SVS Ultra Bookshelf Speakers - Pair

So far so good. I have been using these for a few days now and they are pretty good overall, and compare favorably with all bookshelf speakers I have tried.
They are dynamic, clear, and image really well.
Pretty good bass, well extended highs.
I have tried Polk R200, KEF LS50 Meta, Klipsch Rp-600m II, Revel M106, etc., and have returned or sold them all.
So far the SVS Ultra bookshelf suit my tastes alittle better than all the others.
While really great sounding, I feel there are a few areas that I feel could use some improvement: They sound slightly hard in the upper mids/low treble, have a slight emphasis in the mids around 700hz -2k, and what sounds like a somewhat recessed area from around 3.5k-7k area which can make vocals and sometimes brass sound alittle recessed or "boxed in".
My friend also showed me a crossover from one of his, and the parts weren't very impressive.
Other than that, I really have no complaints.
A great, very well built, and attractive product ??

It has only been a few days with the Ultras but I'm already quite impressed. They are replacing a pr of Triangle Titus-ES. I'm actually rediscovering my music library, hearing more detail and sound stage width that I never knew was there.

However, what I really want to review is your sub. Over the decades I've owned several high-end subs; M&K, Entec /w 3 10" servo controlled drivers, Bag End /w a 18" driver in a 90 Lb 3' cube. The SB-3000 out performs them all by far. Bass extension is tremendous, doing a wonderful job with organ pedals. But most evident is the sub's sheer ability to transmit huge bass energy into the acoustic space with such speed and power. 'Just haven't seen that before. In fact on some movie sound tracks with hyped-up bass it can get a little scary, wondering if something might break or blow in the house. Also, the great flexibility of controls (phase, low pass frequency, EQ, et. al.) really helps with set up. So, when it comes to the physics of sound your engineers know their stuff.

After almost an hour of talking with Doug the CSR, I was ready to tell him to shut up and take my money. That's how good their CSR's are - they're not hard sell at all, but aregenuinely good at friendly communication and tons of product and setup knowledge. They can get as technical as you need, while explaining anything in layman's terms if necessary at the same time.
I have now replaced my 37 year-old Celestion's with a pair of SVS Ultra Bookshelfs and their 3000Micro sub, and set them up using the built-in's on my Pioneer VSX-90 AV Receiver. It's clearly not fair to do a comparison to the Celestion's, as they served me well for all those years ... or so I thought, but my new 2.1 SVS setup is truly amazing and I realize I had no idea how good speakers could sound until now.
For sound modifications, I now use the SVS app for the sub to change the gain as required, and for the system as a whole, I have a 32-band EQ with my Poweramp app.
These speakers are physically beautiful, and they are very well made, and their workmanship is eye-catching. They now reside in a 12x16 room that they fill completely and effortlessly with their crystal clear and accurate voice. Add to that the 3000Micro, and I was really blown away.
Since my floors are wood and there is a 2' crawl space under them, I ordered the SVS attenuation subwoofer feet, and what an amazing difference! In my opinion, they are a must for those whose house is not on a concrete slab.
The bookshelf are set 10" from the front wall and are 8-1/2' apart. I do not toe them in at all, as the horizontal dispersion is more than adequate to give me a beautiful soundstage. The sub is just inside the left speaker by about a foot, and I can detect no nulls as I walk around the room.
All in all, my wife and I are very impressed with the service, quick delivery, level of quality, and the sound they give us. My friends are all impressed that such compact speakers can be so powerful and accurate, and honestly, so am I.
If you are considering a small in size (but not in sound) 2.1 speaker system, you could do MUCH worse than to consider this setup, with the Ultra Bookshelves and the 3000Micro subwoofer. They seem to be the perfect match for each other, and we love them. Thanks, SVS!

I can't believe the difference I have in my system after adding this speaker. I didn't realize how fatiguing my old speaker was, but this Ultra Bookshelf is so clean and detailed with huge dynamics without being painfully loud. The look on my wife's face was all I needed to see to know that this was a HUGE upgrade over my previous speaker. Her exact words were "it sounds like Lady Gaga is in the room with us!" I couldn't be happier!

I was very impressed with these bookshelf speakers. In my opinion they punch well above their price point. They looked good but they could have more appeal if additional colors were added. My everyday speakers are Elac Vella BS 403s and I thought the Ultras were very similar in performance. While I prefer the Elac Vella 403s overall, the price to performance ratio of the Ultras is the winner.

