Subwoofer SVS PB-2000 Pro Black Ash

A good enclosed subwoofer is a wonderful thing. SVS produces subwoofers in a wide range of designs and the SVS SB-2000 Pro is part of its latest 2000 series. It is equipped with a 12" woofer and amplifier rated at 550W (1500W peak). Compact enclosed subwoofers are usually made in the form of a cube, the width of which practically corresponds to the diameter of the woofer. The dimensions of the SVS SB-2000 Pro are 37 x 37 x 37 cm, so it is quite easy to place.

When the enclosed subwoofer is equipped with a powerful amplifier and a quality driver, you can expect deep and clear bass. But only if such a system is properly managed. To meet this challenge, the SVS SB-2000 is equipped with a powerful DSP that can be controlled via iOS or Android apps. It has all the settings you need to get the best bass sound from your subwoofer.

Features and Specifications
The SB-2000 Pro (price in Russia as of 07.2020 ~ 115,000₽) is best suited for those cases when a compact subwoofer with the deepest and most punchy bass is required. Since the use of multiple subwoofers in a system usually provides measurable benefits, the small size and reasonable price of this model make it a good choice for "multi-subwoofer" sets as well.

Unboxing the SB-2000 Pro is easy thanks to its modest size. It weighs 17.5 kg, which indirectly indicates the quality of the design, but one person can easily handle its installation. SVS accompanies its models with detailed installation and configuration instructions, which is very convenient. Thanks to this, even an inexperienced user can easily cope with this work.

The finish quality of the SVS SB-2000 is also very high. At one time, I was impressed by the black piano lacquer on the JL Audio subwoofer, and now, stroking my reflection in the SVS model, I must admit that it is no worse here. In addition, the new sub has rounded edges and, most importantly, a fabric grill that actually looks much better than the metal grills commonly used by SVS.

The SB-2000 Pro model takes full advantage of the SB-2000 version, but adds mobile-controlled DSP, fabric grill, new 12" woofer and 10% more powerful amplifier. The result is a subwoofer capable of reproducing the deep bass required for home theater (and some genres of music) combined with bass density and precision to deliver any kind of music. It can be said that truly deep and detailed bass is always needed in a system if you want to get faithful reproduction of both music and movies.

Tuning and listening
No matter how good the parameters of the subwoofer look on paper, they only speak of its potential. For example, if you don't normally listen to music very loudly, then you may not need very high output power, but you will need a device that can sound deep and rich at low volumes.

I turned on the SB-2000 Pro in a system with the Denon AVR-X8500H, which has Audyssey XT32 automatic sound calibration, including bass management. I set the filter to 80Hz and turned on the sub on my 5.1.2 home system. All in all, the subwoofer is very easy to set up and will sound exactly as you would expect from a specialist company. Perhaps for this reason SVS doesn't talk too much about the parameters of their subwoofers, and in our opinion this is completely justified.

My "normal" system (the one I use when I'm not reviewing) consists of three subwoofers stacked one on top of the other, each using a pair of opposing 12-woofers. That's about the equivalent of six subwoofers like the SB-2000 Pro. What can one subwoofer with a 12-inch woofer do against such artillery? It turns out quite a lot. Because if you tune it right, the SB-2000 Pro is capable of reproducing the same clean, tight, deep bass… but certainly not at the same volume level (nobody has changed the laws of physics).

The sound of a subwoofer in a room is usually boosted at the lowest frequencies due to an effect called "room boost", i.e. due to resonance. Depending on the size of your room and the position of the subwoofer in it, you can get a lot of boost at the lowest frequencies, and there is a feature in the SVS control app to compensate for this. When you use the EQ to adjust your subwoofer, rather than trying to adjust its sound by dragging it from place to place, you need to control it exactly where the listeners will be. By controlling the sound of the SB-2000 Pro through an app and DSP, the task of placing it in a room is much easier than models that do not have these functions.

Listening to the SVS SB-2000 Pro showed that it works in the best traditions of SVS and has a percussive and accurate sound. Its basses harmoniously complemented music, films, TV shows and video games. For many systems, the only questions as to whether the SB-2000 Pro is right for them will be the size of the room and the required peak volume. If your room is medium in size (not huge) and you don't need a reference volume (like in a concert or in a real cinema), this unit will be completely in its place. But if you need more sonic power over time, you can always add another SB-2000 to the system - it's better than buying a larger subwoofer in terms of placement and setup.

While testing the subwoofer, I watched Hunt for Red October, Ready Player One, Mortal Kombat Legends, Mad Max Fury Road, and a few other special effects-heavy movies on my system. I have also listened to a lot of music of various genres and I must say that the SVS subwoofer reproduces electronic music very accurately with a powerful infra-bass. The presence of DSP does not lead to audible distortion or limitations in sound, but allows you to make the most of the "woofer + amplifier" bundle.

A quick note regarding subwoofers

Since I already mentioned the possibility of using multiple subs in the system, let's pay a little more attention to this issue. In fact, this solution is a great way to increase bass response and overall sound quality by reducing distortion. Moreover, using multiple subwoofers will reduce the effect of room resonances if the subs are mounted in a high enough rack. And at the same time, in terms of area, such a design will take up no more space than one subwoofer.

Stacking subwoofers is really nothing new and has been used with success in both high-end stereos and home theater systems. And if you need a lot of very deep bass for a big room, then given the DSP control, easy set up, and nice looks, it makes a lot more sense to use three SB-2000 Pros instead of one JL Audio E112 for about the same amount, for example.

Either way, a good enclosed subwoofer rack sounds very powerful and accurate, and the SB-2000 Pro is a great example of this.

Most people who watch movies and listen to music in their living room need one good subwoofer to complete their audio system. Such that it reproduces the lower octaves that are inaccessible to the speakers, and at the same time remains almost imperceptible. If that's what you're after, then the SB-2000 Pro is a great choice. SVS is the leading brand in this "Subwoofer Game" and its products are generally known for their reliability, ease of use and sound quality. As far as functionality is concerned, you won't find similar features in other models in this price category - the Pro designation here is not just a marketing ploy. When using a measurement microphone, you can truly set up the SB-2000 Pro with professional precision. Considering all of the above, this model is the best in 2020 in the segment of compact enclosed subwoofers with 12-inch drivers.

Characteristics:

• Type: active subwoofer
• Finish: veneer
• Acoustic design: with bass reflex
• Weight (for acoustics - per piece, for a set - per set), kg: 30
• Dust net color: black
• Remote control: no
• Series: 2000
• Country (main office): USA
• Warranty: 1 year
• Height, mm: 531
• Width, mm: 439
• Depth, mm: 559
• Minimum recommended power, W: 500
• Maximum power, W: 1100
• RCA line outputs: 1
• Woofer size, in inches: 12
• Minimum frequency, Hz: 18
• Resistance, Ohm: other
• Woofer material: polymer
• Active/Passive: Active
• Cutoff frequency adjustment: smooth
• Phase adjustment: yes
• Auto tune: no
• Wireless: no
• Number of speakers: 1
• Maximum frequency, Hz: 150
• Crossover Frequency: 50-160Hz
• High level input: no
• Number of analog XLR inputs: no
• Neutrik Speakon: no
• Number of RCA line inputs: 1