Monday, 18 December, 2006: Happy Holidays and CES News!

Holiday greetings to all: Click here to view a copy of our year end letter to all customers and prospective customers like you! Catch up on the latest news, hear about pending price changes and the big CES in Las Vegas!

Big news in the review world. For the month of December, Sound and Vision Magazine saw fit to review our fantastic SBS-01 surround sound speaker package, in this case featuring our new PB12-NSD subwoofer too. Suffice it to say, Ken Pohlmann liked the system, quite a bit actually. Buy the magazine for your own printed copy, or read this electronic copy courtesy of SVS and Sound and Vision Magazine.

Thursday, 5 October, 2006: Back to Canada... not for parts this time.

One of the most common questions we've gotten over the years was, "can I get an SVS product way up here? Yes, actually, we have long shipped SVS subs and speakers to Canada, pretty much daily. But "up there" could be way up there. Canada's a big place. Yet, folks understandably would like local service and simple Canadian shipping, sans "brokerage fees" and other silliness, NAFTA notwithstanding. The same crew behind Electronics For Less have created a new, higher line audio retail company, Sonic Boom Audio. The only place you can get SVS now in Canada, just to keep things simple. Quick and painless shopping, delivery and service. So no more border charges, plus faster, less expensive, shipping -- direct from the SBA's Toronto warehouse -- to your door. SVS long built its rugged BASH amps in Toronto, so it's high time we arrive in the region with more convenient retail. Aggressive prices, and comprehensive customer care, SVS style.  Write Sonic Boom Audio, call (905) 944-8484...or go visit www.sonicboomaudio.com. Coming to a Province near you, 15 October, 2006.

Monday, 28 August, 2006: The world of small subs just changed.

The SB12-Plus isn't just another small sub, it's the first small sub from SVS. You can find smaller, you can find more expensive, but you can't find a better small sub at this price. Period. Loaded with high-end features. And loaded with legendary deep and powerful bass that will blend perfectly with any music or movie system. Big SVS subwoofers remain the performance choice when size isn't an issue. For small to mid-sized rooms this might just be the one that slips into your lifestyle. Compact, deep, powerful, great looking and built in our Ohio factory. Shipping starts on or about the first week of October. Don't wait long to order yours.

Thursday, 10 August, 2006: Pre-order the best $600 sub in the world now.

Wow, those guys are SVS are pretty "cocky", no? Well, perhaps there's a fine line between cocky, and honest. While we're generally a modest group, and humble about our rise as the hottest factory-direct audio brand on the web (there we go again!) we're also scrupulously blunt about the speaker and subwoofer landscape facing consumers. It's a jungle out there frankly, and those "what's the best ...??" questions come up all the time. If it's projectors or toasters, or audio receivers we all have our opinions, and at SVS we're never afraid to share our opinions.

It's not "opinions" weighing in on this question however. We've tested the best of the best in this popular price point, and we're not aware of any product that'll provide more depth, more accuracy, more power and flatter/more natural sounding bass than this new PB12-NSD. The vast bulk don't provide a fraction of the performance, truth be told. And it's loaded with features too, though we're never ones to be looking for superfluous "features" that trend towards "solutions looking for problems" either.

We know, it's "big talk". But this isn't some highly polished marketing spin, it's not based on some golden-eared prognosis, or magic measurements no one can ever duplicate (because the "methodology" defies explanation). Nope, it's simply our assessment, as a company founded first upon an unsurpassed grasp of the physics of audio, and equally important, an unsurpassed commitment to providing the best performance, at any given price point. And lest we forget, the best service too, since that's as much a part of the "product" as the products themselves. We're not open 7 days a week for nothing. Together, all these things define "value" at SVS.

Jump to the PB12-NSD product page and look over the highlights of our components, and grasp the import of a frequency response chart which gives new meaning to the phrase "ruler flat". It's SO flat we didn't even use the usual industry standard "smoothing" technique. That's a raw, 1/60th octave trace of what your new SVS sub can pull out in unforgiving lab conditions. Even non-technical folks probably can appreciate that flat means even, balanced, and natural sounding bass. There are, of course, other measures of performance one might use, but frequency response is almost certainly the most important of those. It can be a challenge to find any brand with the moxie to put 2 meter "ground plane" measurements up on their pages. We do it as a routine. Ask other OEMs where their performance charts are, and how they were derived.

