Review: SVS Ultra Evolution Bookshelf Speakers

In the confusing cacophony of speaker brands, types, and models, it’s good for audio folks like me to have a back-pocket recommendation that consistently exceeds expectations. SVS, best known for its phenomenal subwoofers, has long been my outside-the-box value pick. The company’s Prime Series offers fantastic entry- and mid-level speakers, while the flagship Ultra Series brings step-up performance at a still reasonable price point.

For 2024, SVS’s top speaker series got a rare ground-up redesign, featuring eye-catching new angled cabinets and fresh drivers, called Ultra Evolution. SVS completes the design with its familiar piano gloss finish (woodgrain is also on offer), giving the Evolution Bookshelf speakers I evaluated a chic yet futuristic vibe.

These speakers are a fairly substantial investment, and there’s a glut of options at or around their price class fighting for your dollars. As usual, though, SVS comes through with a winner. The new Ultra’s striking style and thoughtful design give way to exhilarating performance, with a swift mix of clarity, dynamics, and vivid stereo imaging.

Who Bent My Speakers?

Pulling the Ultra Evolution from their packaging reveals stout mirrored cabinets standing over 15 inches tall, 8 inches across, and 11 inches back. The folded front looks like Hulk had a rage attack and Bruce Banner contritely sent them in for refinishing. Rounded corners at the front and back complete the design for a look that’s minimalist without being boring.

Angled speakers are nothing new; Focal’s Kanta speakers have it, while its zillion-dollar Grand Utopia towers look like they’ve been sliced with a katana and rehung as mobiles. It’s still surprising to see this design at such accessible pricing.

Though it may double as a stylistic flourish, the Ultra’s new angle is all about science. SVS engineers used “time aligned cabinet geometry” in an effort to line up the center of the speaker’s 6.5-inch composite glass fiber woofer with the 1-inch aluminum dome tweeter for maximum “phase coherence.” In other words, the aim is to better align their frequencies so they hit your ears at the same time, improving accuracy and stereo imaging. Seeing as the Evolution’s imaging is among my favorite of their sonic skills, it seems to have worked out.

Aluminum dome tweeters are favored for their longevity and swift clarity, but depending on voicing, they sometimes hit my ears with too much harshness in the higher frequencies. SVS says it smoothed things out by adding a diamond coating to the tweeter. Using a technique called vapor deposition, “a layer of diamond carbon is applied” to increase rigidity and smooth out the sonic transition between the tweeter and woofer.

The treble sometimes leans toward the bright side, especially notable after longer listening sessions, but the mix of clear and tempered high frequencies keeps all but the sharpest recordings well in check. SVS also adds a random-latticed tweeter cover, designed to both protect the driver and better disperse sound frequencies to increase the sweet spot. You could cover it all up with the included magnetic grilles, but the Evolution look a lot more dynamic without them.

Dual binding posts at the back of each speaker give the option to bi-wire or bi-amp them (if you’ve got four channels of power), as well as simply wiring the bottom posts in stereo. I chose the latter, as I’ve never noticed a major increase in performance with bi-amping, and, besides, I only have two-channel amplifiers on hand.

SVS lists the Evolution’s frequency response at a solid 40 Hz to 40 kHz. They’ve got a 6-ohm nominal impedance rating, meaning you’ll need an amplifier capable of driving a 6 or 4 ohm load and a recommended 20 to 105 watts per channel. I tested the speakers using both a Naim Uniti Atom stereo amplifier and a beefier Rotel RAS-5000, which I generally preferred in this case for its slightly smoother approach.

Sweetness and Sparkle

The Evolution’s penchant for sparkling clarity in the higher frequencies makes them a natural competitor to forward-leaning speakers in the space, like Bowers & Wilkins’ spritely yet musical 606 S3 (8/10, WIRED Recommends). Where the SVS stand out is in their smoother approach, matching crisp higher frequencies with a velvety touch at the attack and a gentle glide into the midrange below.

There’s some satiny color behind the details that makes the Evolution’s sound naturally engaging. I found myself smiling along at their penchant for pulpy lip pops in dialog and a glossy glisten to guitars and synths. The mix of colors imbues everything with energetic buzz, from golden acoustic tracks to the stinging Blades of Chaos in God of War Ragnarok. Occasionally you’ll hear some minor snap to particularly pushy percussion hits or effects, but it’s rare.

The Evolution match their topside sparkle with wooly warmth in the lower midrange, and accurate bass that’s musical and engaging without being overwhelming. There’s enough power here to properly pump up action scenes in films and TV and add a solid foundation to hip-hop grooves and kick hits. Those looking for serious punch will still likely want to add a subwoofer (SVS would be happy to oblige with a pairing like its 3000 Micro), but you can get by without it in most scenarios.

While their intriguing tonal complexion is a fun riddle, I was just as drawn to the Evolution bookshelves for their fantastic stereo imaging. Their clear-cut spatial accuracy is particularly impressive when rendering complex mixes from the likes of Radiohead, the Chemical Brothers, or Depeche Mode. Caroline Polachek’s “Butterfly Net” (from my current testing obsession, Desire, I Want to Turn Into You) provides a lush playground for the speakers to explore, pinpointing instruments like the clocklike percussion across the soundstage and letting Caroline’s lyrical vocals and accompanying reverb trails hang in the air with precise placement.

The speakers finish things off with expressive dynamics and breakneck transient response, reproducing your fastest percussion lines and effects with timely attacks. It’s a lovely overall package, especially for listeners who prefer a bit more forward clarity and energy, without the common aftermath of overt sharpness or ear fatigue.

The Evolution’s only real drawback, if you can call it that, is a stacked crowd of competitors. Price-wise, the speakers sit directly between Focal’s dynamic duo in the similarly appointed Vestia No.1 ($1,200-$1,400), and the high-swinging Theva No.1 ($1,000, 9/10, WIRED Recommends), each of which offers a silkier overall sound signature without skimping on performance for the money. Not far above them are favorites like KEF’s LS50 Meta, which provide similar clarity and smoother tonal refinement.

You're spoiled for choice in the upper-crest bookshelf market, but SVS’s latest carve out their own niche. With unique style, energetic sound, and serious value, the Ultra Evolution are a top option for those after serious speakers that stand out from the crowd.