I recently covered SVS’ new Prime Series Loudspeakers that were announced at the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest (RMAF). SVS has now begun shipping the first batch of speakers. My review set arrived on Tuesday of this week.
My review setup consists of the SVS Prime Bookshelf speakers in high grade piano black finish ($599.98/pair) and an SVS SB-2000 subwoofer ($699.99) for a 2.1 configuration. It should be noted that the high grade piano black finish, which I cover in more detail below, commands a $100 premium over the standard black ash finish. In black ash finish, the Prime Bookshelf speakers cost $499.99.
The SB-2000 is SVS’ mid-range model and was an existing product. It’s a step below the SB-13 Ultra sub I previously reviewed. Thus, the total cost for the review setup is $1,299.97.
When you look at the specifications and potential performance of this package, it’s an utterly incredible value. You have a system with the potential to reach down to 19 Hz +/- 3db for about $1,200 (black ash) or $1,300 (high-gloss piano black). That’s unreal.
Ultimately, however, we’ll have to see how this setup performs once the review period is over. Nevertheless, here are some of my first impressions of the Prime series speakers.
My review pair arrived via FedEx. Before accepting the delivery, I noticed that the box containing the Prime Bookshelf speakers had been punctured on one side. As you can see in the photo below, the damage was pretty severe and I was worried that one or both of the speakers had been damaged.
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| The Prime Bookshelf Speakers came with significant damage to the outer box from FedEx. Even though the speakers weren’t double-boxed, the spacing, internal padding, and packaging prevented any damage to the speakers. |
The SB-2000 subwoofer box was intact. To make sure everything was OK, I opened up the Prime Bookshelf box with the FedEx deliveryman there to make sure that the speakers hadn’t suffered any physical damage.
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| The SVS SB-2000 Subwoofer arrived without any external damage. |
Thanks to SVS’ packaging, the speakers themselves were in pristine physical condition. I accepted the deliver but notified the folks over at SVS just in case I notice something post-setup during the review period.
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| The Prime Bookshelf speakers are covered in protective cloth and again covered by a plastic bag. |
My Prime Bookshelf speaker review set came in SVS’ spectacular piano black finish that I raved about during my SB-13 Ultra subwoofer review. This finish is like a mirror. It’s simply beautiful and can only be appreciated in person. Photos just don’t do it justice.
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| The Piano Black Gloss finish of these speakers is mirror-like and will rival and even beat the finish on speakers costing $10,000 or more. |
Let me be clear, SVS didn’t cut any corners in the finish of these speakers. I’m very hard-pressed to tell any difference at all between the finish in the Prime series loudspeakers and SVS’ top of the line Ultra Towers (see the pic below comparing the two).
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| The finish on the $599/pair Prime Series is the same quality as their $1,999/pair Ultra towers. I’ve stacked the SVS Prime Bookshelf on top of an SVS Ultra Tower and there’s no difference in the finish. |
The finish on these $599/pair speakers will put to shame speakers costing upwards of $10,000. Yes, it’s that good and it’s not a hyperbole.
These speakers are of modest size and are definitely WAF or Wife Acceptance Factor-friendly. They don’t have the size and heft of more expensive monitors. You can easily and discreetly put them on a stands, in a bookshelf, or on a countertop without issue. They are not an eye-sore.
At the same time, they don’t feel cheap by any means. Each Bookshelf speaker weighs in at 19 pounds. I did a knuckle rap test on the enclosure to see how solid it felt. Knocking on the speaker cabinets didn’t produce the same deadening “thud” that I had experienced with SVS’ ultra series. I therefore decided to inquire about any differences in the cabinet design and bracing.
Gary Yacoubian, SVS’ president was kind enough to provide some insight into the cabinetry construction between the Prime and Ultra lines. Gary said:
Across both the Primes and Ultras we use the same high quality MDF material for 25mm (1²) thick front baffles, and 18mm (3/4²) MDF on the other sides and braces. The one model that is different is the Prime Satellite, which still uses a thicker 18mm Front Baffle, and 12mm (1/2²) on the other walls.
Both the Ultra and Prime series have extensive internal bracing, well beyond what one might expect at their respective price ranges. That said, the Ultra series as a whole uses more extensive bracing through each model.
I’m appreciative to Gary for answering that initial question.
