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Those of you who have been following these pages know that I really like the sound and the low frequency presence of my SVS 16-46 PCi subwoofer. My upgrade path went from a trusty old Velodyne F-1500 Servo unit to a nice M&K MX-350 THX box. With the addition of my SVS 16-46PC powered cylinder (upgraded a few years back to a 16-46PCi as documented here) I really felt that if I had to do it all over again I probably would have saved quite a bit of money by forgoing the MX-350 entirely. The only possible advantage, to my ears, of maintaining the MX-350 in my system was the possibility of slight enhancement in the 30-50 Hz range when compared to just the 16-46PC alone. Quite frankly, it was such a close call that either the SVS 16-46PCi alone or in tandem with the M&K MX-350THX could arguably be called the better audio scenario.
However, as far as I’m concerned the battle for the lower frequencies is now over. This past fall, while participating in a Home Theater Forum meet in Los Angeles, I had the opportunity to hear an SVS PC-Ultra cylindrical subwoofer in action. There have been some noteworthy improvements in subwoofer design and materials over the past five years. The power and the majesty of this unit, which is about half the price of my two other subwoofers combined, is, to me, astounding. The PC-Ultra provides deep, rich bass when called for all the way down to 16 Hz cleanly, and also is an excellent performer in the 30-50Hz region where I used to think that the MX-350 shined.
As soon as I returned to my home I ordered a PC-Ultra, and within a week or so had it up and running in my home theater. Not only did the Ultra’s performance confirm what I heard in LA, but it also showed, in my environment, and to my ears, that this is a case where less is more. While an SVS 16-46PCi vs. an SVS 16-46PCi + M&K MX-350THX combination is a close call, the PC-Ultra clearly sounds better without the MX-350 in the mix. The single PC-Ultra provided all the lower frequency energy that my room requires and I don’t have to concern myself with any phase or cancellation issues for the sake of trying to get the best sound from the entire 16-80Hz spectrum with two units.
I listened to some old subsonic favorites and everything sounded cleaner than before with even more power in reserve. Since the original configuration was excellent to begin with, this is a testimony to how well the PC-Ultra performs. You can spend a lot more money but if you have a room similar in size to mine, I don’t think you can get a return on investment if you do. And what about the MX-350? Right now it is still in the room unconnected because it serves the function of hiding some wiring and really doesn’t get in the way. Eventually it will find a home with one of my children. I’m not trying to demean the M&K MX-350THX by that comment, since it is actually a very nice subwoofer and it has served me well over the years. It’s just that the PC-Ultra shows that price and performance are not necessarily in a linear relationship. The addition of the SVS PC-Ultra to my home theater is a definite upgrade and, in the bargain, it’s about 7 inches shorter than its older sibling.
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