In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by SVS. SVS Ultra Tower is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the Ultra Center is a Center Channel speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of SVS Ultra Tower and SVS Ultra Center first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
SVS Ultra Tower Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1.0" Dome Tweeter
- 6.5" Midrange
- 2 x 8.0" Polypropylene Woofer
- 28-32k Hz Frequency Response
- 88 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:20-300watts
- Weight:34.27kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1159.0" x 13-15/16" x 17-1/2"( 1159.0 x 355.0 x 445.0mm )
SVS Ultra Center Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" Dome Tweeter
- 4" Midrange
- 2 x 6.5" composite glass-fiber Woofer
- 4" Midrange
- 45-32k Hz Frequency Response
- 87 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:20-225watts
- Weight:14.09kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 207.0" x 22-1/16" x 11-3/16"( 207.0 x 561.0 x 285.0mm )
Ultra Tower and Ultra Center are members of SVS's Ultra series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
What size room are the SVS Ultra Tower and SVS Ultra Center 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 Tower |
SVS Ultra Center |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
Average |
(* 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 Tower and SVS Ultra Center compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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Drivers
Both Ultra Tower and Ultra Center are 3-way speakers.
| Driver |
SVS Ultra Tower |
SVS Ultra Center |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.0-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
2 x 6.5-inch |
1 x 4-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8.0-inch
|
2 x 6.5-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 Ultra Center features a 1" aluminum Dome Tweeter , a 4" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" composite glass-fiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 500Hz and 2200Hz.
Frequency Response
Ultra Tower has a frequency range of 28-32k Hz whereas Ultra Center has a frequency range of 45-32k 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 Ultra Center's min frequency of 45Hz.
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
High Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
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 Tower and Ultra Center 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 Ultra Center's is at 87 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the SVS Ultra Tower a more sensitive speaker compared to SVS Ultra Center, 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. 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 Tower can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Ultra Center has a max power handling value of 225 watts RMS, 75 watts less than the Ultra 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 Tower and Ultra Center 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
SVS Ultra Center's 5-Way post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
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 Tower's and SVS Ultra Center'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 SVS Ultra Center has external dimensions of 207.0 x 561.0 x 285.0mm ( 8-1/8 x 22-1/16 x 11-3/16inch) .
SVS Ultra Center is 952mm shorter and 160mm less deeper than SVS Ultra Tower but it is also 206mm 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 Tower is approximately 1579.8cm2 / 244.9inch2 and base area of the SVS Ultra Center is approximately 1598.9cm2 / 247.8inch2. The Ultra Tower requires 1% less surface area than the Ultra Center which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of SVS Ultra Tower?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Ultra Tower:
Floorstanding loudspeakerCloth grille2 Metal grillesFoam port plug4 Elastomer isolation feet (pre-installed)4 Spike feet4 Nuts4 Protective discs2 Terminal jumpers (pre-installed)Owners ManualSVS brochureOnline Product Registration Card
What's in the Box of SVS Ultra Center?
Here are the items that come with the Ultra Center:
Center channel loudspeakerGrille2 Terminal jumpers (pre-installed)4 Rubber feetOwners ManualSVS brochureOnline Product Registration Card
Max Input Power 
Sensitivity 
Woofer Size 
Base Surface Area 
Height 
Price per pair*