SVS AS-EQ1 Audyssey MultEQ XT Bass Equalizer!

I have been through a couple of subs already. From US Audio to M&K to now a SVS NSD-10. Prior to the SVS, I was always looking for more because I could not find the "Slam" so to speak. But when the SVS came, the "Slam" also came with it. But other noticeable problems also occurred, the ringing of my ceiling and windows, it can get annoying when the room shakes for the wrong reason.

The next thing to do for others might be to buy another sub, but reading and experiencing what others were doing like treating their room, using equalization etc. Equalization is the next order of things for me, but I need a system that is both automated (dont know how to calibrate manually) and cheap. I almost got the Anti-mode, even a pre-owned one but for some reason I did not pull the trigger. maybe it was how I have experienced the SVS AS-EQ1 in a friend's home theater that made me wishing for one. But at $750 it was basically buying another sub!

But luckily I managed to get my hands on a pre-owned AS-EQ1 (that's another story). And after a week of getting it, I have now finally set it up. Measured 15 spots for the sub eq and another 6 spots using my Onkyo AVR's Audyssey MultEQ and the results are simply outstanding!

some pictures:

the SVS AS-EQ1



the calibrating process


the computer screen of calibrating software


the result! what's more there to say. the result speaks for itself. the room was tamed! ;D ;D ;D

Now looking at the graph. You could see how it has tamed my erstwhile wild room! But the graph is just a graph. What I can tell you is this. Before calibration my sub was calibrated by my Onkyo's Audyssey MultEQ. My sub's gain knob is set to 1 o'clock and what is apparent is when there are low freq scenes on a movie, ringing through my ceiling and windows are evident, and when this happen we know that the low freq wont hit the viewers at the right spot. Oh yeah, the SVS is definitely better than my previous subs but the result is not yet perfect. After the calibration (which took almost 2 hours!), with the level matching feature of the gear, my sub's gain knob was set to 9 o'clock, I was a little bit concerned that, how can a gain of 1/4 turn improve my bass? but after listening to it after calibration, all i can say is this equipment is not snake oil. Its real. no more ringing on bass heavy scenes, everything is just right (substitute right audio term here).

I have my friend to thank for getting this gear. For those SVS users or even non SVS users. I HIGHLY recommend this product. Night and day difference really! Imagine that I have a 2,000 sq feet room (20 sq meter) and this 10NSD is more than enough for it. Now the room is almost perfect! WOOHOO!!!

SVS PB10-NSD SubWoofer

Finally brought home a SVS subwoofer, its the "small" PB10-NSD model. Got it from the pre-owned market.

You got to hand it to the original owner, he really took care of the unit, it looks brand new, I picked it up all ready, boxed in its original packaging and all. Never thought I would be able to do this with a pre-owned stuff. Very happy I have pictures of the unboxing like its bought brand new.



Set my system up with Audyssey again. Set phase to 90 degrees and sub gain to 12 noon, then watched the incredible hulk, phantom menace, u-571, master & commander and some concert videos.

Well, the packaging & build quality is exceptional. You know you are buying a great product from the packaging alone, it was double boxed.

Performance wise, its pretty obvious that the SVS will perform better than my previous M&K, but I never thought it would be so far ahead. the M&K is no slouch, although its decade-old sealed design and 125 watt amp just can't compete with the SVS' ported and 300+ watt BASH amp. what's surprising is this SVS is a 10" while the M&K is a 12". The dimension of the sub boxes are almost identical except the SVS is longer by almost 3". For my room which is 12 feet x 20 feet by 8.5 feet = 2,040 cubic feet room, the PB10-NSD is more than enough to get the bass going. I initially thought I would like to keep the M&K as a second sub at the back, but after watching the movies I watched. I think I would have to bid farewell to my M&K, one SVS is enough for me.

The movies I mentioned, I watched it last night with my m&k, so the parts for comparison are still fresh on my mind. The parts where bass were evident just sounded so different with the SVS, if I can feel the M&K's bass production, the SVS placed me on the action itself, WOW! For concert videos, I was surprised the SVS handled it very well, clean and accurate bass reproduction, the bass sounds like bass produced by the musical instruments.

I initially read of SVS subs on the internet, and heard it sing (ultras) in one of PDVD's EBs, heard it again when sir streetsmart bought a PB12-NSD, and finally now I have one at home.

Its not marketing, its not even hype, its REAL. If you plan to upgrade your sub. And you feel an SVS is expensive, save some more or like me wait for a good pre-owned one, and get it, as every owner of this sub has been saying, its worth every centavo!!!