SVS Prime Center Channel Speaker – Black Ash

Prime Center Channel: Unrivaled among center channel speakers in its class, delivering crisp dynamics, crystal clear vocals, and a broad, precise soundstage. 3-way design is optimized for the widest sweet spot possible.

Finding a genuine 3-way center channel speaker that even comes close to the quality of the Prime Center is a rare if not impossible feat. Drawing upon design elements and technology from the SVS Ultra Center, this speaker boasts premium drivers, crossover components, and sophisticated engineering that place it in a league of its own when compared to other center speakers within its class.

Many audio brands consider center channel speakers to be an afterthought in a home theater, despite the fact that they handle so much of the content. The SVS Prime Center, on the other hand, makes no compromises and serves as a precision anchor for the front soundstage of a 5.1 home theater surround sound system or any other setup, delivering power that complements even the most high-end multi-channel systems.

Every aspect of the Prime Center speaker was designed with sonic excellence in mind, making it well-equipped to play the most important role in a surround sound home theater. From the premium grade drivers and sophisticated SoundMatch three-way crossover, to the extra-thick baffle, internal bracing, and FEA optimized tweeter diffuser, the design and engineering features of the Prime Center channel speaker drive its performance into uncharted territory for a center channel speaker at its price.

Overview:

Boasting remarkable specifications and design features, the SVS Prime Center Channel Speaker in Black Ash is an exceptional audio device. Equipped with a 1” aluminum dome tweeter, a 3.5” midrange driver, and dual 5.25” woofers, this speaker delivers crystal-clear and detailed sound across the entire frequency range. The speaker comes in two finish options, Black Ash and Piano Gloss Black, allowing for seamless integration into any home decor. The 5-way binding posts facilitate a secure connection and easy installation, while the dual 1” wide-flared rear-firing ports and cloth grille with pin/cup retention system ensure optimal performance. With elastomer stick-on bumper feet that add 3mm to the cabinet height, the speaker measures 7.6” (H) X 18.6” (W) X 8.3” (D) when including the grille, binding posts, and bumper feet. Weighing 20.2 pounds, this speaker is durable and reliable for long-lasting use. Overall, the SVS Prime Center Channel Speaker in Black Ash is a versatile and high-quality device that delivers exceptional sound performance.

Prime Driver & Tweeter Design

With center channel speakers handling a significant portion of the audio content, including dialogue and vocals, and much of that sound occupying the mid-range, SVS has engineered an incredibly light and rigid polypropylene cone for the mid-range driver of the Prime Center speaker. This design ensures a flat frequency response and generates the SPL necessary for stunning in-room dynamics and an expansive front soundstage. The mid-range driver is also housed in its own sub-enclosure within the cabinet, ensuring no modulation from the robust woofers.

The 1-inch aluminum dome tweeter is light, efficient, and rigid, producing crystal-clear sound at high volumes for a sense of utter transparency. It offers an “airy” presentation and incredibly unveiled highs, ensuring female vocals and dialogue always sound crisp, smooth, and clear. The potent 5.25-inch woofers are built on an all-new cast ABS-fiberglass composite basket for precise component alignment and an inert frame without resonances or added harmonics. The light and rigid cone material render a flat frequency response and deliver deep and authoritative low frequency playback. The cabinet is rear-ported and optimally tuned for dual woofers, ensuring optimized bass extension.

Innovative SoundMatch Crossover Design

The proprietary SVS SoundMatch crossover provides the perfectly balanced voicing for the Prime Center speaker, utilizing premium-grade capacitors, air-core inductors, and heavy-trace printed circuit boards. This combination of high-quality components results in lower distortion, tighter tolerances, and better sound overall for the critical, dialogue and action-focused front soundstage. The 3-way crossover is uniquely tuned, ensuring that each driver blends perfectly with one another while delivering excellent on and off-axis response and pinpoint spatial imaging for the most convincing audio experience possible.

Performance Driven Cabinet Design and Geometry

The chamfers on the Prime Center speaker’s front baffle, which are tapered edges, minimize edge diffraction to produce clear and precise soundstaging. The cabinet has a substantial presence, yet it does not visually dominate a room and instead offers a modern industrial feel with added acoustic enhancements like shorting rings and a tweeter diffuser. All of these advancements are expertly integrated into an attractively styled cabinet, which is available in either a stunning piano gloss black or a premium black ash finish.