February 2002

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BACKGROUND:

I've owned my SVS 16-46PC subwoofer ever since they were first introduced in October of 2000. Early in 2002 I was contacted by the SVS "sub-humans" Tom and Rod and asked if I would like to try out a "new and improved" driver designed for early adopters of the SVS subwoofers, specifically those of us who purchased CS and PC models prior to the middle of December, 2001. With Serial Number 00001 I certainly qualified so I jumped at the opportunity.

New Driver Side by Side New Driver Side by Side Start Unplugged Base Base Removed Driver out Spring Clips Finished Label Back in place Wall Sign

As you may know, SVS has expanded its line considerably with the Plus, Ultra and SS lines. These new models exceed the outstanding performance of the original (and still available) CS and PC lines, which for my money are still one of the best price/performance SW buys out there.

What you might not know, however, is that SVS hasn't been standing still - even with its established original models. Every so often they would make small but meaningful tweaks to the original PC/CS driver during its existence. Recently, I'm told, they made some MAJOR improvements to the PC/CS driver and, since it's mounted in the same enclosure, have been shipping their PC/CS units with this new driver since mid-December, 2001.

And what are the improvements? How about an 8" spider instead of a 7" one, a completely revamped 2.5" voice coil instead of a 2" one, more motor strength and about 20-25% more linear suspension travel! According to at least one source this results in approximately a 20-50% increase in low end bass capabilities.

The best thing of all? This driver can be swapped out for your original PC/CS driver in about 5 minutes with a simple screw driver! Definitely a DIY upgrade if I've ever seen one. What follows are some pictures of the project so you can check it out if you're interested. For complete details regarding this upgrade (if you own an SVS PC or CS subwoofer) go here (and then use the BACK button of your browser to return to this page.)  Note: It has been several years since I performed this upgrade so materials may no longer be offered in this regard. In fact, SVS no longer offers the plain PC subwoofer and the base unit is now a PCi unit. If you have any questions about the current status of this upgrade, contact SVS directly.

Before we start the tour let me tell you my impressions of the upgrade. Briefly stated, I was ecstatic about the sub's performance before; now I'm positively euphoric! I'm afraid to push this puppy to the limits of distortion. I might damage my house (not to mention my ears). The way I described it to the "boys" was that where at loud volumes my SVS used to hang on by a thread (while still very clear) I now get the feeling it is hanging on by a rope!

I have to say that I love what the new driver has done to the sound of my HT system. I've been listening to it for more than two weeks (even before I got my new Outlaw 950 pre/pro which is important, since I didn't want the two "beta" tests to conflict.) Even with my Denon 5700 the new driver rocked! And now, to modify a phrase from Emeril Legasse, it's been "kicked down a notch!"

For the record, during the beta test I switched back to the "old" driver to see if, in fact, I noticed a change. I certainly did. Needless to say the old driver is back in the carton. One look at the size of the back of the new driver compared to the old one shows that this unit means business.

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