It's not easy to make a commitment of providing "the best" at a given price... and we'll be right up front, the $600 price on this new PB12-NSD is not going to hold for very long. Right in our rural Ohio factory, we build most of our products (from domestic and imported materials), heck we're even building the woofer in this new sub in-house. But in seven years (yes "7") we've never raised prices, even one time. We've streamlined production, bought supplies in ever larger quantities, and we've expanded sales overseas even to increase volume and prosper. But everything we buy to manufacture our products has gone up in price, several fold in some cases recently. Seven years is a long time to hold down prices while year after year we've also improved performance, looks and service too.

We might have introduced this new PB12-NSD at a new, somewhat higher price, but we're pledging to keep things where they are at least for the next 30 days or so, longer if possible. Yet, even with any increases in prices, you can bet we're not discarding our commitment to remain the price/performance leader in the audio market. Any change in price of any SVS product will always be made with full knowledge that we're not the only speaker and subwoofer brand in the world. If you want to stay the best, you are one step ahead of the competition by definition, and always mindful of what hard working people have to pay for your products. Of course you also make sure you keep the bottom line in the black, so you are there to serve that role for the future too.

Given there's no shortage of subs at two, three, even four times the cost of the new PB12-NSD which can't even begin to challenge its overall abilities, modest price changes down the road won't affect its position at the top of the heap in the $600-$700 range of subwoofers. For a limited time, $600 in three room-friendly colors. Shipping starts first week of September, 2006.

Friday, 28 July, 2006: Expanded products, services and improved prices for Germany, Austria and Switzerland

Those SVS customers living in Scandinavia have been served exceptionally well by start-up company L-Sound for over a year. Their operations were so successful we've now restructured our expanding products and service into all German speaking markets under their exclusive direction too. With a slick web site, even more aggressive prices than before and customer service that rivals SVS here in the USA, we know German, Austrian and Swiss customers are in good hands. Getting the world-class SVS product you want just got easier. New web pages reflecting this reorganization are coming soon, but customers can already visit the English version for the L-Sound store here!

Thursday, 20 July, 2006: A new kind of SVS subwoofer, the SB12-Plus

If you build the world's best "big" subwoofers for 7 years, then your first "micro" sub had better be something pretty special. SVS was born under the premise that world-class performance should not require "I own the world" budgets. Make no mistake, there's still no fooling Mother Nature. Size still "rules". We can bend those rules as well as any OEM on the planet, but the bigger the subwoofer... the easier it is to coax outstanding music and movie depth, power and smooth, linear performance from it. If you are OK with big, then there is no shortage of other SVS subs to get. But "Small" is "big" in the consumer electronics world. "Significant others" like small (sometimes), as do many others for whom unobtrusive good looks are key to your audio room's equipment list. Your home might be fairly compact too after all, and the SB12-Plus was designed for these circumstances.

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SB12-Plus in new Rosenut finish, with magnetically retained grill removed.

So, while there are hundreds, if not thousands of tiny subwoofers out there, very very few rise to the level of the phrase "sub-woofer". Most are either very very expensive, very poor performers in one of those critical categories, or both expensive AND poor performers. We know, we've tested the best of the breed for years now. The norm? Poor frequency response, little true deep bass and limited sound pressure levels of (unless you consider loads of harmonic distortion a good thing, which we most definitely do not).

SB12-Plus 425 watt amp with PEQ, Room Compensation, variable crossover and a host of input/output options

But instead, the new SB12-Plus is a small, genuine SUB-woofer even audiophiles can love. A sub that's deep, very compact and looks as good as it works. Hidden "neo" magnets (wood and gloss black cabinets only) in the cabinets hold fast to the thick fabric covered grill frame, or you can run without for a totally clean look that'll defy any audio nut's ability to guess its cost. Serious features that serious audio fans can appreciate, and build quality you simply would not expect for the still affordable price tag. US prices starting at a mere $699 for black vinyl, $749 for wood (new "Rosenut" pictured here, along with Oak, and Maple) or $799 for immaculate piano gloss black, you'll be able to pre-order in August (export "CE" approved 220V prices will be somewhat higher). Shipping is planned for mid-late September. Special pricing will be available for these subwoofers bought with our new SBS-01 speaker sets (black vinyl was selected to perfectly match both product lines). A 5.1 package of SBS-01 mains, SCS-01 center and a SB12-Plus is soon to be a new compact music and theater system performance benchmark.

SB12-Plus in new Rosenut finish, with magnetically retained grill installed

So again, while there are many, many small "subwoofers" out there, there is only one good enough to wear the SVS logo. Those familiar with us know that's the sign you got "as good as it gets"... at any sort of sane price anyway. Expect reviewers to laud this new SVS product as setting the bar in its niche, something competitors are well used to by now. It's the advantage you get when buying factory direct (or from an exclusive SVS Authorized Dealer outside the USA), an advantage long enjoyed by the "size is no issue" crowd.

