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SVS SB13-Ultra Owners Thread

48K views 67 replies 24 participants last post by  Lumen 
#1 ·
Noob here on HTS.

I previously owned the SVS PB10-NSD after searching for a sub that would work well for both HT and music. The much larger SVS subs simply do not fit well in my room (nor my wife’s approval), and ported subs, especially the large ones do not do as well for music. After reading that someone had replaced 2 REL Stratus subs for a PB10, I pulled the trigger on one and have been very happy since. I always wondered what I was missing in not being able to own an Ultra however, and it was with great joy that I found out SVS was finally releasing the SB13-Ultra!:sn:

My Ultra finally arrived on the 16th (2 weeks later than you fortunate Americans), and I am now a very happy camper! :T

I just posted this short review on the SVS site so I thought I'd start this thread for the other SB13-Ultra owners out there:

The build quality of the SB13-Ultra is outstanding! Looks great in the Black Oak finish and is heavier than this relatively compact box looks.

I still haven’t watched a full bass-quality movie yet with my new SB13-Ultra nor have I had the chance to run REW. So far I’ve watched scenes of a few movie clips that I’m familiar with (War of the Worlds, Master & Commander, and Ironman 2) to do a quick evaluation of its abilities with just a quick set-up.

On this material, the extension, headroom, and clarity are amazing! Though I know the PB13-Ultra has more output down low, I seriously can’t say I would need more than the single SB13-Ultra already provides. There are fine details heard in some bass sections and sound effects that I don’t remember hearing before being presented with great definition!

Music has always been very important to me as well and is one reason that I’ve been waiting for a SB version of the Ultra. Ported subs, especially large ones, tend to do less well with music.

This is the most articulate sub I’ve ever had the pleasure to listen to! in terms of musicality, the SB13-Ultra is absolutely wonderful. On jazz, you can actually hear the sounds of a double bass player’s fingers pluck the strings, and the nuances in the way the notes are played are easily heard. Playing bass heavy music like “Woofer Cooker” which has serious amounts of deep bass, the SB Ultra more than stands up to the task. This sub is an out-standing subwoofer for music! I had a fellow audiophile over the other day to listen- he has a set of high-end Tetra 505 speakers and is now thinking of adding a SB13-Ultra to his system. The ultra low end bass, quickness, out-put, definition and pure musicality really blew him away.

The only thing I would suggest is that SVS throw in a small mirror as this would make it much easier to set the dial and make the adjustments after it’s set in place. Even better, maybe make a way to reverse the display to use with the small hand-held mirror, however this is minor as it’s still easily read. Would probably only require a small change in the display programming to accomplish.

I have no reservations recommending the SB13-Ultra for HT, and even more importantly, for music. This is a truly superb sub for both audiophiles and Home Theatre buffs.

I’m looking forward to seeing how it does after I tweak it a bit more using REW and make some adjustments with its dual band Parametric EQ.
 
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#34 ·
By far my favorite track off of that SACD.
 
#37 ·
Ah. Yesterday i ordered a SVS SB13-ultra from L-sound. It will be used with my living room stereo that contains:
B&W CM9
NAD C390 (with sub management and HDMI, yummy).

I sold my B&W DB1, since it gave up way to easy. I will write a "mini review" of the SB13, and my impression of it against my previous subs in the same room (BW DB1, Definitive Tech SuperCube reference (this one was totally madness)).

Ill be back ;).
 
#39 ·
Yes, welcome to the forum and looking forward to your review- especially your comparison to your DB1 and DefTech Supercube Reference. Both very well reviewed and heavy hitting subs to be sure and I'm wondering which of the 3 sounds most musical once you get a chance to do some critical listening.
 
#40 ·
Hey All, I figured this might be the appropriate place to ask about this. I had convinced my self that the SVS SB13 was the sub I was going to jump on after reading so many reviews, then I started enter'ing Danny from GR Research's world and am now debating between that or the Rhythmik F12G. Here is a little back and forth he and I had: http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/gr-research/61259-we-have-best-sounding-subs-period-5.html his arguments are very convincing :) And ultimately making my choice much harder.

If the rhythmik unit should indeed have better response/better punch than the SB13, and would only be a difference in volume, then I think I'd have to shy towards Rhythmik simply because I am totally cool with buying more than one sub if volume ever becomes an issue. Keep in mind my room is very small (13'x13'x10', however I like to future proof my stuff and could easily see myself using a bigger room in the future).

