SVS Prime Center vs SVS Prime Wireless Comparison

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SVS Prime Center

Passive Center Channel | 48-25k Hz

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SVS Prime Wireless

Powered Bookshelf | 52-25k Hz

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SVS Prime Center

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SVS Prime Wireless

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SVS Prime Center

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SVS Prime Wireless

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SVS Prime Center vs SVS Prime Wireless Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by SVS. SVS Prime Center is a Center Channel speaker whereas the Prime Wireless is a Bookshelf speaker.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of SVS Prime Center and SVS Prime Wireless first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key Specs	SVS Prime Center	SVS Prime Wireless
Brand	SVS United States · founded 1998	SVS United States · founded 1998
Design	3-way	2-way
Built-in amplifier	—	200-watt RMS
Tweeter	1" dome	1" Dome
Midrange	3-1/2"	—
Woofer	2 x 5.25" polypropylene	4.5" composite glass-fiber
Frequency response	48-25k Hz	52-25k Hz
Sensitivity	86 dB	—
Impedance	8 ohms	—
Power range	20-200 watts	—
Max depth / sample rate	—	24-bit / 192 kHz
Bluetooth	—	Built-in 4.0
App control	—	Yes
Weight	9.18kg / 20.2lbs	3.96kg / 8.7lbs
Dimensions (H x W x D)	7-11/16" x 18-11/16" x 9-1/8" 196.0 x 475.0 x 232.0mm	10.3125" x 6.125" x 8.6875" 260 x 155 x 220.7 mm

Prime Center and Prime Wireless are members of SVS's Prime series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.

SVS Prime Series History

Model	Body	Frequency	Sensitivity	Impedance	Woofer
SVS Prime Tower	Floor-standing	30-25k Hz	87 dB	8Ω	2 x 6.5"
SVS Prime Bookshelf	Bookshelf	48-25k Hz	87 dB	8Ω	1 x 6.5"
SVS Prime Center	Center Channel	48-25k Hz	86 dB	8Ω	2 x 5.25"
SVS Prime Pinnacle	Floor-standing	29-25k Hz	88 dB	8Ω	3 x 6.5"
SVS Prime Satellite	Bookshelf	69-25k Hz	85 dB	8Ω	1 x 4.5"
SVS Prime Elevation	Surround	55-25k Hz	87 dB	8Ω	1 x 4.5"

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 Prime Center is a 3-way design whereas the Prime Wireless is a 2-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.

SVS Prime Center

SVS Prime Wireless

TweeterWoofer

Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.

Driver	SVS Prime Center	SVS Prime Wireless
Driver Setup	3-way	2-way
Tweeter	1-inch	1-inch
Midrange	1 x 3-1/2-inch	-
Woofer	2 x 5.25-inch	1 x 4.5-inch

Prime Center features a 1" aluminum dome Tweeter, a 3-1/2" Midrange and 2 x 5.25" polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 350Hz and 2400Hz. On the other hand, the Prime Wireless features a 1" aluminum Dome Tweeter and 1 x 4.5" composite glass-fiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2000Hz.

Frequency Response

Prime Center has a frequency range of 48-25k Hz whereas Prime Wireless has a frequency range of 52-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 48Hz, the Prime Center can go slightly deeper then the Prime Wireless's min frequency of 52Hz.

The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Center Channel class in our database.

Low Frequency

Center Channel Speakers

Prime Center

Prime Wireless

Min

Average

Median

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.

Cabinet Type and Port Position

Both Prime Center and Prime Wireless 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 SVS Prime Center's and SVS Prime Wireless's external dimensions. SVS Prime Center has external dimensions of 196.0 x 475.0 x 232.0mm (7-11/16 x 18-11/16 x 9-1/8inch) whereas SVS Prime Wireless has external dimensions of 260 x 155 x 220.7 mm (10.3125 x 6.125 x 8.6875 inch).

SVS Prime Wireless is 320mm narrower and 11.3mm less deeper than SVS Prime Center but it is also 64mm taller.

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 Prime Center needs about 222% more floor or shelf area. SVS Prime Wireless is 64mm 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 Prime Center is approximately 1102.0cm² / 170.8inch² and base area of the SVS Prime Wireless is approximately 342.1cm² / 53.0inch². The Prime Center requires 222% more surface area than the Prime Wireless which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.

What's in the Box of SVS Prime Center?

