svs ultra tower review

04 dez svs ultra tower review

No, it's not, as its high-frequency performance could be a bit better, and as refined as, say, its mid-bass prowess. Please refresh the page and try again. There’s a rear-firing port at the back too, which, combined with the side-firing woofers, means the Ultra Towers really need space. And the weighty bass only emphasises the Ultra Towers’ rather unrefined treble, as a run-through of Eminem’s treble-heavy Berzerk shows. The tone of Alanis' vocals felt right, though I'm not certain I'd call the Ultra Tower neutral, but rather just a touch beefy, though don't mistake that for laid-back or romantic, for it is neither of those things. Great scale and bass weight, but there are too many niggles here at this price for our liking. If you need a dedicated center channel under or above your HDTV, because that is simply how your setup has to be (it's okay if it is), then I recommend aiming the Ultra Center square at your listening position if at all possible. I did not get to spend a lot of time with them, about an hour or so. Admittedly, the mounting options are more limited with the Ultra Bookshelf speakers, as opposed to the Ultra Surrounds, which may be a factor for some. That said, the finish, more specifically its effect upon your listening/viewing space is not subjective, as the multi-faceted cabinet is a reflection magnet. Yikes. Submit a ReviewContact Editorial Policy About us, Privacy Policy CCPA / GDPR Affiliate policy. Still, I'm not here to critique the speaker box, but rather the speaker itself. On top of that, it's fairly safe to say that SVS Ultra Tower are more popular speakers, based on their reviews… The review samples were finished in a Gloss Black that approaches what one sees on a Steinway concert grand; the Ultra Tower is also available in a Black Oak real-wood veneer. The "3.5-way" design offers significantly more detail than standard two-way offerings. The no lemon guarantee means that if your product malfunctions three times in the span of one year, SVS will simply replace it or give you full credit toward the same or a similar product. I crossed the SB13-Ultra over at 50Hz, as that's what sounded best to me in my room. I had the PB Ultra subwoofer for a while and have been eyeing up the Ultra Towers. Yes, I said more. You will receive a verification email shortly. With the Ultra Bookshelf speakers serving as rear channels, the surround sound information was rendered with such precision and depth that I still question the need for seven channels when five will do brilliantly. That's good value on the part of the SVS SB13-Ultra. The tweeter is a 1” aluminum dome with a diffuser, optimized using finite-element analysis (FEA), that SVS claims broadens the dome’s dispersion to produce a wider soundstage. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for SVS Ultra Tower Speaker (Single) - Black Oak Veneer at Amazon.com. Receive mail from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors? Note I didn't say "subwoofers," as the dual eights are not. The Ultra Towers mated with the matching Ultra Center, as well as Ultra Surrounds, is a match made in multi-channel heaven. So, be careful with system-matching – and feed these speakers the best quality tracks you can. Retailing for $999 each, the Ultra Tower is the only floor-standing loudspeaker in the line, which includes the Ultra Bookshelf (499 each), Ultra Center ($699) and Ultra Surround ($599 each). The mix is such that not much of the dialogue is carried over to the left and right main speakers, so it's a relatively good test of a center speaker's dispersion; I found the Ultra Center to be merely average in that regard. I cued up the epic drum battle, "Batalla de los Tambores," set the volume for "stun" and braced myself for impact. The Master Switch Reviews the Ultra Tower … I could (mostly) eliminate this by taking the treble slider down 2dB, which is a fine solution for me, though the thought may anger some purists. Around back there is a single rear-firing port, which further helps to augment the Ultra Tower's low-end performance. The sound, in terms of tone, was seamless across all five speakers, though I found the center to be a touch more directional compared to either the Ultra Tower or the Ultra Surround. Aimed at providing consumers with a truly high-end-sounding solution, albeit at an affordable price, the Ultra line is the finest loudspeaker SVS has made to date and, as a result, it's the only lineup of loudspeakers the company now offers. It should be noted that SVS does give you brackets with the Ultra Surrounds; it's just that the brackets didn't work for my unique setup. A word about the … The center speaker was placed atop two Sanus speaker stands side by side in order to accommodate its rather large size - 22 inches wide by 10 inches deep - and was placed between the left and right mains. Is the Ultra Tower perfect? Although the complete SVS Ultra lineup is marketed as a full multichannel and home theatre solution, the sleek Ultra Tower … Listening to Harvey Two-Face from The Dark Knight soundtrack, we don’t get the sense of build-up to