RMAF 2013

SVS Sound’s Gary Yacoubian explained that his company’s speakers are designed to combine the dynamics of a home theater system with the neutrality of an audiophile system. “When voicing the speakers, we used real music that real people listen to in their homes.”

The company’s Ultra Tower loudspeaker ($1998/pair) is a 3.5-way design with a 1” aluminum dome tweeter; two 6.5” midrange drivers, each in its own enclosure; and two 8" horizontally opposed woofers. Fit and finish seemed very good.

The speakers were partnered with Mark Levinson amplification and an Oppo universal player. Listening to an SACD of Norah Jones’ “Cold Cold Heart,” I noted a stable soundstage, but felt the highs were too forward and the lower frequencies out of step with the rest of the music.