PB13-Ultra Subwoofer

PB13-Ultra Subwoofer

103 reviews

The PB13-Ultra is no longer in stock. For comparable performance, check out the SVS PB-4000 and PB16-Ultra subwoofers or browse the SVS Outlet store for the best prices you’ll find on all SVS subwoofers.

Since the 13-Ultra subwoofers were launched, we’ve made huge advancements in our Sledge amplifier technology, which is now available to you! Any 13-Ultra owners who ever wanted an affordable upgrade path to enjoy the amazing performance and control benefits of the acclaimed SVS 4000 Series subwoofers can now take advantage of the SVS 13-Ultra Amplifier Upgrade Kit.

PB13-Ultra

Audioholics - Bassaholic Certified Large Award
Audioholics - Product of the Year Award
AVForums - Best Buy Award
Digital Trends - Editors Choice Award

Product Overview

The PB13-Ultra subwoofer unleashes staggering levels of low-frequency output with a surprising degree of subtlety and finesse that will thrill both movie buffs and audiophiles alike. Triple ported with a 13.5-inch Ultra driver and 1000-watt RMS, 3,600+ watts peak power bass titan delivers something along the lines of a seismic event. If you have a large space you're looking to fill with thunderously deep and powerful bass that can extend to a mind-blowing 14 Hz, the PB13-Ultra Subwoofer is for you.

Audioholics - Bassaholic Certified Large Award
Audioholics - Product of the Year Award
AVForums - Best Buy Award
Digital Trends - Editors Choice Award

User Reviews

Julian M. Reviews the PB13-Ultra

"I am simply blown away at how much adding this sub to my system has changed my experience listening to music and especially watching movies."

Press Reviews

Z-Reviews - Review of the PB13-Ultra Subwoofer

"No home theater is complete without one. It’s like the whole room is breathing and it’s so fast. Witness me says the PB13. There’s no reason not to buy this...

Home Theater Shack reviews the PB-13 Ultra Subwoofer

"...the PB13 will challenge you to find a single weakness... It reached the deepest notes with ease, and was very crisp and clear the whole time, without ge...

Audioholics and Sound + Vision love the new PB13-Ultra

"The PB13-Ultra was quite possibly the best subwoofer I've ever had in my system. It went lower and louder than any single-piece sub I've tried here, and it...

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Frequency Response / Acoustic Data:

* Frequency response graph does not denote maximum output capability
  • 17-200 Hz +/- 3 dB (20 Hz mode)
  • 14-200 Hz +/- 3 dB (16 Hz mode)
  • 21-200 Hz +/- 3 dB (sealed mode)
  • 2-meter ground plane away from reflective structures (quasi-anechoic).

Subwoofer Specs:

  • Black gloss or full veneer black oak finish options
  • Front-firing 13.5" driver
  • Front-firing triple 3.5" high-flow flared ports
  • Protective non-resonant steel mesh grille
  • Rigid and braced Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) cabinet
  • Detachable power cord
  • Variable 20 Hz, 16 Hz and Sealed tuning modes
  • Cabinet Dimensions: 22.5" (H) x 20.5" (W) x 28" (D) (without grille)
  • Overall Dimensions: 22.5" (H) x 20.5" (W) x 29.9" (D) (with grille)
  • Carton Dimensions: 31" (H) x 26" (W) x 36" (D)
  • Weight (unboxed): 155 pounds
  • Weight (boxed): 171 pounds
  • Shipped Dimensions (palletized): 36" (H) x 26" (W) x 40" (D)
  • Shipped Weight (palletized): 188 pounds

Driver Specs:

  • SVS 13.5” extreme performance underhung Ultra driver
  • SVS custom-tooled die-cast aluminum basket
  • Flat-wire, 3” diameter, high-power, high-temp, 8-layer, aluminum voice coil
  • Polyimide impregnated fiberglass former/bobbin
  • Dual 9", composite layered, linear roll, extreme excursion spiders
  • Integrated tinsel leads
  • Nickel-plated high-tension spring terminals
  • Proprietary injection molded gasket and parabolic SBR extreme-excursion surround
  • Composite pulp/fiberglass press layered cone with stitched surround
  • Low carbon 1008 steel components, electrophoresis black plating
  • Finite Element Analysis (FEA)-optimized underhung motor structure for the lowest possible distortion
  • Copper shorting sleeve reduces gap induction and distortion, and enhances thermal conductivity
  • Dual Genox 8H/Y-35 high grade ferrite magnets
  • Oversized pole vent for greater cooling and low noise

Amplifier Specs:

  • STA-1000D Sledge with 1000 watts RMS continuous power (3600 watts peak dynamic power)
  • High efficiency cool-running Class D switching topology
  • Detachable power cord with main power switch and ceramic fuse
  • RoHS compliant, lead-free construction and world-wide safety certifications
  • Auto-On / On switch with "green" standby mode
  • Stereo line-level RCA and balanced (XLR) input/output connections
  • Normal and Hi input voltage switch
  • Customized EQ and DSP limiter settings specifically for the PB13-Ultra
  • Variable tuning with 20Hz, 16Hz, and Sealed settings to match subwoofer port settings
  • Fully adjustable (frequency and slope) phase-correct speaker/sub digital crossover
  • Intelligent Feature Control (IFC) with bright LCD display
  • Two (2) digital PEQs with adjustable frequency, cut/boost, and Q values
  • Room gain compensation control with adjustable frequency and slope
  • Adjustable digital delay on main speaker line-level outputs to time-align the speakers and subs
  • Input impedance - 24 kΩ (unbalanced RCA) / 22 kΩ (balanced XLR)
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SVS’s original standard bearer for subwoofer performance, the PB13-Ultra is a legendary home theater subwoofer for its effortless power and subterranean low frequency extension down to 14Hz a with shocking musicality.