However it'd be great if I got some feedback from you proud owners as well. Thanks much.
 
#41 ·
Well, i have owned the SB13-ultra since friday now, and its absolutely brilliant(Sorry my bad english, im norwegian, and this is written in a jiffy). It blend perfect inn my mainroom system that contains B&W CM9 and NAD C390 (hurray for bassmanagement). To be honest, the BW DB1 don't do it compared to this, not that DB1 is bad, but in my ears, the SB13-ultra could cost MORE than DB1, and still be my favorite.

The DB1 blended perfecly in to, but the headroom was so little, and i felt a lack of controltrouble when i hitted the volume meter up. With the SB13 i can lay the Definitive Technology Supercube reference experience behind me. OK, it aint having the BAD SLAM og punsh as the Supercube, but its much "cleaner" and hitting hard without bottom out. Im in heavy SQ wise. :). SPL is a super bonus. Its like SB13-ultra got all the plus sides of both the DB1 and Supercube, and the summary of it is and EXCELLENT subwoofer. The sound is a bit more "fatter" than mine Ken Kreisell 12012 (that stays in my dedicated hifi room.) but its soooo good.

Design is superb, mine is in Black oak, and in my eyes its more exclusive than the piano black (that looks more plastic like in my opinion). The down side is the grille, its buttugly ;). Give us the same grill option like the PB13-ultra owners has, to buy an additional grill in fabric.

Im planning to buy 2 more of this to setup in my HIFI/theater room, instead of 2 more KK 12012 (the cost difference aint worth it i think. KK is perfection, but its costs, and sound aint just about bass ;)). Ill be back :).

My HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION. This is HIGHEND bass, to lowcost price!
 
#42 ·
Wow, thanks for the review and comparison to your other high-end subs! Nice to know it can keep up or exceed your others and is good enough to consider over your Ken Kreisel 12012.

Keep us posted re any other impressions you may have once you've spent a bit more time with the SB-13 Ultra and it continues to break in. :T
 
#48 ·
We finally have a distributor in NZ that supplies SVS. I just ordered my Sb13 Ultra. It should be in the country in a couple of weeks. Cant wait.

Im upgrading from a DIY 350RMS 2x 15" setup which cost me less than $500NZD all up so i cant wait for the quality jump.
 
#49 · (Edited)
I ordered an SB13-Ultra Tuesday 8/13.

I have been without a receiver for a few years. Just recently got things going again with a used Integra 50.1, and my old ADS L810's. I still need to set up the rear channels.
I have been researching sub-woofers for a month or two now reading all the reviews and threads. I don't mind colored bass, but I like it tight and articulate and can't stand when it is muddy and bloated. I talked to Darren at SVS a few times. My room is less then 1500 SF. He recommended dual SB12-NSD's which would have saved some money. He said I would get 95% of the performance of one SB13-Ultra with two SB12-NSD's and better room coverage.

I decided to go with one SB13-Ultra. I got the black oak. Perhaps another one is in the future, and maybe I will have a bigger room at some point. Seating is not optimum, with a sofa on one side of the room and love seat against the back wall opposite the sound stage, so seating is around the edges on two sides unless I set up a chair in the middle. We will see if I get coverage.

Can't wait to try it out. Should be here tomorrow!

Edit 8/16 AM: It's out for delivery! :bigsmile:
 
#50 ·
Been messing with it for a week now. So far I am slightly disapointed. It is not quite doing what I think it should. Haven't had much time to work with it yet. Basicly just ran audesy. Changed some settings, including various cross over frequencies, and ran again. Still needs a lot of work I am sure. I think I have a spike in the low frecquency some where making it slightly boomy and weak in other areas. Hard to tell when it is source material or system because some sources sound a lot better then others. Overall it sounds pretty good though.

I listened to some music, watched Top Gun BD and Avatar BD. I was happier with HT sources then with music.
Haven't tried moving the sub around much, but don't have many options either. I have it under the LH front speeker. ADS L810's are basicly very large bookshelf speekers.
 
#53 ·
Give it a good month to break in and run Audessy again, also try the crawl test by placing the sub at the listening position and crawl around the outside of the room till you hear the best sound from it. Thats a good place to start for placement.
 