Purchased in August 2021 and I listen to my system almost daily; SVS Ultra bookshelf, SVS Ultra Center and SVS SB-2000 Pro sub driven by a Yamaha RX-A6A. I have finally stopped looking for any new speakers as I am very satisfied with the SVS Ultra series. I listen to rock, jazz, symphony, instrumental, blues (a lot of blues), vocals, pop, and these speakers handle it all. They are clear, precise and responsive. In a piano concert you can hear the felt of the hammer hitting the strings. Kim Simmons in a guitar solo is as if he is in the room. Speakers are like wine, there are many varieties for all different tastes; but for the money, I could not be happier with SVS. I have owned many speaker brands over the years and the SVS Ultra series stands with the best. I have owned Pioneer HPM 100s, EPI towers (real walnut cabinets, soft dome, passive woofers), ARs, Klipsch, Sansui, Altec Lansing, Wharfedale, Bose Quad, JBL PT 800Bs and Sonus Faber Concertino bookshelf. I kept the Sonus Faber for the home office as I love their soft dome tweeter but for a full surround sound system, it's SVS for their cost-quality ratio. I have never felt any buyer's remorse from my SVS purchase. Every time I listen to vinyl, CD, stream, or playback FLAC 5 files from USB I just sit back and enjoy. From just 2-channel to full 5.1 surround, the Ultras have never let me down. Pros Sound keeps getting better and better. Absolutely no buyer's remorse.

I originally hooked these up to my 4 channel Cambridge audio Axr100 with single cable bridging two of the channels per speaker. They sounded great. After a couple of months, I then bought some new cable and bi amped the speakers, removing the jumpers from the binding posts. 2 channels running the tweeters and 2 for the mids…. My god!! What a difference! They sound incredible, the separation of the layers and clarity of the music is absolutely another level! 100% recommend! Space being an issue in my lounge, they are now high up on the wall in brackets. Still sounding fantastic! Hoping when we move to bring them down onto stands, they sound even better at ear level away from the wall around 400mm. I also have this running with a SB2000 sub, and Cambridge audiobook minx201 filling the bottom end. SVS for the win!

I bought these to finally replace my old Logitech Z-5500 speakers in my room and holy crap, these speakers are amazing! even at 2.1 they sound better than anything ive ever owned or currently have in the living room. The only regret i have is getting the wood finish over the gloss. I saw those in person the other day and man do they look great!

Have not had these very long but I am very impressed with them to this point. I have them setup with a PB-2000 Pro powered by an older Denon 2311-CI and I would say I am still in the dialing-in process, but I love what I hear so far. Paired up with some high-def music streams the clarity even at higher volumes is like nothing I have personally ever experienced with any other system I have ever owned. This is my first pair of "real" speakers and I was apprehensive at the price I was paying for them, but these should last me for a good long time so I figured it was time to make a quality investment instead of trying to just bargain hunt for something mediocre. And to boot, they look fantastic! I do however wish that there was a mounting knurl on the bottom of these for a more solid attachment to the stands I have them on. I am just using some bluetack to keep them from falling off, which is a bit tacky (no pun intended). Not sure if that is an oversight on SVS's part to exclude something like that, but seems like it would be a pretty small change to give a bit more peace of mind, particularly considering the price of these things. I also wish the grills were magnetic, but I rarely move them on or off so not a huge deal...just thinking of all the speakers I've had in the past where the posts eventually break.

I have my Ultra Bookshelf speakers paired with the Ultra Center and a pair of Prime Hight speakers. I am still in great appreciation of the quality of sound envelopes me. Thanks to all of you at SVS that had a part in making these fine speakers.

Life like soundstage, differentiated instrument timber, and accurate human voice. The bass frequencies are very good. However, I matched the SVS Ultra Bookshelf with my SVS SB 1000 sub. The voicing is seamless. This trio is great for all kinds of music. I think the pairing is a great hi end sound system for every serious music lover, regardless of budget.

The first thing that got me as I unpacked the Ultra bookshelves was how pretty they are. That is a great looking product. My first response as I listened was “Damn”. Unbelievable sound from such a small speaker. They are as clear with great highs, mids, and a crazy amount of low end. I also have a SVS SB-1000 sub which compliments these very well. I’m still in the break in phase with these. Honestly I can’t imagine these sounding much better even after the 20 to 30 hours of break in.

Sound amazing, period.

Great sound

Big sound in a small package. Pair great with the SB3000 Sub.

Excellent customer service! Sound is very clean and detailed!

