In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by SVS. SVS Ultra Bookshelf is a Bookshelf speaker whereas the Ultra Center is a Center Channel speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of SVS Ultra Bookshelf and SVS Ultra Center first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
SVS Ultra Bookshelf Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter
- 6.5" Composite glass-fiber Woofer
- 45-32k Hz Frequency Response
- 87 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:20-150watts
- Weight:8.64kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 380.0" x 8-9/16" x 11-1/16"( 380.0 x 218.0 x 281.0mm )
SVS Ultra Center Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" Dome Tweeter
- 4" Midrange
- 2 x 6.5" composite glass-fiber Woofer
- 4" Midrange
- 45-32k Hz Frequency Response
- 87 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:20-225watts
- Weight:14.09kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 207.0" x 22-1/16" x 11-3/16"( 207.0 x 561.0 x 285.0mm )
Ultra Bookshelf and Ultra Center are members of SVS's Ultra series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
What size room are the SVS Ultra Bookshelf and SVS Ultra Center 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 Ultra Bookshelf |
SVS Ultra Center |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the SVS Ultra Bookshelf and SVS Ultra Center compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Ultra Bookshelf is a 2-way design whereas the Ultra Center 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.
| Driver |
SVS Ultra Bookshelf |
SVS Ultra Center |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 4-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
Ultra Bookshelf features a 1" aluminum Hard-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Composite glass-fiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2000Hz. On the other hand, the Ultra Center features a 1" aluminum Dome Tweeter , a 4" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" composite glass-fiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 500Hz and 2200Hz.
Frequency Response
Ultra Bookshelf and Ultra Center has exactly the same frequency range of 45-32k Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
High Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Ultra Bookshelf and Ultra Center have the same Impedance of 8 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 87 dB.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. While using an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.
Ultra Bookshelf can handle a max power of 225 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Ultra Bookshelf has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS , 75 watts less than the Ultra Center.
Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker
compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters
such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both Ultra Bookshelf and Ultra Center features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
SVS Ultra Bookshelf's 5-way post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
SVS Ultra Center's 5-Way post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Ultra Bookshelf and Ultra Center 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
Size of a speaker can sometimes become 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 Ultra Bookshelf's and SVS Ultra Center's external dimensions. SVS Ultra Bookshelf has external dimensions of 380.0 x 218.0 x 281.0mm ( 14-15/16 x 8-9/16 x 11-1/16inch) whereas SVS Ultra Center has external dimensions of 207.0 x 561.0 x 285.0mm ( 8-1/8 x 22-1/16 x 11-3/16inch) .
SVS Ultra Bookshelf is 343mm narrower and 4mm less deeper than SVS Ultra Center but it is also 173mm 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 Ultra Bookshelf is approximately 612.6cm2 / 95.0inch2 and base area of the SVS Ultra Center is approximately 1598.9cm2 / 247.8inch2. The Ultra Bookshelf requires 62% less surface area than the Ultra Center which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of SVS Ultra Bookshelf?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Ultra Bookshelf:
2 Bookshelf loudspeakers2 Grilles8 Rubber feet2 Terminal jumpers (pre-installed)Owners ManualSVS brochureOnline Product Registration Card
What's in the Box of SVS Ultra Center?
Here are the items that come with the Ultra Center:
Center channel loudspeakerGrille2 Terminal jumpers (pre-installed)4 Rubber feetOwners ManualSVS brochureOnline Product Registration Card
Base Surface Area 
Max Input Power 
Driver Setup 
Number of Woofers 
Height 
Price per pair*