#51 ·
Mine finally arrived yesterday afternoon.

Ive quickly dialed it in and taken a random stab at the best location and all i can say is WOW.

Im replacing a DIY 2x15" setup running off a small 350WRMS amp. Im really proud of my cheapo DIY setup. It served me well and gave plenty of kick and surprisingly kept up with the SR706 and Klipsch reference speakers.

After about 24hours with the SVS SB13U now it is an amazing sub. So much SPL and the bass is so deep, clean and accurate. Im sure once i get it dialed in it will sound even better.

Im so happy with the sub so far and with my living room it fill it with absolute ease which is the part that still amazes me. Im driving my wife nuts as im cycling through all my movies. Tron sounds incredible and Terminator Salvation when that huge teminator starts destroying the gas station. Those low freqency pulses when it steps around is just insane. The bass is just so deep and loud.

I might write a more formal review once i get a week or so with it.

Cheers and thanks for all the advice on this forum.
 
#52 ·
Mine finally arrived yesterday afternoon.



Cheers and thanks for all the advice on this forum.
Congrats Kenmck and welcome to the club :wave:



P.S. After winning my SB13-Ultra here in May, I have finally sold my old Bic F12 subwoofer today for 1/2 of what I paid for it a year ago :T. I tried to get them to play nice together but the Bic was holding the SB13-U back from it's full potential and had to go :eek:lddude:
 
#58 ·
Not sure if this will help, when I moved to Italy I had to send my amps to SVS so they could convert them over to 240 "very easy process" then prior to returning to the States I had them convert them back over to 220. I actually have PBU's and like I say this may not help, SVS is an outstanding company, they tend to reply rather quickly if you were to contact them.

Good luck.
 
#60 ·
Greetings to all SB13-Ultra owners, I hope this post finds you'll well.

It has been a year and a month since I received my SVS sub and it still puts a :bigsmile: on my face even when my system is off. I'm hoping to add a second sometime later this year if I don't upgrade my TV 1st due to its smallish size (34").

hyghwayman
 
#62 ·
I have been the owner of a pair of SB-13 for about 7-8 months now and are still impressed by they overall performance. Great looking subs in a small footprint. :clap:
JohnnyG, a pair :eek:
You lucky dawg :dumbcrazy: thanks for sharing :wave: I have had mine(1) for just over a year and have the same reaction, , I don't even have to turn it on to crack a :D. By the way, those Ultras look sick in your room, nice job :T
 
#63 ·
Thanks hyghwayman, me and my 11 year old boy are really enjoying the room and the subs every time we watch a movie. I have been moving they around and finding the best spot for them. I have them setup in the room 1/4 from the sidewalls at the front wall. I will take some new measurements in this positions to see if my ears are not lying to me. I have Gik Basstraps in the corners (last picture) and doing a little eq to flatten out the peaks, this is done by an Antimode 8033 which is a great little box. :)
 
#64 ·
Im seriously considering a 2nd SB13 ultra, i absolutely love mine. Mine is black ash but they look so good in that gloss finish. awesome system mate.
 
#65 ·
After months and months of trying to find just the right subwoofer for my situation, I finally found it in the SB13U : )

First was the HSU ULS15, which I had hoped would match my dark cherry ML Motion speakers ... The unit I received was instead a plum color, so far from what I was hoping for, I didn't even give it a listen ... Swallowed hard, paid $230 for shipping both ways, and turned to SVS.

I was also looking for a sub for my son as well ... First up was the SB12NSD, then a pair of SB2000s ... James then expressed a preference for ported sub ... Next up, a PB2000. I was quite impressed with the LFE capabilities of the ported SVS ... Eventually, we ended up sharing dual PC12+s.

After deciding on a new home last summer, I upgraded to an outlet PC13U.

But after thinking about how I rarely experience many LFE opportunities in the movies my wife and I watch, I began to think about the sealed sub route ... With some saying there is and some saying there isn't a difference between sealed and ported in regards to music, I decided to call SVS and see what they said.

Darren assured me that, indeed, there is a noticeable differences between the SB and the PC for music ... He said I'd find the SB13U tighter, quicker, and providing more detail while listening to music ... And I'm here to say he's right : )

After thinking about for an hour, I called back and arranged an upgrade swap for the following day after work ... With the PC13U in tow, I arrived at SVS the next day and brought home a new SB13U.

