The SVS SB17 Ultra Subwoofer is a high-end design with several innovations. Notably, It is a replacement for the SB16 Ultra. This new sealed unit has a 17” woofer with dual 8” voice coils. One high-powered Class D amplifier drives each voice coil.
Additionally, a massive motor assembly is used to handle the power. The power supply used is a switch mode unit. This generates less heat and puts a lower load on the house mains supply. Additionally, the advanced DSP engine is controlled by a dedicated app and there are balanced inputs available.
17” ultra R Evolution driver
A 17” ultra R Evolution driver is featured in the SVS SB17 Ultra Subwoofer. The cone of this driver is made of a glass fibre composite and it is driven by a massive 55 lb toroidal ferrite magnet motor assembly. This combination delivers a very large output with a frequency range down to 15Hz. Moreover, the output is well-controlled and has great finesse.
Dual mono amplifier
To obtain more power the SVS SB17 Ultra Subwoofer uses two mono Class D amplifiers with MOSFET output stages. Each stage drives a separate voice coil. This gives double the amount of current and reduces the amount of power needed from the home’s mains circuit.
Class D is a digital system that has an output that consists of high-frequency pulses. The pulses are Pulse Width Modulated by the audio. For example, the closer together the pulses are the higher the output.
Switch mode power supply
The SVS SB17 Ultra Subwoofer uses a switch-mode power supply. These are more efficient than linear power supplies and have good regulation. Switching supplies optimizes the signal quality and reduces the amount of heat generated.
Additionally, switch-mode power supplies use a smaller transformer than linear systems. The transformer is switched at a high frequency and the regulation is controlled by an IC. Additionally, Multiple output windings are normally present.
Advanced DSP
The Digital Signal Processor in the SVS SB17 Ultra Subwoofer uses a 295 Mhz Analog Devices Chipset. This is the most advanced processor ever used in a consumer subwoofer. THE DSP engine is used to optimize the sound and control the settings.
SVS subwoofer control app
To setup and control the SVS SB17 Ultra Subwoofer the DSP uses the SVS subwoofer control app. This can be installed on a smartphone or tablet and can control the volume, the six-channel parametric equalizer, low pass filter, phase, and other settings. Additionally, auto room EQ is available.
Acoustically tuned sealed cabinet
The Double-thick MDF cabinet with heavy bracing, used for the SVS SB17 Ultra Subwoofer, ensures no resonances or rattles. A grille cover is also supplied to protect the driver.
Connecting the SVS SB17 Ultra Subwoofer
The SVS SB17 Ultra Subwoofer can be connected to the subwoofer output of an AV receiver or the left and right connectors of a preamp. There is also a dedicated LFE input. For a noise-free connection, there is also a balanced XLR left and right input. Pass-through outputs are also provided. Lastly, there is also a trigger input and output for remote operation.
