SVS Prime Tower vs Prime Pinnacle

SVS Prime Tower Review

The American company SVS continues to develop its success in the classic speaker market. The second Prime line uses the achievements of the debut Ultra series, but due to the lower price, the novelty is available to a wider range of customers.

Last year, we celebrated a landmark event – the growth of SVS from a highly specialized, focused on the production of exclusively subwoofers to a classic loudspeaker manufacturer.

The group of enthusiasts that founded SVS in 1998 originally planned to conquer the subwoofer market. They believed that a high-quality subwoofer could cost significantly less than the devices on the market at that time. As a result, SVS was able to win a niche for itself, thereby proving its case and simultaneously forcing other manufacturers to look for a more favorable price / quality ratio for the buyer.

And now, 15 years later, the company enters the classic speaker market with the Ultra line and the same revolutionary idea “High End to the masses”. The first-born were taken extremely seriously, having worked out the design to the smallest detail using the latest design tools. For their price, the speakers had exceptionally high sound quality, as the experts of our magazine could see for themselves.

The company took the next step in October 2014 by announcing the new SVS Prime line. Engineers tried to reduce the cost of the speakers, but close attention was also paid to design optimization. The task was made easier by the experience already accumulated as a result of the development of the Ultra line. This is certainly an interesting event for a wide range of buyers, as high-quality speakers have become even more affordable. How high quality, we will find out on the example of the flagship of the line – floor standing speakers SVS Prime Tower.

Two Beautiful Towers

The Prime lineup includes the Prime Tower, Prime Bookshelf, Prime Center and Prime Satellite. Outwardly, the speakers resemble their Ultra predecessors – the same rigor in design, the same beveled edges, the same black piano lacquer. However, there is also a more modest version of the finish with a matte front panel and black ash laminate. It should be noted that it was the satellites in the Prime Satellite 5.1 cinema set that caused the most enthusiastic reviews from foreign observers. The general opinion of experts coincides with the goal of the company – the speakers sound exceptionally good for their price.

The floor model SVS Prime Tower is assembled in a relatively small case with a height of 930 mm. The radiators are compactly shifted upwards, and the bass drivers make full use of the entire available cabinet width. All diffusers are black, without any embellishments. On the one hand, this emphasizes rigor and solidity, on the other hand, it looks simple and utilitarian, like the design of professional monitor acoustics.

Behind the external simplicity and compactness lies a 3.5-way audio signal distribution scheme. A neatly tuned crossover evenly stitches the frequency range of different radiators. It is assisted by two ports of independent phase inverters tuned to different frequencies. This distribution improves bass uniformity and sensitivity. Unusually, the diameter of the horns is small and there is no smoothly expanding bell as such. Nevertheless, looking ahead, it should be noted that no hints of noise from the movement of air through them can be heard.

To make their speakers more accessible, SVS didn’t go overboard with the external design, investing as much as possible in the design itself. However, strict classics are still in demand and universal.

An aluminum dome tweeter was chosen as the tweeter because its frequency response is best matched to that of the midrange driver. To improve the sound quality of the aluminum dome, a diffusion washer is installed in front of it. Its performance has been optimized by the Finite Element Method (FEA) to achieve a clean, airy high end.

The new midrange and woofers are equipped with filled polypropylene cones. They have a very attractive stiffness to weight ratio. To reduce inductive interference and distortion, aluminum rings are installed in the magnetic gap of the speakers. The voice coils are freely ventilated, which eliminates the effect of air compression and facilitates cooling.

Baskets are made of impact-resistant ABS plastic with carbon and fiberglass filling. Such a mixture turned out to be not only very strong, but also capable of additionally removing heat from the magnetic system.

The midrange driver is placed in its own acoustically isolated compartment to reduce crosstalk and, consequently, distortion. Each woofer also has its own separate compartment with a bass reflex. The crossover is built around premium capacitors and air-core inductors. To connect to the amplifier, one pair of classic screw terminals is used.

Each SVS Prime Tower phase inverter (there are two in total) is tuned to its own frequency. The phase inverter ports successfully do without any bells. A standard pair of terminals is located in a small niche at the very bottom of the column.

s means that you can safely assemble music and cinema systems of any complexity without facing the problem of matching the sound of the speakers.

SOUND

The sound of SVS Prime Tower is collected and at the same time slightly softened and comfortable. The musical material is presented lively and cleanly. Despite some limitations in the dynamic range, the intonation character of the compositions is conveyed quite accurately, with good articulation. Timbre information is conveyed with minor simplifications.

Meanwhile, the speakers do not add their own color to the sound, leaving the musical scene very clean, and interpret the musical concept close to the original. The model lacks accuracy in working out quiet details, in micro dynamics. Instead, the details are slightly accentuated, which brings the music stage closer to the listener, hiding the airiness and volume. The upper register is present in sufficient volume to maintain the correctness of the overall tonal balance. The development of high-frequency details and its frequency reserve are at the average level characteristic of Hi-Fi speakers.