The craftsmanship of these ultra bookshelf’s is absolutely stunning. The piano black speakers glisten with the stunning beauty of a freshly polished diamond. The midrange and treble are a little laid back but offer a smoothness that I did not recognize in my other speakers. Theses speakers offer a phenomenal sound stage. I will eventually use the speakers as my back speakers in a 7.2.4 set up. I’m transitioning from Klipsch RP 7.2.4 set up. On a side note, the speakers seem to sound better each day I play them. I highly recommend these speakers for movies and music. Can’t wait to order the towers.

I tried these ultra bookshelf and the prime towers and the bookshelves are definitely the better sounding. They have smother and cleaner highs and midrange and a wider dispersment of sound and use the 140 watts of power more efficiently. They're not as picky about positioning and they make you want to listen to all types of music they give you the feeling of being there .I do recommend a good sealed sub for a little more bass but you won't find speakers with this build quality and sound quality of these anywhere near this price .If that's not enough for you the customer service is the best you will find it won't cost you a penny to try they even cover postage both ways they want to see you happy with your purchase. You won't be disappointed

I've upgraded my entire home theater system these past 2 months. (Except for my sub, last thing to go) I got a new Sony 65 inch 4K TV, Yamaha RX-A2A receiver. My old Mission speakers were letting me down so I upgraded to a Pair of SVS Ultra Bookshelves, an Ultra Center and two Prime satellites for surrounds in a 5.1 set up. I have given the new speakers a week to break in and for me to tweak the system. All I can say is WOW these speakers have made a significant improvement in the enjoyment of the HT system. So much more detail is resolved. My Velodyne FSR 15 is complemented by the SVS speakers and the music transients are so much quicker and impactful. I've been streaming music through the Yamaha with Music Cast and the level of detail in the music is amazing, I am hearing things in a much higher delineated refined presentation. I cannot stop listening! (This is in a 2.1 setup for music) Movies are well represented true to the intended content and spatially so much better in the 5.1 format than before. We run this system for all TV watching, blue ray, movies streaming movies and streaming music. It does it all with aplomb. After I recover financially I will be in the market to complete the set with an SVS sub, just debating between the SB 4000 or the SB 16 Ultra.

Nice combo 4 the Pc, SVS Ultra Bookshelf, SVS Prime Wireless SoundBase and my old SVS SB13-Ultra.

Wonderful all around speakers. Paired with subwoofers they are fantastic.

Highs - clarity, accuracy, affordability, great customer service

Lows - none

I purchased the Ultra Bookshelves to round out my 5.1 setup, paired them with the ultra towers, center and pb3000. The Bookshelves blend seamlessly right in and delivered. Clarity, tonality, imaging, it's all there. As far as bass you need a SVS sub. They are as advertised and piano finish is impressive. Great buy!!!

I bought 2 Ultra Bookshelf’s , 1 Ultra Center, 2 Prime Satellites and 1 SB-2000 Sub. All the speakers have performed well but the Bookshelf speakers did not balance out. The right one has a lower volume than the left one. I switched sides and that speaker continued to be noticeably lower. I ran a setup using my Pioneer Elite SC-25 AVR using the microphone that came with it and it showed that the speaker had a lower Db rating (I don’t recall what the Pioneer reading was). I then ran the setup again with a Denon x3700h AVR and it showed the speaker being 1 Db lower.

I guess my point is that these speakers seem to be high quality and I like the sound but don’t expect perfection.

I'm usually not one to write reviews but SVS is deserving of some praise. I recently purchased a set of the Ultra Bookshelf speakers along with the SB300. Was the packaging a sign that the people at SVS care about the box opening process and respect their own product? YES. Was the step they took to allow me to register my equipment a clear sign that they believe in customer satisfaction? YES. Now for the sound... I have this system set up in a ~15' x 30' space and I have yet to tap out the amp (Cambridge Audio CXA61). Every SINGLE sound that comes out of this trio doesn't sound strained, tapped out, muddy, struggling, etc. In contrast, these also preform beautifully when being played at normal/tv listening levels. If you're looking for speakers that will make you tap out before their potential taps out, look no further. For anyone that's hesitant, don't be, SVS delivers.

Best speakers I've heard. Currently using them on a desk and never been happier with my setup. Currently using an emotiva A300 to power the two bookshelves along with running a line to the PB 1000 sub. I realized after owning many different sets of headphones is that I was always craving what only speakers can provide and that is the presence of sound and actually being able to feel the sound hit you like you are at a concert or a music hall in person reminding me when I was in band sitting with my back to the percusion and surrounded on all sides with instruments. I highly recommend these speakers and the immersion that they provide.

