Shape (it made a sub possible in my HT) deep, accurate, loud bass construction is solid Enthusiastic designers

I really haven't found one yet.

I actually started out with the 25-31cs around Thanksgiving of 2001. I had a 100 watt Sony receiver that I was thinking I would use to power the sub and on movies it worked OK but on music I could really hear where the receiver was unable to drive the sub and maintain the sustain on the bass notes. So, I started pricing more powerful amplifiers. About the same time I visited the B-stock section of the SVS website and found a 25-31 PCi for 450. After selling my CS on Ebay I spent the same amount on a 300 watt amplifier built right into the sub as I would have buying separate. I have a narrow room. It is 9' wide by 20' long. I have my system set up long ways, but the narrowness has always kept me from buying a cube sub. The other problem was that I was never impressed (on subs I could afford) with their musicality. I wanted a sub that was going to be a natural extension of my music (as well as shaking the walls of the house when I watched DVD!). Because of the narrowness of the room I tried to satisfy my need for bass with some Paradigm Monitor 9 floorstanding speakers. Two problems. First the bass was not what I knew it should be and second the speakers were too large for my room. I wasn't getting the sound stage I wanted. But, I knew that I couldn't put a cube in that room. Then, I started reading about SVSubwoofers and their great cylinder design. And walla! If I can't go out, why not go up? And actually, my wife liked the look of the cylnder better than the box. Since I got the 25-31 I have rightsized my system, Monitor 3s, the 25-31 PCi CC-350, and Paradigm Mini-monitors in the back. I run it all with an Onkyo TX-DS747 although I am considering upgrading to a Sony ES receiver because I want DTS and equal power for all of my speakers. So, what about this subwoofer. Before I tried to rip the roof off of the house I wanted to see if this sub was as musical as I had been led to believe. I put in one of my favorite jazz CDs. Reunion with McCoy Tyner and put out by Chesky Records. Suddenly, the album came into focus! Before the bass had been a mumbling but now it was tight, accurate, and the 300 watt amplifier was allowing the notes to decay naturally. The bass sounded like a bass and not a thump. DVD movies are as good as everyone on this site has raved. The other night I was watching Ali and before his first championship fight there is succession of bass notes that just keep playing. My wife came down to complain. I had noticed them but they fit with the other speakers so well that I didn't realize they were traveling through the rest of the house. This sub is loud, deep, and clean. Before SVS made it possible I could only imagine how much I was missing. Now, movies feel so "real" because they properly supported. Although the stories are a weak in the Star Wars movies so far they really work out the sub and the 25-31 gives you a real sense of the weight of the ships. By the way, I tend to scan reviews here that are 5 stars on value and overall but here I am doing the same. I have a 2.5 year old daughter and six week old son so the sub will be hibernating for a little while longer but in a little bit they will both think that it thunder's every night!

Similar Products Used:

Paradigm

deep bass,round shape fits easily into a corner

none

WOW !!! I added the 25-31pc to my Bose 5.1 surrond sound system and I heard Bass I hadn''y ever heard watching DVD''s. the couch shook and teh walls rattled. Tom and Ron at SVS were very helpful with ordering and tech. questions. I recieved e-mail responses within 24 hours. I would highly recommend SVS subs to anyone who wants the ultimate in home theater sound !!!

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none

POWERFULL CLEAN DEEP LOUD SOLID BASS THAT HITS YOU IN THE CHEAST & PULLS YOU IN YOUR SEAT, IT'S SO SCARRY YOU WILL SOIL YOUR PANTS, THE BASS IS SO DEEP YOU CAN FEEL IT FROM 100 FEET AWAY ( NO NEED FOR BASS SHAKERS ) THE BASS IS SO FAST CLEAN & SOLID IT CREEPS UP ON YOU THEN IT HITS YOU LIKE A TON OF BRICKS, THIS SUB IS LOUD IT'S MEAN IT'S A BASS BEAST AND IT WILL BLOW ANY SUB UNDER $1200 RIGHT OUT OF THE WATER.

NO WAY!!!

