Superior and tight bottom end. Replacement woofers are easy to install for older subs.

Zero, unless your wife doesn't like it's look or size.

It's been almost 4 years since my last review (11/13/04). I now have three 20-39 PCi Subs (two in front for left and right and one in back coupled with the surrounds). They still kick butt. I'm actually going back and revisiting movies I've watched before getting the SV Subs. I've missed alot of stuff without them.
Sometime last year, I had to replace a woofer in one of the front subs. I now have to replace a woofer in the rear. The subs I own all have the ISD woofers. I've replaced one of the front subs with the new NSD woofer. HUGE difference. I've noticed tighter bottom end and more volume. It sounds 10 times better. The NSD is $125. It's a somewhat cheap and easy fix. SVS sends you the woofer with very easy directions. All you need is a screwdriver, pliers and a hammer. Highly recommend it. I'm going to eventually replace all of my woofers with the NSD replacement woofer. SVS Subs are still the best subs I've heard to date.

Customer Service

Excellent! They respond quickly and will talk you through any problem.

Similar Products Used:

Nothing since I've purchased SVS.

The performance is astounding. Wherever your home theater is in your home, the entire room will shake (in a good way).

Pffft... If I have to put something, I will say that it took almost a week to arrive. But it was well worth the wait.

I really just want to say what an AMAZING SUBWOOFER SVS makes. Holy s&*$! The Cylinder 20-39 PCi arrived today, and... I can't find the right words to describe how awesome it is... THANK YOU so much to those of you on Blu-Ray.com who suggested I go with SVS. By far, it is the best thing I ever could have done for my home theater. The Polk Audio RTI A7's are a close second in performance, but WOW!! The SVS Cylinder subwoofer is something to be reconned with.

It's a little big in appearance, but you seriously FEEL it on the floor, in the walls, and in your very being. My girlfriend sat on the couch and watched a few seconds of 'I Am Legend' before saying. "Oh my God... I can feel it just below my ribcage!"

If anyone else is reading this thread and thinking of MAYBE getting an SVS sub... FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, JUST DO IT! You will NOT be disappointed.

BEST HOME THEATER PURCHASE EVER!!

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

Nothing is similar to the SVS Cylinder sub. Nothing.

Unbelievable LFE content below 20 Hz if there is any in the program source.

Be very carefull not to find the resonance point of your house because this sub will!!

What can anyone say that hasn't been said about the SVS 20-39 PCI? Wow! I spent 5 months auditioning various Subs and none were that impressive. About that time I started to research the reviews and the name SVS kept popping up. No place to audition this brand so I took a chance based on the research. Man this is the best investment I ever made for a sound system period. Three audiophile friends were over for my Kids B-day party, so I popped in the DVD-Matrix Revolution just to show off the SVS and lo and behold my family room was standing room only in minutes. The three audiophiles jaws dropped as well as the other partygoers as they were bombarded consistently with 100 dB of sub 20 Hz LFE. There were so many shaking heads after that movie, that I popped in a kiddie movie (Finding Nemo). Again I was consistenly asked if the 7.1 Sound system was really a Richter Scale number and if my neighbors were complaining? I have a rather large family Room with wood floors on a concrete slab that was shaking during many a scenes of the Matrix Revolution. Made me wonder if I should have gotten the 20-39 PCi plus, so I could tune for 10-12 Hz? Naw, I'd probably get a call from the USGS if I did. I highly recommend this sub to any HT/Audiophile, as it is just as revealing in the music enviroment as it is in the HT. Musically, I have replayed all my old GRP-Digital Masters CDs like the Rippingtons and David Benoit for nuances in the low frequencies I never heard before. Man the smile on my face was ear to ear and the 7 RCA-LX-550s w/ the Linaeums were totally unburdened with the LFE that they became invisible like I was at a live performance. Too Much!!!

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JBL, Polk, Klispch, Velodyne

Relatively inexpensive for the level of performance it provides.

Must be properly calibrated to take full advantage of it. Produces bass only when it is in the source material--not truly a weakness, but could cause some initial concerns about it being "bass shy".

I purchased the 20-39PCI to replace a Velodyne CHT12 (which is another fine product) that I was moving into the bedroom. After living with the SVS for well over a year, I can safely say it is the best sub I have owned thus far. As will all subs, however, you must take the time to properly calibrate it so that it's sound blends in with the rest of your system. This could easily overpower. One characteristic is that this sub produces bass only when it is in the source material. For those who are used to a sub that creates a "thump" no matter what, these may at first appear to be "bass shy". They are far from that. On movies with a solid LFE such as "I, Robot", these will produce room rattling bass. However, passages where there isn't, and shouldn't be bass content are just that: natural. Music CDs are another area of possible misunderstanding. Unless there is deep bass in the recording itself, the SVS will not produce any artificial bass. While this seems logical, it is sometimes the trait that causes a possible initial disappointment with the sound of SVS. This will be noticed if your previous sub was a "boom box". However, when the recording has true bass, it can be breathtaking. As an example, I have the recording pf Resphigi's the Pines of Rome on London CD. Throughout most the piece, the bass is natural and not otherwise remarkable. However, in the final movement, the bass drum and organ come in, and loose objects in the room start to rattle. The effect is startling, and precisely the way it should be.