Moving on to some other general observations. The tweeter is protected by a non-removable perforated metal cover and there’s a port on the rear of the speaker. The tweeter’s cover cannot be removed.
The grille isn’t magnetic and is held on with traditional pegs. While magnetic grilles would have been a really nice touch, if this is one area where a cost compromise was made, that’s a trade-off I’ll take every time.
The grille mesh is highly transparent as you can see in the picture below and should pass plenty of air nicely. The grill itself was extremely rigid and thick. I’ve owned and reviewed speakers costing far more than these Prime Bookshelf speakers that have had inferior grille designs and were made of thin, cheap plastic.
The binding posts on the Prime Bookshelf are solid and no-frills. Their solid look and feel reminds me of the binding posts Madrigal would use on their high-end $3,000+ Proceed amps back in the day. For those who recall, Madrigal also made Mark Levinson electronics before they became part of Harman International.
While the binding posts certainly aren’t the same as those on the Ultra series speakers, I’m extremely impressed at the attention to detail and quality that SVS has packed in here for a $500/pair of speakers. It seems to me that where they’ve made compromises, they have taken the higher-road and used the best quality parts at the price point they were targeting.
There are no feet on the bookshelf speakers nor are there any screw holes for mounting to custom stands. SVS includes some 3M elastomer stick-on rubber feet in case you choose to place the speakers on a table or bookcase. It should be noted that SVS isn’t taking any shortcuts here either, this is exactly what they do with their Ultra series bookshelf speakers.
If you want to use these with stands, SVS sells high-quality Sanus stands on their site. I suggest high-quality, sturdy third party stands to prevent these monitors from tipping over.
Initial impressions of the SVS Prime Bookshelf Speakers and SB-2000 subwoofer continue to live up to the high standards I’ve come to experience with various SVS products. Having the ability to compare the build quality of the Prime review samples with the SVS Ultra Towers and the SVS SB-13 Ultra subs directly, it’s apparent to see the potential value that the Prime series offers to the serious audiophile on a budget.
Read our full review of the SVS Prime Bookshelf speakers and the SVS SB-2000 subwoofer setup here.
I cannot wait for the review. I am looking at selling my Polks for these.
Pretty. Hopefully they hit it out of the park.
So far, so good. Build quality is top notch and on-par with other SVS products.
But how do these sound? Would they work as a strictly 2.0 desktop setup? No sub.
Are you guys ever going to do the sound review of the combo?
Hi Anthony!
Yes indeed 🙂 We don't believe in doing quick reviews for the sake of doing reviews. As we've done with other review products, we want to live with them for several weeks if not a month or two in order to do the product justice. The Prime bookshelf speaker review is coming and I think you'll appreciate the wait! But as a teaser let me put it this way: if you're debating on whether or not to pull the trigger on these for Christmas, don't hesitate. 😉
Eric, we'll be giving you a bit more detail in the full review. We're testing the setup in both a 2.0 and a 2.1 setup and will have our perspective on each. If you want to pair these up with a computer, they are going to be a quite a bit larger than dedicated desktop/computer speakers. If you have a very large workspace, then you could possibly make them work. However, if you have a cramped desk space then these aren't what you're looking for.
Thanks for unboxing info. I am thinking about these for my billiard room. Do you have any comments on how the sound?
I actually own all the primes minus the towers and I absolutely love them. Just like hearing others opinions, and I don't have any measuring equipment so I'm curious there. What I do know is my father can't believe what he is hearing for the price vs his nht 3.3 pair. Side note I'm using a Marantz Sr5008 and a svs sb12-nsd.
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Thanks Anthony. I spoke to the guys at SVS about my room and type of music I listen to. I decided to give the Prime Bookshelfs a shot considering there's no risk with the audition period. They arrive in 2 days. I'm not expecting thunderous bass out of 6 inch speakers, but if I like how they sound I'll add a sub.
Depending on room dimensions, placement, power, you'll be surprised with the bass output, I was when I got them. But I went from a set of NHT SuperZero 2.1 for the fronts. Upon first set up, the front three were set to 60hz and the rears were at 80hz. I had to check and double check of the sub was on because I could actually feel some bass. If you aren't a crazy bass head these will do more than fine in the bass department. Now I have the fronts at 80 and rears at 100. The Marantz runs cooler now. All that being said my sb12-nsd is awesome with them. Can only imagine how a sb2000 would do. These speakers can get down and jam very well with running off a receiver. But the next venture is going to be looking into external amplification, probably emotiva xpa-5 to see what all these can give. You cant beat SVS for the value and sound.
