[b]SVS PC Ultra review (subwoofer)[/b] The [URL=http://www.svsubwoofers.com/subs_pc_ultra.htm]SVS PC Ultra[/URL] is the top powered cylinder subwoofer from SVS, an Internet only company who have been around for about 5 years now. The driver used in this sub is impressive and gets a good write up [URL=http://www.hometheaterspot.com/htsthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=283704&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=365&fpart=1]here[/URL]. The sub weights in at 31 kg and isn't too difficult to move around the place, unlike some of SVS's box alternatives. The finish is a fabric that seems hardwearing enough. I don't think it looks the part in a high end setup, one of the veneer finished boxed would be far more suitable, but it's certainly not bad and looks ok in [URL=http://homepage.ntlworld.com/dsiddiky/new/pcultra1.jpg]my room[/URL]. This sub is overkill for my 22' x 11' x 8' room but I didn't want to go for a plus model simply because I knew I'd always wonder what I was missing. My prior experience of subs in my current room is limited to a Velodyne CHT-10 and a custom sub. Both are around 1/3 if the price of the Ultra. In other rooms however, I have heard a dual Paradigm servo-15 setup and a B&W 750 as well as numerous other midrange subs. As I quickly found out room acoustics play a huge part in the positioning and integration of a sub with the rest of the system. My room has a big peak between 45 and 54 Hz along with another from 23 Hz downward. There is also a dip from 25 to 34 Hz. I used the single band parametric equaliser on the Ultra to tame the 45 to 54 Hz peak but despite trying the sub in different locations I was unable to rectify the other two areas. One of the reasons I hesitated for so long before buying one of these was the worry that it would be too much for music. I'm highly critical and know exactly what I like. I'm far more forgiving in movie performance. I was disappointed with my previous two subs; they didn't go low enough and it was always easy to tell when bass was coming from the sub rather than the mains. The Ultra left me in no doubt of its extension immediately. Using AVIA showed strong output down to 20 Hz. The sub can be tuned down to 16 Hz or 12 Hz at the expense of maximum output but I have not yet examined these options. Details can be found on the website. What was even more surprising was how well it integrated with the mains. My previous upgrade from stand mounts to floor standing [URL=http://www.focal.tm.fr/gb/home/electra/e926.htm]JM Lab Electra 926[/URL] speakers was partly to improve bass response for music that a sub had not managed to do. The extra weight has a significant effect on music. It underpins the sound and avoids any possibility of single tone bass that I have often heard from lesser “subsâ€Â. Obviously adding a sub like this to a pair of bookshelves will have more of an effect than when adding one to floor standers but the effect is still clear. The sub would benefit from equalisation from a device such as the [URL=http://www.behringer.com/DSP1124P/index.cfm?lang=ENG] Berhinger Feedback Destroyer [/URL] however even without it the bass from the Ultra is tight and well defined. It can be surprisingly subtle for something so large and clumsy looking. For movies it came as no surprise that the Ultra does an excellent job. When something explodes you damn well know about it, and so do your neighbours if you have the volume at a decent level! The usual demo DVDs including Kill Bill, Titan A.E., The Haunting, The Matrix, X-men 2, Jurassic Park trilogy, LOTR and Star Wars all sounded far more involving than before. Something I have found to be an indicator of a high quality sub when watching a movie is when you can feel the detail in the bass through your feet. I know it sounds like a strange way to describe it but I've only felt it twice before, once with the B&W 750 and once with the dual servo-15s in a tiny room. I've heard other boom boxes make loud noises but they never had the detail or they simply didn't go low enough. I don't have the equipment to measure THD figures or produce nice graphs of output. All I can say is that my ears tell me distortion is low and output is high. In summary, the Ultra is an excellent buy if you want strong performance in both films and music. I feel sorry for people buying cheap subs and thinking they are getting low bass. It's generally mid-bass with high distortion levels when tuned up and sounds poor with music. I'm not convinced that SVS quite lives up to the hype that surrounds them, there are other subs that do a very good job. Here in the UK however, all but the servo-15 and other imports (Hsu and AV123) are significantly more expensive for anything close to this level of performance. Now I just need to save up enough money for a [URL=http://www.svsubwoofers.com/subs_pb2_ultra.htm]PB2 Ultra[/URL]. I have no need for the extra power but it would look so much better with my JM Lab speakers :)