PB12-Plus, Hjemmekino                                                                                 

 

Wimpy subwoofers, watch out!

SVS advertises their latest subwoofer as an “Ultra-Light”. To us, this is the same as if Harley Davidson were to call their Heritage model for a “kind of large scooter”

The manufacturer, of course, does not seriously call this sub a lightweight. The reason for the play with words is that their top model is aptly named “Ultra”. Still though, it is nice to know that there is so much Ultra pedigree in the Plus that SVS themselves says that the difference between those two models is less than you would believe. Because, from what we have learnt, they have borrowed extensively from the top model when the Plus got its design. SVS’ design philosophy are as we know by now, that only performance matters, but still their subwoofers keeps getting more and more pleasant to the eye. Smaller…no, but why should they be? SVS PB12-Plus is by the way the successor to the SVS PB12-Plus. Why they chose to give the new model the exact same model name is unknown to me, but it is not hard to tell the difference between the two. They are very unlike each other.

PB12-Plus

The subwoofer is available in three different finishes; black gloss, rosenut and oak. Our test specimen came dressed in black, and there is no doubt that the production lines at SVS do not make any compromises about the quality. All seams and transitions are meticulous, and the metal grill is held in place by magnets hidden in the woodwork. The cabinet is constructed using 1” thick MDF, with the exception of the front baffle that is 50% thicker. The veneer is genuine wood, and the subwoofer is supposedly hand built. How they manage to keep the price this low, is to me a mystery.

The new driver in the PB12-Plus is named 12.4, and this indicates its diameter of 12”, and that this is the 4th generation of this sturdy driver. The driver is hand built by SVS in their own factory, and although today even a toothbrush is built using space age technology, this driver is no exception and uses techniques developed by the aerospace industry. On thing worth mentioning, and this goes for all subwoofers, not just SVS’, is that it is recommended to retighten the screws fastening both the driver and the amplifier. Wood is a living material that will obtain moisture and dry out again, something that can lead to screws that were tightened perfectly during assembly, loosening with time. In this case, air will be able to leak through the seals, and this noise you will be able to hear. Even though I was well aware of this phenomenon, it still was with some disbelief I heard the sound of air escaping from the PB12-Plus. Once my cognitive processes were back up and working again, I remembered to check the screws, and after a quick retightening, the problem was gone. Anything else would have been a scandal…

The amplifier in the PB12-Plus is made by the Canadian company Indigo, and bears the moniker BASH. This is a well-proven and recognized Class D construction, used by several other subwoofer manufacturers. The amp in the PB12-Plus puts out 525 Watts, has a built in variable tuning frequency, a one-band parametric EQ, high and low pass connections and a subsonic filter adjustable to your chosen tuning frequency of 16, 20 or 25 Hz.

In Use

During the calibration, there was as mentioned earlier some air noise, but it disappeared after a quick session with my screwdriver. As usual with SVS, the measurements show that SVS keep their promises with regard to the deepest bass. Many manufacturers stubbornly claim that their subwoofers stretch down to and far below 20 Hz, what they don’t tell you is how academic this claim is. With 1 W of power, measured at a distance of one meter, those claims are probably true, and this is actually a standard that is used. What happens when the subwoofer is asked to reproduce those frequencies at a level that you can feel on your body is a whole other story.

If your LP collection consists entirely of Count Basie and Frank Sinatra albums, it probably isn’t too interesting to you if the sub can reproduce 15 or 30 Hz, but for those of us who likes a good movie experience deep bass is of the utmost importance. Moviemakers today give themselves some artistic leeway in relation to how for example a bus or a gunshot is supposed to sound, and feeling the room shake during large portions of a modern action movie is not an unusual phenomenon. Still, I have not even yet mentioned animated movies like Bolt or Kung Fu Panda. Both those have ridiculous LFE tracks, and it is just as important to have a big sub as a big picture and a big center speaker to fully appreciate a movie. Those who claim that the deepest bass is unnecessary probably have not heard, or for that matter, felt real deep bass. Those who already own an SVS, on the other hand, know exactly what I’m talking about. And the PB12-Plus is no exception, on the contrary.

The beginning of the movie Bolt, where the snooty mutt jumps over an helicopter in very slow motion is a splendid scene to use if you are wondering if your system can reproduce deep bass or not. If you can’t hear anything, you’re obviously missing out. If on the other hand your pants are flapping to the rhythm of the chopper blades, you have deep bass. To check if the sub has control of the other end of the bass spectre, we move onto the movie We Were Soldiers starring Mel Gibson.
Here you should be able to feel every single bullet as it leaves the muzzle of the American Armalite Model 15. That the Vietcong’s Avtomat Kalashnikova model 1947 with its far larger calibre compared sounds like someone’s making popcorn is a part of the American dream. Still, it is a pleasure how the PB12 hammers every bullet against your body in the form of sound waves. The PB12-Plus delivers this effect with great control, but there are other subwoofers that can deliver it with more punch. It is when moving upwards in the frequency spectrum that other subs start making up for some of the head start that the PB12-Plus enjoys. When crossing a threshold at about 50-60hz, the PB12-Plus is nothing out of the unordinary. Here it is more in line with other subs, and it cannot beat subs such as the Velodyne DD series or the JL Audio f112. However, the reoccurring theme is as always that this has to be seen in regard to the price you pay. The two mentioned examples cost from about twice and upward compared to the PB12-Plus, and the PB12-Plus whips them into submission when it comes to deep bass. This makes the SVS a better all rounder, and when considering the price, you can’t get anything better.

With music it fares no worse. If you listen to a lot of New Age, Rock or Heavy this subwoofer is more than good enough. It manifests even the smallest hit on a bass drum, and properly calibrated it is neither limp, slow nor  bottom heavy. The PB12-Plus delivers bass that just is there, like an ambient sound of a car, or a huge earthquake, all according to what material you are playing. Therefore, it is a delight to sit down and listen to Bliss with Quiet Letters, or Karunesh’ Zen Breakfast. And with those fantastic recordings you can at reasonably loud levels just let yourself get massaged and forget everything about that there is another day tomorrow. There is something tranquilizing about good bass and how it affects your body. And no, I have still not been diagnosed, but I probably will be some day. Until that time, we madhatters will keep on enjoying ourselves, and should you commit the sin of listening to acoustic music, you would still have a sub that delivers wholeheartedly.


Summary

The SVS PB12-Plus is priced just as aggressively as all their other subwoofers, at least when you compare the price to the performance. As usual, no other sub in the price range comes close to delivering what the SVS can do in the deepest bass, and even though the performance in the upper frequencies is more average it truly deserves our top mark!

What we do like
-    Goes deep
-    Can play loudly
-    Good articulation in the deep frequencies
-    Very agile
-    Noise free
-    Price

What we don’t like
-    Lacks punch in the upper frequencies.

Total score: 6/6