Noticeably better intelligibility is provided at information-rich medium and low frequencies. Complex musical compositions are not blurred, they sound impressive. The bass is tight and fast. Its depth is quite good, but its tonal definition decreases towards the lowest frequencies. Speakers work best with fast and energetic compositions. SVS keeps the rhythm well. The sound is comfortable and clear, however, for the full disclosure of high-quality acoustic and electronic recordings, there is a little lack of detail and saturation. However, sometimes it is even for the better.

The SVS Prime Tower model can be described as a solid Hi-Fi model with a pleasant and very clear sound. The novelty does not compete with its more expensive predecessor SVS Ultra Tower, but it supports 100% related features.

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Measurement Result

The speakers show a very flat frequency response from 80 Hz all the way up to 20 kHz along the sound axis. With the turn of the speaker from the listener, the frequency response changes slightly, which means that they are broadly directed. The drop in sensitivity in the bass is typical for small floorstanders. The lower frequency limit is quite modest – 54 Hz.

The SOI of the speakers is very good: in the working area it does not exceed 0.5%, and in practice for the most part it is still much lower. A noticeable increase in distortion begins only at frequencies below 30 Hz, when their level still does not exceed 2%. This is an excellent result, not always achieved even by high-end models. The SOI depends very little on the volume, which demonstrates a good margin in terms of dynamics and power (up to 250 W at nominal). Speaker impedance behaves quite well. Its average value is slightly short of 6 ohms, and deviations from this value are small.

Average THD

100Hz – 20kHz, 94/88/82dB: 0.11/0.14/0.22%

40-100Hz, 94/88/82dB: 0.52/0.40/0.37%

Sensitivity at 1 kHz: 87.26 dB

Low cutoff frequency (-10 dB): 54 Hz

Frequency response unevenness

100 Hz – 20 kHz: +/-1.14 dB

160-1300 Hz: +/-0.31 dB

1300 Hz – 20 kHz: +/-1.15 dB

300 Hz – 5 kHz: +/-1.01 dB

Medium flatness (30° angle): +/-4.55 dB

Unbalance (160-1300 Hz): -0.25 dB

Unbalance (1300 Hz – 20 kHz): -0.57 dB

Unbalance (30° angle): -4.45 dB

Impedance

RMS: 1.96 ohm

Average: 5.81 ohms

Maximum value: 12.29 ohms

Minimum value: 3.52 ohms

Pros And Cons

Pros:

– Even frequency balance

– Clear music scene

– Fast and tight bass

– Good articulation

Cons:

Slightly reduced detail in the upper register’

SVSSOUND

SVS Prime Tower Speakers Specifications.

Weight: 18.2 kg

SVS Prime Pinnacle speaker review

The SVS Prime Pinnacle is a premium floor standing speaker at the top of the SVS Prime line. This model has a three-way configuration and is equipped with a 5.25-inch mid-range driver, as well as three 6.5-inch woofers. The Prime Pinnacle has a frequency range of 29Hz – 25kHz (+/- 3dB level) and is rated for 300W of input power. It must be admitted that these speakers embody a new level of quality for this popular company.

You can also list such Prime Pinnacle characteristics as a sensitivity of 88 dB and a nominal impedance of 8 ohms. The crossover for the midrange and treble sections is set to 2.1kHz and has a slope of 12dB per octave. The crossover for the mid/bass speakers is set to 300 Hz with the same slope. The speakers use a 1-inch aluminum dome tweeter. The midrange cone is made of composite fiberglass, and the woofer diaphragms are made of polypropylene. The midrange and woofers have molded ABS and fiberglass composite baskets, as well as ventilated voice coils.

The Prime Pinnacle cabinets are made from MDF and have internal isolation sections for each frequency band. According to SVS, the rounded corners of the front panel and the flush-mounting of the drivers resulted in reduced diffraction and improved frequency response flatness. In addition, spacers are installed in the body to reduce resonances and increase the overall rigidity of the structure.

These are impressive speakers weighing 26 kg and measuring 103 (H) X 20 (W) X 34 (D) centimeters. This model is available in black ash or black lacquer finish.

Installation and listening

SVS sent us a pair of Prime Pinnacle floorstanders in Piano Black finish for testing, as well as an SVS SB-3000 subwoofer – the perfect ingredients for building a high-end 2.1 system. I set up speakers in my living room and hooked them up to a NAD M10 Masters streaming amplifier. This unit delivers 100 watts per channel into 8 ohms and is equipped with a sound equalization function depending on the Dirac Live listening environment. With Prime Pinnacle’s 29Hz low end bass range, these speakers can be used without a subwoofer for punchy, punchy bass. What’s more, thanks to the Dirac Live calibration system, those basses are focused and precise.