Exclusive SVS Canadian-built SB12-Plus 425 watt BASH amp

Now the legendary SVS accuracy, power and depth are yours in a tightly packaged subwoofer, a product of nearly 8 years of combined research and design. You don't even need to be a member of the "price is no object" crowd to get one.

Features

Proprietary SVS-built, high-performance 12" Plus woofer

425 watt BASH ® digital switching amp

CAD cabinet with 1" front baffle, glass lined

Single band Parametric EQ

Room compensation control, continuously variable phase

Full crossover with RCA, high-level or XLR inputs/outputs

Precise CNC-milled panel construction, hand-worked real wood veneer

Front-firing design with flush-fit baffle

Removable, compliant floor isolation points

Custom finish choices to match any decor (black vinyl, maple, oak, rosenut, black gloss)

Rigid grill, chrome pin or invisible “neo” attachment  

Extra heavy-duty removable 8 foot power cord

Contemporary, "seamless" enclosure styling

+/- 3 dB 22 Hz-150 Hz or better (2-4hz deeper in small to mid-sized rooms)

Ultra compact: 14" wide  x 14" high x 15" deep (with grill installed)

Weight: 40 pounds

Monday, 3 July, 2006: SBS-01 and friends... is Silver (or White) the "new Black"??

Black is the perfect color for sound gear... unless it's not. Then it's really, really not what you want probably. And that's before any "significant other" weighs in. Speakers have to work in the real world of multi-purpose rooms after all. Take a look around at the plethora of silver anything, receivers, DVD players, projectors and all manner of TV's and you quickly realize, that while still a classic, black is now fully joined by some subtle alternatives. But, we're not talking about plastic wood (or wood that looks like plastic). Our new SBS-01 in Sterling Silver is just the thing for modern decor of your stylin' home with your small theater or bedroom plasma system.

SBS-01 5.1 package in Sterling Silver with the new PB12-NSD (expected price about $1,175). Pre-orders in August with shipping in September, 2006.

White, of course, is always the favorite whenever you are looking to hang speakers in a new room with little additional paint work and more or less "stealth" visibility. Naturally, they are joined by the perfectly matched SCS-01 center channel. Performance is always king at SVS, but even we appreciate nice design when we see it.

SBS-01 5.1 package in Cream White, grills removed, with the new PB12-NSD (expected price $1,175). Pre-orders in August with shipping in September, 2006.

Because we know (we've used or tested thousands), many entry level speakers simply look cheap, as if designed by a committee that never held a meeting. Not these SVS speakers. They're internally braced, with custom drivers, high-end crossovers... but no cheesy fake wood. Instead, these hand shaped cabinets arrive without that "origami" or square corner look so common in the affordable range of audio. Check out the elegant, smooth styling, subdued graphics, and a minimum of junk hanging on their lines. These are the rare sort of speakers which could have their price tags multiplied a couple times, and still not be out of place in terms of heft and sheer quality of materials. To say nothing of their performance, which is already award-winning, and equal to the reputation long ago set by their subwoofer cousins. Who says performance can't look good unless you are loaded with cash?

Note the family styling and in a few days, new packages available too with the new PB12-NSD subwoofer discussed more below. You get to "Supersize" your SBS-01 surround or stereo package with minimal fuss and a grouping of product that sets the industry standard at the price point in pretty much all regards. Pre-orders on the new finishes start soon.

Sunday, 2 July, 2006: Back to the beginning. A new PB12-NSD.

When your first powered sub, in the ubiquitous "box" form factor, is a smash hit like the "old" PB12-ISD was (called the PB1-ISD upon its debut some years back), you understandably might leave well enough alone. In fact, we did for quite a while. Today's PB12-NSD is our oldest Powered Box design and was, (despite never being seriously challenged at the $600 price point), overdue for a fresh look and benefit from our years of refining audio packages.

So while the name stays the same (Powered Box, 12" - single NSD type woofer), just about everything about it is different from before, save that latest NSD woofer and our stalwart 325 watt BASH amp. While the look is different for this product, it's very familiar to SVS watchers.

Comparison of the $429 PB10-NSD (left) and the $600 "Supersized" PB12-NSD (right):

The PB10-ISD (above left, now the "PB10-NSD") was SVS's first entry into the truly budget class of subwoofers and was one of those "freaks of nature" right from the start. Inexpensive, stunningly powerful, deep, accurate and perfect on music or movies. The combination of shape/size, and CNC construction provided for a simple, elegant and brutally effective sub that worked so well, we knew it was a new family direction before the ink was dry on early performance charts.

