SVS M-series SpeakersFor the past few months, I've been thinking of possibly upgrading my speakers - not that there's anything wrong with my B&Ws, but maybe just to try a different flavor.
I went the usual fare of auditioning as well as researching possible replacements from other brands - which even included the upper level of B&W.
Before, when I do HT speaker shopping - I usually just audition the left & right speaker and just accept whatever center & surrounds that came in the series.
However, this time around I thought of concentrating more on the center speaker as I feel that it is the vital channel of any good home theater.
One of my recent & unexpected auditions, is the SVS S-series speakers wherein the front LCR were all identical and it was even reasonably priced. The best part of these speakers are its crisp, clear and uncolored presentation - perfectly neutral!
My Rotel + B&W setup is a dynamic one if not a tad warm, so I felt prepared for the change. However, when an opportunity suddenly arose in upgrading my Rotel RB-985 amp to a more modern RMB-1075 amp, I was very surprised to find out how my old 985 were warm sounding.
With the 1075, the B&Ws opened up beautifully........and I could live with that, but still the thought of those uncolored SVS speakers lingered inside my head.
I still went ahead with the change and offered my B&Ws up for sale - but when I was coming home with the SVS S-series speakers in my trunk, I felt a little bit of buyer's remorse and thought that the B&Ws were still very good most specially with the new amp.
While I thought of withdrawing my B&Ws from the marketplace, I suddenly received a call from a prospective buyer - who is even ready to pay cash on the spot.
I auditioned the B&Ws to my buyer who even brought his family along with him to hear what he was about to purchase. While this was going on, I just sat in one corner admiring how my old B&Ws were singing differently. I could only hope and pray that maybe they wouldnt like it and leave.
Alas, they loved it.........they loved it so much that they even bought my SVS pb12 sub and was even asking if I would sell them my Rotel pre/pro. Well, I had to draw the line with the speakers & sub - but when it comes to my Rotel pre/pro - hands off please.
The next few days were the hardest - I wanted to open up the new SVS S-series, but just couldnt. I repeatedly asked myself if this would really be better than my old speakers but had to shake it off since they were basically not mine anymore. My wife really loves the B&Ws and when she glanced at the new smallish box replacements, she gave me a weird look that kinda says "are you kidding me?!"
I knew that the SVS S-series speakers had more drivers compared to my B&Ws, they were clear enough in both vocals as well as music and they have that crisp detail that you rarely hear from speakers around its price - it totally outclassed and outperformed some mainstream speaker brands in the market that are close to its price - some are even more expensive. So, what should I be worrying about?
Being positive with my choice of speaker brand, I suddenly decided to even hike up all my considerations and made a blind leap of faith in getting the SVS M-series instead. I never really invest in something that I've never auditioned before - most specially with speakers, but I thought that if the S-series is this good, then having the M-series should be a lot better. But the big question still remains - would it be better than my B&Ws?
I re-scheduled a trip to return the S-series, took home the M-series and for good measure took home a SVS PB13 Ultra to eliminate looking up and asking "what if".
Unboxing the M-series was an ordeal - they were huge and very heavy. The box of the center speaker MCS-01 alone is almost as big as an out-of-the-box pb10 subwoofer! Each speaker was packed inside a draw-string cloth bag and nestled inside its double-box with high intensity foam. Removing the cloth bags reveals the excellent fit and finish of the M-series, the magnetic grille is a novel idea, the 0 or -3db tweeter attenuation switch is a nice consideration and the foam plugs for port tuning are all great features that you dont find to often in other speaker brands.
Each speaker comes with its own single page documentation or 'birth certificate' showing its specs and its frequency response chart which was hand signed by the company's QA / QC inspector.
We all have our own media preference when auditioning or trying out new speakers, and since I also got a new pb13 Ultra subwoofer in the mix - might as well give both the speakers and sub a workout. Jude Law's Enemy At The Gates was my chosen media to see how well the dialogue is amidst the rumble and chaos in the background.
As I've anticipated, the dialogue was very clear and coherent. The absence of any speaker coloration was both a welcome surprise that provided an exciting auditory experience. Even whispers and voices from a distance seems to emanate right from your theater room - amazing!
Accompanied with the micro-dynamic details of the left & right speaker, it defined a more finer detail that is crisp and an uncanny realistic experience.
SVS labels the M-series as "audiophile grade" speakers, so I quickly ended the first 20 minutes of Enemy At The Gates and chose the Legends Of Jazz. With music, the M-series is at its best - every instrument is clearly identified in its own space which you can actually pinpoint their position in the wide soundstage. The M-series were very holographic in nature that seems to float around you - making you feel not as a spectator but more of the performer! I allowed myself to be immersed in its sound and it was breathtaking!
Switching to Celine Dion's A New Day concert was a mixture of emotions - the sound seems to draw you in what the artist wants to convey - may it be a ballad or a fast moving song, it hits you emotionally. I did find myself with goosebumps in some of her songs.
Even when the concert ended, I didnt switch to a new media - I stuck around and listened while the credits was rolling. For some reason, you want to hear every possible sound from the speakers in hopes of hearing something that you havent heard before.
I was so giddy at this point that I had to try the Blue Man Group's How To Be A Rockstar concert - what a mind blowing experience! The sound dynamics were at par with the tremendous light show on the stage and every percussion instrument was defined clearly. I was thrilled when I heard slight sounds of castanets and tambourines playing in my surround bipolar speakers that I've never heard before with my B&Ws. It certainly was an amazing experience!
I was moved by these speakers and that afternoon session was the best I have experienced my home theater - ever! I would've imagined of possibly finding this kind of speaker from other speaker brands........and certainly never expected it from a company that started with subwoofers. If the legendary subwoofer company continues its path in making speakers this great, I have no doubt they will completely corner the market. The M-series speakers truly hold its rank alongside their legendary subwoofers. My heartfelt congrats to SVS!
Lastly, I wanna thank our Philippine distributor MikeC for all the countless YMs, PMs, emails and phone calls to help me with the transition. I believed he treated me more as a friend than a customer. Kudos to MKC International for bringing in these gems to our side of the world!
