SVS 3000 In Wall Subwoofer System Review [VIDEO]

Manufacturer & Model

SVS 3000 In Wall Subwoofer System

MSRP

$1999 as tested, $2999 in dual-cabinet configuration

Link

https://www.svsound.com/products/3000-in-wall-subwoofer

Highlights

In-wall form factor means users can add a sub where it was previously impossible. Sealed cabinet tuned for punchy, hard-hitting bass. Very friendly price point for an in-wall subwoofer performing at this level.

Summary

The SVS 3000 In Wall Subwoofer System is a dual-9" sealed cabinet designed to mount in any standard 2x4 construction wall, making installation very flexible in order to find the best location for your room. Plenty of usable bass extension below the rated 29Hz and more than enough output for most applications. Configurable as a dual-cabinet system powered off a single rack-mount amp.

I love watching movies. I hate seeing gear. Subs are generally a sacrifice, since you have to have big subs for big bass, right?

For the past few weeks I've had the good fortune to be the first reviewer to get my hands on the new SVS 3000 In Wall Subwoofer System. Having a relatively flexible screen wall installation made it pretty simple for me to fully install it and give it a real-world review workout for an accurate assessment of its performance.

From the jump, it took me a little bit to stop mentally comparing it to my existing SVS PB-2000 in-room subwoofer. The two subs are completely different, and comparing them isn't fair to either model. But the longer I've had it installed in my room, the further removed I am from the memory of my PB-2000, the more enamored I am with this new invisible offering from SVS. It's changed how I feel about bass in my room.

So how has it been working out?

Check out my video review of the SVS 3000 In Wall Subwoofer System!

SVS 3000 In Wall Subwoofer System

• Dual 9-inch active high-excursion drivers
• Ultra-Rigid Aluminum and MDF cabinet
• Freq. Response: 22-250 Hz ±3 dB
• Paintable magnetically attached removeable grill
• Available in Single Subwoofer System or Dual Subwoofer System configurations
• 800-watt RMS, 2,500-watt peak Sledge STA-800D2C amplifier
• High-efficiency Class-D switching topology
• High-resolution 50MHz Analog Devices Audio DSP

 

[Ragnoid]

Thanks for the great review, enjoyable watch. Am currently re-designing my cinema room and wanting to incorporate some columns to hide the 4 surround speakers. I've had an acoustic profile done up for the room to incorporate 4 subs, unfortunately one of them is in a very awkward location, however installing something like this into the column might be a viable option for the ideal placement?

 

[Travis Ballstadt]

Thanks for the great review, enjoyable watch. Am currently re-designing my cinema room and wanting to incorporate some columns to hide the 4 surround speakers. I've had an acoustic profile done up for the room to incorporate 4 subs, unfortunately one of them is in a very awkward location, however installing something like this into the column might be a viable option for the ideal placement?

You would most definitely want to make sure the subs are at least all sealed, and perhaps go with a pair of these and a pair of in-room sealed subs, to make sure they're easier to integrate together.

 

[JStewart]

Subs take up a lot of floor space and if I ever redo things I’d strongly consider going this route for a couple of other reasons too.

Seems as though these could work very well for a “double bass array” if using an acoustically transparent screen, which is the route Trinnov seems to be taking.

Even without setting up a DBA you have options to place them higher on the wall if the response is better there.

That they don’t plumb the ultra low frequency depths could be easily overcome with tactile transducers (Crowsons, Buttkickers).

Edit: maybe SVS should consider manufacturing tactile transducers as a complimentary product to their subs.

 

[Sonnie]

Excellent review Travis. Good seeing Ed Mullen's mug again... been awhile.

So how big is your room?

I'd be curious how 8 of these would sound in a room like mine, but wiring them and needing 4 of the amps would be a bit much. Of course, floor space is an option I have with plenty to spare, so these wouldn't be something I would need. However, I can certainly see them coming in handy for certain rooms.

 

[Travis Ballstadt]

Thanks Sonnie

My room is 21x10x8, and it’s not a sealed room. Like I mentioned in the review, floor space is also not an issue for me and I ended up swapping my single ported sub for a pair of sealed subs after living with this sealed sub for a few weeks.

I was impressed how well this took advantage of room gain. I think 8 would perform really well, though I wonder if 4 in single cabinet configs would do just as well, considering the decrease in power when running two cabs off a single amp.

Retrofitting the wiring is definitely not a simple task, but if it’s a possibility and floor space is a premium, these are impressive units.