And the new PB12-NSD pictured above right and elsewhere in this update? Well, the family resemblance is striking we think. Imagine the current PB10-NSD as the older (but smaller) brother to this new SVS sub... just all pumped up by a year at the gym. It's the same only bigger, the PB10-NSD... but "Supersized" (no added fat or calories however). A massive 4" port where the PB10-NSD gets by with a 3" one, that big proprietary SVS 12" NSD woofer, and a cabinet so big and robust we packed in two intricately machined and computer designed braces inside, to keep everything sound as a pound. Gone is the traditional, but heavy, SVS signature base plate -- replaced with a simple front firing layout. Gained is even more enclosure volume, and more room for a longer, deeper breathing port. So, it's everything that the PB10-NSD is, but more of it. It's more quantity to go with all that great quality sound. Over 50% more powerful, the PB12-NSD is THE sub to get when a few more $$ can be milked from the budget, and you have a thirst to fill up a larger room than even the talented PB10-NSD can fill.

And because we long discovered a "black" finish is perfect, only until it's not, we're offering 3 designer colors including the debut of sterling silver. Fact is, in much of the world, "silver is the new black" and one look around your own rooms, a silver plasma screens, silver DVD players and silver Tivo machines you might start to agree.

Partner up a PB12-NSD with our amazing SBS-01 speaker systems (also coming in white and silver to join traditional black) and you save even more on the rock bottom $600 price. All bundled up with the bookshelves and center you'll swear the new sub was cut from the same cloth as the speakers and it's smaller PB10-NSD sibling.

We would say, say "if you find a better sub for $600... buy it" blah blah blah ...but we know how immodest and disingenuous that would be. We're honest to a fault around here, but we're also well aware, that at this price point (special 220V, CE approved export model prices will be higher), there IS no better sub for $600. Not for music, not for movies, not for nothing. Last we checked, no would-be competitors here were even close.

Pre-orders start in a couple days, with shipping expected in mid/late August. Limited quantities of the (dare we say it?) "Classic" PB12-NSD are still available, but won't last long.

Tomorrow? Our first look at the long-awaited SBS-01 speakers (and the packages of course) in room-hanging friendly Cream White and Sterling Silver to match the same finishes as the latest PB10-NSD and PB12-NSD.

Saturday, 10 June, 2006: PB10-NSD. Pre-orders at hand, and much more.

We've been trickling a few out with 5.1 and 7.1 SBS-01 surround sound speaker packages, but now you can get the newly updated PB10-NSD with a stand-alone order. Black will begin shipping during the week of 26 June, so get your order in soon to snag one of the first. Cream White and newly minted Sterling Silver are in pre-order status, and should ship in early August (and as many have asked, decorator-friendly White and Silver versions SBS-01 speakers will be right behind those). Go here for more on this update to a modern SVS classic, the PB10-NSD.

On the pre-order horizon? How about a totally revamped PB12-NSD with styling that mirrors the PB10-NSD? Also, sporting Charcoal Black, White and Silver, the new PB12-NSD (still priced at $600) will have deeper tuning than its predecessor design, and will be the natural upgrade sub for SBS-01 package customers who want even more kick than the PB10-NSD can provide (which is pretty substantial already). Look for pre-orders on this killer new entry level SVS sub in a week or so, along with the first sneak peak photos. Our growing export Dealers throughout Europe and Australia will see this sub coming too, where it will bring unprecedented performance to an affordable price point.

No "Ginsu" knives ... but wait... there is more: The long awaited SB12-Plus is coming to pre-orders soon. Small, affordable and with performance that will (shocker) set a new standard in price/performance in the micro-class of subwoofers, it's probably the most anticipated new SVS product in years. A mere 14" sealed cube with a slick custom grill and simple, elegant styling, it will offer virtually every control and hookup option we've crammed into a sub, and then some. While still eschewing those gimmicky features in search of a problem, the SB12-Plus packs depth and linearity you formerly couldn't find unless spending far more. Coming in two kinds of black and three wood finishes, this over-achiever will range from $700 to $800. If you need small, but always craved the superlative music and movie performance of a real subwoofer (truth be told, few in the micro-class really rise to the definition) ... help is arriving in the form of the first really compact SVS sub. Pre-orders planned for July, with shipping expected in late August or early September. Like the PB12-NSD, this new SVS sub will also be available to our overseas customers.

