Ultra Bookshelf

4.9
Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars
252 Reviews

Ultra Bookshelf

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Ultra Bookshelf is no longer in stock. The Ultra Evolution Series is the new flagship SVS speaker line and represents a bold step forward in design and performance. Learn more about them here.

You can also browse the SVS Outlet store for the best prices you’ll find on original SVS Ultra Series speakers and all other products.

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The Ultra Bookshelf speakers represent an uncompromising approach to loudspeaker design. From the drivers and crossover to the build materials and cabinet design, every element is painstakingly engineered and tested to achieve reference sound quality.

Ultra Driver & Tweeter Design

Ultra Driver & Tweeter Design

A commanding presence in any home audio system, the 6.5-inch mid-bass drivers feature composite glass-fiber cones that yield excellent stiffness to mass ratio for enhanced sensitivity and voicing that’s transparent and completely faithful to the source material. These capable drivers render an accurate tonal balance with effortless authority and dynamics. Whether conveying the varied nuances of musical instruments and dialogue or the sonic impact of sound effects and movie scores, the Ultra drivers deliver pinpoint accuracy with precise imaging and a massive soundstage.

Elevating high frequency performance, the Ultra Bookshelf speaker’s aluminum dome tweeter is pristinely neutral and revealing. Light, efficient, rigid and impervious to distortion, even at high sound pressure levels, the tweeter’s airy’ presentation of vocals and unveiled highs compare with the best tower and bookshelf speakers in the world. The FEA-optimized diffuser ensures broad dispersion for an incredibly wide and convincing soundstage and perfect on- and off-axis frequency response so everyone in your room experiences the same stunning clarity.

Innovative SoundMatch Crossover Design

Ultra Tower Crossover

SVS Ultra Tower Crossover

No expense was spared with the innovative SVS SoundMatch two-way crossover. The unique topology creates a broad, yet focused and precise soundstage, with accurate frequency response and imaging at all listening positions. The precise tuning of the SoundMatch Crossover also ensures balanced output from sparkling highs to the crystal clear and commanding midrange, down to visceral and authoritative bass.

Performance Driven Cabinet Design and Geometry

Performance Driven Cabinet Design and Geometry

Every feature on the Ultra Bookshelf speaker cabinet is designed with a sonic purpose in mind. Tapered edges on the cabinet’s front baffle, known as chamfers, minimize edge diffraction for clear and precise soundstaging. Internally, each cabinet employs separate sub-enclosures of the mid-bass driver and tweeter to optimize performance and minimize interaction between drive units.

Meticulous, Innovative Design Process

All SVS speakers, regardless of price or form factor, are crafted in the same painstaking fashion. Call it a marriage of exacting science and a passionate expression of technique and love of great sound.

Before a model is ever constructed, drivers and cabinets are theoretically designed by our acoustic engineers using sophisticated computer-aided design (CAD) processes . Then prototypes are carefully measured and optimized in an anechoic environment to achieve pitch-perfect frequency response. After the ideal theoretical frequency response is attained, exhaustive listening and measurement is done in listening rooms calibrated to closely resemble typical home-like room environments.

The result is a speaker that measures well with near-perfect real world frequency response, but also optimized to sound amazing on a human level through listening tests with real music and cinematic content, in a real world listening environment like your home.

Frequency Response / Acoustic Data:

  • Rated bandwidth: 45 Hz-32 kHz (+/-3 dB).
  • Nominal impedance: 8 ohms.
  • Sensitivity: 87 dB (2.83V @ 1 meter full-space, 300-3kHz)
  • Recommended amplifier power: 20-150 watts.

Speaker Specs:

  • Bookshelf Loudspeaker
  • Real black oak veneer and piano gloss black finish options
  • Dual gold-plated 5-way binding posts
  • 1.7” wide-flared rear-firing port
  • Cloth grille with pin/cup retention system
  • Elastomer stick-on bumper feet (adds 3mm to height)
  • Cabinet Dimensions: 15” (H) x 8.5” (W) x 10.6” (D) (without grille)
  • Overall Dimensions: 15” (H) x 8.5” W x 10.9” (D) (with grille)
  • Shipped Dimensions: 24" (H) x 20" (W) x 14" (D)
  • Weight: 19 pounds
  • Shipped Weight: 42 pounds

