New PB12-NSD

SVS "Plus 12.3" Subwoofer Driver

When you are replacing a woofer as tough, as good, and as much a mainstay of our model lines as the venerable award-winning ISD woofer... you take your time, and you build something that's a marked improvement in performance and durability, all while holding the line on cost to the extent you can.

The first entry-level 12" woofer good enough to be built by us, and in our own rural-Ohio factory no less. It's all SVS in design. And to say the least, it's a marked improvement, despite the subtle change in nomenclature (some say it's "NSD" for "New Standard Woofer", others simply note that "N" comes after "I" in the dictionary... both would be right).

And good as the ISD is/was, this woofer is better still. More efficient, better frequency response, and capable of an even greater pounding ... but still sound supremely accurate on anything from Jazz to Jurassic Park. Using dual spiders for the first time, a superlative voice coil and superior motor structure, the NSD woofer might not win any beauty contests, but you'll care little about that when you hear how it works. In fact, during nearly two years of development, we gave virtually no costing to cosmetic niceties (the ISD was a good looking woofer for sure -- not that this NSD woofer is any slouch, it's more purposeful and less fancy intentionally then). What you get in return is a woofer that actually will run neck and neck with our recently replaced, and much more expensive, dB12.2 "Plus" woofer. All at the old prices. Downside? None really.
We cherry-picked minor parts, and designed all the critical ones ourselves. Like with all new SVS drivers its assembled by hand and tested in small batches using state of the art, high tech materials. Put this newest and most affordable SVS creation to the test with your toughest program material and we expect that "entry level" will take on a whole new dimension. Shipping in all products formerly using the ISD, since 1 April, 2006. No fooling.

Features:

• SVS designed, US-built, high-temp aluminum voice coil with Mil-spec polyimide insulation
• Double-stacked, select-grade ferrite magnet
• Dual, progressive custom spiders with integrated tinsel leads
• Heavy-gauge, deep-stamped steel basket
• High-excursion, custom NBR surround (Nitrile Buna-N Rubber)
• High-strength/low-mass polypropylene SVS cone with inverted dustcap
• Polyamide former/bobbin for max temp tolerance
• Low-carbon 1008 steel single-piece T-Yoke and gap plate (electrophoresis finish)
• Absolute highest quality acrylic adhesives used throughout
• Extra-high efficiency, extended long throw design

325 Watt RMS Built-In BASH Amplifier

This high output full-featured digital switching amp was designed by SVS in partnership with one of the most capable and largest original equipment manufacturers in the world. Built in Canada to exacting standards seldom seen in this price class, its rugged, clean layout and construction serves as a perfect compliment to SVS Powered Boxes. Quite literally, thousands of man-hours were expended dialing in performance that perfectly matched our NSD woofers and the rest of the sub's enclosure. We even made sure our own logo graced this amp as a reminder that no other subwoofer manufacturer has it. And since you can only get one on your SVS, you won't see them floating around the various "do it yourself" e-tailers either. Isn't it nice to know your amp was made just for your sub?

Don't let the conservative real-world power rating deceive you. Given our latest US-made drivers and the exceptionally efficient SVS box design, the SVS PB12-NSD can embarrass other subwoofers touting thousands of watts.

Variable crossover (with bypass), defeat-able auto-on, high-level and low-level inputs, detachable power cord, continuously variable phase and LOADS of power, this is one amp you can count on to provide years of accurate, deep and powerful bass. Get the BASH advantage on your SVS now.

More on BASH®

BASH® is a proven class of amplification, answering the market needs for efficiency without compromising sound quality. BASH® is a patented "High Efficiency Linear Amplifier" circuit topology that has taken the best of Class D and Class AB and created a new Class of its own. By combining a fast response power converter with a linear amplifier, BASH® is able to maintain both class AB sonic performance and class D efficiency.

BASH® can produce high power levels without cost penalties typically associated with conventiaaaonal amplifier designs. A linear amplifier rated at 100 Watts should be able to deliver 20 Watts continuously. If the same amplifier is to play musical transients that are 10dB louder than its rated power, the amplifier must be able to deliver 1000 watts dynamically. To deliver such dynamic power would require the internal power supply rails to be 300% higher, and the resulting power dissipated at 20 watts output to be 350% higher resulting in increases to heat sinks, power transformer, bulk capacitors, output devices and ultimately increases the cost.

