You know the phrase "size matters", I'm sure you've heard it before. Does it matter with a speaker? If you're attempting to reproduce low frequencies, you bet it does.
Most of the time I've had subwoofers not larger than 10". I was always under the impression that if you go too large, that you would need a listening / viewing area the size of a stadium. I will say that once the SB16-Ultra arrived, I was a tad intimidated. The box was enormous. The sheer weight unspeakable. I could barely move it on my own. Maybe this is why the box indicated that there should be at least 2 people?
The shipping box itself is quite ingenious. You can tell care was put into just the design of it, to aid in getting it out and being transported safely. There are clear instructions printed on how to exit the subwoofer and to get it to its final destination. Yes, it was eventually placed where it belongs, which is in a room of my home that hosts both movies and music. Initially, my thoughts were to only use it for movies. But there were times where I'd want to listen to music and I feared that this sub would just muddy everything up—mostly ignorance based its size and weight. Boy, was I wrong!
This sub, while on the large size, is packed with technology. Yes, it's driver is a massive 16" in diameter, erstwhile connected to a Class-D amplifier with Bluetooth technology for configuration. Not Bluetooth for streaming audio, but Bluetooth for configuring the subwoofer via a smart phone! This is not a requirement, by the way. A nice blue display on the upper part of the cabinet allows one to configure it via its own buttons. It also comes with a remote control as well for those not in the near times with a smart phone. So, worry not.
Immediately I connected the subwoofer to the LFE output of my AVR (Integra) so that I could watch a movie and see what happens. Really, there is not much need for configuration if you aren't in the mood. One just needs to apply power and an input, turn it on and adjust the volume, and you are on your way. Of course, a techno junkie like me couldn't leave it at that, I had to start playing with the controls…
Initially I just turned on the film "Gravity", which is a great movie filled with a ton of high quality sound effects. I noticed that I was more immersed into the movie, and that I was feeling more bass than I was hearing! This is where size comes into place; see, smaller woofers may be a bit more controllable, and offer a bit more nuance but with the huge sacrifice of actual sub-bass. I started to hear resonant frequencies in just about everything in my home—both close and far away. This sub moves a ton of air, and FAST!
The "S" in the model name indicates a sealed enclosure. This is a subjective preference, some prefer the sound of a ported subwoofer, I do not. I don't because then the box is tuned to a specific frequency and that if not equalized properly, can sound a bit on the flabby end. Yes, you will get a ton more volume from it, but with a driver this large, I just didn't see the need. I'd love to review the ported version of this subwoofer for comparison, so who knows, maybe some time in the future, but the sealed version is doing a great job all on its own.
I then decided to start playing with the settings… This is where things got to be fun! I went to the app store, did a search for "SVS" and there it was. I launched the app, and it detected the sub right away on its own. No funny business here, I feared initially it would be like pairing a Bluetooth headset to my BMW, nope, this just works right away. I was met immediately with a very clear interface that had all sorts of settings that initially I was a bit intimidated to play with, but why not? The great thing is you can adjust this from the comfort of your seat, and hear the changes in real time! No fuddy-duddy knobs to deal with in the back of the sub with a flashlight. Exact precise digital control! Here are the available options:
- Volume (self-explanatory)
- Low Pass Filter - good for those that are piping in regular audio to the sub and without LFE. Here you can adjust slope (6/12/18/24dB) and adjust a slider from 30Hz to 200Hz.
- Phase - 0 to 180 degrees. Great to deal with placement issues.
- Polarity - Positive / Negative.
- Parametric EQ! Once enabled, one can adjust a boost of -12.0dB to +6dB on frequencies of 20Hz - 200Hz AND overall Q Factor of 0-10. One can store up to 3 of these settings.
- Room Gain Compensation - adjust 25Hz to 40Hz in slopes of 6 or 12 dB per octave.
- Presets - Here is what I really loved, I could create a preset and recall all of these settings in up to 3 slots. I've made one for Movies, Music, and Movies (Night mode).
- A settings menu where one can alter how the subwoofer goes into standby mode (auto with sound sense, off, or using a hard trigger), how bright the display is and if it turns off, and other neat things.
So, not only does it sound and look amazing, but it can be controlled with such preciseness, all from the comfort of your listening position.
This subwoofer is serious business, I wanted to re-watch my entire movie collection to see what I've been missing. This is the missing link to total immersion, where one can both hear and feel the directors' intent.
So,what about music? This online magazine is mostly about 2 channel audio, I suppose, so why not introduce this subwoofer into my listening area? Well, at first, I started out the lazy way and started playing back some music onto my home theater system. In the movie preset I made, I noticed it was a bit too quiet, so I altered a new preset (all from my smart phone) which boosted the gain and adjusted the phase. WOW! I can't believe how synergistic this sub made my 5.1 home theater system into an amazing sounding 2-channel audio system. I couldn't even tell where the bass was coming from. I soon forgot about the overall size and weight of the subwoofer.
I then decided to introduce it into my 2-channel audio system using regular inputs, no LFE—which is really where these adjustments came in handy. What was great is that I didn't need any sort of spectrum or audio analyzer to make it sound good. I was able to use my ears simply by sitting in the comfort of my listening position and tweaking away. I also learned a ton about adjusting a parametric equalizer as the app made it super easy to adjust.
I put on a few of my favorite recent albums which some great bass lines—take Empyset's album Recur. The opening title "Origin" will give your audio system a healthy dose of exercise, but I was not ready for the re-introduction of this track with the SVS sub attached. Remember that Maxell commercial? Yes, that was me. Ok, that is a little dramatic, but wow I wish I were able to articulate into words how much this sub really helped this album. I could really feel and hear every bit of nuance the artist intended. The bass lines were just endless, and there wasn't a task too large for the SVS SB16-Ultra. Every frequency was played with ease and volume. Volume! I had to turn it down before everything started falling off of my walls.
So, what about some different music, Jazz? Sun Ra is always fun, but I'll put on something a bit more popular with this crowd how about Miles Davis' Nefertiti? Here, the subwoofer took a back seat, but it was ever present when called upon. The bass line kicks in on the opening track and it reminded me... oh yeah, there it is. Perfect cohesion, no "ok, I hear the bass-line over in the right corner of the room where the sub is. No, this actually complimented the two speakers and effortlessly created bass in the right areas. How did it do this? Magic? No, it's obvious SVS has something special here. They've put a ton of care into the design of this subwoofer, from the shipping box, to the sub itself, the app experience, and to the actual product delivered to the end user—a perfect musical experience all packed into one.
So, no matter the size of your room, this subwoofer comes highly suggested. It comes in a piano black (glossy) finish, and a wood veneer option, which was my choice.
SVS SB16-Ultra Subwoofer
Retail: $1999.99
SVS
