deep, clean, tight, accurate, seamless, pounding, delicious, high-SPL bass

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Obvious improvements of the 20-39s over the PDR-12 were lower, louder, more natural bass. Although the PDR-12 is a great performer, the 20-39s were simply better. I am so happy to own a pair of the SVS 20-39CSs.

As for the Servo-15s, I cannot fairly compare them to the 20-39s because the Servos are in a whole other room. Aside from this issue, I think the Servos aren't quite as tight and controlled as the 20-39s. In my opinion, the 20-39s have a more "real" character to them.

Bottom line, I would not want to replace my 20-39s with the Servos or any other subwoofer for that matter.

Similar Products Used:

Paradigm Servo-15, Paradigm PDR-12

Adds Great impact to movies & music, goes flat down to 20Hz with out distorting ect... Verry musical unit. Loud not boomy bass but smooth clean deep bass.
PRICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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This is the best deal on a subwoofer outhere.
Who cares if you have to provide your own amp.
I got this sub powered by a 15 year old Marantz stereo amp it has 110 watts into 4 ohms and thats plenty of bass to fill my extremly large living room.
Infact this sub shakes every thing at 20hz you can even feel it on your eyes it kinda blurs your vision.
Did i tell you this thing goes extremly loud , yup it does.
this is a outranges deal only $479 what a deal man this sub could compare to subs costing up to $4000.

Similar Products Used:

Velodyne HGS-12 , ACI Quake.

The deepest bass i ever heard, extremly tight clean clear loud bass, rattles every thing in my house. price

no banana plugs

this is the best sub out there for what you pay.
i cant believe the amount of deep DEEEEEEEP rich crystal clear bass that comes from this tube.
The bass is thunderous and loud verry scarry " dont have this thing on when the kidds are around it might make them wet there pants"
i'm feeding this sub with a old stereo amp i had lying around approx 120 watts a cannel into 4 ohms and the bass is the best it's loud it's verry verry DEEEEP its clear and clean with no distortion

Similar Products Used:

heard Velodyne HGS-12.
M&K, sunfire, hsu, paradign

Clarity, Power

Large Cylinder

I finally received my SVS Subwoofer and I am very happy with it. I wasn't sure whether it would work well with my Magnepan MG1.6QR planar speakers but it does. There is no comparison between the SVS 2039CS the my previous Velodyne CT-100. The SVS is much cleaner, more powerful, and it doesn't hum. I listen mostly to music with occasional movies thrown in. The SVS sounds really great with music. The planars don't have a lot of bass and the SVS really helps out to bring the bass out. I am very surpised on how-well the sub blends with the Maggies.

I listened to the sub when playing Terminator 2 and it was scary. I feel sorry for my neighbors. I am using one of the channels on my Parasound HCA-2205AT to power it and it sounds great.

Now that I have the sub, I wouldn't touch any other brand of sub (REL, Velodyne, M&K). Why bother? SVS sounds better, looks better, and costs less.

Similar Products Used:

Velodyne Ct-100

Clean across the frequency range and quite powerful with just a bit of power. Very efficient sub.

None, except that you have to use caution and care or you will bottom these out because there is not a low cutoff.

One word: Awesome

There really is no comparison at this price point (or a $1,000 more). Make sure you calibrate properly and get used to it before you make any judgments. The first time i used it I was slightly dissapointed compared with my Energy. Soon thereafter I realized what i was used to was just boominess. The SVS is flat and kicks in hard when it needs to, like with dolby digital and dts movies. Fight Club is stunning with this thing.

Similar Products Used:

Energy 10"

Deep powerful bass,speed

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After hearing so many great reviews on SVS I decided to give them a try.I admit that I was very nervous that I might have made a mistake because the Mirage BPS-400 is a very good subwoofer.After waiting 3 weeks I was in business and ready to put them to the test.I am powering them with 2 channels of my Sherbourn 5/1500 which is 300 by 2 into 4ohms.For the time being I put each sub in the front corners behind my mains.After a quick calibration and setting my bass limiter I was ready.I put in the Rules Of Engagement DVD and let her rip.I noticed an immediate improvement in power and speed.I could feel the bass through my couch like the Clark Units I have.Even with all the punch in the chest power,it was also very crisp and quick.My Mirage BPS-400 was a great sub,but it is not in the same league as the SVS 20-39`s.These subwoofers are for real and I can honestly say that this is by far the best upgrade I have ever done with my hometheater.As Tom V. said,these subwoofers will put a smile on your face.

Similar Products Used:

Mirage BPS-400

incredible LOW deep bass

None yet

Although i am not as good with words as most reviewers here, I will give my best first impressions. I have two of the 20-39s powered by the 600 watt Fidek amp that SV sells. These subs are well built and stylish conisdering they are cylinders. The low freq. output of these things is amazing!!

Similar Products Used:

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SPL, SPL, SPL!

Noisy fan only if you purchase the Fidek with the passive subs... however performance for dollar, the Fidek can't be beat.

Top peformers for the dollar! This is a fact. As much talk as there is on other forums about these subs, you'll not find one unsatisfied customer. They are fabulous and the customer service is second to NONE! I understand that is tough to purchase unheard products over the internet, but SVS offers a 45 day money back gaurantee. Though I'd be surprised if you actually sent them back.

I bought two 20-39's and the 600w fidek amp. While the amp does have a noisy fan, if kept in a closed cabinet, its almost inaudible. The Fidek, however, is a top performer and drives these two guys beautifully... definitely worth a consideration.