BASH® provides customers new solutions, opens new markets, offers greater flexibility, and ultimately reduces the cost of amplification.

To read more on BASH® technology click here »

Flush-mount Amp Configuration

Other little touches that make the PB12-NSD so unique? Well, besides the fact it’s packed with components normally only found in subs costing thousands, is the fact SVS sweats little details like taking its state of the art “plate amp” and mounting it flush, safe and secure in one of the nicest looking and best built box subwoofer enclosures in the world. With twin internal CNC'd braces, countless designs were tested and what finally made the cut was something so robust, so effective and so elegant that SVS simply had to build it. All the advantages of a subwoofer box, with the convenience of an “all in one”, built-in amp. That’s the PB12-NSD…only available at SVS.

Sure we could import amps from the far East (all ours are made in Canada), or just drop it in a square cut hole as you might find in less carefully made products,all in an effort to cut costs... but this user serviceable amp, like everything we do, is nestled together with precision, simplicity and put together right in our Ohio factory. Costs are always secondary to quality and performance in SVS.

Front firing cabinet with compliant floor fittings

When it comes to floor and room interface solutions, SVS easily has the other guys beat. The woofer and port are both front firing from a common baffle (a whopping one inch thick!). Internal CNC'd bracing makes the large side-panels solid as a rock. The narrow profile and front firing design allows you to tuck your PB12-NSD into tight spaces, with only the power cord and input cable clearance as a consideration. Underneath, you'll find the PB12-NSD comes with threaded, removable, ultra-compliant synthetic rubber feet. And not just four as you might expect, but six to maximize stability and allow you to put this sub on any sort of surface. You can remove these costly fittings if you want to slide the PB12-NSD around a carpeted room to experiment with different locations; and either reinstall them when you're done or run without them, they are "blind" airtight fittings even when the feet are not used. Simple, elegant, just the sort of features you expect from SVS.

With the competition, you can expect things like and exposed woofer hitting thick carpeting and/or plastic spiked feet vibrating on hard surfaces (requiring furniture cups or a throw rug to quiet things down). SVS digs deep to ensure you won't be making ANY apologies for your subwoofer. We know it's a bit old fashioned, but we believe in offering the highest quality components at a fair price, rather than cutting corners just to increase profits. Given thousands and thousands sold all over the world, we think we're on the right track.

Precision Tuned High-Flow Port

The front-firing PB12-NSD employs a computer-designed and patented high-flow, low-noise, dual-flare port that is Made in the USA. While too costly for many brands in this price class, this port is the industry standard in high efficiency vented subwoofer systems, and features a 4 " inside diameter (ID), gently flaring to a nearly 7 " at the outside and inside flares. These huge fittings allow the port to breathe with the effectiveness of much larger and ultimately less practical and less attractive solutions - is it any surprise we use them? SVS even takes the time to have the port flush mounted (using CNC machining of course) into the PB12-NSD cabinet. Perfectly fitting foam seals are carefully applied by hand in our factory to ensure it is snug and performs like a high end audio component should. At this price point, you'll only get this level of attention and detail from SVS.

Professional Grade Finish, Professional Grade Construction

Some audio enclosures are made from some pretty cheesy materials. If you are building the best woofers and amps like we do, you don't put them in a cabinet that's going to shake, rattle and roll. Or ones that seem like it was supplied by the lowest bidder without regard to quality. At SVS we don't cut corners in an effort to increase profits. Instead, we select top-grade materials that we'd want (and have) in our own homes. Specially shaped and joined baffles, and extra thick enclosure panels, precision cut panels and bracing, and rich looking yet still cost-effective finishes.

Finally, this finish is built for the real world you live in. Unlike less forgiving piano gloss or wood finishes it's virtually impervious to fingerprints, drink rings and dust. Wipe them off with standard glass cleaner now and again and your SVS sub will look like new for years.

Frequency response charts

* Unsmoothed, quasi-anechoic frequency response: Measured with high resolution instrumentation (1/60th octave) via "ground plane" technique, outdoors, at two meters' distance, a minimum of 70 feet from reflective boundaries.

Note:In-room extension, with corner placement, will typically yield 3-5Hz greater linear extension than indicated. Results will vary based on room size, seat distance from your SVS, and subwoofer location.