SVS Prime Bookshelf Speakers - Pair (Premium Black Ash)

I wanted a pair of bookshelf speakers for my bedroom which will sound better than what I had but won't break the bank... I researched articles on 10 best bookshelf speakers under $500 and SVS prime popped up not on top but in the top 3 on some list. I did not even consider SVS until a friend of mine who is really into audiophile music mentioned this brand. SVS is really known for sub-woofers but they get good reviews on speakers as well. After additional research, I decided to go on a limb and ordered this. Other top picks were cheaper in price (which may explain why they are on top) but I want performance at my price band.The speakers were well built, beautifully finished. And they sound so beautifully. I fell in love with them in the first few minutes. I used some test tones to test the bass and they kick in at 20 hertz...bass was deep but tight...my room started to shake at around 40 hertz...quite something for bookshelf speakers...The mids and the highs were very musical...I was so happy that I went with SVS...songs I've heard so many times before sounded so much better as if they were new... I have listened to music 5 hours a day ever since I got these speakers... couldn't get enough.

For several years I was using an old pair of Bose 201 series 3 speakers which I really enjoyed. In addition I am running dual 12” subwoofers which give a very nice sounding system. I read all the great SVS reviews and decided to upgrade to the prime bookcase speakers. They are heavy and very solid. I hooked them up and played some rock music. I could not believe the difference. They put my Bose to shame! The highs, midrange and bass were outstanding. No matter what I listen too they are wonderful. I will upgrade my system with all SVS speakers. Very crisp and clear!

I am not an audio expert, but I do recognize and appreciate high quality sound. After 50+ years of mediocre equipment I recently treated myself to these speakers, paired with a Yamaha A-S801 amp and BD-S681 DVD/CD player. After two months of listening 8+ hours a day I very much regret not improving my audio system 50 years ago. Life is too short to hear muddy midrange all day long. These speakers are a delight to my ears.After installing the new setup I connected several sets of old speakers to the B channel so that I could do easy A-B testing of the SVS speakers. All the older speakers sounded awful compared to the SVS Primes. My prior setup had Polk 5" somethings, which had served me well for years. But they lost a lot of their charm when I compared them to the SVS Primes. The old Polks will now find duty as surround speakers on my TV setup. The new SVS will live beside me all day in my office.The sound and build quality seem very good at this price point. I didn't compare them to more costly speakers, but I don't have room or budget for larger and more expensive gear. If these speakers fit your budget than consider them a very safe bet.

Bought these to upgrade from Polk TSI100. After unboxing them and hooking up I thought I had made a mistake in buying them. They didn't sound better than the Polks.That was 6 weeks ago. These speakers are on a different level than the Polks. They are built like a tank. The highs and midrange makes music and movies sound more lifelike. I was perfectly happy with the other speakers until the Primes began to sing in its 4th week. Before the Primes my listening time was 80% movie 20% music, now it's about 55 to 45%. There's much more detail in the music. I'm going through my music and movie collection and enjoying them for the first time again. Will be buying SVS center and sub in the future.

The build quality is great! Decent drivers. Low end bass is missing (tried various placements and amps) which was surprising given that they are rated down to 48hz…maybe at -12db? Best paired with a sub. They are forward and a bit bright, but in a good way. Very lively sound with decent soundstage. Audible port chuffing at 75+db.Overall they aren’t bad. At that price though, there much better options available. If found on sale, they make a great garage speaker.Update (7/20/22): ended up using an older Denon receiver (DRA-395) and these sound entirely different! The bottom end is mostly there. Midrange is drastically improved as well. With increased output, port chuffing no longer an issue as they don’t need to be played as loud as before. Upgraded to four start (they still look dated).

Used with a subwoofer and these things sound incredible! They do well by themselves to. They are heavy built, no they are not cheap, but not expensive either,you get what you pay for. These are still an excellent value because of how good they are! SVS is a good company with a good warranty!

Amazing

Decided it was time to start upgrading my home theater. I have been using Cambridge Soundworks speakers for at least 10 years. I purchased at that time an SVS sub which is as good today as it was 10 years ago. I like the SVS lineup because they do not confuse you with multiple ranges of speakers. Many of the speaker companies have so many classes of speakers I get lost in the forest. SVS has two. The Prime and the Ultra. I would like the Ultra but it was to costly for me. The Prime speakers are physically smaller then my Newton M80's but their sound is much richer. For the money these are great sounding speakers.