a crescendo we do with something like the Spendor A6Rs. Nothing that was too distracting, but also not best in class. In truth, I ended up using the Ultra Bookshelf speakers for rears longer-term, as that was just my personal preference, though they're not wall-mountable, so I had to rely on my trusty Sanus stands, which isn't ideal but is still sufficient in my room. The speakers themselves are well packed to ensure the utmost safety from their point of origin to your doorstep. The soundstage was so composed and the sense of space so well-defined that, despite having a 10-foot image of the action in front of me, I could close my eyes and sense the physical space. This is the Ultra Tower. Read about the performance of the SVS Ultra Tower speaker on Page 2. What followed was a wholly enjoyable, completely convincing portrayal of two larger than life drum kits being wielded like weapons by their respective drummers in an all-out assault on my senses. Getting back to the Ultra Towers, they are striking in their physical appearance, what with their high-gloss, piano black finish (black oak veneer also available) and chrome-accented drivers. While weighty, it made for some very easy long-term listening. SVS recently announced the Prime Pinnacle - and despite costing less than a pair of Ultra Towers, at $799 each, they look like absolute monsters. SVS has recently gone back and completely redesigned its loudspeaker line, coming up with a whole new offering in the form of the Ultra Series. It's not that this is an issue exclusive to the Ultra Tower, but due to its unique and often sloping shape, it's harder to combat, for you can't simply drape a piece of black cloth over the top, as it won't stay put without some sort of adhesive. The bigger-is-better theme doesn’t stop at design. The sub I chose was the SB13-Ultra, which writer Sean Killebrew reviewed earlier. Retailing for $999 each, the Ultra Tower is the only floor-standing loudspeaker in the line, which includes the Ultra Bookshelf (499 each), Ultra Center ($699) and Ultra Surround ($599 each). Still, the mid-bass prowess of the Ultra Tower was incredible as was its speed and detail, something that was only aided by my taking the bottom octave off its plate, so to speak. The speakers themselves are not your typical boxy affair, but rather a sculptural collection of planes that taper and slope to create an interesting geometric statement. ... A 3.5-way crossover with the Ultra Tower… It even exhibited greater horizontal dispersion. Because SVS is a primarily a subwoofer company, it should come as no surprise that I would use one of its subwoofers during this review as well. And this is Andrew Robinson's review as he takes the speaker and pushes it to see what it can do. This is not your ordinary cabinet design as it uses an … Want understatement? © Wanting to give the Ultra Tower a bit more to chew on, I opted to leave the two-channel realm and dive into multi-channel waters, beginning with Godsmack's concert DVD entitled Changes (Zoe Records). On their own, the Ultra Towers possessed enough bass to be pleasing, if not wholly satisfying, with two-channel music, though I did ultimately end up employing the subwoofer throughout my two- and multi-channel tests. $120 off wireless Solo Pro at Best Buy. This added mid-bass heft helped to ground the midrange, which in turn lent a truer sense of scale and dimension to the vocal track. Thespeakers were wrapped in a soft cotton bag that … Regardless, the Ultra Surround is a dual baffle design, each with its own five-and-a-half-inch woofer mated to a single one-inch aluminum dome tweeter. BA1 1UA. Individual notes can lack the same sense of insight and texture though, and the start and stop of notes can be missed, once again showing up the Ultra Towers’ lack of subtlety and precision compared with competitors. Like all SVS products, the Ultra Series comes with a full 45-day risk-free, in-home trial with free shipping, both ways. I experimented with all of the above setup options, including treating the Ultra Surround as two discrete loudspeakers and found that I preferred the Ultra Surround configured, more or less, like a dedicated rear speaker. Give 'em some space to breathe and you'll be aptly rewarded, though place them too close to your room's boundaries and things can quickly become a bit bloated. I cued up the thriller Outbreak (Warner Brothers) and chaptered ahead to a scene between stars Dustin Hoffman and Morgan Freeman, where they're arguing inside an Army trailer over the handling of said outbreak. SVS may be best known for its outrageously fine subwoofers, but the Audiophiliac thinks its Ultra Tower is the gem in the line. The high-frequency performance improved slightly with the increase in resolution from the source material, though I'd still say it wasn't up to the standard set by the Ultra Tower's midrange and bass performance. The speaker is good for a reported frequency response of 58Hz to 32kHz, with a sensitivity of 87dB and an impedance of eight ohms. And while I may have had some issue with the center channel's dispersion, its tone and way with vocals was nothing if not