In this review, we will be comparing Ultra Evolution Tower and Concord, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from SVS and KLH.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of SVS Ultra Evolution Tower and KLH Concord first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | SVS Ultra Evolution Tower | KLH Concord |
|---|
| Brand | SVS
United States · founded 1998 | KLH
United States · founded 1957 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Dome | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | 2 x 4.5" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 4 x 5.25" Composite glass-fiber | 2 x 6.5" Kevlar |
|---|
| Frequency response | 30-40k Hz | 28-23k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 94 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-300 watts | up to 225 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 27.00kg / 59.4lbs | 20.45kg / 45lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 44.5" x 8.58" x 16.7"
1130 x 218 x 424mm | 40-3/8" x 8-5/16" x 14-15/16"
1026.0 x 212.0 x 380.0mm |
|---|
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 Tower is a 3-way design whereas the Concord 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 TowerKLH Concord
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 Tower |
KLH Concord |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
2 x 4.5-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
4 x 5.25-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
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. On the other hand, the Concord features a 1" anodized aluminum Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Kevlar Woofer.
Frequency Response
Ultra Evolution Tower has a frequency range of 30-40k Hz whereas Concord has a frequency range of 28-23k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 28Hz, the Concord can go slightly deeper then the Ultra Evolution Tower's min frequency of 30Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing 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 Tower is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the Concord which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Ultra Evolution Tower sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the Concord's is rated at 94 dB. This 7 dB difference makes the KLH Concord a more sensitive speaker compared to SVS Ultra Evolution Tower, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing 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 Concord has a max power handling value of 225 watts RMS, 75 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. Concord has a 5-Way post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
SVS Ultra Evolution Tower's Gold-plated 5-way terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
KLH Concord's 5-Way post terminals
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 Tower's and KLH Concord's external dimensions. SVS Ultra Evolution Tower has external dimensions of 1130 x 218 x 424mm (44.49 x 8.58 x 16.69”) whereas KLH Concord has external dimensions of 1026.0 x 212.0 x 380.0mm (40-3/8 x 8-5/16 x 14-15/16inch).
SVS Ultra Evolution Tower is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 6mm wider, 104mm taller and 44mm deeper than KLH Concord.
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 15% more floor or shelf area. SVS Ultra Evolution Tower is 44mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. SVS Ultra Evolution Tower is 104mm 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 Tower is approximately 924.3cm2 / 143.3inch2 and base area of the KLH Concord is approximately 805.6cm2 / 124.9inch2. The Ultra Evolution Tower requires 15% more surface area than the Concord which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The SVS Ultra Evolution Tower weighs 27.00kg / 59.4lbs and the KLH Concord weighs 20.45kg / 45lbs. This makes the Ultra Evolution Tower 32% heavier than the Concord.
Here is a comparison of how Ultra Evolution Tower and Concord's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
SVS Ultra Evolution Tower
What's in the Box of KLH Concord?
Here are the items that come with the Concord:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Spike feet (w/ locking nut attached)
- 4 Protective discs
- 4 Rubber feet
- Port plug
- Manual
- ATTENTION! note
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
225 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Number of Woofers |
4
vs
2
|
More woofers |
 High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
23k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Sensitivity |
94 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
|
Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5.25 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
28 Hz
vs
30 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
1026mm
vs
1130mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
805cm2
vs
924cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1000USD
vs
2999USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
SVS Ultra Evolution Tower |
KLH Concord |
| Brand |
SVS |
KLH |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-300 watts |
up to 225 watts |
| Sensitivity |
87 dB |
94 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
30-40k Hz |
28-23k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
4 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5.25" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Composite glass-fiber |
Kevlar |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Butyl Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Dome |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
4.5" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
170HZ and 1800Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1130.0mm (44.5") |
1026.0mm (40.4") |
| Width |
218.0mm (8.6") |
212.0mm (8.3") |
| Depth |
424.0mm (16.7") |
380.0mm (15") |
| Weight |
27.00kg (59.4lbs) |
20.45kg (45lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Piano Gloss Black,Piano Gloss White,Black Oak Veneer |
Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
10 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
10 Years |
These sit in different price classes - SVS Ultra Evolution Tower costs roughly 3x what KLH Concord does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | evenly matched | Much the same reach (30Hz vs 28Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | B | KLH Concord is more sensitive (94dB vs 87dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | KLH Concord is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | A | SVS Ultra Evolution Tower takes more power (300W vs 225W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | KLH Concord is easier to place; SVS Ultra Evolution Tower is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | A | SVS Ultra Evolution Tower: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | KLH Concord is cheaper - $1,000 against $2,999, about 67% less; arguably a different class. |
A SVS Ultra Evolution Tower B KLH Concord
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let the "depends" rows and your own room settle it. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, KLH Concord is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $1,999 saved by taking the cheaper pair would buy a subwoofer or a better amplifier, and either usually does more for the sound than the difference between these two.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.