From the very first listening in a 2.0 system without equalization or equalization, it is clear that SVS has developed speakers that sound more than their price – this is an excellent result. Of course, you’ll have to find the optimal speaker placement (and maybe even some room processing) to get the right tonal balance, but these speakers are just as deserving of proper audiophile treatment as any much higher-priced audiophile system. Treat them right and you’ll get clear, detailed sound with stereo surround that extends far out of the room and has a palpable three-dimensionality.

Future Chaos by Bomb the Bass immediately filled my living room with throbbing bass and soft synth sounds that Prime Pinnacle sounded rich and beautiful. There is not even a hint of lethargy here, these speakers will allow you to hear and feel all the details of a well-recorded track. The clean sound of this speaker is a sign that SVS has done a good job with its design.

The inclusion of the SB-3000 subwoofer added depth, but overall there was little difference in music between the 2.0 and 2.1 configurations. Also, I’m not the type to use a 2.1 system without some kind of bass EQ. This can be achieved with the SB-3000 app and parametric equalizer, or with the AV receiver’s built-in or integrated amplifier’s equalizer/sound correction system, depending on the room. However, even a simple subwoofer level adjustment ensured consistent system performance. This is a testament to the well-thought-out design of the speakers and subwoofer, which (subjectively) work in harmony even without additional adjustment (equalization) of the sound.

Image credit: SVS

Dirac Live technology does wonders for bass tuning, as well as timing and channel volume issues. I ran it on a NAD M10 and after EQing the system sounded even better in both 2.0 and 2.1 configurations. Both 2.0 and 2.1 sound quality has been improved by reducing the effect of room resonances and their associated peaks and dips.

As with other reviews, the Dirac Live-optimized 2.1 system sounds amazing. It’s so good that it compares to the much more expensive “audiophile” kits you’ll find at some High End show. In some of them, the mains cable will cost more than this entire system, and yet, if you care about great sound, you will be hard-pressed to find something better for a reasonable price than the Prime Pinnacle and SB-3000. I just enjoyed the music with this system – it handled Black Uhuru’s dense yet airy album The Dub Factor just as easily as it did Ministry’s powerful and rich The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste.

As for symphonic music, the sound of Beethoven’s classical works on the record from Deutsche Grammophon was large-scale and deep – the stereo image had the necessary breadth and impressive scope. The bass was felt at the physical level, which is important for the correct perception of live orchestral music. The flutes sparkle, the strings rise to impressive crescendos, and you keep turning up the volume, but there is no distortion in the sound. The sound of the clarinet will tell you if the acoustics are good, but with Prime Pinnacle I didn’t even have such questions – the sound of Beethoven’s music just gave me goosebumps, as it should be.

We increase power

Since these speakers are designed for more power input than the NAD M10 Masters can provide, I connected them to my Crestron ProCise ProAmp (250 watts per channel). I believe that if you prefer a two-channel system configuration, without a subwoofer, then you should use an amplifier with the maximum recommended output power. Admittedly, with a subwoofer and proper bass tuning, a good AV receiver or amplifier like the NAD M10 will certainly be enough power for most living spaces.

For this review, I didn’t go beyond the 2.1 system, but I also watched a few movies in my living room. And I think that powerful sound and a wide stereo image provide excellent sound accompaniment to what is happening on the screen. Dialogue was reproduced very accurately, and in general there was a sense of scale and scope – dynamic scenes sounded very convincing. Even though there was no surround sound, the action on screen and the sound imagery in the room were well matched.

While watching the adventures of Bumblebee, I was consumed by what was happening on the screen, and I had to consciously remind myself that this was just stereo sound. It’s the same with the Captain Marvel movie: I’m sure if I had done an A/B comparison I would have heard a noticeable difference with the multi-channel system, but the sound of the 2.1 SVS Prime Pinnacle set was still great: captivating, rich and physically tangible .

I decided to focus on what the additional investment in a real theater system can be for someone who already owns SVS Prime Pinnacle acoustics. These speakers can be paired with a good AV receiver or integrated amplifier if your budget is to start with a 2.0 system. Then I would add a subwoofer (SB-3000 is one option. But you can choose another, or even use two subs in the system), a Prime Center speaker and a pair of rear speakers (Prime Satellite or Prime Bookshelf) to get a 5.1 configuration . After that I would upgrade to 5.1.2 using Prime Elevation speakers. Finally, if the AV receiver supports this configuration, I would add rear height channels.

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Conclusion

Choosing the right acoustics for each user is a matter of taste, thanks to the incredible variety of sizes, shapes, technologies and price categories on the market today (cost $1600) . If you are interested in getting the most accurate and exciting sound at the most affordable price, then be sure to check out the new SVS Prime Pinnacle speakers.

If you’re looking for 3-way speakers that sound great and are more attractively priced than their closest competitors, then this SVS speaker should definitely be on your priority list. Thanks to their tight and balanced sound, you can listen to music at high volume for hours and enjoy it. There is no doubt that Prime Pinnacle are the best speakers in their price range at the moment.