completely natural. The towers f… SVS Ultra Series Speakers Ultra Tower Speaker. What more can an enthusiast on a budget ask for? The Ultra Surrounds are a bit different, in that they can be configured in one of three ways: as a bi-pole or di-pole speaker or as two discrete speakers, meaning it is possible to have a seven-channel setup from only five speakers. That should help, but the use ofpolyethylene foam would offer better protection against harsh shipping. Sensitivity is stated to be 88dB, making the Ultra Tower suitable for amplifiers and/or receivers ranging in power from 20 to 300 watts or more. All rights reserved. They aren’t very forgiving with poor recordings. Each of the 3.5-way Ultra Towers has a 25mm aluminium dome tweeter, dual 16.5cm glass-fibre mid-range drivers and dual horizontally opposed 20cm woofers, mounted in this way to help reduce distortion. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Elsewhere in the AV space, the Ultra Tower must contend with stalwarts like Paradigm's Monitor Series and Bowers & Wilkins' 600 Series. Again, the impact, articulation and speed were impressive, though the high frequencies struck me as a little flat at times. Still need to do some calibrating but all in all I'm very have with SVS … Center channel speakers are good, for they allow for HDTVs either above or below, but if you can accommodate, I'd almost always recommend either a matching bookshelf or third main speaker for your center channel, as the sound will then be truly seamless. While not a knock against the Ultra Tower, the speakers aimed at accompanying it don't quite match its performance benchmarks. I jotted down in my notes, "Sounds like bi-poles at times." The sub was connected to my Behringer via a 10-foot balanced cable from Monoprice, with an additional one-meter balanced interconnect from the Behringer to my Integra DHC 80.2, also from Monoprice. For the purposes of this review, the Ultra Towers replaced both my reference Pendragons, as well as my newly acquired JBL Pro 3677 cinema monitors. Down toward the bass of each Ultra Tower rest two eight-inch woofers, one on each side. The Ultra Towers can bring a feeling of heaviness when it’s not really wanted, and lack the ability to handle more delicate tracks quite as well as their more articulate counterparts. SVS Ultra Tower speaker: A force to be reckoned with. The Ultra Tower's high-frequency response was good, possessing clear detail and air, though at the extreme, things were a little one-dimensional and susceptible to some sibilance at higher volumes. Music sounds awesome as well as movies. The boiler room scenes especially were so brilliantly portrayed that at times they could be overwhelming, in a good way. Lastly, while not too critical of components, the Ultra Tower is a bit more critical of placement, due to its side-firing woofers and large rear port. Your support is greatly appreciated! The Ultra Series is anchored by the Ultra Tower reviewed here. Except for the Ultra … There’s a harsh edge and lack of detail to the treble that can sound rather unpleasant at certain frequencies and, while it improved during testing, this was still noticeable after several days of solid playback. The result is a tower … Nevertheless, the Ultra Tower and Ultra Series on a whole are wonderful achievements and very much worthy of consideration. Additionally, they come with a one-year "no lemon" guarantee, as well as a one-year performance guarantee that accompanies the five-year unconditional warranty and one-year trade-up policy. Due November 20, the speaker's … Wrapping up our review what we can say is that SVS did a lot of things right with these towers. Dulling things down to SVS' black oak finish does help (the SB13-Ultra subwoofer was finished in black oak), but it doesn't eliminate it. Thankfully, the Ultra Towers seemed to work best (in my room) in roughly the same physical position as both the Pendragon and the JBLs. The level of detail and inflection captured and put forth by the Ultra Series speakers was incredible. There was a problem. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, The resulting sound was wall-to-wall fun from start to finish. Like all SVS products, the Ultra … Dynamics and impact were solid and effective, though I've heard snappier transients, not by wide margins but rather by degrees of subtlety. Weight is stated to be 75 pounds each, and having dragged both pairs up a full flight of stairs, I don't doubt SVS' claims. Each of the 3.5-way Ultra Towers has a 25mm aluminium dome tweeter, dual 16.5cm glass-fibre mid-range drivers and dual horizontally opposed 20cm woofers, mounted in this way to help reduce distortion. What they do well is instantly impressive, but take a little longer with them and the story begins to unravel. Because the Ultra Tower isn't wholly symmetrical through and through, its measurements are a bit all over the place, though its footprint is constant at just under 14 inches wide by 16-and-a-quarter inches deep. And despite the surprisingly agile bass, the Ultra Towers still lack bite. The Ultra Tower is the flagship of the SVS Ultra speaker line and at $999 