In this review, we will be comparing Theva No2 and Prime Tower, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Focal and SVS.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Focal Theva No2 and SVS Prime Tower first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Focal Theva No2 | SVS Prime Tower |
|---|
| Brand | Focal
France · founded 1979 | SVS
United States · founded 1998 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" inverted dome | 1" dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 6.5" | 4.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Slatefiber | 2 x 6.5" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 53-28kHz | 30-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 87 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 40-200 watts | 20-250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 16.82kg / 37lbs | 18.23kg / 40.1lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 36-5/8" x 7-1/2" x 13-7/8"
931.0 x 191.0 x 353.0mm | 36-5/8" x 8" x 11-11/16"
931.0 x 204.0 x 297.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Focal Theva No2 and SVS Prime Tower speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
Focal Theva No2 |
SVS Prime Tower |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Average |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Theva No2 is a 2-way design whereas the Prime Tower is a 3-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
Focal Theva No2SVS Prime Tower
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Focal Theva No2 |
SVS Prime Tower |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6.5-inch |
1 x 4.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
Theva No2 features a 1" TNF Al/Mg inverted dome Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Slatefiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 280 Hz - 2900 Hz. On the other hand, the Prime Tower features a 1" aluminum dome Tweeter, a 4.5" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 350Hz and 2100Hz.
Frequency Response
Theva No2 has a frequency range of 53-28kHz whereas Prime Tower has a frequency range of 30-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 30Hz, the Prime Tower can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Theva No2's min frequency of 53Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Theva No2 and Prime Tower have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Theva No2 sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the Prime Tower's is at 87 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Focal Theva No2 a more sensitive speaker compared to SVS Prime Tower, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
Prime Tower can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS, whereas Theva No2 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the Prime Tower.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier - change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Theva No2 features 5-Way post type posts and Prime Tower has a 5-Way post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Focal Theva No2's Binding post terminals
SVS Prime Tower's 5-Way post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Theva No2 and Prime Tower have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generally need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing the speakers too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.
If you are limited in space and can't get the speakers away from the backwall, check our Speakers with Front Firing Ports page.
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 Focal Theva No2's and SVS Prime Tower's external dimensions. Focal Theva No2 has external dimensions of 931.0 x 191.0 x 353.0mm (365/8 x 71/2 x 137/8) whereas SVS Prime Tower has external dimensions of 931.0 x 204.0 x 297.0mm (36-5/8 x 8 x 11-11/16inch).
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 Focal Theva No2 is approximately 674.2cm2 / 104.5inch2 and base area of the SVS Prime Tower is approximately 605.9cm2 / 93.9inch2. The Theva No2 requires 11% more surface area than the Prime Tower which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The Focal Theva No2 weighs 16.82kg / 37lbs and the SVS Prime Tower weighs 18.23kg / 40.1lbs. This makes the Prime Tower 8% heavier than the Theva No2.
Here is a comparison of how Theva No2 and Prime Tower's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of SVS Prime Tower?
Here are the items that come with the Prime Tower:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille (pre-installed)
- 4 Elastomer isolation feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Nuts
- 4 Protective discs
- Owners Manual
- SVS brochure
- Online Product Registration Card
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 High Frequency Response |
28k Hz
vs
25k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Max Input Power |
250 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Low Frequency Response |
30 Hz
vs
53 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Base Surface Area |
605cm2
vs
674cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1400USD
vs
1798USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Focal Theva No2 |
SVS Prime Tower |
| Brand |
Focal |
SVS |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
40-200 watts |
20-250 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
87 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
53-28kHz |
30-25k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Slatefiber |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
inverted dome |
dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6.5" |
4.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
280 Hz - 2900 Hz |
350Hz and 2100Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
931.0mm (36.7") |
931.0mm (36.7") |
| Width |
191.0mm (7.5") |
204.0mm (8") |
| Depth |
353.0mm (13.9") |
297.0mm (11.7") |
| Weight |
16.82kg (37lbs) |
18.23kg (40.1lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Black High Gloss,Dark Wood,Light Wood |
Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
A generation apart: Focal Theva No2 is the newer design, against a 2015 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | SVS Prime Tower digs deeper - 30Hz against 53Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | A | Focal Theva No2 is more sensitive (90dB vs 87dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | B | SVS Prime Tower takes more power (250W vs 200W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | depends | Neither adds bi-amping, a sub output or height drivers. SVS Prime Tower sits in a wider range (8 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | B | SVS Prime Tower is cheaper - $1,400 against $1,798, about 22% less. |
A Focal Theva No2 B SVS Prime Tower
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 speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
SVS Prime Tower has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 53Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate Focal Theva No2 the better fit for a mid-size room, and SVS Prime Tower for a very large room.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.