With all this you might think there's no more to give. However, the MTS-01 mid-level speaker packages are still very hot in development. While probably slipping towards the end of the year, the refinement and sheer performance of current prototypes has SVS R/D Chief Tom Vodhanel pretty excited (and old-timers know that's not easy to achieve). More news as it develops on the MTS-01 set, but you can see the pace of product development at SVS is pretty relentless, with the customer the ultimate beneficiary.

Friday, 26 May, 2006: PB10-NSD. Memorial day surprise.

You probably guessed this was coming, though the details might surprise long-time SVS fans (and confound competitors alike). The New SVS 10" woofer (below) is indeed slated to be built in-house, along side other models, such as the new 12" NSD, and Plus 12.3 woofer. But here's the surprise: We're quite happy to announce this coming component merely matches the storied performance of its predecessor, the 10" ISD (built exclusively for SVS by long-time supplier TC-Sounds). Fortunately for us no subs sold in the US ever came close the the 10" ISD, so the dominance continues, but with a change in model name and some cosmetics.

When you have a subwoofer as good as the PB10-ISD, sometimes all you can swing for is par (like matching Tiger Woods on your typical 18 hole pro-course if you will). We're ambitious at SVS, but experienced enough to know that if your new, somewhat nicer looking woofer... that's built with your own design and under your quality control... is "only" as good as the Tiger Woods of your lineup (that'd be the 10" ISD in this context) you call it a day.

We did all that, and did call it a day just recently with this driver. It won't be shipping to US customers in quantity for some weeks, but since many folks had asked, we felt it time to announce it was coming... after we blow out stocks of the PB10-ISD.

Keen observers will note that the NSD 10" looks quite a lot like the new Plus 12.3 woofer. Even keener observers will remind the first group of observers that the parts mix of the "old" (and still world class) 10" ISD likewise borrowed a bit from the "old" Plus 12.2 woofer (basket design among other things). Of course, most the looks in this case are dominated by the newer, though proudly generic, 12 spoke aluminum basket (one of the few components not custom designed for this update). Given the guts of the woofer and overall design and costing parameters however, it's again like its predecessor 10" ISD, and keeps the entry level nomenclature (and off the map performance).

So, what about the "Classic" PB10-ISD then? It's in stock, and it'll soldier on till we're out (with only black and white still in stock). But, because we know some folks might be looking for a bit of incentive NOT to wait that long to buy... and finally grab the SVS they'd long aspired to, we're making our last production run irresistible with an unprecedented $50 rebate applied when you buy (which also was applied to those few customers, shipping now, who'd been backordered on black). Don't call it a sale. You know the drill: "SVS doesn't have sales because our subs already outgun and outnumber every OEM's slate of subwoofers, typically at a fraction of the price". Nope, it's not a sale. Call it a "transitional blowout/clearance". A farewell to the sub that put SVS on top of the entry level market overnight, pretty much everywhere in the world (it's one of SVS's growing list of export models too). Even though the PB10-NSD will carry on in the same tradition, we're genuinely celebratory about the ability to put the few remaining PB10-ISD's into folks' homes for $379, (plus shipping, naturally).

When its shipping (in probably the late July/early August timeframe), the updated PB10-NSD will be at the merely outstanding price of $429.

So if you were looking for the subwoofer already unmatched under $500. If you simply refuse to pay "full price" on anything; and you were waiting in vain for that SVS sale (the sort other brands never seem to cease), well this is as close as you are likely to come for a long time. Order one of the PB10-ISD's still in stock (again, only white and black) and it'll ship in a day or two. Starting next week however, pre-order a PB10-NSD, and you'll have to hunker down for a wait of a month, maybe two while we gear up production. Given pending resumption of the $429 price, and the fact performance changes are nil, we know what smart shoppers will do (buy two of the PB10-ISD and pocket $100 probably).

Sunday, 21 May, 2006: If you gotta have it, you gotta have it (or them).

At long last, the guys and gals not content with a merely world-class subwoofer, can get the parts needed to upgrade still further. While evolutionary improvements, the new Plus 12.3 and NSD woofers will provide new power, durability and typically better real-world in-room response. The harder you push your system the more you'll hear and feel the differences.

Try one (or if you have a dual driver sub or subs... two) and if you aren't fully convinced in 45 days, return them for a refund, as with all our products. You even get an added 3 years of warranty on your woofer by virtue of this swap. If there's a bigger bargain in audio, we're not aware of it. These prices ($79 for the NSD and just $99 for the Plus 12.3) will not last long. They are clear "loss leaders" for a short pre-order period only. We aim to show to those customers quick on the draw, that SVS not only designs great woofers (as we've done for some time in partner with outside suppliers), but we can design and build them right in our own Ohio factory. It's a move towards "vertical integration" that's been coming for years at SVS, even though it runs counter to the industry trend to build virtually nothing in your own factory, much less here in the US.