High Output SVS Ultra Series Driver Design

The flawlessly designed custom 13.5-inch driver is capable of handling the excursions and power needed to produce serious high output low bass. The woofer has an open but strong cast aluminum frame and a massive underhung magnet and motor assembly (tipping the scale at 55lbs) with a vented pole piece, large dual spiders and a large parabolic “high roll” surround making up the suspension. The surround is physically stitched to the cone, which is a significant design investment that reveals the performance-first approach to driver engineering.

Powerful and Sophisticated Sledge STA-1000D Amplifier

At the heart of the PB13-Ultra subwoofer is a muscular and sophisticated Sledge STA-1000D Class D amplifier. The amp's built-in Digital Signal Processor (DSP) dynamically controls output power to ensure you hear nothing but deep, low-distortion bass no matter how loud your music and movies get and there’s always headroom to spare.

The DSP platform has an interface utilizing an LCD screen and a single knob / push button to control the settings. The PB13-Ultra's on-board DSP tools for fine-tuning the sound include dual digital parametric EQs with adjustable frequency, cut/boost, and Q values, plus a room gain compensation control with adjustable frequencies and slope to help tame pesky room response issues. And, of course, you get fully adjustable phase compensation and digital crossover controls. To make adjustments easier, and to keep track of all your settings, there’s a two-line LCD readout on the sub's back panel.

Since the 13-Ultra subwoofers were launched, we’ve made huge advancements in our Sledge amplifier technology, which is now available to you! Any 13-Ultra owners who ever wanted an affordable upgrade path to enjoy the amazing performance and control benefits of the acclaimed SVS 4000 Series subwoofers can now take advantage of the SVS 13-Ultra Amplifier Upgrade Kit.

Variable Port Tuning

The PB13-Ultra Subwoofer employs a large bass-reflex (ported) cabinet design that allows its Ultra 13.5-inch driver to make long excursions for exceptionally deep bass at high output levels. Three flared, low-noise ports on the front of the enclosure minimize back-wall interaction for greater bass accuracy. Also included are three dense foam plugs that allow you to custom-tune how deep and loud the sub will play by blocking the ports. The PB13-Ultra's strong, rigid enclosure helps eliminate cabinet flex and resonance to keep your bass ultra-clean. Connections include a stereo line-level RCA plus balanced XLR inputs and outputs for flexible connectivity with a wide range of audio gear, including high-end stereo preamps and A/V preamp/processors.

Sound Expert Videos

SVS 13-Ultra Subwoofer Amplifier Upgrade Installation Tutorial

How to Reduce Subwoofer Room Rattle, Vibrations and Bass Bleed

Anatomy of an SVS Subwoofer Driver

Comparing Ported vs. Sealed Subwoofers for Home Theater

Section Shadow
Subwoofer Matching Tool

Enter your speakers and the SVS Subwoofer Matching Tool will recommend suitable subwoofer matches as well as crossover frequency and low pass filter settings.

System Builder Tool

Personal SVS speaker and subwoofer system builder. Choose from preset home theater surround sound set-ups like 5.1, or custom build your own.

User Reviews | Press Reviews

Customer Reviews
5.0 Based on 103 Reviews
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Filter Reviews:
G
05/11/2020
Gary
US US

Best Subs and Customer Service in the Business

Love my PB-13 Ultra, no other sub can compare with it. Had a problem with my amp and called customer service and they hooked me up with the parts and guided me through the simple repair. They truly stand behind their product with the friendliness customer service folks I've ever delt with period! Now "the house is a rockin, don't bother knockin" Thank SVS