How about the bass? Well there is a lot of it! Depending on what sub you are coming from, there is a distinct difference in sound between these and other subs. I previously ran a Def Tech PF15TL and though it is a decent sub >40hz, it just didn't have the output under that. The SVS do not have this problem. I have recorded on my Radio Shack SPL meter clean 115dB @20hz. Try registering that on your sub! Talk about bass you can feel!

These are tall, sleek, and unobtrusive... in my opinion. Do yourself a favor and at least visit the website and talk to Tom over there. Between the three passive or powered lines they have, I'm certain there is something to fit your environment.

Similar Products Used:

Infinty, Definitive Technology, Paradigm

Powerful,clean,tight bass

Fidek AMP is noisy

This subwoofer lives up to all the praise it has received over at the hometheaterforum. When I started my search for a new subwoofer I knew I wanted one that could do justice to both hometheater and music. I wanted the low extension and power for hometheater. I also wanted a bass that could accurately reproduce music without sounding boomy, flabby, or providing uneven frequency response. My musical tastes are fairly eclectic ranging from jazz, classical, to pop and classic rock. The bass characteristics of these genres vary considerably. My thought was that whatever sub I chose I would have to make compromises somewhere.

With an all paradigm speaker setup (Studio 60's, Studio CC and Titan surrounds) I initially considered the Servo-15. I t could produce the power and being a servo design it is pretty accurate musically. But the price tag was a little more than I could justify (@$1500 USD). I did audition the Paradigm PW-2200 but was underwhelmed by this speaker. It was pretty clean, but lacked the punch for HT.

From reading the various audio forums I started to see glowing reviews about a new startup company, SVSubwoofers. Initially I was very sceptical and was reluctant to order a sub over the internet without first auditioning it. Well finally I realized that I had not seen one bad word on the boards about these subs, just the opposite. People were almost having religious experiences over these subs. I figured this many people couldn't all be BSing or on drugs so I ordered a 20-39CS with the 600w Fidek amp in October. After a six week wait (there is a backlog on these babies) my new sub arrived Fedex.

First I will mention that this sub was impeccably packed to survive all the abuse Fedex could dish out. It was double boxed with styrofoam corner inserts between the two boxes. The sub itself was tightly wrapped in bubble wrap. Just unpacking the sub took 20-30 minutes! The sub was in perfect condition, no scratches or blemishes anywhere. This is a very good looking piece. The tube is wrapped in a very attractive charcoal/black velour that speaks of quality materials. This is even taller/wider that I had imagined it would be. Yes, I knew the dimensions ahead of time, but in person this sub is big. It's not that heavy though and is easy to maneuver into position. Also, with the driver at the bottom it is very stable, not top heavy like the HSU TN series are alleged to be.

The Fidek 600w amp I ordered is also very substantial. You don't want to drop this amp on your foot. It was not so easy to move around.

Using my Radio Shack analog sound meter and my DTR-7's test tones I calibrated my sub to 82-83Db with my other speakers at the 75db reference level. The SV people suggest setting the subs at 6-7 DBs over the reference level. I will also mention that the sub comes with a good manual/setup guide. As one who has labored through poorly written manuals for other A/V gear, I enjoyed reading through this one. These people obviously have taken the time to do even the manual properly. Too often this seems to be a poor second thought for most manufacturers.

A word about the Fidek amp. It is noisy. I knew ahead of time that other people found this to be true. I put mine behind my 35" TV and it still was annoyingly loud. My solution: At K-mart I bought one of those stackable plastic storage bins. I cut holes for the cables, and for the on/off button, packed the sides with foam rubber and wrapped the exterior in quilt bunting and then over wrapped this with carpet remnants I had using high tech duct tape (ha ha). Yes, I was careful to still provide plenty of breathing space and ventilation holes for the amp. This project was a success, it's not pretty but it cut the noise by I estimate 50-75%. You can still hear it if there is nothing playing but it is now very livable.

Well, how does it sound? My first DVD I tried was U-571. Yes, this is an HT sub! The rumble from depth charge explosions could be felt as well as heard. In my 12'x22'x8' room this sub can shake the walls. In fact my daughter could feel the vibrations in her bedroom which is at the other end of the house.

Now, the critical test, music. I'd say 60-70% of my listening is done to music so I was anxious about how it would sound here. Rock music sounds very good. One thing I listened to was the Beatles White album. There is plenty of kick drum and tom-toms in Ringo's work. The 20-39 was very clean with these. There was not bloated overhang on these drums. The sound decayed rapidly as it should. It's hard to describe but the sound was precise, not diffuse. McCartney's bass work on Ob la di,Ob la da is fast moving and covers a fairly wide pitch range. Again this was accurate as to duration and more importantly to pitch. I have a music degree and nothing bothers me more than boomy, pitch-indeterminate bass, you know, the kind you hear in some kid's car stereos. The SVS handled this very well, it was the antithesis of boombox bass. It also blended very well with my paradigm speakers.

I also did my first listening to Diana Krall(Wow, what have I been missing, but that's another story!). The string bass on these tracks was nice and clean and articulate. Yes, this sub passed the all critical music test with flying colors. Well as you can guess I love this sub. IMHO it lives up to all the hype I have seen about it. For under $1000 this sub is quite a value.

My system:
Onkyo Integra DTR-7 Receiver
Sony DVP-530D DVD player
Sony CDP-250 carousel CD player.
Technics SL-DD22 turntable
GE VG 4218 Hifi VCR
Paradigm Reference Studio 60's V2
Paradigm Reference Studio Center Channel
Paradigm Titans rear surrounds
DHLabs T-14 Silver Sonic speaker cable
DHLabs BL-1 interconnects

Similar Products Used:

Yamaha YST-120