About Us

Our Story

SVS rumbled onto the audio scene to challenge the status quo of over-priced, underperforming “high-end” subwoofers and speakers and to bring convincing and immersive sound to more people than ever before. Why should thrilling home audio experiences be an elitist hobby limited to a small percentage of humanity? The SVS mission is to re-energize people’s desire for awesome sound by bringing passion, fun and expertise back into to the mix. With this vision, SVS is leading a Sound R|Evolution.

Based in Youngstown, Ohio, and led by forward-thinking President and CEO, Gary Yacoubian, the SVS team is bound by a shared passion for creating world-class speakers, subwoofers and audio accessories, with no compromises. All the benefits of reference quality high-end audio with unmatched performance for the price. This philosophy elevated SVS to be the top subwoofer brand in the world and one of the fastest growing speaker manufacturers in existence. But it goes deeper.

SVS maintains a uniquely direct relationship with its owners and community by engaging over the phone, via email, chat, social media, at events and any other way audio fans want to engage. We listen to feedback, have meaningful conversations and only develop products that surprise and delight in every way. We also host fun and exciting events with our retail partners to share the SVS experience in person because we all genuinely live, breathe and love great sound.

SVS offers a total ownership experience backed by prompt, expert support and valuable benefits that make it fun and rewarding to be a life-long owner. Everything we do is geared towards making truly immersive sound available to audio fans of all ages with all budgets and interests.

Audiophiles, home theater enthusiasts and reviewers alike revere SVS products for delivering exhilarating audio performances on par with the finest speakers and subwoofers in the world. Our passion for amazing sound quality is revealed in every 5-star review and award and is brought to life with every jaw-dropping, armrest-gripping sonic moment you experience.

Our Team

Gary Yacoubian

CEO

Gary Yacoubian

Gary leads the charge at SVS with a passionate, hands-on approach backed by a tireless work ethic. His leadership is critical to all aspects of product development, engineering, customer service, operations, marketing and sales and he works closely with each department to make sure they are invested in the SVS mission and resourced appropriately.

A fierce proponent of accountability and the customer-first mentality, Gary interacts with SVS dealers, owners and potential customers every day through social media, email and other channels. With more than 25 years invested in consumer electronics on the retail and corporate side, Gary is an industry icon who always has his finger on the pulse of SVS and the audio industry in general.

Gary’s retail experience got him into lots of people's homes, where he learned up close how they use and enjoy technology. His manufacturing experience taught him the best practices for designing and building world-class products, but he has always been an enthusiast with a love for audio and home theater above all else, which has helped him the most at SVS.

Gary currently lives in Maryland with his wife and has two sons, one of which is headed off to college. He also has two dogs and most enjoys the thrill of live music during his free time, a sonic sensation which he tries to capture with every SVS audio product.

Gary has served on the Executive Board of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), the organization that holds International CES is Las Vegas. As a past Chair, his appointment marked the first time in the Association's history that a CE retail executive had taken a senior leadership position with its Board. He is Past Chair of CTA’s Division Executive Board, the governing body of all of that Association’s Divisions, and is currently serving on CTA’s Audio Division Board. Gary has served on numerous committees and industry panels for the Association and others in the Consumer Electronics industry and has also served on the advisory boards of several audio/video manufacturers.

Gary has been featured as a commentator on local Washington, DC television news programs, and has been frequently quoted in The Washington Post and Washingtonian magazine on consumer electronics topics, as well as in numerous industry trade magazines. He also has a regular column in Dealerscope Magazine.

Listening at Home:

7.1.4 Home theater with Ultra Towers (front), Ultra Center, Ultra Surrounds (back), 4 Prime Elevation (height), Prime Elevation (side), and Ultra Subwoofer

Two channel system with Ultra Bookshelf

5.1 Home theater with Prime Tower, Prime Center, Prime Bookshelf, SB-2000

Prime Satellite 2.1 system

On Sound Quality:

"Music has been my passion literally since before I could talk, or at least so that has been reported to me by my parents!! Because of that, the love of great sound has been a part of my life as far back as I can remember, so it is obvious to anyone who knows me why I was drawn to the audio industry. I’ve managed audio companies from both the retail and manufacturing side, so you could make the case that my whole life prepared me for my role at SVS, since we get to make awesome audio products that connect people to the music and movies they (and I) love, plus I get to talk directly to the folks who enjoy our products. How cool is that?"