Seconds into the first movie or music CD you will know that incredibly we outdid the woofers that hadn't yet been matched by anyone in our respective price points as it was.

Shipping should start in the first week of July for the Plus 12.3 and just a week later for the NSD. No charge till they ship, but prices will go up as indicated on their pages immediately thereafter, (still an affordable $129 for the NSD and $169 for the Plus 12.3).

Read more and order the Plus 12.3 woofer here. And the NSD here.

Wednesday, 17 May, 2006: Upgraders, unite.

It's not easy being top dog.  You introduce one woofer after another, and darn if they don't prove just as popular, and more so, than their outstanding predecessors.  We've been chasing demand for these new SVS-built woofers with various shipping products ever since they were introduced last month.   This weekend, finally, owners of those predecessor 12" ISD and Plus woofers will be able to pre-order the newly released performance upgrades that replace those stalwarts.  The 12" NSD (replacing the ISD) and the Plus 12.3 woofer (replacing all earlier generations of Plus woofers) will be available during the pre-order phase for a mere $79 and $99 respectively.  Purchase links will be enabled this weekend and these artificially low prices will be in effect till shipping starts around the first week of July for the Plus 12.3 woofer and the following week on the NSD woofers.

Stay tuned to the News page here for those links, which should be published before Monday.

Friday, 21 APR, 2006: NSD 12" Woofer Steps to the Front.

Well, its somewhat more sophisticated brother (the Plus 12.3 woofer, introduced last week below) might have been first out of the gate; but the NSD, replacing the venerable ISD woofer this month, takes no guff from anyone. Lots of products have been trotted out here and there as "SVS killers", but none reckoned on this new driver ratcheting up the performance bar for affordable subwoofers, again. Painstakingly born out of our newly established woofer R/D and production areas, NSD subwoofers are destined to be what the competition is chasing for quite a while, even though none seriously challenged even our "old"
ISD based products. When a woofer like the NSD eschews all but basic cosmetic touches, it's got to get by on best-in-class performance instead.

No problems in that department. Because the NSD had a lot to live up to (the ISD was arguably the best in the world in its class already), we took this new woofer's development as seriously as any project we've ever begun. Rest assured, this NSD is a substantial improvement over its predecessor, and is true to its legacy... in fact, it's so good we knew the redesigned Plus 12.3 woofer had to debut about the same time just to earn its own place in the SVS arsenal. How good is it? Despite us holding the line on price, when similarly configured, the NSD virtually matches the performance of the last generation Plus driver (known as the dB12.2 while it was in production).

Compared to the ISD, this new SVS woofer has better efficiency (to more fully exploit the famed 320 watt BASH amp it's typically paired with)... improved frequency response for greater mid/high bass headroom... and more excursion for overall performance even the latest generation ISD woofer can't touch. You know great performance is nothing if it doesn't go the distance however, and the NSD is another SVS tour de force in the durability department: Dual spiders with integrated tinsel leads, high-tech NBR surround, state-of-the-art adhesives, hand-built construction (in our Ohio factory), and virtually every component custom designed in-house over a grueling period of both instrumented and subjective testing. Nothing that could help performance (without blowing the budget) was left out, and nothing that didn't help performance was put in.

While our Canadian-built BASH amps in our PCi and Powered Box (PB) subs carry over, the heart of these subwoofers has been transplanted with one exceeding every goal set for it by our development team more than a year ago. Shipping instead of ISD woofers for over two weeks already, we once again quietly slipped this stealthy powerhouse into production without any long hype-filled build-up or interminable wait. We're convinced it's the best driver you can get in the tough $550-$700 price point of entry level single driver subwoofers. What it does for your sound you simply won't believe. To our way of thinking at SVS, what a company creates for customers seeking "cost no object" products is certainly important ; but what you do for the rank and file that spend 600 hard-earned dollars had better be equally special.

NSD products are so special, that in the days ahead you'll see storied and award-winning SVS subwoofer names go by the wayside. Gone will be the PB12-ISD, gone the "ISD/V" and "ISD/2". Enter the PB12-NSD/V, the PB12-NSD/2 etc. Of course our trend-setting Powered Cylinder (PCi) subs will feature NSD power as well (though not having the woofer version integrated in their model nomenclature, they carry over their SVS subwoofer family name unchanged).

