In this review, we will be comparing Ultra Tower and Forte IV, 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 Forte IV first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | SVS Ultra Tower | Klipsch Forte IV |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.0" Dome | 1" horn-loaded |
|---|
| Midrange | 2 x 6.5" | 1.75" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8.0" Polypropylene | 12" Fibercomposite |
|---|
| Frequency response | 28-32k Hz | 38-20k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 99 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-300 watts | up to 100 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 34.27kg / 75.4lbs | 32.73kg / 72lbs |
|---|
| 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 | 35-3/4" x 16-5/8" x 13"
909.0 x 423.0 x 331.0mm |
|---|
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
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Drivers
Both Ultra Tower and Forte IV are 3-way speakers.
SVS Ultra TowerKlipsch Forte IV
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 Forte IV |
|
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 Forte IV features a 1" titanium-diaphragm compression horn-loaded Tweeter, a 1.75" Midrange and 1 x 12" Fibercomposite Woofer.
Frequency Response
Ultra Tower has a frequency range of 28-32k Hz whereas Forte IV has a frequency range of 38-20k 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 Forte IV's min frequency of 38Hz.
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 Forte IV 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 Forte IV's is at 99 dB. This 11 dB difference makes the Klipsch Forte IV 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 Forte IV 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 Forte IV 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
New
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 Forte IV'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 Forte IV has external dimensions of 909.0 x 423.0 x 331.0mm (35-3/4 x 16-5/8 x 13inch).
Klipsch Forte IV is 250mm shorter and 114mm less deeper than SVS Ultra Tower but it is also 68mm wider.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of SVS Ultra Tower and Klipsch Forte IV in scale.
Comparison image of SVS Ultra Tower and Klipsch Forte IV 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 Forte IV is approximately 1400.1cm2 / 217.0inch2. The Ultra Tower requires 13% more surface area than the Forte IV 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 Forte IV weighs 32.73kg / 72lbs. This makes the Ultra Tower 5% heavier than the Forte IV.
Here is a comparison of how Ultra Tower and Forte IV'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 Forte IV?
Here are the items that come with the Forte IV:
- 2 Floorstanding loudspeakers
- 2 Grilles
- 8 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
38 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
32k Hz
vs
20k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Price per pair* |
2600USD
vs
4998USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Sensitivity |
99 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
|
Woofer Size |
12 inches
vs
8.0 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Passive Radiator |
rear-firing 15-inch
vs
None
|
Increases the bass performance |
 Height |
909mm
vs
1159mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1400cm2
vs
1579cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
SVS Ultra Tower |
Klipsch Heritage Forte IV |
| Brand |
SVS |
Klipsch |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-300 watts |
up to 100 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
99 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
28-32k Hz |
38-20k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
8.0" |
12" |
| Woofer Composition |
Polypropylene |
Fibercomposite |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.0" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Dome |
horn-loaded |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6.5" |
1.75" |
| Crossover Frequency |
160HZ and 2000Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1159.0mm (45.6") |
909.0mm (35.8") |
| Width |
355.0mm (14") |
423.0mm (16.7") |
| Depth |
445.0mm (17.5") |
331.0mm (13") |
| Weight |
34.27kg (75.4lbs) |
32.73kg (72lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Passive Radiator |
| Finish |
MDF/Oak veneer |
MDF/Wood veneer |
| Available Colors |
Black Oak,Piano Gloss Black,Piano Gloss White |
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 - Klipsch Forte IV costs roughly 1.9x what SVS Ultra Tower 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 |
A |
SVS Ultra Tower digs deeper - 28Hz against 38Hz. |
| Amplifier needs |
B |
Klipsch Forte IV 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 Forte IV is easier to place; SVS Ultra Tower is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Cabinet |
depends |
Ported vs Passive Radiator. |
| Expandability |
depends |
SVS Ultra Tower: bi-amping; Klipsch Forte IV: bi-amping. Klipsch Forte IV sits in a wider range (12 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price |
A |
SVS Ultra Tower is cheaper - $2,600 against $4,998, about 48% less; arguably a different class. |
A SVS Ultra Tower
B Klipsch Forte IV
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, placement 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 38Hz 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 Forte IV 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.