In summary, both subwoofers have fantastic volume and power and deliver clear, rich bass.
The SVS PB16-Ultra is the bigger and more expensive of the two and extremely powerful. The SVS SB16-Ultra is more compact both in sound and size.
Have you ever noticed that there often tends to be quite the opposite opinions about a speaker?
I can understand this for more "personal taste" kinda products like clothing, for example.
But for engineering products like speakers? Personal tastes and preferences probably still play a role. But shouldn't it be less?
Why is it that we can't set a universal metric for sound quality?
First time I asked this question to myself has been a pivotal day.
Because it turns out that in the mid 90's, Electrical Engineer PhD Floyd Toole came up with a method called Spinorama. This is exactly what he accomplished with this. Turns out that his book Sound Reproduction is like the bible of audiophiles.
Put it simply, Spinorama is a set of measurements that gives a comprehensive overview of a speaker's performance from various angles.
It allows you to compare the performances of different speakers before even laying your ears hands on them.
Isn't that amazing?
This is why Spinorama was apparently groundbreaking news for audio industry. Hence in the mid-late 2010's, most brands and magazines began publishing Spinorama measurements, despite the challenges of making such measurements.
Fortunately, now we have the Spinorama data for a bunch of quite popular speakers. Pierre Aubert put all this untidy data together and put it into https://www.spinorama.org/. This is a stunning source. Pretty valuable stuff from him right there.
All good up to this point.
Now there comes a caveat.
Since the sound speakers propagate are in the form of omnidirectional waves, all measurements are obtained in anechoic or semi-anechoic chambers (a super-quiet room where soundwaves don't bounce back, here's how different that room sounds [a mind blowing time-adjusted video]).
This is a problem because it means that Spinorama alone, unfortunately, won't give us all we need. Placement and reflections play an equally important role there too.
This is why most A-class brands (like SVS, Bang & Olufsen, etc) often come up with room correction features, adjusted either manually or automatically. The EQ adapts itself to the placement (room, corner, center, etc) for a better (deeper and more accurate) sound. Which is great.
Additionally they often emphasize the importance of placement, here is an example: https://www.svsound.com/blogs/subwoofer-setup-and-tuning/75365187-the-art-of-subwoofer-placement
Anyways...
The source code under Pierre Aubert's work is licensed under GPL (General public license). He didn't perform any of the measurements himself, and instead he compiled all of them into one place, so that makes sense.
At this point, I thought that if there was a tool that combined both the Spinorama with the room acoustics data, it'd be extremely useful.
Unfortunately, it turns out that there wasn't any.
This is where I stepped in and partnered with an Acoustics and Audio Engineering PhD in order to achieve this.
We combined Spinorama data with room acoustics and came up with Soundton. A very simple, 2D online tool that allows you to:
- Reveal optimal speaker positions in a room,
- Test with real speakers from real brands,
- Compare different speakers and different positions in the room.
It can be very valuable for the vast majority.
The colormap provides you the locations with the best (green) and worst (red) listening experience.
It works the best with subwoofers since Soundton processes low frequency response waves only.
- Soundton is going to be, say, 80% accurate. Not 100%.
- Because, other parameters such as the age/materials of the building, furniture/windows in place also have an impact on room acoustics.
- If you want absolutely the most detailed room analysis, then what you need is an acoustics consultant. Mind you that's going to require deep pockets and patience though... assuming you find the right person and they get the job done.
Anyways...
Design and Aesthetics
The PB16-Ultra and SB16-Ultra are the largest subwoofers SVS manufactures. A composite fiberglass resin material is used for the 16-inch front-firing woofer.
The primary difference between the two is cabinet design. The SVS SB16-Ultra is sealed and smaller. This might be advantageous if space is an issue. The SVS PB16-Ultra comes with a triple ported box and is considerably larger.
The overall design of both is solid enough. The blue LED display, however, does give it a somewhat 'digital' vibe. So for those looking for a more stately, conservative look, this might be a minus.
SVS PB16-Ultra
Dimensions: 551(w) x 635(h) x 784(d)mm
Weight: 79.1kg
SVS SB16-Ultra
Dimensions: 495(w) x 508(h) x 510(d)mm
Weight: 55.3kg
The boxes are available in oak and gloss finish. The general consensus is that keeping the latter visibly dust-free is a daily chore.
Find the perfect subwoofer for your speakers using the SVS Subwoofer Matching Tool.
Sound
As you’ve probably realized by now, these boxes offer extremely high-quality sound. And while the specs speak for themselves, the actual implementation and result of the same are a crystal clear, powerful, and dynamic aural experience that make your home-theater come to life. The sound effects, the soundtracks, and the dialogues take on a sense of realism that surpasses your generic audio gear.
Thanks to the design of the speakers, the efficient air-movement results in clean and powerful audio fidelity. Sans any distortion. The 8-inch coils and ferrite magnets make the effect all the more apparent.
That being said, the two products do sound a little different from each other. The sealed cabinet of the SVS SB16-Ultra, while extremely powerful, seems to exercise a certain restraint and control. In contrast to the SVS PB16-Ultra, which just exudes pure power.
Specs:
SVS PB16-Ultra
Frequency range:
- 15Hz-280Hz (+/-3dB, standard mode)
- 13Hz-280Hz (+/-3dB, extended mode)
- 14Hz-360Hz (+/-3dB sealed mode)
On board power: 1,500W continuous, 5,000W peak
SVS SB16-Ultra
Frequency range: 16Hz-460Hz (+/-3 dB)
On board power: 1,500W continuous, 5,000W peak
SVS also has a Speaker System Builder where you may choose from pre-selected systems or custom build your own by selecting any combination of SVS speakers and subwoofers.
Connectivity & Features
Both speakers come with the same connectivity options:
- LFE input
- Stereo line-level input
- Stereo line-level output
- Stereo balanced input
- Stereo balanced output
- 12V trigger input
They also come with an app that is great for controlling the speakers. The interface on it is easy to navigate, and the settings offer ample options. While the default setting might just work fine for you, fine-tuning might be great for optimizing the sound for your room.
The app also gives you wireless volume control.
Price
At the time of this article, the SVS SB16-Ultra was priced at $2,299.99, and the SVS PB16-Ultra at $2,899.99.
Verdict
In conclusion, this is how the SVS SB16-Ultra and SVS PB16-Ultra stack up against each other:
- Design and Aesthetics - Tie
- Sound: The SVS PB16-Ultra is more powerful.
- Connectivity: A clear tie.
- Price: The SVS SB16-Ultra is cheaper by a large margin.
Conclusion: If you want pure power and have the budget, go for the SVS PB16-Ultra. If you’re looking for a slightly more compact sub, the SVS SB16-Ultra is the right choice.