to post this here but I am looking forward to a new subwoofer line coming out from another company that guarntees to slam any other sub available. I would like to see what I could do to have these reviewed here.


Which company?


----------



## Dale Rasco

dougri said:


> Care to weigh in on the similarities/differences between the SB13U and the Rythmik F15HP you measured? The Rythmik appears to have a bit more extension below roughly 25Hz, but at what cost? The THD measurements are missing from the F15HP test, so I'm guessing there was something that led you to the SVS even with the additional cost. At least from a numbers standpoint, group delay at the low end appears to be the only significant advantage of the SB13U over the Rythmik (of course, you've stated elsewhere that not everything can be captured in the numbers). I ask because I'm deciding between the E15 (slightly smaller cabinet F15HP) and the SB13U... the size is similar, performance appears similar, but the E15 is (currently) about $300 less shipped. Was hoping you could shed some light on the differences you noted in your tests.



Apologies for the late response Doug.

There were a couple of things that landed in SVS favor when I decided to buy. The first was the size. The F15HP dwarfs the sealed SVS due to it's ported design. Second, the finish that the SVS had was much nicer than the finish on the F15HP. Finally, when I listened to both units I found the SVS to be a much tighter sounding sub. 

If you look at the waterfall on each of the subs you can see that the SB13 has a gradual roll off starting at about 28 Hz down to around 15 Hz. The Rythmik does not start really rolling off until around 20 but basically drops straight off. There are some things that you can do with the servo amp to get a more gradual response so that should not play that much into your decision. In the end both of the subs are great performers and output some stellar bass! 

As far as the THD goes, that was my fault and nothing to do with the sub or it's response. I am actually going to re-run that test this week and post new measurements.

I do not have enough familiarity with the E series from Rythmik, but after what I have experienced with the F15 and the GR unit, I would not be concerned about the quality of the unit or the sound quality of the output.

I hope this helps. Please let me know if you need any additional info!


----------



## Redwingnine

Hello, new to this site. Hope to learn a lot about subwoofers in general, and how to best integrate them into the music and HT environment.

Just purchased a SB13 from SVS. I must say, I was duly impressed with the support team there. They really seem to know their stuff. It should arrive early next week. I almost bought a JL Audio F110, but I think this may better suit my needs. 

Looking for advice on setup. The team at SVS provided me with some basic setup advice, and steered me here to this site. The sub has to be in a corner, due to room restrictions. Outside of that, plan to take some measurements next week and submit them back to SVS. Whatever advise can be provided would be much obliged. :T


----------



## dougri

Dale Rasco said:


> Apologies for the late response Doug.
> 
> There were a couple of things that landed in SVS favor when I decided to buy. The first was the size. The F15HP dwarfs the sealed SVS due to it's ported design. Second, the finish that the SVS had was much nicer than the finish on the F15HP. Finally, when I listened to both units I found the SVS to be a much tighter sounding sub.
> <snip>
> I hope this helps. Please let me know if you need any additional info!


Thanks Dale... I believe your measurements in the SubZone were for the (sealed) F15HP??? still a good bit larger than the SB13U, but sealed nonetheless.

Was the F15HP you reviewed the black oak, black matte or piano black finish?


----------



## Dale Rasco

It was actually the FV15HP in the black oak finish. The FG12 Servo was the sealed unit I tested. Brian nad I spoke recently about getting the F25 unit. That will be a fun one to test and review but I am not looking forward to the 140 pounds! 

http://www.rythmikaudio.com/F25.html


----------



## dougri

Dale Rasco said:


> It was actually the FV15HP in the black oak finish. The FG12 Servo was the sealed unit I tested. Brian nad I spoke recently about getting the F25 unit. That will be a fun one to test and review but I am not looking forward to the 140 pounds!
> 
> http://www.rythmikaudio.com/F25.html


Thanks for the clarification... did you change the title on me ?! Either that or I am going crazy :coocoo: Anyway, the manufacturer's specs in your FV15HP measurements are for the F15HP.


----------



## Dale Rasco

dougri said:


> Thanks for the clarification... did you change the title on me ?! Either that or I am going crazy :coocoo: Anyway, the manufacturer's specs in your FV15HP measurements are for the F15HP.


LOL! No you're not going crazy, I updated the title. I need to update the specs when I update my measurements tomorrow as well. I can't believe I did that. :rolleyesno:


----------



## dougri

Dale Rasco said:


> LOL! No you're not going crazy, I updated the title. I need to update the specs when I update my measurements tomorrow as well. I can't believe I did that. :rolleyesno:


Any progress on the update?


----------



## hyghwayman

Redwingnine said:


> Hello, new to this site. Hope to learn a lot about subwoofers in general, and how to best integrate them into the music and HT environment.
> 
> Just purchased a SB13 from SVS. I must say, I was duly impressed with the support team there. They really seem to know their stuff. It should arrive early next week. I almost bought a JL Audio F110, but I think this may better suit my needs.
> 
> Looking for advice on setup. The team at SVS provided me with some basic setup advice, and steered me here to this site. The sub has to be in a corner, due to room restrictions. Outside of that, plan to take some measurements next week and submit them back to SVS. Whatever advise can be provided would be much obliged. :T


Welcome to HTShack and the SB13-Ultra club :wave: 

Here is a link to the SVS SB13-Ultra Owners Thread , hope you enjoy that sub and your time here at HTS. There are a lot of knowledgeable members here and some awesome sponsors.


hyghwayman


----------

