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About SVS PB-1000 Pro Subwoofer 

Company & Product Overview

When SVS set out to design the new 1000 Pro Series, they threw out all the pre-conceived notions about compact subs and created a subwoofer with massive output and remarkable low-frequency extension relative to its size and price — all without sacrificing accuracy, detail, and musicality.

The result is a uniquely crafted ecosystem of high-quality components capable of delivering completely different experiences to the sealed and ported subwoofer categories for lower price-points.

Even the amplifier tech trickles down from their flagship Reference 16-Ultra Series (which sells for $2000) into the new models. Needless to say, we were excited to be one of the first to receive them and review the new 1000 Pro Series from SVS ahead of the official release.

In this review, we will briefly touch on some key differences between sealed vs ported subwoofers, and then we will tell you how the PB-1000 Pro performs as a ported subwoofer in a few different situations.

If you are considering a sealed subwoofer for your home theater room or music system, you may want to consider adding one (or even two) SVS PB-1000 Pro subs at these prices. Hopefully, this review will help you narrow down your choice when integrating a sub.

Packaging, Design & Build Quality

In the box, there’s a 6 foot long heavy-duty high-current power cord that plugs into the back of the sub, a detachable grill that inserts into the PB-1000 Pro’s extra-thick MDF front panel, and a quick start guide. The grill is a non-resonant ABS fabric mesh grill, and this does an excellent job protecting the subwoofer.

So, what is the difference between ported and sealed subwoofers? A ported design is generally larger than a sealed box like the SVS SB-1000 Pro, since there needs to be extra room for the woofer and the ports. The ports allow the air to escape — and this allows you to get a bigger sound out of just one box since there are two different mechanisms moving the air around. Depending on how you plan to use a sub and the size of your room, each design will offer a few key advantages and disadvantages.

Shopping for your next sub? Learn the difference between Sealed vs Ported Subwoofers.

If you love deep, loud bass effects and you have a large room, you’ll probably want to choose a ported subwoofer for this. As ported subwoofers typically go, the PB-1000 Pro is far larger than its sealed sibling with a cabinet that is roughly 19” deep and tall and also about 15” wide. With the grill removed, the PB-1000 Pro features a view of SVS’s new proprietary 12-inch woofer, and the dual-ports are right below the woofer.

Compared to its sealed little brother, a key advantage to the SVS PB-1000 Pro is that it is powerful, impactful, and presents big, deeper low-end.

To get accurate deep bass from a ported subwoofer, the cabinet needs to be extremely solid and rigidly built. As entry-level models go, we can tell SVS put some serious engineering into the cabinet designs across the board in the 1000 Pro Series.

Both models have solid cabinets that are well-braced to resist vibrations. For the PB-1000 Pro, SVS uses an extra-thick MDF front baffle with rigid internal bracing to create a resonance-free environment. The cabinet, itself, features rounded edges giving the subwoofer a simple, yet modern look.

SVS doubled down on the anti-resonance build quality by including custom Iso-elastomer feet on the bottom of the PB-1000 Pro. These screw to the bottom and further reduce resonances from the seismic output for more accurate & controlled deep bass extension. We think having Iso-elastomer feet on an entry-level sub is a very nice touch at this price-point. 

Features & Technology

Both ported boxes and sealed boxes in the series have been upgraded with impressive features and tech. These include:

High-Excursion Driver with Dual-layer Voice Coil Design

Both models in the 1000 Pro Series get upgraded to SVS’s 12-inch high-excursion long-throw driver. On top of this, SVS precisely tuned their proprietary driver for immersive low-end with a high-precision overhung motor configuration.

SVS wanted the best benefits from the new 12” woofer without increasing the size of the PB-1000 Pro compared to its predecessor. So, they put two voice coils in the 1000 Pro Series to provide simultaneous signals to their high-excursion 12-inch driver and then tuned them precisely to enhance linearity and fidelity at full excursion while also minimizing distortion and compression.

Sledge STA-325D Amplifier — Effortless Power & Control

In order to move that massive 12” long-throw woofer with speed and accuracy, a lot of power is needed. The PB-1000 Pro gets upgraded to the SVS Sledge amplifier which is a 325 watt Class D amp capable of 820 watts on peaks. It brings the same world-class horse-power of MOSFET-based discrete amplifier to the entirety of the SVS subwoofer product line. For the money, this is pretty impressive! 

SVS Smartphone App — Manage Advanced Subwoofer DSP Settings & More

As an added bonus, the SVS 1000 Pro Series are now completely compatible with the advanced SVS Subwoofer app.

This is really cool because this lets you connect to the PB-1000 Pro wirelessly over a Bluetooth connection and fine-tune the output while sitting in your favorite seat. With the app on your smartphone, you can control the volume, or adjust more advanced settings like the crossover frequencies, a three-band parametric EQ, the polarity, room gain, and there’s even access to multiple DSP functions that you can save as custom tuning profiles.

