In this review, we will be comparing Prime Pinnacle and Q950, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from SVS and KEF.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of SVS Prime Pinnacle and KEF Q950 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | SVS Prime Pinnacle | KEF Q950 |
|---|
| Brand | SVS
United States · founded 1998 | KEF
United Kingdom · founded 1961 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Uni-Q driver | — | 11th Generation Uni-Q |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" dome | 1.5" Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 5.25" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 3 x 6.5" Polypropylene | 2 x 8.0" Aluminum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 29-25k Hz | 44-28k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 91 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-300 watts | 15-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 25.95kg / 57.1lbs | 20.68kg / 45.5lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 41" x 8" x 13-15/16"
1042.0 x 204.0 x 355.0mm | 43-15/16" x 14-1/4" x 12-3/8"
1117.0 x 362.0 x 315.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the SVS Prime Pinnacle and KEF Q950 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* |
SVS Prime Pinnacle |
KEF Q950 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
Poor |
(* 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.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Prime Pinnacle is a 3-way design whereas the Q950 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 PinnacleKEF Q950
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
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 Pinnacle |
KEF Q950 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1.5-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.25-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 8.0-inch
|
Prime Pinnacle features a 1" aluminum dome Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 3 x 6.5" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 300Hz and 2100Hz. On the other hand, the Q950 features a 1.5" vented aluminum Dome Tweeter and 2 x 8.0" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2200Hz.
Frequency Response
Prime Pinnacle has a frequency range of 29-25k Hz whereas Q950 has a frequency range of 44-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 29Hz, the Prime Pinnacle can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Q950's min frequency of 44Hz.
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
Prime Pinnacle and Q950 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Prime Pinnacle sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the Q950's is at 91 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the KEF Q950 a more sensitive speaker compared to SVS Prime Pinnacle, 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 Pinnacle can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas Q950 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the Prime Pinnacle.
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
Prime Pinnacle features Binding post type posts and Q950 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
SVS Prime Pinnacle's 5-Way post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Prime Pinnacle has a rear firing port whereas Q950 has a front firing ports. KEF Q950's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to SVS Prime Pinnacle with its rear-firing port.
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 Pinnacle's and KEF Q950's external dimensions. SVS Prime Pinnacle has external dimensions of 1042.0 x 204.0 x 355.0mm (41 x 8 x 13-15/16inch) whereas KEF Q950 has external dimensions of 1117.0 x 362.0 x 315.0mm (43-15/16 x 14-1/4 x 12-3/8inch).
SVS Prime Pinnacle is 158mm narrower and 75mm shorter than KEF Q950 but it is also 40mm deeper.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of SVS Prime Pinnacle and KEF Q950 in scale.
Comparison image of SVS Prime Pinnacle and KEF Q950 Size and External Dimensions
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 Pinnacle is approximately 724.2cm2 / 112.3inch2 and base area of the KEF Q950 is approximately 1140.3cm2 / 176.7inch2. The Prime Pinnacle requires 36% less surface area than the Q950 which gives it a small advantage 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 SVS Prime Pinnacle weighs 25.95kg / 57.1lbs and the KEF Q950 weighs 20.68kg / 45.5lbs. This makes the Prime Pinnacle 25% heavier than the Q950.
Here is a comparison of how Prime Pinnacle and Q950'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 Pinnacle?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Prime Pinnacle:
- 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
What's in the Box of KEF Q950?
Here are the items that come with the Q950:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- 2 Outrigger feet
- 4 Spikes
- 6 Screws
- 6 Washers
- 4 Rubber inserts
- Hex-key
- Owners Manual
- Warranty Information
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
29 Hz
vs
44 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
1042mm
vs
1117mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
724cm2
vs
1140cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
2000USD
vs
2200USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Sensitivity |
91 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
|
Woofer Size |
8.0 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 High Frequency Response |
28k Hz
vs
25k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Port Position |
Front
vs
Rear
|
Gives more flexibility placing close to walls |
 Passive Radiator |
2 x 8-inch
vs
None
|
Increases the bass performance |
 Dolby Atmos Drivers |
Optional
vs
No
|
Dolby Atmos Compatibility |
| General |
SVS Prime Pinnacle |
KEF Q950 |
| Brand |
SVS |
KEF |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-300 watts |
15-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
91 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
n/a |
3.2 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
29-25k Hz |
44-28k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
3 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
8.0" |
| Woofer Composition |
Polypropylene |
Aluminum |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1.5" |
| Tweeter Type |
dome |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5.25" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
300Hz and 2100Hz |
2200Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1042.0mm (41") |
1117.0mm (44") |
| Width |
204.0mm (8") |
362.0mm (14.3") |
| Depth |
355.0mm (14") |
315.0mm (12.4") |
| Weight |
25.95kg (57.1lbs) |
20.68kg (45.5lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Passive Radiator |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Black |
Walnut |
| Grille |
Yes |
n/a |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | SVS Prime Pinnacle digs deeper - 29Hz against 44Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | B | KEF Q950 is more sensitive (91dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | A | SVS Prime Pinnacle takes more power (300W vs 200W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | SVS Prime Pinnacle is easier to place; KEF Q950 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Cabinet | depends | Ported vs Passive Radiator. |
| Expandability | B | KEF Q950: Atmos drivers. |
| Price | evenly matched | Much the same money ($2,000 vs $2,200 a pair). |
A SVS Prime Pinnacle B KEF Q950
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?
Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let the "depends" rows and your own room settle it. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 44Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate SVS Prime Pinnacle the better fit for a very large room, and KEF Q950 for a mid-size 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.