And one more thing, when you get SVS your getting quality drivers all around no cheap junk. Not 100% but they are using different versions of peerless drivers still, and they are not $15 cheapo specials. If you look on parts express for the different drivers you'll see what i mean.
Thanks for the followup Anthony. The Primes will go in my 12'x15' billiard room. Unfortunately the only the place they can be mounted is high in the wall so they don't get in the way….we'll see how they sound in that configuration. Good to know about the bottom end. I am def NOT a crazy bass head….mainly classic rock and jazz. I'll look at the peerless drivers $……curious regarding the SVS internal parts. I will let up how I like the SVS Books when the arrive this week.
Awesome i know amazon has some swivel wall mounts for larger bookshelf speakers that give some space for the ports. Might be something to look into. I would try running them at the 60hrz area just to keep them from over driving and clipping. But ymwv with different room and equipment.
Thanks for the reply, I appreciate.
I actually used some Infinity Interlude IL10 speakers for the last 8 years with my PC paired to a Yamaha RX-V661 receiver. But it's time for an upgrade since the left is going out.
I keep hearing from numerous sites how amazing the lows and highs are on the Ultra line. Hopefully they carried over a similar woofer design for these Primes.
Poor Audiophile, did they happen to send you any of the Ultra line's "real oak" finished speakers? I'm seriously considering ordering the oak ultra bookshelf.
Hi Eric! No, only the piano black. Remember with SVS you get the no-hassle 45-day return with paid shipping both ways. Given the quality I've seen with the piano black, there's no reason for me to believe that the oak finish is sub-par quality. I personally wouldn't hesitate at all.
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Eric, I received my Prime Books yesterday. They have the oak finish and it's excellent. A single piece of the veneer is wrapped around the top and sides of the cabinet and butted together on the bottom so you don't see the joint. The back is veneered with a single piece of the material and the edges are neatly trimmed. Real Oak is an open grain wood and that is exactly what the finish looks and feels like….simulated open grain wood painted black. Time will tell, but the Prime Books I received seem to be build extremely well.
How you feeling about the sound so far?
I am very impressed with the sound of the Prime Books. I know they plan a review on this blog so I will stay brief…..I'm no audio expert anyway so this is only MHO. Anyway, I sat with them for a good 2 hours last night going through my library. First off, I was impressed the clarity of the sound…..very crisp highs and well defined mids. As far as the bottom end goes, it's quite impressive. To my ear the PB's sound much "bigger" from a bottom end perspective. Right now they're sitting on floor speakers so basically at perfect height give or take. When I mount them high on the wall in my billiard room the sound will change so a sub may be needed. At any rate, I can't imagine these speakers sounding "bad." I 99.9% sure I'm keeping them….I think they are amazing. Makes me wonder how the Ultra Floors sound….hmm.
Thanks for the update! My only concern is my receiver being powerful enough to push them. RX-A740.
YW. I'm using a RX-V773 – 95 watts per channel.
Eric C, My marantz sr5008 runs them just fine to pretty loud levels. Not sure the specs on your receiver but try them out. If they work then great, if not send them back or look into other power options. Not trying to be a d##k just looking at options for ya because these are some sweet sounding speakers and worth the in home audition.
Side note. I got bored and ran the prime center, books and sats off of my cheapo Denon avr1513 while watching all the underworld movies. Tried crossovers for the front at 80 and 100, and the rears at 100 and 120. Got to 85-95 db with no clipping at all. Your Yamaha will be fine
Sweet mine arrive tomorrow! Thanks for testing that for me.
The Prime speakers are very easy to drive. I have been testing them with an Emotiva 50wpc and it's plenty of juice for these speakers.
Antony, our review of the SVS Prime Bookshelf speakers is up at: https://www.pooraudiophile.com/2015/02/svs-prime-bookshelf-loudspeaker-review.html We did some extensive testing with only the Prime Bookshelves and then the Prime Bookshelves and the SB-2000 sub.
What a great read and review! Thanks a ton for providing this info on the SB-2000 it’s really useful. I love the site and keep it as a bookmark for reference.
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