Driver Specs:

1” Aluminum Dome Tweeter:

  • FEA-optimized diffuser for airy and unveiled presentation
  • Aluminum dome delivers exceptional transient response and exceptional stiffness/mass ratio

6.5” Woofers:

  • Composite glass-fiber cone with excellent stiffness/mass ratio for high sensitivity and pistonic behavior beyond pass band.
  • Aluminum shorting rings to reduce gap inductance and lower distortion
  • Long stroke motor and suspension for high output
  • Vented voice coil formers to minimize air compression artifacts at high drive levels

Crossover & Cabinet Specs:

Crossover:

  • 2-way crossover with premium-grade capacitors, air-core inductors and heavy-trace printed circuit boards
  • Crossover frequency and slopes optimized for excellent off-axis polar response, outstanding phase coherency, and total radiated sound power
  • Tweeter-to-woofer crossover: 2 kHz

Cabinet:

  • Acoustically transparent and FEA optimized grilles, wedge-shaped front baffle and flush-mounted drivers all contribute to reduced edge diffraction and improved on-axis high frequency response
  • FEA-optimized bracing reduces cabinet resonances
4.9
Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars
Based on 252 reviews
Total 5 star reviews: 239 Total 4 star reviews: 10 Total 3 star reviews: 3 Total 2 star reviews: 0 Total 1 star reviews: 0
99%would recommend these products
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Reviews Summary
Customers say these bookshelf speakers deliver exceptional sound quality with remarkable clarity and detail. Many reviews mention the impressive soundstage and precise imaging. The speakers reveal new layers in familiar music, with users noting crisp highs and clear midrange performance. Common feedback includes praise for the build quality and piano gloss finish. While most find them versatile for both music and movies, some note they perform best when paired with a subwoofer. Reviews frequently highlight the speakers' ability to fill rooms with rich, balanced sound despite their compact size.
Customers Talked About
252 reviews
  • MH
    Matt H.
    Verified Buyer
    2 days ago
    Reviewing
    Ultra Bookshelf - White Gloss - Outlet
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Tremendous value

    The Memorial Day Sale got my upgrade-itis buzzing as I could upgrade some basic ELAC bookshelves in my home office with these and boy did that make a difference. Connected to a hybrid-tube amp these things fill the room way easier than they have any right to do.

  • BM
    Brandon M.
    Verified Buyer
    1 week ago
    Reviewing
    Ultra Bookshelf - White Gloss - Outlet
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Ultra Bookshelf

    These are fantastic!!! I use them for surrounds. They really fill the room with sound!!!

  • GR
    Gary R.
    Verified Buyer
    1 month ago
    Reviewing
    Ultra Bookshelf - Piano - Outlet
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    SVS Ultra Bookshelf Speakers (Rear Surrounds – 2

    These are way more than “just surrounds.” They bring real presence and detail to the rear soundstage, making everything feel complete.

    Effects behind you are sharp, directional, and immersive. Whether it’s subtle ambient noise or aggressive surround effects, they handle it all with clarity and control.

    They also match perfectly with the rest of the system, so nothing sounds disconnected or out of place.

    For anyone building a serious surround system, these are exactly what you want in the rear.

  • DG
    Duncan G.
    Verified Buyer
    1 month ago
    Reviewing
    Ultra Bookshelf - Piano - Outlet
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Replacement speaker

    This is a review of the Ultra bookshelf speaker that is replacing the one that failed after 6+ years.

    Crossover went bad.

    SVS gave me a discount on this replacement which I am grateful for and SVS’s service personnel were very helpful.

    Thanks again Gary and all at SVS.

    Great team .

    Regards,

    Duncan Gray

  • SV
    Steven V.
    Verified Buyer
    2 months ago
    Reviewing
    Ultra Bookshelf - Piano - Outlet
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Finally found a bookshelf speaker I love

    I have tried three different brands of bookshelf speakers, and finally, this Ultra checked all of my boxes. I wanted a speaker that had better highs than my three previous purchases (from another company) and the Ultra is so clear at the higher frequencies. I use an SVS sub in my system so I didn't care about the lows, but the mids and highs on this speaker are perfect for my room. I was so impressed I just ordered the Ultra center.

    Finally, the customer service by this company is impressive.