SVS SoundPath Subwoofer Isolation System - A user Review

Tom L.

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SVS SoundPath Subwoofer Isolation System

01-soundpath box.jpg



02-soundpath foot.jpg 03-SVS SoundPath foot.jpg

Available in four and six packs.

$49.00 for the 4-Pack (Amazon) - SVS Website $49.99
$56.72 for the 6-Pack (Amazon) – SVS Website $69.99

As tested - $98.00 For two 4-Packs


Features and Construction
· Durable Anodized Steel Outer Shell
· Elastomer Foot with Optimized Durometer
· Stainless Steel Machine Screws


Subwoofer Isolation Feet Dimensions:
· Overall Height: 40 mm
· Shell Diameter: 58 mm
· Foot Diameter: 53 mm
· Screw Engagement Depth: 13mm (applies to 20mm length screws)


Package Contents:
4Foot System:
· Four (4) SoundPath Isolation Elastomer Feet with Steel Outer Shell
· Four (4) ¼-20 x 20 mm screws
· Four (4) M6 x 20 mm screws
· Four (4) M8 x 20 mm screws

6 Foot System:
· Six (6) SoundPath Isolation Elastomer Feet with Steel Outer Shell
· Six (6) ¼-20 x 20 mm screws
· Six (6) M6 x 20 mm screws
· Six (6) M8 x 20 mm screws



What the SVS Website says about this product:
(
https://www.svsound.com/products/soundpath-subwoofer-isolation-system )


How Does De-coupling Improve Performance?
Decoupling is making the interaction between a subwoofer and floor so weak that virtually no energy is transferred between them. The SVS SoundPath Subwoofer Isolation System features rigorously tested optimized durometer elastomer feet that significantly reduces the transmission of subwoofer energy through your floor and walls. This allows low frequency effects to be transferred through the air where they can be felt, resulting in tighter and cleaner sounding bass, no more distracting buzz or rattle from the room, and better sonic clarity and dynamics.

Be A Better Neighbor
Infrasonic jolts and subterranean levels of bass bring our entertainment to life, but they can also disturb neighbors and roommates because the longer, low frequency sound waves travel more effortlessly through walls and floors than mid-range and high frequency waves. It’s the reason your neighbor can hear a helicopter descending much louder than glass breaking. The SVS SoundPath Isolation System drastically reduces the bass notes and low frequency vibrations your neighbors and roommates will notice.

A Discreet, Affordable Alternative To Subwoofer Platforms And Risers
The SVS SoundPath Subwoofer Isolation System feet come in a variety of thread sizes that easily screw into any subwoofer’s existing threaded inserts and subtly elevate the sub enclosure on a cushion of elastomer encased in stainless steel. The understated feet are a stylish, more effective alternative to bulky risers and platforms, at a fraction of the cost and also work with some turntables and other components.



Why I did it:
If you have read the description of my system (That Lil’ Old Media Room in Texas - https://www.avnirvana.com/showcase/that-lil-old-media-room-in-texas.24/) then you may have noticed that I tend to isolate or De-Couple my speakers from the floor. Some may Poo-Poo this notion or my reasoning, and that’s just fine, but I find it works for me. I note improved clarity and a more open, defined, articulate, and less boxy sound from my main LCR speakers (BG Radia FS-520i’s and BG Radia FS-220i center) when I de-couple the speakers. With the subwoofers I noted that same increase in definition and articulate sound plus a huge reduction in the transmission of the bass through the walls to the rest of the house. I built all of the De-Coupler Platforms using 18” x 18” x 2” concrete pavers (HomeDepot – about $8.00 each) floating on four Pen ELcom 9106 2.5” x 1” Natural Rubber Isolation Feet (Parts Express - $2.13 ea) and they worked great! I have the same feet under my shaker platform.




When I upgraded my subs recently the 18” x 18” isolation/de-coupling risers I had made were too small to use under my new Rythmik F18’s. They did catch the feet, but just barely, (the F18’s are approximately 20.5” x 20.5”) and did sit on the isolation pad but the overhang made them look aesthetically unpleasing to my eye.

I ended up sitting the F18’s directly on my carpeted floor using the substantial rubber feet supplied by Rythmik. They work very well as feet but I was getting a lot of transmission through the floor to rest of the house.

I had intended to build my own 20.5” x 20.5” x 3” concrete pads but then stumbled across the SVS SoundPath Subwoofer Isolation System. Being basically lazy I said “Hey! That looks like the way to go! NO MESS, NO MUSS, NO FUSS!”

I had not overtly noticed any big issues with the F18’s as far as sound. They are a tight and really articulate subwoofer as is. My major intent in de-coupling the subs was to prevent, as much as possible, the transmission of sound to the rest of the house.


Installation:
When I received the SoundPath feet I pulled them from the box along with the screws and looked them over. Fit and finish looked very good and the black/silver anodized steel shell holding the Elastomer foot gave it a nice, polished, finished look that I couldn’t match with my homemade ISO Platforms :-).

