In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by SVS. SVS Ultra Center is a Center Channel speaker whereas the Ultra Bookshelf is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of SVS Ultra Center and SVS Ultra Bookshelf first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | SVS Ultra Center | SVS Ultra Bookshelf |
|---|
| Brand | SVS
United States · founded 1998 | SVS
United States · founded 1998 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Dome | 1" Hard-Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 4" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" composite glass-fiber | 6.5" Composite glass-fiber |
|---|
| Frequency response | 45-32k Hz | 45-32k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 87 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-225 watts | 20-150 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 14.09kg / 31lbs | 8.64kg / 19lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 8-1/8" x 22-1/16" x 11-3/16"
207.0 x 561.0 x 285.0mm | 14-15/16" x 8-9/16" x 11-1/16"
380.0 x 218.0 x 281.0mm |
|---|
Ultra Center and Ultra Bookshelf 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 Center and SVS Ultra Bookshelf 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 Center |
SVS Ultra Bookshelf |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Average |
| 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.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Ultra Center is a 3-way design whereas the Ultra Bookshelf 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 Ultra CenterSVS Ultra Bookshelf
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 Ultra Center |
SVS Ultra Bookshelf |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 4-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
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. On the other hand, the Ultra Bookshelf features a 1" aluminum Hard-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Composite glass-fiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2000Hz.
Frequency Response
Ultra Center and Ultra Bookshelf has exactly the same frequency range of 45-32k Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Center Channel class in our database.
Low Frequency
Center Channel 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
Ultra Center and Ultra Bookshelf have the same Impedance of 8 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 87 dB.
Sensitivity
Center Channel 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.
Ultra Center can handle a max power of 225 watts RMS, whereas Ultra Bookshelf has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 75 watts less than the Ultra Center.
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
Both Ultra Center and Ultra Bookshelf features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
SVS Ultra Center's 5-Way post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
SVS Ultra Bookshelf's 5-way post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Ultra Center and Ultra 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 Ultra Center's and SVS Ultra Bookshelf's external dimensions. 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) whereas 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).
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 Center is approximately 1598.9cm2 / 247.8inch2 and base area of the SVS Ultra Bookshelf is approximately 612.6cm2 / 95.0inch2. The Ultra Center requires 161% more surface area than the Ultra Bookshelf which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of SVS Ultra Center?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Ultra Center:
- Center channel loudspeaker
- Grille
- 2 Terminal jumpers (pre-installed)
- 4 Rubber feet
- Owners Manual
- SVS brochure
- Online Product Registration Card
What's in the Box of SVS Ultra Bookshelf?
Here are the items that come with the Ultra Bookshelf:
- 2 Bookshelf loudspeakers
- 2 Grilles
- 8 Rubber feet
- 2 Terminal jumpers (pre-installed)
- Owners Manual
- SVS brochure
- Online Product Registration Card