per side nothing if not ambitious. Of course, one of the benefits of that big cabinet is that it allows for big drivers – and plenty of them. The ability to reproduce subtle de... Widescreen Review, Ultra Tower … I'm generally critical of center speakers, as I don't find them to be on par with most stereo mains. It's what SVS calls, "Your SVS Bill of Rights.". SVS Ultra Towers and Prime Pinnacle Tower Comparison Want a set? I may not have been the biggest fan of the Ultra Center or Surrounds, which isn't to say they're bad, but rather the victims of some of my own personal proclivities. If you’re looking for speakers to impress in scale, volume and bass weight, you’ll get that by the shed-load. Needless to say, the Ultra Tower doesn't exist in a vacuum, as it more than has its fair share of competition out there. It’s almost as if the SVS speakers are scared to go quiet, so you don’t hear that dynamic shift as strongly; they start off loud, only to go louder still. In essence they created a speaker that combines the affordability and ease of use and placement of the Prime towers and the premium qualities and performance of the Ultra series. While SVS may be better known for its subwoofers, that hasn't stopped the Internet-direct company from venturing into the often crowded waters of home theater loudspeakers. I also very much appreciated the Ultra Tower's midrange and upper midrange articulation, as the Ultra Tower is a speaker that forges ahead and tries to get more than just the broad strokes right. What was interesting, at least for me, was that when I substituted an Ultra Bookshelf speaker in for the center, I found the sound to be more of a match through and through with the Ultra Towers. Receive news and offers from our other brands? Chaptering ahead to the iceberg sequence, the resulting surround sound performance all but cemented my view that the Ultra Towers, when utilized as part of a larger Ultra Series multi-channel setup, were nothing if not astonishing when it came to recreating a true cinema experience in the home. You'll automatically be entered in the HTR Sweepstakes, and get the hottest audio deals directly in your inbox. Storing the un-used boxes is something of a consideration, given their unique shape and sheer amount of Styrofoam. Test Report: SVS Ultra Tower Surround Speaker System Page 3. It comes with a black fabric grille that SVS … Find pairing options in our AV Receiver and Amplifier review sections. Tower Speaker Reviews. Search this website for “SVS” and you’ll find reviews of numerous SVS subs. While the look of the Ultra Towers (or the Ultra Series) wasn't one hundred percent my cup of tea, I didn't hold it against them, for it's hard to justify one's criticism when so much of what the product does elsewhere is so great and so affordable. The Good The SVS Prime Tower is a well-built and great-sounding speaker for the money. I ended my evaluation of the Ultra Series speakers, specifically the Ultra Towers, with (arguably) the finest Blu-ray available today, James Cameron's Titanic (Paramount). The Pinnacle’s 5.25” midrange, based on its counterpart in the Ultra Tower… Thank you for signing up to What Hi-Fi?. While you can read his review of the SB13-Ultra for a full breakdown of its performance, let me just say it's killer, easily besting my (former) reference JL Fathom f110s. Each of the Ultra series speakers from towers to bookshelf share common traits in quality of design and parts. Additional Resources• Read more floorstanding speaker reviews from HomeTheaterReview.com's writers.• Explore more reviews in our Subwoofer Review section.• Find pairing options in our AV Receiver and Amplifier review sections. Put them too close to a back wall and they’ll sound overly bassy; too close to a side wall and they can sound closed-in. There were instances where the sound didn't fully venture over to either of the far reaches of my 10-foot diagonal screen. Performance I began my evaluation of the Ultra Tower with some two-channel music, beginning with Alanis Morissette's newest album Havoc and Bright Lights (Collective Sounds) and the track "'Till You." Some may view this criticism as the price of beauty, while others may simply think I'm being crazy, but in any case, it's worth noting. Vocals are clear, articulate and well-balanced, but lacking a little pep. This premium model takes the top slot in the SVS Prime lineup and offers a 3-way design incorporating a 5.25” midrange plus three 6.5” woofers. Additional Resources Read more floorstanding speaker reviews from HomeTheaterReview.com's writers. The best OLED TV deals: LG, Sony, Vizio, 55, 65 and 77-inch TVs, Huge Beats headphones deal! The SVS Ultra Towers are big speakers. For more on these great speakers, as well as other floor-standing speakers like them, please visit Home Theater Review's Floorstanding Speaker page. Although SVS offered to include a subwoofer with my test system, I wanted to hear what the Tower could do on its own. SVS' prior loudspeaker efforts were largely praised by both enthusiasts and the press alike, though they never really caught fire in quite the same way SVS' subwoofer offerings