I GOT TO SAY THIS SUB BLEW ME AND MY WIFE AWAY WHEN I FIRST PUT A MOVIE IN I PICKED GONE IN 60 SECONDS AND THE BASS WAS TIGHT & SOLID AND FOR THE FIRST TIME I COULD RELLY FEEL THE BASS ON THE FLOOR.
SECOND MOVIE I PUT ON WAS SAVING PRIVATE RYAN IN THE OMAHA BEACH SCENE WHEN THE BOMBS GOING OFF WAS SIMPLY AWESOME THE LOOK ON MY WIFES FACE WAS A LOOK THAT YOU WOULD GET IF YOU GOT A SHOTGUN POINTED RIGHT IN YOUR FACE IT WAS LOUD IT HIT YOU SO HARD IN THE CHEST IT TOOK YOUR BREATH AWAY AND BEFORE WITH THE SUNFIRE SIGI I COULD NOT FEEL THE DEEP BASS BUT WITH THE SVS 25-31PC IT HAS ALL OF THE LOUD DEEP HARD HITTING CLEAN TIGHT NON BOOMY SONIC INPACT BASS THAT YOU WILL EVER NEED.
IT EVEN FILLS THE LARGEST OF ROOM WITH DEEP CLEAN LOUD SOLID PUNCHY BASS.
IN MY ROOM I MEASURED 116DB @ 29HZ AND GOT 91Db @22hZ AT MY SEATING SPOT.
IT'S AMAZING SUBWOOFER AND THE BEST PARTS IS THE LOW COST OF THESE SUBS AND COSTOMER SUPPORT.
GREAT JOB TOM & RON

Similar Products Used:

SUNFIRE SIGI

Tremendous bass extension at an incredible price

Size is a bit big but that goes with the territory

A great sub for an unbelievable price. Great extension and impact for movies but has good sound for music if you can cross over 80 hz or below. I use it with Martin Logan spkrs and a Denon receiver and it really blends well. Took a while to get best placement (in my case along the side wall about 2.5 ft from the corner) Flat extension below 30 hz in my room. The bigger models in the line go a little deeper but not much difference. Guys at SVS are a joy to work with and personally respond to any problems or questions. You can't go wrong with this sub.

Similar Products Used:

Def tech 15 tl, Pardigm 15 servo, Vandersteen 2W

Thunderous bass, looks cool, excellent construction

none

Can't add much to the previous positive comments about this sub either. It cost me about $200 more than I had planned for a sub for my system and the purchase was made soley on the reviews on this site and SVS's. But... this is a fantastic sub and I am extremly happy that I spent the extra cash. Also, the people at SVS were awsome to deal with - very helpful and proud of their product for good reason. BTW, I am new to home theater and my system constists of:
Denon AVR1801
Panasonic RP-56
Polk Rt55i fronts
Polk CS400i center
Polk f/x300i surrounds
and the MONSTER SVS sub - this thing rocks the house

Similar Products Used:

Polk PSW650, Velodyne 1012, PSB ??

Bass response, Power, Looks

Power outages

This is the Superman of subs, though the "baby" of the SVS line. I got this sub last week, and it was shipped very securely but not in a double box like other people had received. Nevertheless, there was not a scratch, chip or mark on the sub after it was unboxed. Standing there, it had a nice presence and was covered in a velvety black material with a nice red and silver SVS logo near the bottom. I enlisted some help moving this thing into my basement. It's about 60lbs, a little under half my body weight. I hooked it up in the position that was vacated by the underpowered CV sub, and prayed. Like everyone else, I bought this sub without listening to it. I hoped that the rave reviews I read online were accurate. I crossed my fingers and hit play on my CD player. Nothing. Everything sounded the same. I was very dissappointed. D'oh!! I forgot to turn on the LFE channel on my receiver. A couple button presses later and the sub sprang to life. I was very different from the CV in that I could actually hear it (and yes I turned on the LFE channel for the CV) in my 12x18x9 room. After a little tweaking, the sub blended very nicely with my Klipsch RP3-II's and the room was filled with some wonderfully smooth, responsive bass. Okay, enough of that. I ripped open the DVD that I bought especially for this occasion and dropped it into my player. I went right to Chapter 20 and watched the Pod Race as recommended on the SVSubwoofer web site. Sweet mercy!!! My ears! The sub produced lows that I had never heard, so loudly and effortlessly without any distortion I thought I had damaged my hearing. I know I need to get an SPL meter to really get a good Bass level, but knowing what this thing can do beforehand was invaluable. I can't imagine what the other subs in the SVS line can do if I've got the small one and it performs like this. I highly recommend it for people with small to mid sized Home Theatre rooms. This is probably one of the best subs in the under $1500 range, in my opinion. Someone gave this 1 star, so to Balance it out, I'm giving it 2 5 star ratings. I would have given it 5 stars anyway.

