In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by SVS. SVS Ultra Evolution Nano is a Bookshelf speaker whereas the Ultra Evolution Tower is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of SVS Ultra Evolution Nano and SVS Ultra Evolution Tower first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | SVS Ultra Evolution Nano | SVS Ultra Evolution Tower |
|---|
| Brand | SVS
United States · founded 1998 | SVS
United States · founded 1998 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Dome | 1" Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 2 x 4.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 5.25" Composite glass-fiber | 4 x 5.25" Composite glass-fiber |
|---|
| Frequency response | 44-40k Hz | 30-40k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 85 dB | 87 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-150 watts | 20-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 6.10kg / 13.4lbs | 27.00kg / 59.4lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 12.36" x 7.48" x 9.57"
314 x 190 x 243mm | 44.5" x 8.58" x 16.7"
1130 x 218 x 424mm |
|---|
Ultra Evolution Nano and Ultra Evolution Tower 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 Nano and SVS Ultra Evolution Tower 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 Nano |
SVS Ultra Evolution Tower |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| 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.)
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 Nano is a 2-way design whereas the Ultra Evolution Tower 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.
SVS Ultra Evolution NanoSVS Ultra Evolution Tower
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 Nano |
SVS Ultra Evolution Tower |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
2 x 4.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5.25-inch
|
4 x 5.25-inch
|
Ultra Evolution Nano features a 1" aluminum Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5.25" Composite glass-fiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 1900Hz. On the other hand, the Ultra Evolution Tower features a 1" aluminum Dome Tweeter, a 4.5" Midrange and 4 x 5.25" Composite glass-fiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 170HZ and 1800Hz.
Frequency Response
Ultra Evolution Nano has a frequency range of 44-40k Hz whereas Ultra Evolution Tower has a frequency range of 30-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 30Hz, the Ultra Evolution Tower can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Ultra Evolution Nano's min frequency of 44Hz.
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.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Ultra Evolution Nano and Ultra Evolution Tower have the same Impedance of 6 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Ultra Evolution Nano sensitivity is rated at 85 dB and the Ultra Evolution Tower's is at 87 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the SVS Ultra Evolution Tower a more sensitive speaker compared to SVS Ultra Evolution Nano, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf 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 Evolution Tower can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas Ultra Evolution Nano has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 150 watts less than the Ultra Evolution Tower.
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 Tower
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Ultra Evolution Tower features Gold-plated 5-way posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Ultra Evolution Nano has a Gold-plated 5-way which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
SVS Ultra Evolution Nano's Gold-plated 5-way terminals
SVS Ultra Evolution Tower's Gold-plated 5-way terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Ultra Evolution Nano and Ultra Evolution Tower 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 Nano's and SVS Ultra Evolution Tower's external dimensions. SVS Ultra Evolution Nano has external dimensions of 314 x 190 x 243mm (12.36 x 7.48 x 9.57”) whereas SVS Ultra Evolution Tower has external dimensions of 1130 x 218 x 424mm (44.49 x 8.58 x 16.69”).
SVS Ultra Evolution Tower is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 28mm wider, 816mm taller and 181mm deeper than SVS Ultra Evolution Nano.
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 Tower needs about 100% more floor or shelf area. SVS Ultra Evolution Tower is 181mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. SVS Ultra Evolution Tower is 816mm 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 Nano is approximately 461.7cm2 / 71.6inch2 and base area of the SVS Ultra Evolution Tower is approximately 924.3cm2 / 143.3inch2. The Ultra Evolution Nano requires 50% less surface area than the Ultra Evolution Tower which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.