Here are the items that are included inside the box of Prime Center:

Center channel loudspeaker
Grille (pre-installed)
4 Self-adhesive rubber bumpers
Owners Manual
SVS brochure
Online Product Registration Card

What's in the Box of SVS Prime Wireless?

Here are the items that come with the Prime Wireless:

Active wireless speaker
6-feet AC power cord
Grille (pre-installed)
4 Self-adhesive feet
Quick Start Guide
Warranty/Registration Card
SVS brochure

Reasons to choose SVS Prime Center over SVS Prime Wireless

Driver Setup	3-way vs 2-way	Have a dedicated mid-range driver
Woofer Size	5.25 inches vs 4.5 inches	Larger woofer
Number of Woofers	2 vs 1	More woofers
Low Frequency Response	48 Hz vs 52 Hz	Generates deeper bass
Height	196mm vs 260mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces
Price per pair*	399USD vs 449USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

Reasons to choose SVS Prime Wireless over SVS Prime Center

Speaker Type	Powered vs Passive	Built-in amplifier
Base Surface Area	342cm² vs 1102cm²	Takes less floor space
Ethernet Connection	Yes vs No	High quality streaming over Ethernet
3.5mm Connection	Yes vs No	Connection via 3.5mm AUX input
RCA Connection	Yes vs No	Connection via RCA input

SVS Prime Center vs SVS Prime Wireless Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	SVS Prime Center	SVS Prime Wireless
Brand	SVS	SVS
Speaker Type	Center channel speaker (Premium Black Ash)	Powered Stereo Speakers
Sensitivity	86 dB	n/a
Impedance	8 ohms	n/a
Frequency Response	48-25k Hz	52-25k Hz
Amplifier
Watts RMS (Continuous)	n/a	200-watt RMS
Max Bit Depth	n/a	24-bit
Max Sample Rate	n/a	192 kHz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	2	1
Woofer Size	5.25"	4.5"
Woofer Composition	polypropylene	composite glass-fiber
Tweeter Size	1"	1"
Tweeter Type	dome	Dome
Aimable Tweeter	No	No
Midrange Driver	3-1/2"	No
Crossover Frequency	350Hz and 2400Hz	2000Hz
Firing Direction	rear	rear
Physical Specs
Height	196.0mm (7.7")	260.0mm (10.2")
Width	475.0mm (18.7")	155.0mm (6.1")
Depth	232.0mm (9.1")	220.7mm (8.7")
Weight	9.18kg (20.2lbs)	3.96kg (8.7lbs)
Enclosure	Bass Reflex	Bass Reflex
Available Colors	Black	Black
Mounting Bracket	No	No
Grille	Yes	Yes
Moisture Resistancy	No	No
Connections
Aux Inputs	n/a	3.5mm, RCA
USB Port	n/a	Service only
Phone Input	n/a	No
Subwoofer Output	n/a	Wired
Digital Input	n/a	Optical
HDMI Input	n/a	No
Headphone Jack	n/a	No
Ethernet Port	n/a	Yes
Other
Parts Warranty	5 Years	2 Years
Labor Warranty	5 Years	2 Years

Verdict

Different kinds of product: one is active with its amplifier built in, the other passive and needs one. Judge them on how you want to own the system, not just the specs.

Area	Better	Why
Bass	A	SVS Prime Center digs deeper - 48Hz against 52Hz. A subwoofer would even that out.
What you buy	depends	SVS Prime Wireless is a complete system - just add a source. SVS Prime Center also needs an amplifier: more money and another box, but you choose it.
Connections	depends	SVS Prime Wireless has Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and streaming built in. With SVS Prime Center that all comes from the amplifier you pair it with.
Upgrade path	depends	SVS Prime Center can be re-amped later and outlive several amplifiers; SVS Prime Wireless ages as one unit.
Size	depends	SVS Prime Wireless is easier to place; SVS Prime Center is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides.
Type	depends	A Passive Center Channel against a Powered Bookshelf - a different job rather than a better one.
Expandability	B	SVS Prime Wireless: a sub output.
Price	A	SVS Prime Center is cheaper - $399 against $449, about 11% less. Speakers only - an amplifier narrows that gap.

A SVS Prime Center B SVS Prime Wireless
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 Wireless suits you if you want one box, ready to play, with nothing else to buy. SVS Prime Center suits you if you already have an amplifier, want to choose the electronics, or expect to upgrade in stages. Neither is the better speaker in the abstract. In a large or open-plan room, SVS Prime Center has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, SVS Prime Wireless is the easier speaker to get right.

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.