Dan Marks

Vice President, Operations

Dan Marks

Dan started at SVS in 2002 building subwoofers in the garage that the company then occupied. No one on the planet knows more about what it takes to build and bring to market a high performance subwoofer. Dan manages operations in our Youngstown, Ohio headquarters and supervises quality control that occurs almost to the molecular level. He also makes sure SVS keeps all of its promises to you by managing all aspects of logistics, web site management, international sales, senior level management and more. During his time at SVS, Dan shown a remarkable ability to adapt and overcome any challenges presented to him. He is the perpetual MVP.

Dan lives in Ohio with his loyal German Shepard, Cabo. When he’s not getting huge at the gym, he can be found sipping a craft beer and watching the Buckeyes or cooking up a meal for a crowd to enjoy. A good word to describe his sense of humor would be “edgy”. He also likes baking.

Listening at Home:

SVS Prime Towers, Prime Center and Prime Satellites with SB-2000 Subwoofer

On Sound Quality:

“I’m huge on premium TV, movies and music and the feeling of expectation that comes before you put something new on. When you have an awesome audio system, it just elevates the experience so much more than just having a big screen. I love seeing the WOW factor on friend’s faces, especially when I play something they’ve heard for years and some new instrumental or effect sticks out because they’ve never actually listened to great speakers. We also entertain a lot so it’s cool to have a system that gets people’s attention.”

Ed Mullen

Director of Technology & Customer Relations

Ed Mullen

An SVS veteran who has helped more SVS customers than all others combined, Ed has a wide-ranging set of roles and responsibilities at SVS.

As the Director of Customer Service, Ed manages the SVS team of Sound Experts – which is responsible for all USA direct sales and worldwide support of all SVS products.

A true SVS brand ambassador, Ed is the long-standing and respected 'face of SVS' in the A/V forums and blogs, providing product support and technical contributions in the areas of in-room measurements, room acoustics/sound treatments and A/V set-up and digital bass management.

As the Director of Technology, Ed has authored many technical articles and white papers for publication on the SVS website, social media outlets and external e-zines. Ed also assists in the development of website copy and other product literature to ensure technical accuracy.

A licensed professional engineer, Ed is a key technical resource for the SVS Product Development team and plays an important role in the design and development of all SVS subwoofers – helping to ensure SVS’s position in the marketplace as an innovative, forward-facing and high-tech audio company.

Ed enjoys a number of manly pursuits including archery, drag racing, knife collecting, bow hunting, precision long-range shooting and muscle cars. He is also a state certified hunter safety instructor and an accomplished woodsman. His musical tastes include classic rock and modern country – and his favorite video genres are sci-fi/fantasy and action.

Listening at Home

In my Living/Family Room, I have an SVS Prime 5.1 system with Prime Towers, Prime center, Prime Satellites and a PB16-Ultra handling the low end.

The guest room has an SVS Prime 3.1 system with Prime Bookshelf, Prime Center and an SB-2000.

The dedicated home theater is a 7.2.4 set-up with a Sony 4K projector, Stewart screen, Marantz processor, Emotiva amps, a mix of new and legacy SVS speakers and subwoofers and complete room treatments (bass traps, panels and diffusers).

On Sound Quality:

“A great sounding audio system lets me become fully immersed in the music or movie. When I am transported by the artist or director and forget I’m listening to an audio system – that experience is true audio nirvana.”

Smith Freeman

Senior Director of Product Management

Smith Freeman

Smith is responsible for the engineering and design of all SVS products. A long time audio enthusiast with advanced degrees in Physics and Acoustics, Smith is one of the younger audio design veteran’s who is making a big impression in the speaker and subwoofer world. Smith's passion for high performance audio combined with his extensive acoustic and mechanical engineering experience are applied on a daily basis to ensure every SVS product meets the highest standards of design excellence.

Beyond audio, Smith has been an avid rock climber for nearly two decades. Climbing, like engineering, is a technical and involved activity full of calculated decisions to find the most efficient way to the top. Like those who take an interest in sound quality, climbers have a deep passion and love for the activity which completely engages and transports them to new locations with amazing experiences.

Listening at Home:

There are a few systems throughout my home, many of which are always shifting with different loudspeakers and subwoofers being swapped in and out. Most of the time though, I am streaming my networked music through my office 2.1 which is currently SVS Ultra Bookshelf speakers paired with an SB13-Ultra Subwoofer.

On Sound Quality:

“There is a magical moment that anyone can have when listening to their favorite songs or movies. It’s the moment when you hear something you never noticed or experience sound in a whole new way. That is the heart and soul of high performance audio and high fidelity. To recapture all of the love for music and entertainment and engage the listener. There’s no greater takeaway for me than knowing that great sounding loudspeakers and subwoofers are making their way into more homes and spicing up music and movie nights. I know for a fact that everyone out there can appreciate high quality audio, even if they don’t think so. Part of what has drawn me to SVS and what brings me so much satisfaction is knowing that I am introducing more people to better entertainment experiences through exceptional sound quality.”

