In this review, we will be comparing PC13-Ultra and SB-1000 Pro, two Powered Subwoofer speakers by SVS. Being Powered subwoofers, they both have built-in amplifiers so you don't need an external power amp or an integrated amp to power them. Let's have a brief look at the main features of SVS PC13-Ultra and SVS SB-1000 Pro first before getting into our more detailed comparison.
The sections below take each area in turn: driver and amplifier, frequency response, physical size and connectivity.
Drivers
The efficiency of a subwoofer is directly proportional to the total radiating are squared hence the woofer quantity and diameter.Both SVS PC13-Ultraand SVS SB-1000 Pro have a single woofer setup however the SVS PC13-Ultra's woofer is 13.5-inch whereas the SVS SB-1000 Pro features a 12-inch woofer.
Frequency Response
PC13-Ultra has a frequency range of 15-200 Hz whereas SB-1000 Pro has a frequency range of 20-270 Hz. With a minimum frequency of 15Hz, the PC13-Ultra can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the SB-1000 Pro's min frequency of 20Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Subwoofer class in our database.
Low Frequency
Subwoofer Speakers
High Frequency
Subwoofer Speakers
Cabinet Type
The SVS PC13-Ultra has a Bass Reflex type cabinet. Bass Reflex type subwoofers (aka Ported, Vented or Reflex Port) have enclosures that uses a port, hole or vent cut into the cabinet. Ported designs are generally more efficient than the Sealed designs. On the other hand the SVS SB-1000 Pro have Acoustic Suspension type enclosure. Acoustic Suspension aka Sealed type subwoofers have enclosures that are sealed hence no ports or holes exists on the cabinet. Sealed designs helps to provide more accurate and tight bass responses compared to ported designs.
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare SVS PC13-Ultra's and SVS SB-1000 Pro's external dimensions. SVS PC13-Ultra has external dimensions of 1194.0 x 422.0 x 422.0mm (47 x 16-5/8 x 16-5/8inch) whereas SVS SB-1000 Pro has external dimensions of 343.0 x 331.0 x 402.0mm (13-1/2inch x 13inch x 15-13/16inch).
SVS PC13-Ultra is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 91mm wider, 851mm taller and 20mm deeper than SVS SB-1000 Pro.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
SVS PC13-Ultra needs about 34% more floor or shelf area. SVS PC13-Ultra is 20mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. SVS PC13-Ultra is 851mm taller.
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the SVS PC13-Ultra is approximately 1780.8cm2 / 276.0inch2 and base area of the SVS SB-1000 Pro is approximately 1330.6cm2 / 206.2inch2. The PC13-Ultra requires 34% more surface area than the SB-1000 Pro which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a subwoofer may become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often to find the optimal positioning, also known as 'Subwoofer Crawling'. The SVS PC13-Ultra weighs 40.80kg / 89.8lbs and the SVS SB-1000 Pro weighs 11.82kg / 26lbs. This makes the PC13-Ultra 245% heavier than the SB-1000 Pro.
Here is a comparison of how PC13-Ultra and SB-1000 Pro's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Powered Subwoofer class.
Weight
All Subwoofer Speakers
 Woofer Size |
13.5 inches
vs
12 inches
|
Larger woofer |
| Low Frequency Response |
15 Hz
vs
20 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
270 Hz
vs
200 Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 App-Based Control |
iOS,Android
vs
None
|
Control the speaker via an app |
 Height |
343mm
vs
1194mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1330cm2
vs
1780cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
600USD
vs
1700USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
Size, drawn to scale
Both subwoofers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same floor and pushed back to the same wall, so the bigger one visibly takes more of the room.
SVS PC13-Ultra needs about 34% more floor area. SVS PC13-Ultra stands 20mm further into the room. SVS PC13-Ultra is 851mm taller.
| General |
SVS PC13-Ultra |
SVS SB-1000 Pro |
| Brand |
SVS |
SVS |
| Speaker Type |
Powered Subwoofer |
Powered Subwoofer |
| Max Amplifier Output |
1000 watts |
325 watts |
| Frequency Response |
15-200 Hz |
20-270 Hz |
Amplifier |
|
|
| Watts RMS (Continuous) |
1000-watt RMS |
325-watt RMS |
| Watts Peak (Max) |
3600-watt RMS |
820-watt RMS |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
13.5" |
12" |
| Woofer Composition |
Fiberglass composite |
Fiber-composite |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
- |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Firing Direction |
front |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1194.0mm (47") |
343.0mm (13.5") |
| Width |
422.0mm (16.6") |
331.0mm (13") |
| Depth |
422.0mm (16.6") |
402.0mm (15.8") |
| Weight |
40.80kg (89.8lbs) |
11.82kg (26lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Acoustic Suspension |
| Available Colors |
n/a |
Black,White |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
A ported subwoofer against a sealed one. That is the most consequential line on this page: it decides how the bass rolls off, how it behaves in a small room, and how much output you get for the size of the box.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass depth | A | SVS PC13-Ultra goes deeper - 15Hz against 20Hz. Under 20Hz is felt more than heard - the bottom of a pipe organ and the bottom of a film mix. |
| Amplifier power | A | SVS PC13-Ultra has the bigger amplifier - 1000W against 325W RMS, about 4.9dB more on tap. In a large room that is headroom before the DSP starts limiting. |
| Driver area | A | SVS PC13-Ultra moves more air: 13.5" against 12" is 1.27x the cone area, not the 1.13x the diameters suggest. More area means the same output with less excursion, and less distortion with it. |
| Enclosure | depends | SVS PC13-Ultra is ported - a ported box gives more output low down for its size, at the cost of a steeper roll-off below tuning; SVS SB-1000 Pro is sealed - a sealed box rolls off gently and is usually the easier one to integrate in a small or awkward room. Neither is better in the abstract; ported tends to suit films and sealed tends to suit music, and both generalisations have exceptions. |
| Cabinet size | depends | SVS SB-1000 Pro is about 79% smaller by volume. In a subwoofer that is a real trade rather than a preference: box volume is how you get output low down without a bigger amplifier. |
| Price | B | SVS SB-1000 Pro costs less - $600 against $1,700, about 65% less. |
A SVS PC13-Ultra B SVS SB-1000 Pro
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both subwoofers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
The usual trade-off: SVS PC13-Ultra measures better, SVS SB-1000 Pro costs about 65% less. In a normal room, placement will make a bigger difference than the gap between these two. Films or music? If this is mainly a home cinema, SVS PC13-Ultra will hit harder for the money; if it is mainly for music in a normal-sized room, SVS SB-1000 Pro is usually the easier one to make sound right. Two small subwoofers beat one big one in most rooms - a pair evens out the room modes in a way no single box can, whatever its specs. At $600 each, two SVS SB-1000 Pro cost about $1,200 against $1,700 for one of the other, which is worth a thought.
One thing outweighs everything above: where the subwoofer stands. Room modes can add or remove 10dB or more at a given seat, which is far larger than any difference on this page. Before spending more, try the sub in two or three positions - the crawl test, where you put it in the listening seat and crawl the room to find where the bass sounds best, costs nothing and usually beats an upgrade.