I tilted over one of the 115lb F18’s and removed the first rubber foot. “Hmmmm!” I thought… “That’s a big humpin’ screw!”. Yes Martha, it was bigger than the SVS supplied screws… the Rythmik supplied feet were 3/8” screws, considerably bigger than the largest SVS supplied ¼” screws!

I tried to insert the Rythmik feet into the bottom of the SVS SoundPath feet to see if they would fit in the hole… They didn’t.

Here is where my level of commitment started to waver a bit…. But then I sucked it up and went to Home Depot and bought eight 3/8” x 1.5” hex head bolts. Knowing these would be too long I also bought eight matching nuts to use as spacers.

Going home I wrapped the steel shells with cloth and anchored them in a nice big Monkey Wrench and drilled the holes out to 3/8”. One screw and one nut later I was installing the feet on the sub. I repeated the process on the other sub and turned on the system.

What I Heard:
I immediately heard an increase in perceived bass at my listening position. The tightness and definition of the bass seemed to improve a bit as well.

I started walling the house and found that de-coupling the subs had indeed worked as I had hoped and the “shakeage” and rumble in the downstairs master bedroom was totally gone! Nearer the stairs to the Media Room there was some bass to be heard but not nearly as much as before installing the SVS feet.

I also had some rattles OUTSIDE my room when the volume was cranked that were now gone! A nice bonus!

In order to dial in the subs and system I decided to take some measurements and then rerun Audyssey.


07-F18 Final with phase 01022019.jpg


Here is my 0-200Hz curve before I installed the SVS SoundPath Subwoofer Isolation System​




08-04182019 SVS PRE AUD SPL AND PHASE.jpg



Here is my 0-200HZ curve after installing the SVS System but before correction​


I liked it but thought I could do better :-)

So I started experimenting with the speaker and sub placement in the room, working to fix the phase issues and notches that appeared after swapping the feet.

Here is what I came up with…. Not perfect, but… overall not bad either. I ended up pulling the LCR out from the wall to about 3’8” at the drivers and the subs out to 3’2” at the face of the sub. This pretty much aligned the subs with the drivers on my main speakers reducing the time/phase mismatch. A little fiddling with the Phase Control on the F18’s and distance settings on the Marantz Pre/Pro and things were working well together.

09-Theater room  New Spk Position.jpg

New Speaker Positions​


10-04212019 F18S AFTER AUD IN NEW POSITION.jpg


Curve with the SVS feet installed and redialing/relocating in the speakers/subs
and recalibrating using Audyssey​


I decided to add my DTI PF-15’s back into the mix to see if they would smooth the 40Hz dip. They did what I was hoping for. Note this is without any correction, DSP or otherwise, on the PF15’s. I removed the phase measurements (below) because the addition of the two PF-15’s smoothed out the room nodes but confused the phase measurements. When I get some time I’ll add MiniDSP and take some measurements with the microphone at 90 degrees to see if I can get a better curve.


11-04212019 F18S AND PF15S SPL.jpg

SPL only using the F18s and the PF15s together​


Summary
Did the SVS SoundPath Subwoofer Isolation System work? YES! At least on some levels….

The system worked well from the standpoint of de-coupling the rest of the house from the media room making it a worthy upgrade. It also had the added positive effect of reducing/eliminating the few odd rattles and noises both inside and outside the listening room… Now That’s Cool! Overall… It’s what I was looking for!

However, from the standpoint of improvements in the sound and performance… Not that I noticed so much. I actually seemed to lose some energy in the lowest registers and above 100 HZ. However, along with that slight loss in energy came a perceived increase in definition and impact! I could also see that the slight bump at 80 Hz had been reduced and smoothed out somewhat.

As I sat wondering about that particular change the only thing I could think of is that overhang/ringing may have been reduced by the de-coupling effect of the SVS Isolation System and moving the subs OUT from the wall resulted in less “smear”.

The new speaker positioning seems to have opened up the sound of the main speakers.

With the subs pulled out from the front wall there is some loss of boundary reinforcement but there is also a perceived increase in clarity. And in my case that’s fine….

The Rythmik F18’s certainly have the ability to use “brute force” to pressurize the room even pulled away from the wall. Combine the F18’s with the old DTI PF15’s, even at very low levels, and a bit of magic occurs. The PF-15s which are very active above 30Hz tend to put a little bump back into the curve above 40Hz and play well with the Rythmik F18’s for movies. I’ve done some listening with the combination of the F18’s and the PF15’s (uncorrected) and find the sound really good for movies delivering a nice thick, dense sound for the cinema side of things.

When seriously listening to music I turn off the DTI PF15’s for a tighter sound musically.

Thanks for suffering through another one! Any comments are welcome!


12-Rythmik with SVS Soundpath feet.jpg



SVS SoundPath Subwoofer Isolation System installed​
 

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NBPK402

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Thanks for the review...glad they worked out for you (unlike some other items that do not live up to their advertisements or expectations).
 

Tom L.

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Thanks for the review...glad they worked out for you (unlike some other items that do not live up to their advertisements or expectations).
Thanks!

My primary goal was to reduce the transmission of sound to the rest of the house and they certainly helped in that respect!

Some claims are a bit hard to swallow :-)

Tom
 
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