New from SVS: A Review of the PB-3000 and SB-3000 Subwoofers

SVS lowers the boom. Big time.

“An iron fist inside a velvet glove.” That’s how SVS characterizes the company’s newest line of subwoofers, the 3000 series – and it’s a fitting description. But massive, sternum-vibrating power and room-shaking bass from a company that wins nearly every subwoofer award in the industry, year after year, isn’t the big story here.

What’s getting everyone’s attention is the 3000 series price tag – and the fact that SVS’ two newest subwoofers – the PB-3000 and the SB-3000 – offer true reference caliber sound for, quite literally, thousands of dollars less than anything else on the market with similar output specs. Bottom line: For those of us who love big, beautiful sound but don’t have big, beautiful bank accounts, SVS’s 3000 series is a game-changer.

• The biggest, most advanced driver in this price range – a 13-inch High Excursion SVS Driver – plus a flat edge, wound split-wind voice coil designed to maximize magnetics. Together, the two work to provide sternum-vibrating bass without sacrificing refinement or control. From a sonic perspective, we’re talking the lowest possible frequencies with the highest level of precision… and in the land of awesome subwoofers and awesome home theaters, that’s huge.

• Massive power by way of a Sledge STA-800D2 amplifier – conservatively rated at 800 watts RMS / 2500+ watts peak power – the “iron fist” part of the equation. (The motor alone weighs 40 pounds.)

• The most advanced digital processor ever used in a subwoofer – a sophisticated 50 Mhz High Resolution Analog Devices Audio DSP for pinpoint accuracy and pristine sound quality maintained through advanced in-room tuning, optimized frequency response curves and powerful DSP controls.

• Easy control via SVS’ Bluetooth mobile app for Apple and Android – control volume, as well as multiple DSP functions and your own custom presets. You can even adjust crossover frequencies to suit your favorite movie-watching, music-listening, game-playing chair.

• Fine tune all nuanced, critical functions – use the Intelligent Control Interface (ICI) on the rear panel to adjust for smooth sonic transitions and/or blending with the other speakers in the room.

The biggest difference between the SB-3000 and the PB-3000 is structural, given the slightly more expensive PB-3000 has the acoustic advantage of dual forward-facing ports to maximize airflow and eliminate turbulence. Next, we break the two models down: