In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by SVS. SVS Ultra Evolution Center is a Center Channel speaker whereas the Ultra Evolution Bookshelf is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of SVS Ultra Evolution Center and SVS Ultra Evolution Bookshelf first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | SVS Ultra Evolution Center | SVS Ultra Evolution Bookshelf |
|---|
| Brand | SVS
United States · founded 1998 | SVS
United States · founded 1998 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Dome | 1" Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 4.5" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Composite glass-fiber | 6.5" Composite glass-fiber |
|---|
| Frequency response | 40-40k Hz | 40-40k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 87 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-225 watts | 20-150 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 12.20kg / 26.8lbs | 8.60kg / 18.9lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 7.83" x 22" x 11.78"
199 x 560 x 299.2mm | 15.04" x 8.66" x 11.64"
382 x 220 x 295.6mm |
|---|
Ultra Evolution Center and Ultra Evolution Bookshelf are members of SVS's Ultra Evolution series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
SVS Ultra Evolution Series
History
What size room are the SVS Ultra Evolution Center and SVS Ultra Evolution 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 Evolution Center |
SVS Ultra Evolution 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 Evolution Center is a 3-way design whereas the Ultra Evolution 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 Evolution CenterSVS Ultra Evolution 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 Evolution Center |
SVS Ultra Evolution Bookshelf |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 4.5-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
Ultra Evolution Center features a 1" aluminum Dome Tweeter, a 4.5" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Composite glass-fiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 450HZ and 2200Hz. On the other hand, the Ultra Evolution Bookshelf features a 1" aluminum Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Composite glass-fiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 1800Hz.
Frequency Response
Ultra Evolution Center and Ultra Evolution Bookshelf has exactly the same frequency range of 40-40k 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
Ultra Evolution Bookshelf
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 Evolution Center and Ultra Evolution Bookshelf have the same Impedance of 6 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 87 dB.
Sensitivity
Center Channel Speakers
Ultra Evolution Bookshelf
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 Evolution Center can handle a max power of 225 watts RMS, whereas Ultra Evolution Bookshelf has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 75 watts less than the Ultra Evolution 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.
SVS Ultra Evolution Center
SVS Ultra Evolution Bookshelf
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both Ultra Evolution Center and Ultra Evolution Bookshelf features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
SVS Ultra Evolution Center's Gold-plated 5-way terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
SVS Ultra Evolution Bookshelf's Gold-plated 5-way terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Ultra Evolution Center and Ultra Evolution 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 Evolution Center's and SVS Ultra Evolution Bookshelf's external dimensions. SVS Ultra Evolution Center has external dimensions of 199 x 560 x 299.2mm (7.83 x 22.05 x 11.78”) whereas SVS Ultra Evolution Bookshelf has external dimensions of 382 x 220 x 295.6mm (11.14 x 8.66 x 11.64”).
SVS Ultra Evolution Bookshelf is 340mm narrower and 3mm less deeper than SVS Ultra Evolution Center but it is also 183mm taller.
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 Ultra Evolution Center needs about 157% more floor or shelf area. SVS Ultra Evolution Bookshelf is 183mm 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 Evolution Center is approximately 1674.4cm2 / 259.5inch2 and base area of the SVS Ultra Evolution Bookshelf is approximately 651.2cm2 / 100.9inch2. The Ultra Evolution Center requires 157% more surface area than the Ultra Evolution Bookshelf which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.