Naturally, the quickest way to get the latest hardware is with and order for these new subwoofers and speaker packages, now shipping daily. But, "upgraders", the guys and gals that simply want the latest hardware? Of course we'll not leave you in the cold. Bolt-in NSD performance will be yours, should you choose. Once full production is achieved next month, we'll enable pre-order links so you can get your NSD too. We've long supported efforts to keep your SVS products current with what's rolling off the line today, and the NSD will join such Genuine SVS Parts, (but still available only to genuine owners).

As with the coming Plus 12.3 woofer upgrades mentioned below, look for pre-orders to start as soon as mid-May, with shipping targeted for mid-June. Read more about the NSD on any of the revised product pages now featuring this latest SVS designed and built woofer... like our famous PCi subs here.

For the terminally tech oriented customer (you know who you are):

SVS designed, US-built, high-temp aluminum voice coil with Mil-spec polyimide insulation

Double-stacked, select-grade ferrite magnet

Dual, progressive custom spiders with integrated tinsel leads

Heavy-gauge, deep-stamped steel basket

High-excursion, custom NBR surround (Nitrile Buna-N Rubber)

High-strength/low-mass polypropylene SVS cone with inverted dust cap

Polyamide former/bobbin for max temp tolerance

Low-carbon 1008 steel single-piece T-Yoke and gap plate (electrophoresis finish)

Absolute highest quality acrylic adhesives used throughout

Extra-high efficiency, extended long throw design

Friday, 14 April, 2006 A new era for SVS woofers. The heart of your next sub?

SVS has long done things a bit differently than other speaker companies. Sadly, the all-too-common trend in the industry is to make things as cheaply as possible, wherever it takes, to garner the most profit possible along the way. Anyone that knows SVS knows we like to make a fair profit as much as the next guys, but what really gets us jazzed during our product planning? Simply making the best performing speakers and subs possible... so there's never any serious question about who's number one in any given price point. As a company, this means you are either always improving, and keeping the competition off balance... or else, that sound you hear might be the "other guys" taking top honors somewhere. The new Plus 12.3 woofer is evidence we can keep a secret and provide people even more performance than they even bargained for. "Vaporware" is something we avoid like the plague. Instead, we prefer to slip in new and improved stuff, and tell people about it later. You get what you pay for at SVS, and oft times, more.

Shipping for a month now, unbeknownst to most recent Plus subwoofer customers, this new driver started life with a clean sheet of paper ... and wasn't done till it really was better than its forebear. As usual around here, we figured final cost after the deign was done. Cost is, and always will be, the last consideration with a new design. If being the top performing audio product for the money is your goal, this is as it should be.

Naturally, we've had beta-testers and a whole host of beating on this SVS built, SVS designed gem for months longer than that. As we say in our product pages, when you have the performance of the predecessor Plus 12.2 woofer as the mark on the wall, you have your hands full, but this woofer is an unmistakable improvement in every regard. Not least of which we feel are its sophisticated good looks, and even better durability. Two years in the making, affordable subwoofers just got better with our Plus products.

Our entire first production run has come and gone but all Plus subs will resume shipping again around the 24th of April and we'll endeavor to keep the pipeline full after that.

Built in a new assembly area of our Ohio factory, with state of the art design and components (we even spec our own top of the line adhesives). You might see the cast basket in other applications, but few if any pretenders will make a woofer this good, inside and out, and sell it to you in finely tuned designs like our Plus subs... not at affordable prices in any case. Every part was designed or selected for maximum accuracy, efficiency, and ability to withstand the use/abuse customers can dish out.

Should you have an "old" Plus woofer, rest assured it's still going to outgun like-priced products from other brands. But the Plus 12.3 ups the performance ante in every regard and looks better doing it ("show" with out "go"? Not at SVS). Also, upgrade offers are right around the corner. We'll soon allow specially priced pre-orders of Plus 12.3 woofers for validated customers who simply must have the latest and greatest. If that's you, expect by mid/late-May you'll be able to bolt in the latest for a song... then play a song. Our legendary music and theater audio is, of course, better than ever.

Want to know more? Jump to one of our best selling Powered Cylinder Plus subs here and see additional images and a full listing of the high-tech features. We'll endeavor to expound more fully on what some of them mean in the days and weeks ahead. For now, you can rest assured the path of competitive subs just got a bit steeper.