Similar Products Used:

Cerwin Vega HT-S15

Performance/Price,looks,setup,sound.

none so far

I ordered this subwoofer after the many rave reviews and comments over at the Hometheaterforum. The wait was long, but the end result was definitely worth it.
Setup was very easy, I just unplugged my old subwoofer, plugged in the new one, calibrated it with the Avia DVD, and started watching movies! The bass coming from this sub is strong, and clean. No boominess. I gave it a workout with the Bass Outlaws 'Illegal Bass' CD and the room was really thumping along, with no distress at the sub. Everything I played on it so far has been a pleasure to hear. There is more bass on broadcasted material than I had been hearing before. For anyone who wants a first class sub, this is an excellent choice, a no-brainer to set up, and a good looking sub to boot. Physically, it is taller than the commercial cube subs out there, which might be a factor to consider if you have some asthetic concerns, though the actual footprint is only a 16" circle, which is smaller than a lot of cubes. What more can I say? If you decide you don't like it within 45 days, you can send it back! You really won't want to, but the option is there.

Similar Products Used:

AudioSource SW-15

All what I can technically say, has been already said. So just read the previous posts.

This sub rules, period!!!.

Apart from a great product you receive great support!. You have no phone support, but the guys at SVS respond your e-mails in less than 24 hours, sometimes even less. They really support you.

In this case I think that is correct to say that I recommend the 25-31PC with closed "ears"! :)

Equipment setup
Meadowlark Kestrel speakers main and sorrounds
Meadowlark Petrel speaker center channel
Yamaha RXV3000
IXOS interconnects cables

Clean, Powerful, Tight, distinctive bass! Quite the looker too!

A little bit on the large size, big sub!

So, here is my story... At somewhere around 11:30 my doorbell rang, and woke me up. I jumped out of bed and ran to the door to discover it was not the SVS 25-31PC I had on order, but a buddy of mine (Lane) that knew it was comming today and was dying to hear it.

Well, I was kind of pissed at him for waking me up so I told him to make him self comfortable because I'm going back to bed! And, that is just what I did :)

After about another 45 minutes to an hour of sleep I decided to get up and be a good host and walk out to the family room to do the usual bull sh*tting that Lane and I do. He already had the television on, and then he fell asleep on my couch. I walked back to my room to get on the Playstation and keep working on my game of Chrono Cross.

Then it happened!!! The doorbell rang again! I ran from my room, darted down the hall and swung open the front door. And there he was, my savior! It was Mr. Fed Ex himself! He looked at me and said: "Well, I'm sure you know what this is!" I laughed and agreed.

Holy sh*t! To my surprise, the box was almolst as wide as my front door and stood a good 4 feet tall. I drung in the box, knocking over a potted plant that sits in to hall way. But, who cares? My SVS is finally here!

So, what is the first thing I do? I walk back to my room to finish up a fight I was in the middle of in Chrono Cross! Go figure... Five minutes later I walk back out to the family room where my dad and Lane were. Holding the box cutter in my hand, I preform my surgery. Making incisions along the edge of the box, and carefully removing the second box with perfection that is all wrapped up in bubble wrap. Man this was a chore! I struggle to get through the second box, and there she sitts. Packaged in more bubble wrap, but there she is!

Ok, So I struggle some more to get through the bubble wrap and I finally get my first "feel" of the sub. She was soft and warm. Just waiting to go! I could tell she just wanted to get out of her "bubble-wrap-dress" and hook-up with Mr. Denon 3801! And that's just what she did...

Carefully moving my left Energy C6 speaker forward, my anticipation was building to the point of explosion. I placed the SVS in the corner of my room. I immediatly hooke up the sub cable, and Lane flipped on the Denon. I put the C6 speaker back into place, and pulled Gone in 60 seconds off the DVD rack. (Keep in mind, Lane and I already thumbed through the manual and set all the toggles in the back of the sub).

We started off with the sub on a low volume. Wow! First immpression... Great! I had the level just a little bit over 1/4 of the way, but moved it in between 1/4 and 1/2. Ok, Ok, I know I'm bad... Still haven't used Avia to calibrate anything yet! But, I promise, I will! Just too anxious to mess with that yet!

