SVS Prime Wireless Pro: Combines active speakers with multiple streaming options

SVS Prime Wireless Pro combines the benefits of active speakers with multiple streaming options at an affordable price. This is the decoration of the American brand’s catalog – and at the same time your listening room. Acoustics SVS Prime Wireless Pro are compact two-way active speakers. As the need for physical media gradually disappears, the industry is increasingly offering users speakers that already have everything they need to listen to music built into them. And the attractiveness of such solutions for users is constantly growing.

However, the requirements for such acoustics are increasing. If at first Bluetooth was enough for most of us, now it is desirable to have both digital and analogue inputs. And here we have speakers that only need an Internet connection to listen to music. The SVS Prime Wireless Pro has a good feature set and comes with technologies previously only found in some of the more expensive SVS models. Thus, at first glance, these speakers are superior in capabilities to comparable cost component systems, which are also more bulky. Now let’s see what the SVS Prime Wireless Pro can do.

The Prime Wireless Pro speakers are part of the SVS series of models, which sits below the flagship Ultra line. At the same time, the speakers look more like a separate model than an adaptation to the existing acoustics of the series. This is good, since the simplest way to turn passive acoustics into active ones, which is to build all the necessary electronics into its body, is actually not very good. With such modernization, the useful internal volume of the acoustics changes, which leads to a change in its characteristics. It’s another matter when active acoustics are developed from scratch – in this case, all its parameters can be accurately calculated.

The SVS Prime Wireless Pro features a 1-inch aluminum dome tweeter and a 4.5-inch polypropylene cone woofer. Noteworthy is how the frequency bands are separated in this column. Instead of a traditional passive crossover, the SVS Prime Wireless Pro is equipped with a digital one. Its circuitry is similar to that used in SVS subwoofers. According to the company, this gives better results than others used in the industry.

The crossover in the SVS Prime Wireless Pro speakers feeds four 50-watt Class D amplifiers, each connected to its own speaker. All amplifiers are collected in one speaker, and not distributed between a pair, as one might expect from a model of a similar configuration. This solution looks quite practical, since all the inputs are installed on one speaker, and only this, the “main” speaker, requires connection to an electrical outlet. The second speaker is connected to the main one only using a cable. The acoustic systems are equipped with bass reflexes.

The range of inputs on the SVS Prime Wireless Pro is impressive. There are two analog inputs, one on RCA connectors and the other on a 3.5 mm mini-jack. There is also HDMI ARC, optical input and Bluetooth, with the latter being version 5.0 and having aptX support. The acoustics are equipped with AirPlay 2 technology. The speakers are also equipped with a subwoofer output for those who would like to use it in their system.

The main advantage of SVS Prime Wireless Pro is its full support for network audio playback. The speakers accept a stream with parameters of 24 bit / 192 kHz, and connection is possible both via Ethernet and Wi-Fi. It is possible to play Internet radio, as well as content from various on-line services, including Spotify, Tidal, Deezer and Amazon Prime Music. The last function is very interesting, and also rarely found in such models. It also provides support for Amazon Alexa.

But there is one “but” here. All network functionality in SVS Prime Wireless Pro is based on DTS Play-Fi technology, and there are some nuances here. The technical advantages of such a solution are obvious: SVS models with Play-Fi support will be combined with equipment from other companies also equipped with this technology. Thus, a multiroom system can be built on the basis of a variety of components of your choice. However, the downside to this solution is that DTS Play-Fi will not have the same flexibility and stability as some similar proprietary systems. Since Play-Fi technology must work with a wide variety of AV equipment, it is difficult to achieve optimal implementation for any specific model.

The design of the SVS Prime Wireless Pro is fully consistent with the appearance of other speakers in the series, and that’s not a bad thing. Unlike the Ultra series acoustics, which look quite extravagant, the Prime models look more familiar. This means that SVS Prime Wireless Pro will suit almost any interior – from a classic living room with antique furniture to a trendy loft. Unlike the passive acoustics in the series, Prime Wireless does not have a black ash finish option – only black lacquer. And since the polish looks so much better, I don’t think this is a serious limitation. Like all the SVS speakers I’ve tested, the Prime Wireless Pro has a high quality build and finish that’s well worth the price.

Characteristics of SVS Prime Wireless Pro 

Type: wireless, active
Configuration: two-way, bass reflex
HF driver: 25 mm, aluminum dome
LF driver: 115 mm, polypropylene cone Frequency
range: 52 Hz – 25 kHz (+/- 3 dB)
Amplifier power: 4 x 50 W
Support for streaming services: Spotify, Tidal, Deezer, etc.
Connections: Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth (aptX), AirPlay 2
Inputs: HDMI ARC, 2 analog (RCA, mini-jack 3.5 mm, optical)
Outputs: subwoofer
Dimensions (W x H x D): 155 x 260 x 183 mm
Weight: 8.3 kg