Similar Products Used:

Velodyne CHT 12 Polk 450 Polk 350

Accuracy Seamless integration with my mains

Tactile feel/output/air pressure (whatever you want to call it) Size

After much research on versatile subwoofers, I decided to take the plunge and go for the 20-39PCi. I've spent a couple of weeks with this thing now and I have mixed feelings. The bass is certainly tight and accurate, blending well with my old JBL N38 mains. But for 600 bucks and a whole lot of room real estate, I really expected to be "feeling" the bass a whole lot more. I've moved this beast all around the room and even tried moving it to another apartment and nothing added the tactile feel I think is missing. Not to say I don't like the sub (I'm still undecided on whether or not to keep it), it's just that I expected more. I'm not getting "kicked in the chest" like I thought I would, and very few things are rattling in my room.

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Old Technics garbage JBL 12"

Way fun,shakes the house and rattles the cabinets. Great company to deal with.

WAF

Killer low end. I could have gotten by with a 25-31 but as most SVS owners do,they get one one click to high as they just kill other subs. Its just as good for music as it is for movies and i dont belive in a misical sub. Good or bad sub and this thing will rock you.

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Klispch KSW 300

Deep bass.

Its the talled sub I have ever seen. My wife is cool with it though

I would like to say that I have used these reviews to help me purchase a sub. And in my price range I went with the 20-39 PCI svs sub. I am completly satisfied with my purchase and couldnt be happier. I think I need to do a little more tweaking but overall I got my money's worth. That is what I am always worried about. I recommend to anyone who is looking for a punch to their system. I am getting some axiom m60's next

Similar Products Used:

I have no idea

Low end extention, dynamics

Size

This is a second review for the 20-39PCi. This past weekend I had a movie party where we watched Almost Famous, South Park: Bigger & Better, and Shrek 2. I was wowwed by what I heard. There was so much weight and authority in my system. And the bottom end dynamics were a thousand times better than before the 20-39's showed up. The concert scenes from Almost Famous were incredible. The band's kick drum and bass were tight and made me feel like I was right there in the stadium where the band played. The "hell" scenes and musical numbers from South Park were very impressive. I was more impressed with each movie my friends and I watched. The most impressive moment came this past thursday when my friend Amy came by with The Day After Tomorrow. Throughout the movie there were these subsonic cues to let you know something bad was about to happen. During the first few scenes I heard Amy go "WOW!". The SVS 20-39PCi's (2 of them) completely pressurized the room with bass. The entire room rattled and hummed. Impressive and incredible. Now you know, It's unheard of for a woman to go "WOW" at any type of gear. Amy did. If that isn't enough of a reason to buy these subs, then I don't know what is. I haven't been to a theater in 3 years. I feel I don't need to with SV Subwoofers in my house.

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PSB 3i

great low end extension,deep tight bass.

it cant fly!

alright so ive read all the kudos and decided that now was a good time for me to see and hear what all the fuss was about, about these svs subwoofers.every forum you go to and all those electronic magazines you read all raved about these subs. whats so good about them??is it because there reasonably priced?,are they pretty?,can they make coffee in the A.M.?,hmmmm,well i had to find out so i broke down and ordered one! Whew!!!these are really BIG. ok everything youve read and heard about????.ITS ALL TRUE,truly a work of art!,and sound good?,you better believe it, great low extension and presence.If your in the market for a truly audiophile sub that wont brake the bank here it is, do yourself a favor and break down man.,you wont believe your ears,and your eyes for that matter!

Similar Products Used:

klipsch, velodyne cht12

Smooth sound, price, bass extention

Size, but I'm not concerned about that or the wf for I have no wife.

I wasn't happy with my bottom end on my 2 channel and my ht. The Goldi is a great speaker, but it wasn't giving me enough low end for my 2 channel. I also wanted to replace my 2 PSB 3i Subs. After much research, there was only one choice. SVS. I sent SVS pictures and dimensions of my room and Tom V., one of the owners, replied back with a suggestion of which sub would best benefit my room. I ordered and I received it within the week. First, the pictures of the subs displayed on this site and others no where near represents the size of these monsters! They are about the size of a mini water heater! But, as some would say, size doesn't matter. The 20-39 stands 39" tall and is about 14" in diameter. The 20-39 PCi has a 12" down firing sub. The PSB has a 15" front firing sub. I like the sound of the SVS better. It is much smoother, plays deeper and is less noticeable than the PSB. It blends incredibly well with the Goldi. It gives the extra bass extention I wanted. I listen to everything and whatever I throw at the SVS, it handles with ease. The other day I was recording the Olympic Theme and Fanfare for my girlfriend and decided to sit down and listen while I was dubbing it. I'm listening and all of a sudden there was this orchestral bass drum strike that exploded in the room. WOW! Talk about a dynamic moment! That moment is what caused me to write this review. When those subs did their magic in 2 channel mode, my face lit up like a proud papa. By the way, the subs are sitting on either side of my center channel and on top of cinder blocks with hockey pucks between the base of the sub and the cinder blocks. I also hooked them up with the left channel of each sub receiving the LFE from the Proceed and the right channel receiving the front left out of the Proceed going to the left sub and the front right out going to the right sub. So it's sort of a stereo sub configuration. If you need a sub or subs that will do your 2 channel and home theater perfect, look and listen no further than SVS.

Similar Products Used:

PSB 3i