It does indeed provide a noticeable degree of improved detail for my music ... Thanks to the unparalleled audition and upgrade policy offered by SVS, I've been able to find just the right subwoofer for my HT.

My son, by the way, is quite happy with his PC12+ ... I encouraged him to consider the SB13U upgrade as well, but so far he's declined my offer.
 
#66 ·
After months and months of trying to find just the right subwoofer for my situation, I finally found it in the SB13U : ) First was the HSU ULS15, which I had hoped would match my dark cherry ML Motion speakers ... The unit I received was instead a plum color, so far from what I was hoping for, I didn't even give it a listen ... Swallowed hard, paid $230 for shipping both ways, and turned to SVS. I was also looking for a sub for my son as well ... First up was the SB12NSD, then a pair of SB2000s ... James then expressed a preference for ported sub ... Next up, a PB2000. I was quite impressed with the LFE capabilities of the ported SVS ... Eventually, we ended up sharing dual PC12+s. After deciding on a new home last summer, I upgraded to an outlet PC13U. But after thinking about how I rarely experience many LFE opportunities in the movies my wife and I watch, I began to think about the sealed sub route ... With some saying there is and some saying there isn't a difference between sealed and ported in regards to music, I decided to call SVS and see what they said. Darren assured me that, indeed, there is a noticeable differences between the SB and the PC for music ... He said I'd find the SB13U tighter, quicker, and providing more detail while listening to music ... And I'm here to say he's right : ) After thinking about for an hour, I called back and arranged an upgrade swap for the following day after work ... With the PC13U in tow, I arrived at SVS the next day and brought home a new SB13U. It does indeed provide a noticeable degree of improved detail for my music ... Thanks to the unparalleled audition and upgrade policy offered by SVS, I've been able to find just the right subwoofer for my HT. My son, by the way, is quite happy with his PC12+ ... I encouraged him to consider the SB13U upgrade as well, but so far he's declined my offer.
They offer some of the best value and performance in the subwoofer industry. Not to mention customer service and that trade up policy is outstanding! Congrats and enjoy. :)
 
#67 · (Edited)
Just got a DSPeaker Antimode 2.0 DC installed and setup with my two SB13Us. Watching a few test movies, Startrek, Fast Furious2, Casino Royale. All i kept saying was holy snappin duck sheet... hmmm, I've never heard that before.... interesting...

I thought I had the FR pretty flat before the Antimode 2.0, but I didn't know what I was missing out on until now.
Not only do the SB13Us dig deeper... much much deeper.They are some how so much tighter, my KEF XQ30s and XQ50 sound so much cleaner with loads more detail.
The other interesting thing is, before the AM. I used to run the SB13Us in dual mono, this was to get the punch and slap in the face I was after.
Although the sound was pretty good in this config, I always felt something was amiss with the soundstage and I had a few odd base notes that kept bugging me.
Now that I've place an AM 2.0 in the mix, I have the SB13Us running in stereo and have all the punch and slaps I could ask for, plus the sound stage seems to have opened up and the prickly notes that we bugging me before have all but disappeared.
I can honestly say that I have rediscovered or just discovered what the SB13Us can actually do... effortlessly rock my world or more literally rock my house.
I'm now also rediscovering my CD, SACD collection as well..
 
#68 ·
Hello fellow SB3 Ultra owners. Well, I'm not really an owner... just borrowing right now. Wonder if anyone can lend a hand with some tips or share any similar experience for early bottom-end roll-off in a small room about 13L x 9W x 8H? I've been auditioning this sub for two weeks now at different locations and orientations in the room, but just can't get mine to dig below about 20Hz. If you like, details start around Post #67 here.

Sure, it sounds great and goes deeper than the REL T9 it's replacing; but it doesn't blow it away. One of the guys over at SVS thinks blame may lie with the tall, floor-to-ceiling window on the same side of the room (behind the wolf blanket in the pics). Sometimes these can flex quite a bit, which imparts a sound of its own. The window also causes more bass loss than does the surrounding drywall. I find myself asking if similarly capable subs would exhibit the same behavior (i.e. subsonic frequency loss). What happened to my room gain??!
 
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