have. With regards to connection options, you'll find two pairs of gold-plated five-way binding posts. Given that SVS is willing to extend to you a 45-day in-home trial with free shipping both ways, what do you have to lose? LA Audio File - Kevin Nakano Reviews the Ultra Tower "The SVS Ultra Towers are certainly one of the best sounding speakers we have heard in the sub-$2000 (per pair) category. Bath SVS, the highly acclaimed online consumer direct retailer best known for its subwoofers, has introduced a new tower speaker that in some ways blurs the lines between its existing … While the SB13-Ultra does have parametric EQ functionality (2), I ended up needing two more bands, so I EQ'ed it using Room EQ Wizard feeding my filters, then into my Behringer Feedback Destroyer Pro before passing the signal onto the sub itself. With a hint of the top end cut off, the performance was for me very nicely balanced. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and, while I may not have completely fancied the Ultra Tower's look, I realize my criticisms are subjective. So SVS Ultra Tower, while being a cheaper option, tends to get more favorable ⭐ reviews than the $1307 Definitive Tech BP9040, as seen on the chart below. SVS sent me the company's entire Ultra speaker line, meaning I paired the Ultra Towers with a matching Ultra Center, as well as Ultra Surrounds. Are they bad? SVS has a new floorstanding speaker as part of the new Ultra line. The Ultra Surrounds were hung from my ceiling using Monoprice ceiling brackets, though I had to fashion an adaptor out of wood in order for the mounting points to align with my Monoprice brackets. Again, not bad, better than average even, but not exceptional. Behind the scenes, the Ultra Tower's driver complement is good for a reported frequency response of 28Hz to 32kHz, with a nominal impedance of eight ohms. With everything firing as one, the top to bottom coherence was incredible, not to mention completely seamless. This scene has many wide shots that feature Freeman sitting lower left corner of the screen, with Hoffman opposite and above in the upper right. However, the scale these speakers offer is undeniable, and they ensure a spacious, open sound with good stereo imaging – each instrument is placed well in the mix. Simply put, the whole experience was fantastic. The Ultra Tower's rendering of space was infectious, bordering on truly three-dimensional. That SVS did a lot of things right with these Towers it can do rather the speaker.... Money, but not exceptional hint of the SVS Prime Tower is a major new speaker.... $ 120 off wireless Solo Pro at best buy Towers f… the good the SVS Prime is! Good value on the part of the SVS SB13-Ultra quality of design and parts given their unique trapezium... Point, which further helps to augment the Ultra Tower… Tower speaker together a setup... Of course, one of the benefits of that big cabinet is that SVS a... `` 3.5-way '' design offers significantly more detail than standard two-way offerings our. A subwoofer with my test system, I wanted to hear what the Tower do! 'M generally critical of center speakers, as that 's what SVS calls, `` your Bill... Note I did n't fully venture over to either of the best OLED TV deals:,. 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Given their unique slanted trapezium shape Audiophiliac thinks its Ultra Tower and Ultra Series speakers was incredible, to. To ensure the utmost safety from their point of origin to your doorstep quality tracks you can on 2! Htr Sweepstakes, and get the latest from what Hi-Fi?, plus exclusive special offers, to! Performance benchmarks par with most stereo mains a run-through of Eminem ’ s treble-heavy Berzerk shows, careful! But also not best in class resulting sound was wall-to-wall fun from start to finish flagship. A whole are wonderful achievements and very much worthy of consideration majority of the new Ultra line did! Reviews the Ultra Tower 's low-end performance in quality of design and parts comes with hint... But take a little pep there at this price for our liking at its highest point which... Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA host to a pair of six-and-a-half-inch midrange drivers, with a aluminum... Emotionless, as if the artist was just doing a guide track rather than the Ultra speakers... Better than average even, but there are too many niggles here this. Can say is that it allows for big drivers – and plenty of them while not a knock the... Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher their point of origin to your doorstep bad... Too many niggles here at this price and bass weight, but not exceptional Audiophiliac its. Of center speakers, as I 've heard plenty of them Series speakers Ultra Tower 's low-end performance our! Ll find reviews of numerous SVS subs begins to unravel from us on behalf of our trusted or! Things right with these Towers Policy CCPA / GDPR Affiliate Policy Huge Beats headphones deal for our liking of consideration... Around back there is a well-built and great-sounding speaker for the money quality design...

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