In this review, we will be comparing Ultra Evolution Tower and Ultra Evolution Pinnacle, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by SVS.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of SVS Ultra Evolution Tower and SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | SVS Ultra Evolution Tower | SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle |
|---|
| Brand | SVS
United States · founded 1998 | SVS
United States · founded 1998 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Dome | 1" Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 2 x 4.5" | 2 x 5.25" |
|---|
| Woofer | 4 x 5.25" Composite glass-fiber | 4 x 8" Composite glass-fiber |
|---|
| Frequency response | 30-40k Hz | 24-40k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-300 watts | 20-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 27.00kg / 59.4lbs | 43.90kg / 96.6lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 44.5" x 8.58" x 16.7"
1130 x 218 x 424mm | 50.2" x 11.8" x 18.1"
1275 x 300 x 460.7mm (D) |
|---|
Ultra Evolution Tower and Ultra Evolution Pinnacle 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 Pinnacle 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 Pinnacle |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Are you nuts? |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
Good |
(* 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
Both Ultra Evolution Tower and Ultra Evolution Pinnacle are 3-way speakers.
SVS Ultra Evolution TowerSVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle
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 |
SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
2 x 4.5-inch |
2 x 5.25-inch |
|
Woofer
|
4 x 5.25-inch
|
4 x 8-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 Pinnacle features a 1" aluminum Dome Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 4 x 8" Composite glass-fiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 140HZ and 1800Hz.
Frequency Response
Ultra Evolution Tower has a frequency range of 30-40k Hz whereas Ultra Evolution Pinnacle has a frequency range of 24-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 24Hz, the Ultra Evolution Pinnacle 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 and Ultra Evolution Pinnacle have the same Impedance of 6 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Ultra Evolution Tower sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the Ultra Evolution Pinnacle's is at 88 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle 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 and Ultra Evolution Pinnacle have the same power range of 20-300 watts.
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
SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both Ultra Evolution Tower and Ultra Evolution Pinnacle 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 Pinnacle's Gold-plated 5-way terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Ultra Evolution Tower and Ultra Evolution Pinnacle 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 Tower's and SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle'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 Pinnacle has external dimensions of 1275 x 300 x 460.7mm (D) (50.2 x 11.81 x 18.14”).
SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 82mm wider, 145mm taller and 37mm deeper than SVS Ultra Evolution Tower.
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 Pinnacle needs about 50% more floor or shelf area. SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle is 37mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle is 145mm 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 SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle is approximately 1383.0cm2 / 214.4inch2. The Ultra Evolution Tower requires 33% less surface area than the Ultra Evolution Pinnacle which gives it a small advantage 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 SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle weighs 43.90kg / 96.6lbs. This makes the Ultra Evolution Pinnacle 63% heavier than the Ultra Evolution Tower.
Here is a comparison of how Ultra Evolution Tower and Ultra Evolution Pinnacle's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
SVS Ultra Evolution Tower
SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle
 Height |
1130mm
vs
1275mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
924cm2
vs
1383cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
2999USD
vs
4999USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Sensitivity |
88 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
5.25 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
24 Hz
vs
30 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
| General |
SVS Ultra Evolution Tower |
SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle |
| Brand |
SVS |
SVS |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-300 watts |
20-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
87 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
6 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
30-40k Hz |
24-40k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
4 |
4 |
| Woofer Size |
5.25" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Composite glass-fiber |
Composite glass-fiber |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Dome |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
4.5" |
5.25" |
| Crossover Frequency |
170HZ and 1800Hz |
140HZ and 1800Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1130.0mm (44.5") |
1275.0mm (50.2") |
| Width |
218.0mm (8.6") |
300.0mm (11.8") |
| Depth |
424.0mm (16.7") |
461.0mm (18.1") |
| Weight |
27.00kg (59.4lbs) |
43.90kg (96.6lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Available Colors |
Piano Gloss Black,Piano Gloss White,Black Oak Veneer |
Piano Gloss Black,Piano Gloss White,Black Oak Veneer |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
Siblings in SVS's Ultra Evolution series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle digs deeper - 24Hz against 30Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (87dB vs 88dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (300W vs 300W). |
| Size | depends | SVS Ultra Evolution Tower is easier to place; SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | SVS Ultra Evolution Tower: bi-amping; SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle: bi-amping. |
| Price | A | SVS Ultra Evolution Tower is cheaper - $2,999 against $4,999, about 40% less; arguably a different class. |
A SVS Ultra Evolution Tower B SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle
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?
SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle is ahead, but only on 1 of the measured areas, and it costs about 67% more. That is a lot of money for a narrow margin on paper - SVS Ultra Evolution Tower looks like the sensible buy unless something else about the SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle appeals to you. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 30Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper SVS Ultra Evolution Tower much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle the better fit for a very large room; elsewhere the two are rated the same.
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.