In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by SVS. SVS Ultra Evolution Tower is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the Ultra Evolution Bookshelf is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of SVS Ultra Evolution Tower and SVS Ultra Evolution Bookshelf first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
SVS Ultra Evolution Tower Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" Dome Tweeter
- 4.5" Midrange
- 4 x 5.25" Composite glass-fiber Woofer
- 30-40k Hz Frequency Response
- 87 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 6ohms
- Power Range:20-300watts
- Weight:27.00kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1130.0" x 8.58" x 16.7"( 1130 x 218 x 424mm )
SVS Ultra Evolution Bookshelf Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Dome Tweeter
- 6.5" Composite glass-fiber Woofer
- 40-40k Hz Frequency Response
- 87 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 6ohms
- Power Range:20-150watts
- Weight:8.60kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 382.0" x 8.66" x 11.64"( 382 x 220 x 295.6mm )
Ultra Evolution Tower 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 Tower 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 Tower |
SVS Ultra Evolution Bookshelf |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the SVS Ultra Evolution Tower and SVS Ultra Evolution Bookshelf compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
**This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking
through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Ultra Evolution Tower 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.
| Driver |
SVS Ultra Evolution Tower |
SVS Ultra Evolution Bookshelf |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
2 x 4.5-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
4 x 5.25-inch
|
1 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 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 Tower has a frequency range of 30-40k Hz whereas Ultra Evolution Bookshelf has a frequency range of 40-40k 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 Bookshelf's min frequency of 40Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Ultra Evolution Bookshelf
High Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
SVS Ultra Evolution Tower
SVS Ultra Evolution Bookshelf
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Ultra Evolution Tower and Ultra Evolution Bookshelf have the same Impedance of 6 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 87 dB.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Ultra Evolution Bookshelf
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. While using
an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the
max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.
Ultra Evolution Tower can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Ultra Evolution Bookshelf has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 150 watts less than the Ultra Evolution Tower.
Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker
compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters
such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both Ultra Evolution Tower and Ultra Evolution Bookshelf 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
SVS Ultra Evolution Bookshelf's Gold-plated 5-way terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Ultra Evolution Tower 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
Size of a speaker can sometimes become 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 SVS Ultra Evolution Bookshelf'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 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 748mm shorter and 128mm less deeper than SVS Ultra Evolution Tower but it is also 2mm wider.
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 SVS Ultra Evolution Bookshelf is approximately 651.2cm2 / 100.9inch2. The Ultra Evolution Tower requires 42% more surface area than the Ultra Evolution Bookshelf which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.