Jack Mules

Director of Product Management

Jack Mules

With extensive experience in all aspects of audio-product development, Jack works closely with Smith Freeman on the design and engineering of all SVS speakers and subwoofers. His advanced degrees in engineering management, mechanical engineering, and acoustics have served him well in senior-level positions at several prominent audio companies in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and China, which thoroughly prepared him to join the SVS product-design team.

Like many SVS team members, Jack is an avid musician, playing drums in a Hong Kong-based band. He also taught himself to play upright bass, and he spends a lot of time in his basement studio creating electronic beats and other jams with Ableton Live, a popular digital-audio workstation program.

Nicholas Brown

Vice President, Marketing

Nicholas Brown

Nick is the resident wordsmith and creative spark behind nearly all of the social media posts, website copy, advertisements, blog entries and other pieces of SVS content. He is also the chief liaison who works with media to set up reviews, launch new products, contribute to articles, manage contests and help with whatever they need. He’s also the driving force behind the SVS featured home theaters, so if you have a great system, you might just get a note from him.

In his spare time, Nick spends his time shuttling his 11 year-old son to karate and trumpet practice, cooking gourmet meals with his wife or walking the family puggle. Nick’s passion for audio began with his grandfather who used to sip scotch and spin vinyl while they watched baseball games together. This experience gave Nick an early interest in sound quality and understanding the technology behind audio reproduction, which he combined with his love of writing to land a dream career.

Listening at Home:

Currently we have two listening areas set-up, a pair of SVS Ultra Bookshelves upstairs for the main system and a Prime Satellite 2.1 with an SB-1000 in the downstairs gaming lair.

On Sound Quality:

My family is big on action movies and dance music, so we’re all about exciting dynamics and pulse racing sound that forces a reaction. We love putting on sweatpants and getting completely dialed into a movie and are also known to have impromptu Saturday morning dance parties leading up to our weekly Cleanfest round the house. The music has to be played loud in order to have the desired motivational effect, which is never a problem.

Ken Kadis

Director of U.S. Sales

Ken Kadis

Ken Kadis is the key point person between SVS and its growing number of U.S. retailers. He makes sure our partners selling through brick-and-mortar storefronts have all the product, technical and marketing support they need and he also does frequent trainings to share the SVS vision. Kadis has been in the AV industry for nearly three decades and has opened many doors for SVS during his time onboard.

Ken is also self-taught drummer, whose “teachers” have been the many drummers whose recordings he listened to through many great audio systems, and continue to enjoy today. When he’s not on the road making the SVS community stronger, Ken, loves spending time with his family, working on his chef skills and of course banging on his drums.

Listening at Home:

I’ve got SVS Prime Towers, Prime Center, Prime Satellites, SB2000; Denon AVR-X4100, and I’ve never been happier.

On Sound Quality:

The subtle and detailed sounds of a drum kit are the most demanding to render and high performance audio gear is critical to conveying the nuances and keeping it all from blending together. Great sound has always enabled and strengthened the connection for me to both the music and the artist.

Thomas Handrup

Senior Director, International Sales & Business Development

Thomas Handrup

A seasoned audio industry veteran who has represented top global brands such as Klipsch and KEF, Handrup leads international sales for SVS, which represents the fastest growing segment of the SVS business. His tenacious work ethic, detail-oriented approach and extensive connections make Handrup one of the top professionals in his field, which has helped fuel the rise of SVS into a major worldwide audio player with distribution to nearly 50 countries and growing.

Day-to-day, Thomas manages the negotiation and implementation of all product line reviews (assortment, pricing, terms, etc.) with channel partners to best position SVS for success in markets that vary wildly from country to country. He leads regularly scheduled business planning sessions with customers to ensure consistent alignment and support of goals around merchandising, promotion planning, and supply chain management to ensure SVS products are always available.

Handrup also works closely with the SVS marketing team to develop strategic customer business plans and promotional strategies that increase sales volumes and market share.

At home, Handrup has a massive and diverse vinyl collection that ranges from Japanese pop to Duran Duran and a wide range of classical music, which he frequently enjoys with his wife over a glass of wine. He also attends multiple live concerts per year and loves to travel. Thomas also has two sons.

Listening at Home:

Currently, I have a pair of Ultra Bookshelf speakers in my main listening room paired with a turntable and high-quality pre/pro and amplifier separates. It’s the best my room has ever sounded.

