In this review, we will be comparing Prime Wireless Pro and Prime Bookshelf, two Bookshelf speakers by SVS. The main difference between these two speakers is that the SVS Prime Wireless Pro is a Powered speaker which means that it has a built-in amplifier inside the speaker body so you don't need an external power amp or an integrated amp whereas the SVS Prime Bookshelf is a Passive speaker so has to be matched with an amplifier to get any sound from it.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of SVS Prime Wireless Pro and SVS Prime Bookshelf first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | SVS Prime Wireless Pro | SVS Prime Bookshelf |
|---|
| Brand | SVS
United States · founded 1998 | SVS
United States · founded 1998 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Built-in amplifier | 200-watt RMS | — |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Dome | 1" Hard-Dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 5.25" Polypropylen cone | 6.5" |
|---|
| Frequency response | 42-25k Hz | 48-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | — | 87 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | — | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | — | 25-150 watts |
|---|
| Max depth / sample rate | 24-bit / 192 kHz | — |
|---|
| Bluetooth | Built-in 5.0 | — |
|---|
| App control | Yes | — |
|---|
| Weight | 5.30kg / 11.7lbs | 7.03kg / 15.5lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 11.61" x 7.09" x 8.96"
295 x 180 x 228mm | 13.2" x 8.0" x 10.2"
337.8 x 203.2 x 261.6mm |
|---|
Prime Wireless Pro and Prime Bookshelf 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 |
Watts RMS | Max Depth / Sample Rate | Woofer |
 |
SVS Prime Wireless Pro
|
Bookshelf |
42-25k Hz |
200-watt | 24-bit/192 kHzΩ |
1 x 5.25"
|
 |
SVS Prime Wireless
|
Bookshelf |
52-25k Hz |
200-watt | 24-bit/192 kHzΩ |
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
Both Prime Wireless Pro and Prime Bookshelf are 2-way speakers.
SVS Prime Wireless ProSVS Prime Bookshelf
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 Wireless Pro |
SVS Prime Bookshelf |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5.25-inch
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
Prime Wireless Pro features a 1" aluminum Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5.25" Polypropylen cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2000Hz. On the other hand, the Prime Bookshelf features a 1" aluminum Hard-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2300Hz.
Frequency Response
Prime Wireless Pro has a frequency range of 42-25k Hz whereas Prime Bookshelf has a frequency range of 48-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 42Hz, the Prime Wireless Pro can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Prime Bookshelf's min frequency of 48Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf 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.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Prime Wireless Pro and Prime Bookshelf 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 Wireless Pro's and SVS Prime Bookshelf's external dimensions. SVS Prime Wireless Pro has external dimensions of 295 x 180 x 228mm (11.61 x 7.09 x 8.96 inch) whereas SVS Prime Bookshelf has external dimensions of 337.8 x 203.2 x 261.6mm (13.2 x 8.0 x 10.2inch).
SVS Prime Bookshelf is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 23.2mm wider, 42.8mm taller and 33.6mm deeper than SVS Prime Wireless 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 Prime Bookshelf needs about 30% more floor or shelf area. SVS Prime Bookshelf is 34mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. SVS Prime Bookshelf is 43mm 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 Wireless Pro is approximately 410.4cm2 / 63.6inch2 and base area of the SVS Prime Bookshelf is approximately 531.6cm2 / 82.4inch2. The Prime Wireless Pro requires 23% less surface area than the Prime Bookshelf which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of SVS Prime Wireless Pro?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Prime Wireless Pro:
- Active wireless speaker
- 6-feet AC power cord
- Grille (pre-installed)
- 8 Self-adhesive feet
- Active-Passive Speaker Interconnect Cable: 3m / 10ft
- Quick Start Guide
- Warranty/Registration Card
- SVS brochure
- Remote
What's in the Box of SVS Prime Bookshelf?
Here are the items that come with the Prime Bookshelf:
- 2 Bookshelf loudspeakers
- 2 Grilles (pre-installed)
- 8 Self-adhesive rubber bumpers
- Owners Manual SVS brochure
- Online Product Registration Card