If you paid attention this long, you might be a real glutton for detail punishment. So, here's the cool stuff under that cool black exterior:

SVS Plus 12.3 Woofer Features

Bi-filar wound, high-temp, 4-layer 2" aluminum voice coil with Mil-spec polyimide insulation

High temperature polyamide voice coil bobbin/former

Dual progressive poly-cotton spiders with integrated power leads

Custom tooled spider landing for increased lateral stability

Cast aluminum frame with integrated cooling vents – epoxy powder-coat finish

Chrome plated spring loaded push terminals

Integrated single piece rubber wrap-around gasket

Black anodized high grade aluminum cone diaphragm with inverted aluminum dust-cap  

High-excursion, custom SBR surround (Styrene-Butadiene Rubber)

Dual stacked select grade ferrite magnets

Low carbon 1008 steel single piece T-yoke and gap plate – electrophoresis finish

Absolute highest quality acrylic adhesives used throughout

Extreme excursion capability, enhanced efficiency and durability

Small batch, hand-built in SVS's dedicated Ohio, USA driver assembly line

Tuesday, 11 APR, 2006 SBS-01 Speakers shipping in quantity... and more.

Many customers asked for a "center only" option from our great SBS-01 speaker line and here it is. That, and we're shipping all systems, in quantity. 5.1, 7.0... whatever it takes. We will be temporarily out of black PB10-ISD's for several weeks but other colors are shipping  with the SBS-01 packages; and should you be tied to a "any color you want as long as it's Black" room decor, then we're upgrading to any other black sub in our line up with a 10% off coupon when purchased with a 5.0 or 7.0 speaker package.  So, want the SBS-01 speaker set but you really felt going to a more powerful sub was the way to package things? This is your chance. Order a speaker only package, any SVS sub you want, and we'll take 10% off that sub. Decide that a black PB10-ISD is all you want? Sign up on the backorder list and get a free SVS shirt and hat combo when it ships.

And we'll do our best not to run out of these super-hot selling speakers again. Stay tuned to our Reviews page for some long delayed writings about just how good they really are. Editor's Choice, customer ravings, Best Buy accolades should be expected when you introduce speakers that are as good as your legendary subs right?

Saturday, 14 JAN, 2006 Speakers gone to the quick and the lucky

Our first SBS-01 systems shipped to customers the day we arrived at CES so in the interest of our own sanity and customer service, we kept pricing in place thru CES and then some, but the extension is due to end soon.  Regular prices start Monday, January 16th, 2006.  What's more, over 2,000 buyers, dealers, and yes, even a few regular old customers were fairly shocked by the sound coming from our two 6.1 systems dialed in for the occasion over at Alexis Park.  The upshot?  Between all the gasping visitors, and dealers already established overseas, our entire first production run is virtually sold out already.  5.1 systems are still shipping but quantities are very limited.  2.0 stereo pairs and 7.0 and 7.1 systems are on backorder already.  We're pounding our subcontractors in charge of assembly as this update is typed, but don't expect the pipeline to be filled up again until March, hopefully.

Pre-order pricing is available on all packages, even those backordered, but only till this Monday, after that our merely excellent prices replace the totally crazy ones responsible for the fastest sellout of any new product in SVS history.  If you happened by our exhibit at CES, or were one of the lucky to snap up a system already, you already know why we're sold out.  The most common phrase we heard over the course of 5 days in Vegas??  "These sound better than my Brand-X speakers... but mine cost a LOT more than this package!".

We know none of our thousands of loyal customers, and probably none of our competitors either, are one bit surprised.  Order your 5.0 or 5.1 system soon, supply is down to mere days.  Backorder lists will ensue after that.  We're not in the habit of running outages, but this is one hot package.

Friday, 30 DEC, 2005 Speakers (about to) launch a new era for SVS

Still "late December", here but things are just a bit behind plans for shipping the first SBS-01 speakers and full systems.  A bit.  Months ago we'd planned shipping late in the holiday period, morphing almost immediately to "late December" as our first ship date (based on factory deadlines of our subcontractors, shipping timelines, our history with US Customs, etc, etc.).  Coming within days of that, we hope to now receive our first units late tonight and immediately begin a thorough QC process in our Ohio factory.  If all goes to plan the first units will ship out on Monday and Tuesday (2-3 January, 2006.  Pre-orders should all be caught up by mid month.  We appreciate your understanding as we focus on shipping out only perfect units passed by our rigorous inspectors.

But that's not all.  If you happen to be among those able to find a way into the the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) the largest trade show in the world, you'll be able to kick the tires on a bevy of SVS product too.  Long a "lurker" at CES in years past, we'll be setting up state of the art full surround sound systems (two of them) this time. 

   Come Visit Us!

   5-8 January, 2006

   Suite 1654 Alexis Park

   Las Vegas, NV