I enjoyed my time spent the SB12-NSD. It has many positive attributes such as the compact form factor, excellent build quality and well rounded performance. The SB12-NSD exhibited excellent pitch definition and neutrality while having enough headroom in the typical kick drum range to provide some fun factor as well. The performance turned in with music in particular I felt was great and along with the measurements taken outdoors indicate that it would make a very effective subwoofer for a nearfield monitor system in a project studio or for smaller spaces. Being a small, lightweight sealed subwoofer you cannot expect the SB12-NSD to bowl you over with pants flapping deep bass output, which it does not. Multiple SB12-NSD’s or perhaps one of SVS’s larger and more expensive vented offerings will be required for that type of powerful deep bass extension. However the SB12-NSD does have a surprising amount of headroom for its size which accompanied by the exceptional limiting employed by SVS allows the SB12-NSD to operate up to the limits of its capabilities even in large rooms without having to worry about damaging it or having your experience degraded by bad overload noises. This was shown during movie nights where the SB12-NSD was clearly a little short on firepower for loud playback in my large 4,000+ cu ft room, yet still managed to provide an engaging and enjoyable experience. Note that if the SB12-NSD (or any other subwoofer) were employed in a smaller system/room than mine, which is rather large and difficult to fill, it would likely take on a much more muscular, powerful character.

At $649 shipped this is SVS’s least expensive and smallest subwoofer, but it still performs in a big way. If you need extra headroom and deep bass output you may want to scratch up an extra $120 and move up to the larger vented PB12-NSD, but many people will have a smaller room or want a smaller form which is easier to fit into their living space and this is where the SB12-NSD excels. The extra cost savings is nice as well. Whenever possible I recommend that at least two subwoofers placed in separate locations be at least considered as in many cases it can help to smooth the overall in room response and increase maximum headroom capability. SVS just so happens to offer a nice discount on a pair of SB12-NSD’s and in my opinion this is where the SB12-NSD would really start to shine. Due to the compact size it should open up more placement options for multiple units than if larger subwoofers were used and in many cases multiple smaller subwoofers can turn in a better overall performance than a single more powerful and expensive unit. Multiple SB12-NSD’s spread out would provide an excellent cost effective bass foundation for a moderate sized room while occupying a minimal amount of space. Highly recommended.

The SVS SB12-NSD receives the Audioholics Bassaholic Medium Room rating, which means that this sub is recommended as maintaining adequate headroom in rooms or spaces of between 1,500 to 3,000 cubic feet and/or for users who usually listen at moderate volume levels. For further information in how we make these recommendations see the full article here.

See: Audioholics Subwoofer Room Size Rating Protocol

SVS SB12-NSD Review

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MSRP: $649 (Shipping Included)