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Old 01-09-2021, 01:34 PM   #11180
Reflex-Arc
Lord of the Gif
 
Member#: 1703
Join Date: Jun 2000
Chapter/Region: NWIC
Location: one frame at a time
Vehicle:
2020 Giulia TI Sport
Black

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I've had a couple of days now with the new SVS Ultras and Prime Satellites in my little living room that are replacing the Hsu Research Bookshelves all around.



My initial impressions are mixed. It's definitely not as "warm" as the 5.1 all-Satellite system in my office, but I'm not surprised. That's a much smaller space, and the walls are cork-lined. This larger set is much brighter, but not quite to a fault. Really though, I'm comparing these against the Hsu speakers.

The old setup sounded great, but they took up a lot of space in the small room (especially the surrounds), and after a decade of listening to them, I was interested in hearing something different. I got that. Whereas the Hsu's had an effortless airy presentation, the Ultras sound more authoritive. Bright, yes, but they also add something I never thought the Hsu's did well; mid-bass.

I've demoed a bunch of my favorite stereo and multi-channel content so far. Instantly noticeable was the smaller sound of the Satellites as my sides and surrounds vs the bookshelves. A necessary evil. Crossed at 90hz, though, they don't sound bad by any measure. Dark Side of the Moon on 5.1 SACD was still a treat. The front channels are, I think, an improvement. I'm still getting used to the additional mid-bass and the sound of the 3-way center and aluminum dome tweeters over the horns on the Hsu's. I like what I'm hearing. It's definitely different.

Are these SVS speakers worth the cost over the speakers they replaced? Hmmm. I'd lean towards no. The Hsu Research HB-1 and HC-1 speakers are a tremendous value with a very listenable sound (when paired with a sub). I think these SVS speakers are more capable, for sure, but not twice-the-price capable. I'm not mad that I spent the money. These certainly fit my needs and space better. I have 45 days to evaluate these. SVS pays shipping both ways if you order and don't like them. Tough to say whether or not I'll keep them at this point, but so far I'm leaning towards "yes". Looking forward to more critical listening.
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