In this review, we will be comparing Ultra Tower and Heresy III, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from SVS and Klipsch.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of SVS Ultra Tower and Klipsch Heresy III first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | SVS Ultra Tower | Klipsch Heresy III |
|---|
| Brand | SVS
United States · founded 1998 | Klipsch
United States · founded 1946 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.0" Dome | 1" Tractrix horn |
|---|
| Midrange | 2 x 6.5" | 1.75" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8.0" Polypropylene | 12" Fiber-composite |
|---|
| Frequency response | 28-32k Hz | 58-20k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 99 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-300 watts | 100 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 34.27kg / 75.4lbs | 20.00kg / 44lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 45-5/8" x 13-15/16" x 17-1/2"
1159.0 x 355.0 x 445.0mm | 23-7/8" x 15-1/2" x 13-7/16"
607.0 x 394.0 x 342.0mm |
|---|
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
Both Ultra Tower and Heresy III are 3-way speakers.
SVS Ultra TowerKlipsch Heresy III
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 Tower |
Klipsch Heresy III |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.0-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
2 x 6.5-inch |
1 x 1.75-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8.0-inch
|
1 x 12-inch
|
Ultra Tower features a 1.0" aluminum Dome Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 8.0" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 160HZ and 2000Hz. On the other hand, the Heresy III features a 1" titanium-diaphragm compression Tractrix horn Tweeter, a 1.75" Midrange and 1 x 12" Fiber-composite Woofer.
Frequency Response
Ultra Tower has a frequency range of 28-32k Hz whereas Heresy III has a frequency range of 58-20k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 28Hz, the Ultra Tower can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Heresy III's min frequency of 58Hz.
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 Tower and Heresy III have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Ultra Tower sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the Heresy III's is at 99 dB. This 11 dB difference makes the Klipsch Heresy III a more sensitive speaker compared to SVS Ultra 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 Tower can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas Heresy III has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 200 watts less than the Ultra 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.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both Ultra Tower and Heresy III features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
SVS Ultra Tower'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 Tower's and Klipsch Heresy III's external dimensions. SVS Ultra Tower has external dimensions of 1159.0 x 355.0 x 445.0mm (45-5/8 x 13-15/16 x 17-1/2inch) whereas Klipsch Heresy III has external dimensions of 607.0 x 394.0 x 342.0mm (23-7/8 x 15-1/2 x 13-7/16inch).
Klipsch Heresy III is 552mm shorter and 103mm less deeper than SVS Ultra Tower but it is also 39mm wider.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of SVS Ultra Tower and Klipsch Heresy III in scale.
Comparison image of SVS Ultra Tower and Klipsch Heresy III Size and External Dimensions
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 Tower is approximately 1579.8cm2 / 244.9inch2 and base area of the Klipsch Heresy III is approximately 1347.5cm2 / 208.9inch2. The Ultra Tower requires 17% more surface area than the Heresy III 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 Tower weighs 34.27kg / 75.4lbs and the Klipsch Heresy III weighs 20.00kg / 44lbs. This makes the Ultra Tower 71% heavier than the Heresy III.
Here is a comparison of how Ultra Tower and Heresy III's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of SVS Ultra Tower?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Ultra Tower:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Cloth grille
- 2 Metal grilles
- Foam port plug
- 4 Elastomer isolation feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Nuts
- 4 Protective discs
- 2 Terminal jumpers (pre-installed)
- Owners Manual
- SVS brochure
- Online Product Registration Card
What's in the Box of Klipsch Heresy III?
Here are the items that come with the Heresy III:
- Floor-standing loudspeaker
- Detachable grille (installed)
- Base riser (installed)
- 4 Self-adhesive rubber feet
- Owners Manual
- Congratulations letter
- Klipsch brochure
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
100 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
28 Hz
vs
58 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
32k Hz
vs
20k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Sensitivity |
99 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
|
Woofer Size |
12 inches
vs
8.0 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Height |
607mm
vs
1159mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1347cm2
vs
1579cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
2346USD
vs
2600USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
SVS Ultra Tower |
Klipsch Capitol Heresy III |
| Brand |
SVS |
Klipsch |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-300 watts |
100 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
99 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
28-32k Hz |
58-20k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
8.0" |
12" |
| Woofer Composition |
Polypropylene |
Fiber-composite |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Treated cloth |
| Tweeter Size |
1.0" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Dome |
Tractrix horn |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6.5" |
1.75" |
| Crossover Frequency |
160HZ and 2000Hz |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1159.0mm (45.6") |
607.0mm (23.9") |
| Width |
355.0mm (14") |
394.0mm (15.5") |
| Depth |
445.0mm (17.5") |
342.0mm (13.5") |
| Weight |
34.27kg (75.4lbs) |
20.00kg (44lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Acoustic Suspension |
| Finish |
MDF/Oak veneer |
MDF/Wood veneer |
| Available Colors |
Black Oak,Piano Gloss Black,Piano Gloss White |
Blonde Cherry |
| 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 |
A generation apart: Klipsch Heresy III is the newer design, against a 2013 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | SVS Ultra Tower digs deeper - 28Hz against 58Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Klipsch Heresy III is more sensitive (99dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | A | SVS Ultra Tower takes more power (300W vs 100W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Klipsch Heresy III is easier to place; SVS Ultra Tower is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Cabinet | depends | Ported vs Sealed. Sealed is tighter and happier near a wall; ported digs lower but wants space behind it. |
| Expandability | depends | SVS Ultra Tower: bi-amping; Klipsch Heresy III: bi-amping. Klipsch Heresy III sits in a wider range (12 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | evenly matched | Much the same money ($2,600 vs $2,346 a pair). |
A SVS Ultra Tower B Klipsch Heresy III
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 Tower has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 58Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. In a large or open-plan room, SVS Ultra Tower has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Klipsch Heresy III is the easier speaker to get right.
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.