Can’t beat the sound for the money! I’m thinking of adding an SB 1000. I’m running the Bookshelves through an SVS Wireless amp. Plenty of power. ALL my music streams seamlessly. We now have better sound in our bedroom than most people have in their house.

Exceptional build quality complemented by exceptional sound and sound stage reproduction.

I love the look and sound (Clarity, Loudness ) of these speakers. I added them to my SVS ULTRA CENTER CHANNEL (And What Can I Say About It) on my way to create a full 9.2.6 SVS system replacing my B&W CM 10 setup......

If you get the center channel you have to get the bookshelves.Its worth it in the end

I am enjoying the distinct, intricate sound quality of the Ultra Bookshelf Speakers. By themselves they provide a very clean sound. Coupled with the Ultra Center Speaker, a wonderful sound stage has been created. I actually turned off my surround speakers for a week just to enjoy the Ultra Speakers by themselves. It made me realize how much detail I have been missing in my enjoyment of music. Turning the Prime Elevation Speakers back on is captivating. I'm glad of my decision to upgrade my sound system with SVS speakers. It was a smart move.
Thank you SVS.

I replaced an older pair of Spendor monitors with the SVS bookshelf speakers. What an upgrade!

Believe the 5 star reviews. The superlative reactions. My long quest for a set of bookshelf speakers that could equally deliver for music and movies has come to a happy end. They have such a holographic presence, they have clarity, they have character and they are exciting to listen to as well. Best of all, they have finally allowed me to enjoy a simple but for a long time impossible thing to achieve: to just sit with a good cup of coffee or a good glass of wine and enjoy the marvelous sound quality that comes from my speakers. What SVS has achieved with the sound from these speakers is just remarkable. It has been so long since I was able to just enjoy music for hours and these speakers have finally made me go back to it. My most sincere congratulations to the entire SVS team not only for the outstanding quality of their products but also for their prompt, courteous and professional customer service. Such an integral part of the shopping experience and SVS is fully aware of it. I’m a SVS customer for life.

My SVS Ultra Bookshelf's are 'freshly' setup and so far I'm impressed with their response, even at low volumes. My benchmark speakers in my hom are a pair of Bose 901's from the early '70s and these Ultras are just a bit short of those in terms of imaging and mid-bass...so far!

I say 'so far' as I've read the SVS notes about the drivers settling in a bit after some hours of play and I'm looking forward to even more improvement.

I have them currently paired with a massive, 20 year old Klipsh sub...perhaps that is the weak link.

My SVS Ultra Bookshelf's are 'freshly' setup and so far I'm impressed with their response, even at low volumes. My benchmark speakers in my hom are a pair of Bose 901's from the early '70s and these Ultras are just a bit short of those in terms of imaging and mid-bass...so far!

I say 'so far' as I've read the SVS notes about the drivers settling in a bit after some hours of play and I'm looking forward to even more improvement.

I have them currently paired with a massive, 20 year old Klipsh sub...perhaps that is the weak link.

After looking at these for a year plus finally got a pair of the Ultra Bookshelf speakers. Was nervous as was happy with the speakers I had (7 year old SVS satellites) but because they were so attractive and read so many good things about them, had to try them out and maybe upgrade. I was completely blown away; even over my old ones which I loved. The only way I can describe it is like teleporting your head to the live venue. If you close your eyes you can't tell your still at home.

I'm using these with the SVS Ultra center channel speaker which I have in my bedroom home theater set up and are used primarily for watching movies. For music, I played a DTS movie sampler DVD-audio disc that featured live performances of the Eagles (Hotel California from the Hell Freezes Over CD) and Roy Orbison (Pretty Woman from Black and White Night CD) in concert. The sampler disc also had a scene from Saving Private Ryan and other movie clips. I am very familiar with both Eagles and Roy Orbison songs having listened to them on my main stereo system in the living room many times. You can check these out on YouTube.

These SVS Bookshelf speakers produced a very clear and coherent sound with the instruments in the music videos. The ambience of the venue, the Don Henley's raspy voice and the timbre of various instruments came through clearly and were very detailed, never edgy or shrill, but smooth. Likewise the audio in the Roy Orbison track came across crystal clear. In both concert tracks individual instruments could distinctly be heard.

The build quality of these speakers is impressive as is their fit and finish. The 5-way binding posts have a solid feel to them. These are quality speakers at a reasonable price.

