In this review, we will be comparing Prime Pinnacle and Prime Tower, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by SVS.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of SVS Prime Pinnacle and SVS Prime Tower first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | SVS Prime Pinnacle | SVS Prime Tower |
|---|
| Brand | SVS
United States · founded 1998 | SVS
United States · founded 1998 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" dome | 1" dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 5.25" | 4.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 3 x 6.5" Polypropylene | 2 x 6.5" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 29-25k Hz | 30-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 87 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-300 watts | 20-250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 25.95kg / 57.1lbs | 18.23kg / 40.1lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 41" x 8" x 13-15/16"
1042.0 x 204.0 x 355.0mm | 36-5/8" x 8" x 11-11/16"
931.0 x 204.0 x 297.0mm |
|---|
Prime Pinnacle and Prime Tower are members of SVS's Prime series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
What size room are the SVS Prime Pinnacle 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* |
SVS Prime Pinnacle |
SVS Prime Tower |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
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.
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through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
Both Prime Pinnacle and Prime Tower are 3-way speakers.
SVS Prime PinnacleSVS 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 |
SVS Prime Pinnacle |
SVS Prime Tower |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.25-inch |
1 x 4.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 6.5-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 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
Prime Pinnacle has a frequency range of 29-25k Hz whereas Prime Tower has a frequency range of 30-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 29Hz, the Prime Pinnacle can go slightly deeper then the Prime Tower's min frequency of 30Hz.
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 Prime Tower 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 Prime Tower's is at 87 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the SVS Prime Pinnacle 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 Pinnacle can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas Prime Tower has a max power handling value of 250 watts RMS, 50 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 5-Way post type posts and Prime Tower has a 5-Way post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
SVS Prime Pinnacle's 5-Way post terminals
SVS Prime Tower's 5-Way post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Prime Pinnacle 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 SVS Prime Pinnacle's and SVS Prime Tower'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 SVS Prime Tower has external dimensions of 931.0 x 204.0 x 297.0mm (36-5/8 x 8 x 11-11/16inch).
Below you can see the front view size comparison of SVS Prime Pinnacle and SVS Prime Tower in scale.
Comparison image of SVS Prime Pinnacle and SVS Prime Tower 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 SVS Prime Tower is approximately 605.9cm2 / 93.9inch2. The Prime Pinnacle requires 20% 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 SVS Prime Pinnacle weighs 25.95kg / 57.1lbs and the SVS Prime Tower weighs 18.23kg / 40.1lbs. This makes the Prime Pinnacle 42% heavier than the Prime Tower.
Here is a comparison of how Prime Pinnacle 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 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 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
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
250 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
88 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
29 Hz
vs
30 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
931mm
vs
1042mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
605cm2
vs
724cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1400USD
vs
2000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
SVS Prime Pinnacle |
SVS Prime Tower |
| Brand |
SVS |
SVS |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-300 watts |
20-250 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
87 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
29-25k Hz |
30-25k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
3 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Polypropylene |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
dome |
dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5.25" |
4.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
300Hz and 2100Hz |
350Hz and 2100Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1042.0mm (41") |
931.0mm (36.7") |
| Width |
204.0mm (8") |
204.0mm (8") |
| Depth |
355.0mm (14") |
297.0mm (11.7") |
| Weight |
25.95kg (57.1lbs) |
18.23kg (40.1lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Black |
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 |
Siblings in SVS's Prime series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | evenly matched | Much the same reach (29Hz vs 30Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (88dB vs 87dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (300W vs 250W). |
| Size | depends | SVS Prime Tower is easier to place; SVS Prime Pinnacle is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Price | B | SVS Prime Tower is cheaper - $1,400 against $2,000, about 30% less. |
A SVS Prime Pinnacle 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?
Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let the "depends" rows and your own room settle it. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $600 saved by taking the cheaper pair would buy a subwoofer or a better amplifier, and either usually does more for the sound than the difference between these two.
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.