J
07/03/2019
joe.T
US US

best subwoofer I have ever owned

The PB13 Ultra is the best subwoofer I have ever owned. I had a couple diy builds jl 12w7 in ported 17hz 5.5 cuft box with dual sealed jl12w3 , dual 12' ultimax all tuned and calibrated with Rew/mindsp, velodyne optimum,15" hgs, 12' spl , Aperion bravus 12d, svs pb100, pb2000, pb12 plus. The SVS Pb12 plus 800 rms-2500 peak is close to the detail and the depth and the overall output of the PB13 ultra. I have the pb12 plus and pb13 ultra both calibrated with Marantz Audyessy LFC,EQ HT ,mult-EQ XT32 dual sub calibration with a atmos 11.4 setup. The extra 1100 watts of peak power and driver build and size just sets the pb13 ultra a step ahead. At various times in movies & music the pb 13 ultra output, depth and detail is noticeable at peak bass excursions. I added some movies and times I played these subwoofer during these movies like tron legacy 45:23, king kong 2,avatar 1:35 ,Jurassic park world ,hellboy 6:30, x men last stand 26:42, Venom 54:3054:30. Noticeable output,depth and detail. Its usually only for a few moments in the movies noted and a few others that the PB13 ultras just steps out and get deeper with more overall output. The PB12 plus is a great subwoofer that puts out tons of bass with incredible bass detail.The output of the dual-ling pb1000 and pb2000 was room shaking and overall depth detail was awesome. The PB13 ultra is just the Holy Grail of Subwoofers. The bass response has 3 dimensional layers of sound that you feel that brings out noticeable bass detail and depth. Again the pb1000,pb2000 were no slouches with tons output with depth and detail for their power and size . If your short on dollars don't hesitate to purchase either of these subwoofers.It might be all you need. If just need more bass like me. That you wait with anticipation for one part in a movies or music that puts a smile on your : ). Then Pony up those dollars, You wont be disappointed. I really have been pleasantly surprised with all 4 SVS subwoofers. When I first heard the pb1000 . I though damn that deep bass from such a small subwoofer, PB2000 bass got deeper with more overall output. Then PB12 plus and pb 13ultra just provide mores layers of detailed bass response that is mind blowing. I hope this review helps some of guys and gals pull the trigger one of these great subwoofers. I also wanted say thanks to the SVS team for all their great customer service.

MS
11/26/2017
Marc S.
CA CA

I'm loving it !

Made my research, when to try it first to a dealer ! Been impress right away. I just love Bass Woofer. This gave me what I was looking for ! PB 16 was too big for my room ! PB 13 is excellent. Only down side is the rear adjustment for fine tuning. Would had prefer as the PB 16 in front ! Thanks SVS great Sub woofer !! :)

AW
10/11/2017
Alfred W.
US US

A dream come true.

I was making room for my new PB13 Ultra, and I found a Fall 1995 issue of Stereophile Guide to Home Theater, The magazine highlighted three recommended Subwoofers, the M&K Mx-200, 200 watts/ $1495, the Hsu Research HRUSW12V, 150 watts/ $850, and a Velodyne F-1500R, 250 watts/ $1595. I remember reading theses reviews over and over again. I wanted that Velodyne subwoofer so bad. I purchased my first subwoofer soon after, A 8" Velodyne. I was very happy with it, but I still was thinking about the Velodyne F-1500R. Five years later I upgraded to a ADS M3 10" sub, and I played Terminator on VHS and bass could not get better than this. After another five years I discovered SVS. I purchased the PCI 20-39 cylinder sub. I been using it for 12 years and was very happy with it. I just retired and wanted buy my final subwoofer. I debated which sub to purchase for a year. I finally settled on the SVS PC12 plus. I listen to the Plus for 42 days and I really like the increase clarity and extension, still something was missing. I wanted a WoW moment. I wanted the feeling I would have gotten if I had purchased the Veloydne F-1500R 22 years ago, top of the line. I call SVS and and talk to customer service, ED, Darren, and Dennis and the other guys provide the best CS anyone could ask for. They had recommended the Plus based on my room size and usage. I explained to them that the Plus was good but I wanted that WoW moment. I ordered the PB13 Ultra. They let my hold onto the plus passed my trail period and sent out the Ultra. The Ultra was on a different level, I ordered the Black Oak and amazed at the finish and solid construction. The SQ was clear, extended, tactile, and powerful. Everything that I wanted. I played all of my bass laden Blu-rays, Mad Max, A Good Day to Die Hard,Tron and John Wick. Stop the debate on what is the best subwoofer, if you have the money and the space, just buy it. I got this sub in the outlet for $1400, its worth $2000 at $1400 its a steal. With their CS, if you don't agree with me, send it back. Some dreams come true.

RS
09/10/2017
Randy S.
US US

PB13- Ultra

This subwoofer is all about being accurate I can't stress this enough. I kept it running in sealed mode for most all music playback. How ever I was nice when friends come over to pull the plugs out and really show them what this thing can do. It is an absolute monster under 20hz when called to do so. It truly is a Swiss army knife of subwoofers. If you have the space and do both HT and music play back this is your baby. I've heard a fair amount of big name subs but none that can do music playback as clean and quick as this guy, and then level the house with output this guy can on movies. Great customer support and help here At SVS I can't say enough about all of them.

User Reviews | Press Reviews

Z-Reviews - Review of the PB13-Ultra Subwoofer

"No home theater is complete without one. It’s like the whole room is breathing and it’s so fast. Witness me says the PB13. There’s no reason not to buy this...
Reviewer Logo

Home Theater Shack reviews the PB-13 Ultra Subwoofer

"...the PB13 will challenge you to find a single weakness... It reached the deepest notes with ease, and was very crisp and clear the whole time, without getting muddy or...
Reviewer Logo

Audioholics and Sound + Vision love the new PB13-Ultra

"The PB13-Ultra was quite possibly the best subwoofer I've ever had in my system. It went lower and louder than any single-piece sub I've tried here, and it did so...
Reviewer Logo

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