Gone in 60 seconds did a great job rattling the walls, and rumbled pretty loud. I could tell right off that the bass was almost perfect. Very fast, responsive and tight as a can of compressed air just waiting to escape. (I could have used a better analogy, but trying to keep the PG - PG 13 rating on this review!) My thoughts were on other matters though. Well, Gone in 60 seconds sounds great. But, I knew she could take more. Next stop... The Haunting!

Wow! The Haunting drops! The bass was clean, absolutly no distorting at all. It was just raw, pure, clean bass. Just what everyone is looking for. So yeah, I'm impressed. Going through chapters of the movies with bass that could kill a baby deer, but now I was ready for some comparisons.

I threw in Disney's Dinosaur, beacuse that was the last movie I demo'd when I was using the Encore 8 sub (stolen from my brother's system!)... Hmm, there were some thing that I noticed immediatly. First off, the bass was not over powering in comparision to the Energy sub. But, the bass was more in your face. Meaning... The bass could cave in your chest, but it still sounded similar to the Energy. It was just the pure force behind the SVS. Second, I really did not notice much of a difference in sound to the SVS but you really do get more of a sense of power. I can't explain it, you'll have to buy one and figure out what I mean. I guess it must be from the "SVS long throw 12" driver" inside!

Alright, now Lane and I were dying to have some fun. I got out a few of my music CDs that I knew had some bass. I started off with a Joe Satriani CD and threw in the track "Always with you, Always with me". Sounded good so far, but once again I knew she would take more! Moved on to Fear Factory - Demanufacture. We went through a few tracks on that, and then it hit me! It hit me like a ton of bricks, and I'm not talking about the sub...

The tissue test!!! Lane got a squar of toilet paper from the bathroom and tossed it on top of the sub, in between the four screws on top. And it danced, and it danced, and it danced! The tissue did not move out of place much at all. It stayed suspended in the place it was most happy at. But Fear Factory still wasn't enough to please. Then I rememebered I had an old Dj Keoki (techno) CD. I ran and got that and threw it in. The toilet paper danced with a hell of a lot more life. It was like a cool cat at a swing club, just jivin' and whalin' like a "cat on a hot tin roof"!

So, was I impressed? You know it! The sub is great, but the novelty wore off enough for me to write this review! I would give the sub a 9.5 out of 10 for value. You really can't find a better sub for under $700, I looked hard. I would give it a 10 out of 10 for the bass that the SVS outputs. Another 10 for looks alone! As an overall rating, I'd go with a 9.9 :) I'll leave some room to give someone else a chance to beat it, however I'd say most unlikely!!!

Do yourself a favor... If you haven't heard an SVS yet, I suggest taking a look at their web site www.svsubwoofers.com They are well worth the money! My other suggestion is to buy one! Trust me you will not regret it. For the price, for the value you really can't go wrong. I'm psyched to be another satisfied owner of an SV Subwoofer, and I know there will be many more proud owners to come. And as for the waiting part of the deal... Was it worth it? At time's I'd say no! But at the end, you'll be glad you put forth the effort.

Just wanted to say "Thank you SVS" for making another staisfied listener!!! Oh yeah, and for the Fed Ex horror stories, I had no problems... Box wasn't too messed up, but the shockwatch was red. But the inside packaging was as tight as Fort Knox, and the sub came out flawless!

Thanks again... Good luck to any other thinking about purchasing one! I hope you enjoyed my novel :)

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Energy Encore 8 and Sony SA-WM40

Sound! Volume, extension, everything. Also, these things are very cool to look at.

Size COULD be a problem for some people. I don't feel that way, I mean, what would you use the verticle space this thing occupies for anyway??

I don't know what else to say that hasn't already been said about this thing (and it's sister models reviewed here). It really is an amazing piece of equipment. It is my first sub, so I can't compare it to anything else like most people. I auditioned subs at Circuit City and a couple of hi-fi shops in my area, but these types of auditions never really give you a true sence of a sub's capabilities. I bought the SVS never having heard one, solely based on the hype on the discussion groups and seeing the dedication to the product that has been displayed by SVS's owners. I can't recommend it enough, truely a great product.

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None, my first sub