Holy cow people, let me tell you how much I love, LOVE my new ultra bookshelf speakers! The clarity, the imaging is simply amazing. I replaced 25 year old Polk LS50 towers which I loved more than my dog and honestly I was scared of change. I took a leap of faith after hours and hours of research and chose the ultras over revel bookshelf’s. I could not be more satisfied! Products top notch, customer service may even be better. Don’t doubt or procrastinate, buy them! You WILL NOT be disappointed Kirk.

I upgraded from the Monoprice 5.1 System, and went to the dual Ultra Bookshelf speakers and an SVS PC-2000 sub. Extremely happy, perfect clarity, and amazing bass.

Get these speakers, put on your favorite songs, close your eyes, and be swept off to your happy place.

Little did I know that my value-purchase of Prime satellite speakers would end up in a purchase of Ultra bookshelves a few years later. The satellites, when paired with an SVS subwoofer already sounded better than any tower speakers I had owned in the past. A satellite system with those and a sub would be an excellent set-up and would hold its own, but the Ultra bookshelf is in a different stratosphere for music and movies. I was a bit worried that my 40-year-old ears wouldn’t pick up on the differences enough but I am hearing so many nuances in familiar songs that I had never heard before— I never expected a choir in a song I listen to all of the time to be transformed into individual voices. I had to sign up for a FLAC-quality music service because I was enjoying hearing my old MP3 music so much and was hungry for more (why did I get rid of all of my CDs? Arghh).

Great job, SVS!

I bought these after being very impressed with a previous purchase of a SB 3000 sub and replaced my old Focal bookshelf speakers with the Ultras. I could not be more pleased with the combination. Together they rival speaker/sub combinations that cost two tot here times the price.

Beautiful full rich sound

All of these Ultra speakers have sky-rocketed the sound quality of all sources.

All of these Ultra speakers have sky-rocketed the sound quality of all sources.

These speaker exceeded my expectations. I was surprised with the excellent bass produced by these small bookshelf speakers. I would highly recommend these speakers. Exceptional clarity throughout all frequencies. The speakers are not cheap; however, they well worth the money.

I had heard of the quality of SVS speakers and needed bookshelf speakers and bought them about a year ago. The are killer speakers with exceptional sound quality. They are also worth the money in my opinion.

I had heard of the quality of SVS speakers and needed bookshelf speakers and bought them about a year ago. The are killer speakers with exceptional sound quality. They are also worth the money in my opinion.

Love these speakers, audio quality is outstanding and they look awesome too.

this review only relates to 2channel audio only I have a separate system for home theater. buying audio equipment from both tubes and transistors since the 70s I have a pretty good ear. even though I listen to all types of music my system is design around acoustic music mostly jazz. I owned a pair of m&k speakers since the 80s which are great speakers but I was ready to upgrade since I upgraded most of my system from cables to power amp. recently retired I was looking for good speakers for under 1000 dollars and after research and reviews decided to go with svs. this will be the first time buying speakers without listen first. I went with the prime bookshelf which I got on amazon for 500pr. when they arrive I didn't expect much for 500 dollars but I was wrong they sound better than my m&ks which sounds good and cost more and got better after broken in. there are lots of reviews out there that will do a better job in describe the sound of the speakers than I can but its all there imaging soundstage and all the good stuff audiophiles like but you will need a subwoofer to get good bass. my m&k subwoofer with my m&k high pass filter which has separate volume control for sub. and satellite works very well together and these are the primes. even though I was very happy with the primes I decided to upgrade to the ultra to take my system to another level and they did big time everything the primes did the ultra did better right out the box. again there are lots of reviews out there that can describe in detail how they sound better than I can that's how I made my decision. it was like going from a Toyota to a lexus. even though the ultra give good bass better than the primes you may still want to use a subwoofer I do. in the last 2 years I have made 3 upgrades to my sound system that took it to a whole new level that I now listen to music much more. the 3 are 1 ps audio steller power plant if you don't believe clean power makes a different to sound the power plant will make you a believer 2 svs ultra these will be the last speakers I will ever buy they are that good especially on vocals 3 vh audio power cables hand made power cable that can compete with 1000 dollar power cable positive reviews on the net. as I said in the beginning I only listen to them in 2channel audio but they should do just as good in a home theater system. highly recommended

my source is pc; live concert soundboards saved as flac files is the only music i listen to; i want it to sound as close to as if i am there as possible; i have them well away from the walls in my studio apt; yes it sounds as i am there in all its glory almost as my ue 18+ pro ciem's are able to; the speakers are absolutely stunning looking; customer care is crazy excellent