You can even optimize these tuning profiles for the type of content you’re enjoying and then save them as presets for later. These include presets for your music, movies, or even video games for even more exhilarating tailored bass that immerses you deeper into your video games.

At the starting price range of $599, we think you really just can't beat the value PB-1000 Pro provides.

Performance

One thing we really like about the SVS 1000 Pro series is that SVS upgraded both the SB-1000 Pro and PB-1000 Pro with SVS’s proprietary 12-inch high-excursion long-throw driver. SVS precisely tuned their driver for fantastic low-end that will work in a variety of situations, so the decision really comes down to how you will plan to use your sub.

Read our Home Theater Subwoofer Placement Options for all the best practices when integrating a sub.

We tested the PB-1000 Pro using the Klipsch The Fives powered speakers as a soundbar replacement in a medium-sized living room. Klipsch The Fives have a special crossover circuitry that activates when you use a sub, so voices in the music sounded much cleaner and detailed with this 2.1 soundstage. The PB-1000 Pro also presented a very impressive range of low-end frequencies that SVS says can go all the way down to 17Hz!

At its price-point, the bottom-end weight on explosions or other sound effects was exhilarating! If you want a listening experience that will let you feel this deeply impactful bass response for yourself, you have to check out the German-produced Sci-Fi thriller, “Dark,” which you can find on Netflix.

About 35 minutes into the first episode, there’s a scene where some teenagers are exploring a mysterious cavern at night in a creepy forest. An eerie sound starts emanating from the cave and the teens start scurrying away into the woods. The sound effects are where things get really interesting. One kid trips and falls and the deep low-end impact of his fall just hits you with this bone-crunching bottom-end weight that made the hairs on our arms stand up!

In our medium-sized living room where we tested the subwoofer, the low-frequency output during this scene was stunning, accurate, and controlled. The roll-off is very fast when compared to a sealed subwoofer, so the bass tones of orchestras were presented in all their rumbling glory that came alive just like a concert hall.

Ported subwoofers are generally harder to design properly as you need to tune the port exactly right with the box size and the woofer size — however, SVS did a great job keeping the resonance frequency low enough, so we were not able to perceive this difference.

Instruments hiding in the mid-range frequencies like acoustic guitar plucks, string sections, and voices in the music, and even dialogue were very good. While not quite as clear or resolute in the soundstage compared to the SB-1000 Pro with The Fives, the PB-1000 Pro has a lot more impact on the bass tones — especially on music with lots of energy.

A great track to experience this musical bass response is Taylor Swift’s “Gold Rush,” which was recorded in 2020 for Swift’s ninth studio album, “evermore.”

We listened to this song with the PB-1000 Pro in our medium-sized living room as an entertainment system to host a party. At about 25 seconds into the music, there’s a big kick drum that pulses and keeps time with Swift’s intimately sung vocals.

On most systems, the bottom-end weight of the kick drum is big, impactful, and immersive. However, the PB-1000 Pro let us feel the low-end of the dance-friendly beat in all of its full-bodied glory with fantastic bottom-end weight and a tuneful-sense-of timing that came alive as if Taylor was performing in a concert hall.

Overall, this is the model that packed the biggest impact that was very easy to get immersed in when watching movies and listening to music on soundtracks. 

Overall Recommendation

We have to say, the bottom-end weight on explosions and other sound effects was exhilarating with the PB-1000 Pro.

For $100 more than the sealed model, we think the ported PB-1000 Pro will have a slight advantage in performance — especially for watching movies and playing video games. The rhythm-and-pacing of the sound coming out of the entire setup with just one PB-1000 Pro and The Klipsch The Fives worked incredibly well in our medium-sized living room for movies watching.

Read our SVS Subwoofers Comparison & Overview for a complete rundown on all of the SVS models.

If you need help knowing what to look for when shopping for any type of subwoofer, feel free to give us a call or chat with one of our subwoofer experts. We’ll be happy to help you find the perfect one — or even two — that will work best in a home theater or with your music setup.

SVS PB-1000 Pro Quick Specs

• Type — Ported Box Subwoofer.

• Speaker Driver — 12-inch high-excursion long-throw woofer.

• Amplifier — 325 watts RMS (820 watts peak), Class D.

• Frequency Response — 17Hz to 260Hz (+/-3dB); In-Room Low Freq – 18Hz.

• Dimensions — 18.9” (342mm) H X 15” (330mm) W X 19.2” (352mm) D.

• Weight — 42.5lbs.

• Included Accessories

  • 1 x extra heavy-duty, 6-foot high current power cord,

  • Protective non-resonant extra-thick ABS fabric mesh grill, 

  • Iso-elastomer feet,

  • Quick-Start Guide.