On Sound Quality:

“Music has always been an escape for me and something that can help set a mood depending on what you’re listening to. Sound quality is such a critical part of that because it allows you to get the full emotional and acoustic impact and appreciate the artistry of sound.”

Monique Tomko

Senior Director of Operations

Monique Tomko

As the office manager, Monique often serves as the cement holding a lot of other pieces in place and making sure nothing ever slips. Her work handling day to day operations at the SVS Ohio headquarters includes managing dealer relationships with U.S. and international partners, handling special shipping requests, updating the outlet page, inventory management and working with the warehouse to make sure everyone gets their products on time.

Outside of work, Monique spends a lot of her time seeking new adventures with her five year-old daughter Ava and watching movies together on lazy nights. Some of their favorites are Frozen, the Wizard of Oz and The Incredible Hulk. Monique is also a winning marathoner and the undisputed distance running champion at SVS.

Listening at Home:

We currently have a Prime Satellite 2.1 System, which is the perfect system for my room. It’s super compact but everyone is like, “THOSE tiny speakers are making THAT big of a sound!?” so I think it works.

On Sound Quality:

Music has always been an escape for me. When I have a bad day, I turn the music on and get lost in it. Sound quality has a major impact on the experience and enjoyment of music because you feel so much closer to a song when you can hear all the instruments, vocals and beats clearly. I also love my subwoofer now because it just adds a whole other level of sound to movies.

Eli Trinkle

Marketing Manager

Eli Trinkle

Beginning in the dark depths of the SVS basement, Eli started out with the company as part of the small crew that hand assemble our infamous subwoofer drivers. With a rational approach to problem solving and a keen eye for detail, Eli branched to other assembly projects and key roles in assisting the work of our Engineering and R&D departments.

These days, Eli helps to maintain the harmony of the daily operations of SVS. From keeping up with order fulfillment and the personnel that fill those orders, to maintaining a lot of our digital presence, he has the honor of wearing many hats for SVS.

Larry McGough

National Training Manager

Larry McGough

Larry is a consumer electronics industry veteran of more than 20+, coming from a retail sales and training background. He’s responsible for educating our retail partners across the country and sharing his passion for the brand with everyone he encounters. You’ll find him in one of our partner stores from coast to coast any day of the week working with their sales staff to ensure that they are ready for consumers to come in and get the full SVS Experience.

Larry is an avid Cinephile and loves spending his evenings on the road at movie theaters across the country, and in his Home Theaters as well. For those rare times he’s not on the road, he loves to just be home with his wife, three boys, and five dogs. When they’re not out and about, you’ll find the family playing video games on new consoles, retro consoles or on their custom arcade that they built together. Their known in the neighborhood as “that Christmas light house,” and display 50,000+ LED lights on their house, synchronized to music and broadcast over FM for people to enjoy in their cars. He’s also become quite the barbeque connoisseur, and can be found in front of his smoker every weekend.

On being the Movie guy:

I truly love the cinematic experience and everything that comes along with it. From the behind the scenes, to the photography, to the sound editing, and finally how its presented in the theater – it’s still something I enjoy to experience, in a theater and at home. You’ll find that in the way I setup my demos in stores and at events as well, as I do everything I can to put you in the scene that we’re about to experience.

Home Setup:

Prime Towers, Center, Satellites, Elevation, SB-2000, and SB16-Ultra for the big movies.

Jason Penezich

Production Designer

Jason Penezich

As the lead graphic designer, Jason is responsible for the visualization of the SVS brand through any number of assets including the website, print ads, landing pages, display ads and more. He also has extensive coding knowledge and assists the marketing team with SVS site maintenance, navigation and other parts of the digital experience.

Jason’s spare time is spent building a house nearly on his own from what was essentially a stud shell, something he’s always wanted to do. He is also the owner of Rufio, a 140lb all white German shepherd who is often mistaken for a wolf right out of the wild. But the ladies love him. Jason is also into some of the finer things in life, including: tattoos, music, movies, motorcycles, whiskey, craft beer, and cooking.

Listening at Home:

Currently, I’m sporting a pair of SVS Ultra Towers and an SB13-Ultra Ultra in the main living room, and then I also have a set of prime satellites and a SB-1000 on my main PC.

On Sound Quality:

Music, movies, and premium TV have never been better. People are missing out on a lot of the experience if they’re only listening through tiny dime-sized speakers. Everything clicked into place when I listened to my first demo of SVS shortly after college and then it was further validated when I saw all my friend’s jaws drop after hearing how detailed the system can be or when we turn up the bass for a party.