In this review, we will be comparing Ultra Evolution Tower and Kendall, 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 Kendall first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | SVS Ultra Evolution Tower | KLH Kendall |
|---|
| Brand | SVS
United States · founded 1998 | KLH
United States · founded 1957 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Dome | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | 2 x 4.5" | 5.25" |
|---|
| Woofer | 4 x 5.25" Composite glass-fiber | 2 x 6.5" Woven Kevlar |
|---|
| Frequency response | 30-40k Hz | 25-23k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 96 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-300 watts | up to 250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 27.00kg / 59.4lbs | 22.14kg / 48.7lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 44.5" x 8.58" x 16.7"
1130 x 218 x 424mm | 40-3/16" x 8-5/16" x 14-15/16"
1021.0 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
Both Ultra Evolution Tower and Kendall are 3-way speakers.
SVS Ultra Evolution TowerKLH Kendall
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 Kendall |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
2 x 4.5-inch |
1 x 5.25-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 Kendall features a 1" anodized aluminum Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Woven Kevlar Woofer.
Frequency Response
Ultra Evolution Tower has a frequency range of 30-40k Hz whereas Kendall has a frequency range of 25-23k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 25Hz, the Kendall can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to 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 Kendall 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 Kendall's is rated at 96 dB. This 9 dB difference makes the KLH Kendall 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 Kendall has a max power handling value of 250 watts RMS, 50 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
Both Ultra Evolution Tower and Kendall features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
SVS Ultra Evolution Tower's Gold-plated 5-way terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
KLH Kendall's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
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 Kendall'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 Kendall has external dimensions of 1021.0 x 212.0 x 380.0mm (40-3/16 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, 109mm taller and 44mm deeper than KLH Kendall.
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 109mm 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 Kendall is approximately 805.6cm2 / 124.9inch2. The Ultra Evolution Tower requires 15% more surface area than the Kendall 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 Kendall weighs 22.14kg / 48.7lbs. This makes the Ultra Evolution Tower 22% heavier than the Kendall.
Here is a comparison of how Ultra Evolution Tower and Kendall'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 Kendall?
Here are the items that come with the Kendall:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- Foam port
- 4 Rubber feet
- 4 Spike feet (with nuts)
- 4 Protective discs
- Manual
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
250 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Number of Woofers |
4
vs
2
|
More woofers |
 High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
23k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Sensitivity |
96 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 |
25 Hz
vs
30 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
1021mm
vs
1130mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
805cm2
vs
924cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1500USD
vs
2999USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
SVS Ultra Evolution Tower |
KLH Kendall |
| Brand |
SVS |
KLH |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-300 watts |
up to 250 watts |
| Sensitivity |
87 dB |
96 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
30-40k Hz |
25-23k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
4 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5.25" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Composite glass-fiber |
Woven Kevlar |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Butyl Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Dome |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
4.5" |
5.25" |
| Crossover Frequency |
170HZ and 1800Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1130.0mm (44.5") |
1021.0mm (40.2") |
| Width |
218.0mm (8.6") |
212.0mm (8.3") |
| Depth |
424.0mm (16.7") |
380.0mm (15") |
| Weight |
27.00kg (59.4lbs) |
22.14kg (48.7lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Wood Veneer |
| Available Colors |
Piano Gloss Black,Piano Gloss White,Black Oak Veneer |
Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
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 2x what KLH Kendall 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 | B | KLH Kendall digs deeper - 25Hz against 30Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | B | KLH Kendall is more sensitive (96dB vs 87dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | KLH Kendall is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (300W vs 250W). |
| Size | depends | KLH Kendall is easier to place; SVS Ultra Evolution Tower is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | SVS Ultra Evolution Tower: bi-amping; KLH Kendall: bi-amping. SVS Ultra Evolution Tower sits in a wider range (7 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | B | KLH Kendall is cheaper - $1,500 against $2,999, about 50% less; arguably a different class. |
A SVS Ultra Evolution Tower B KLH Kendall
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?
KLH Kendall is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take SVS Ultra Evolution Tower if its size, looks or fit in your room suit you better. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 30Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, KLH Kendall is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best.
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.