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SVS Ultra Bookshelf vs SVS Ultra Center Comparison

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SVS Ultra Bookshelf

Passive Bookshelf | 45-32k Hz

SVS Ultra Bookshelf
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SVS Ultra Center

Passive Center Channel | 45-32k Hz

SVS Ultra Center
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SVS Ultra Bookshelf SVS Ultra Bookshelf
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SVS Ultra Center SVS Ultra Center
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SVS Ultra Bookshelf
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SVS Ultra Center
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SVS Ultra Bookshelf vs SVS Ultra Center Speaker Comparison

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.

SVS Ultra Series History
Model Body Frequency SensitivityImpedance Woofer
SVS Ultra Center
Center Channel 45-32k Hz 87 dB8Ω 2 x 6.5"
SVS Ultra Tower
  
Floor-standing 28-32k Hz 88 dB8Ω 2 x 8.0"
SVS Ultra Bookshelf
Bookshelf 45-32k Hz 87 dB8Ω 1 x 6.5"

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.


**This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.


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

Ultra Bookshelf
Ultra Center
Min
Average
Max
High Frequency

Bookshelf Speakers

SVS Ultra Bookshelf
SVS Ultra Center
Min
Average
Max

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

Ultra Bookshelf
Ultra Center
Min
Average
Max

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 Terminals
SVS Ultra Bookshelf's 5-way post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring

SVS Ultra Center5-Way post Terminals
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 loudspeakers
  • 2 Grilles
  • 8 Rubber feet
  • 2 Terminal jumpers (pre-installed)
  • Owners Manual
  • SVS brochure
  • Online Product Registration Card
  • What's in the Box of SVS Ultra Center?

    Here are the items that come with the Ultra Center:
  • Center channel loudspeaker
  • Grille
  • 2 Terminal jumpers (pre-installed)
  • 4 Rubber feet
  • Owners Manual
  • SVS brochure
  • Online Product Registration Card

  • Reasons to choose SVS Ultra Bookshelf over SVS Ultra Center
    Base Surface Area 612cm2 vs 1598cm2 Takes less floor space

    Reasons to choose SVS Ultra Center over SVS Ultra Bookshelf

    Max Input Power 225 watts vs 150 watts Handle more power from your amplifier
    Driver Setup 3-way vs 2-way Have a dedicated mid-range driver
    Number of Woofers 2 vs 1 More woofers
    Height 207mm vs 380mm Easier to fit in smaller spaces
    Price per pair* 799USD vs 1200USD costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)
    SVS Ultra Bookshelf vs SVS Ultra Center Specs Table
    Detailed comparison of specifications
    General SVS Ultra Bookshelf SVS Ultra Center
    Brand SVS SVS
    Speaker Type Bookshelf speakers Center channel speaker
    Power Range 20-150 watts 20-225 watts
    Sensitivity 87 dB 87 dB
    Impedance 8 ohms 8 ohms
    Frequency Response 45-32k Hz 45-32k Hz
    Drivers
    Woofer Quantity 1 2
    Woofer Size 6.5" 6.5"
    Woofer Composition Composite glass-fiber composite glass-fiber
    Woofer Surround Material Rubber Rubber
    Tweeter Size 1" 1"
    Tweeter Type Hard-Dome Dome
    Aimable Tweeter No No
    Midrange Driver No 4"
    Crossover Frequency 2000Hz 500Hz and 2200Hz
    Firing Direction rear rear
    Physical Specs
    Height 380.0mm (15") 207.0mm (8.1")
    Width 218.0mm (8.6") 561.0mm (22.1")
    Depth 281.0mm (11.1") 285.0mm (11.2")
    Weight 8.64kg (19lbs) 14.09kg (31lbs)
    Enclosure Bass Reflex Bass Reflex
    Finish MDF/Oak veneer n/a
    Available Colors Black Oak,Piano Gloss Black,Piano Gloss White Black Oak,Piano Gloss Black,Piano Gloss White
    Mounting Bracket No No
    Recommended Stand Height 22-28" n/a
    Grille Yes Yes
    Moisture Resistancy No No
    Connections
    Biamp Inputs Yes Yes
    Other
    Parts Warranty 5 Years 5 Years
    Labor Warranty 5 Years 5 Years

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