If you’re short on time and just want the highlights of this article, here it is:
The SVS Ultra 2-Way Bookshelf Speakers are a solid choice for anyone looking for an affordable set of speakers with a decent performance. They offer a wide frequency response and respectable bass from the 6.5″ woofers and 1″ tweeters, and they can provide up to 150W of power with the right amp. The sound quality is generally quite good, with crisp highs and decent bass.
The connectivity options are also quite good, offering dual gold-plated 5-way binding posts, a 1.7″ wide-flared rear-firing port, and Elastomer stick-on bumper feet. The only real downside is that there is no Bluetooth or digital connection, so if you’re looking for a wireless connection, then you’ll have to look elsewhere.
Overall, the SVS Ultra 2-Way Bookshelf Speakers are a solid choice for anyone looking for an affordable set of speakers. Experienced audiophiles should be satisfied with the sound quality, while beginners should find these speakers a great choice for their starting setup.
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Now let’s get to its bolts and nuts.
SVS Ultra Review: Sound quality
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...
When it comes to sound quality, the SVS Ultra 2-Way Bookshelf Speakers are an interesting proposition. For starters, they have a frequency response that extends from 45Hz to 32kHz, a range that should make any experienced audiophile salivate. This wide frequency response range allows for an impressive range of highs and respectable bass from the 6.5″ woofers and 1″ tweeters. The 1.7″ rear-firing bass port also provides an extra bump to the low-end frequencies. With the right amp, these speakers can provide sound up to 150W, offering users plenty of power to work with.
The sound quality of the SVS Ultra speakers is generally quite good. As someone who is used to high-end audio equipment, I can say that the sound is definitely on par with similarly priced speakers. The treble is crisp and clear, but not overbearing at all. The midrange is also very nice, with no harshness in the overall sound. The bass is the area where I think these speakers could use some improvement, but it’s still quite decent and fills the room nicely.
So overall, the sound quality of the SVS Ultra speakers is quite solid. While they may not blow you away if you’re used to high-end audio equipment, they definitely deliver a good performance and can provide plenty of power with the right amp. I think if they improved the bass response a bit more, they could really become a great choice for those looking for an affordable set of speakers with decent sound quality.
SVS Ultra Review: Connectivity
At first glance, the SVS Ultra 2-Way Bookshelf Speakers have plenty of connectivity options. You get dual gold-plated 5-way binding posts, a 1.7″ wide-flared rear-firing port and Elastomer stick-on bumper feet. All necessary cables are also included in the package.
In terms of digital connections, there isn’t much to say here. You get the standard 3.5mm mic/headphone jack, but that’s about it. No Bluetooth or digital connections here, so if you’re looking for a wireless connection, you’ll have to look elsewhere.
The good news is that the SVS Ultra speakers are compatible with most receivers and amplifiers, so you’ll have plenty of choices when it comes to connecting them. They can also be connected directly to a computer via an auxiliary cable, so you can use them as desktop speakers if you want.
The bottom line is that the SVS Ultra speakers offer basic but reliable connections. If you’re looking for a wireless connection, then these speakers are probably not for you. However, if you’re ok with the standard cable connections, then you should be just fine.
SVS Ultra Review: Most & least ideal user profiles
The SVS Ultra 2-Way Bookshelf Speakers are an interesting speaker set that offer a wide range of frequency response and a decent amount of power. They are best suited to users who are looking for an affordable set of speakers that offer a good performance.
For experienced audiophiles, these speakers are definitely worth considering. The sound quality is solid, with a wide frequency response that should please most users. They also offer enough power to fill a medium-sized room with sound. However, if you are looking for a speaker set that offers more bass than what these speakers offer, then these may not be ideal for you.
For beginners, the SVS Ultra speakers are also worth considering. They are a reasonably priced set of speakers that offer a decent performance. Compared to other budget speakers, these speakers offer a great sound quality and plenty of power. The fact that they have all the necessary cables included in the package also makes them an attractive option for those just starting out.
Overall, the SVS Ultra 2-Way Bookshelf Speakers are a good choice for those looking for an affordable and solid speaker set. Experienced audiophiles should be satisfied with the sound quality, while beginners should find these speakers a great choice for their starting setup.
SVS Ultra Review: Conclusion
The SVS Ultra 2-Way Bookshelf Speakers are a solid choice for anyone looking for an affordable set of speakers with a decent performance. They offer a wide frequency response and respectable bass from the 6.5″ woofers and 1″ tweeters, and they can provide up to 150W of power with the right amp. The sound quality is generally quite good, with crisp highs and decent bass.
The connectivity options are also quite good, offering dual gold-plated 5-way binding posts, a 1.7″ wide-flared rear-firing port, and Elastomer stick-on bumper feet. The only real downside is that there is no Bluetooth or digital connection, so if you’re looking for a wireless connection, then you’ll have to look elsewhere.
Overall, the SVS Ultra 2-Way Bookshelf Speakers are a solid choice for anyone looking for an affordable set of speakers. Experienced audiophiles should be satisfied with the sound quality, while beginners should find these speakers a great choice for their starting setup.