SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle Loudspeaker Review

In addition to the 7 dynamic drivers per speaker, there are two, rear-firing, bass reflex ports. 

The speakers stand a little over 50-inches tall, are a little less than a foot wide, measure bit more than 18-inches deep and weigh in at a whopping 96.7 lbs. each. 

So, this isn’t a small speaker by any standard, but – I don’t know if it was the cabinet design making the speaker look as if it’s crouched down and trying to sneak up on you – the speaker didn’t really feel overly obtrusive in my listening room. 

I’m sure the Piano Gloss Black finish of my review pair helped the speaker appear smaller than it was and the Pinnacles are also available in Piano Gloss White or Black Oak Veneer. 

Fit and finish of this speaker definitely punched up. The bi-wireable binding posts – while nothing to write home about – were sturdy and well suited to the job. The cabinet construction on the other hand was equal if not superior to many speakers twice this price. 

Solid, relatively inert – acoustically, and without blemish, I handled the Pinnacles with kid gloves solely for preserving their beautiful mirror-like finish. 

When it comes to powering the speakers, SVS recommends at least 20 watts per channel into the Pinnacles’ nominal impedance load of 6 ohms and publishes a frequency response that spans 24 Hz to 40 kHz – something my listening confirmed. 

I conducted the majority of my listening streaming via a Roon server from my reference streaming integrated amplifiers. The Hegel H190v and the Cambridge Evo 150. 

Both did a fine job at driving the speakers, the extra power on tap with the Hegel was noticeable. The Cambridge sounded as if it were approaching its limit, although it never reached it and suited the speakers well. 

Sound Quality 

As I previously mentioned, this speaker surprised me in a lot of ways and that was firstly true for its sonic performance. 

The Pinnacles present the music full and with loads of body. They walk right up to the line of becoming thick without really crossing it – although on certain occasions they did cross the line, but on recordings where this happened, it had a certain rightness; as if there could be a strong argument that this is what the artist was going for. 

The upper mids and treble struck a nice balance, remaining pretty flat to 10 kHz. This rendered timbral clarity with confidence, nicely layered on the Pinnacles’ foundational bottom-end. 

In fact, timbre was so clean and resolved here that cymbals were presented with next-level realism when compared to many other speakers in this price range. 

The Pinnacles where able to convincingly reproduce the sound of a wooden stick and its texture on a metal cymbal and its bright, chilling hardness. 

My listening notes did mention a slight lift at 3 kHz and – after measuring – it turns out it’s at about 2.5 kHz. This rise in output comes after a subtle dip at the 1.8 kHz crossover frequency; meaning there’s nearly a 5dB rise between these two point. 

This slight dip just before a gentle lift is likely the reason this peak seemed to be highlighted to me. Keep in mind this was pretty subtle, but it did present some recordings with a slight edginess. 

This never ventured into the fatiguing territory for me – something I attribute to the cozy velvet pillow that the woofers present the music on. 

Now for more on that velvety pillow. I really can’t wait any longer to talk about the bottom end on the Pinnacles. It’s seriously fun and it’s clear this speaker was developed by a brand that cut their teeth with subwoofers. 

With the amount of bass energy the Pinnacles feed into the room, they offer a remarkably immersive experience. 

I gotta share this with you. So, to set the stage, my listening room is situated above a garage and when listening to Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3 – The “Organ Symphony” – preformed by Jan Kraybill, on organ, with the Kansas City Symphony, I kept hearing something from what I thought was the garage below me. 

I left my listening room three times to see what was going on down there – all three times, nothing. 

So, I did a little research on the space where the Kansas City Symphony performs and – as it turns out – the blowers for the organ’s wind system in Helzberg Hall are located in the basement. 

Obviously, the Pinnacles have no trouble clearly articulating low-level bottom end frequencies – that was incredible, a little bit confusing, but incredible. 

With their bottom end heft, the Pinnacles can occasionally present vocals as being ever so slightly recessed, yet – when the recording calls for it – the woofers relax, and voices are projected with a central image that’s clear and detailed. 

If the bass ever seemed overcooked, it was clear that the recording was to blame – evidenced by recordings I know are well engineered. 

For instance, Barry Diament of Sound Keeper Recordings does an impeccable job of preserving musical performances using a minimal mic technique. 

Listening to Barry’s work on the Pinnacles, presented the music as if untouched. Hardly a whiff of being artificial – it was balanced and so amazingly musical. 

A recording that really shed a light on the overall balance of the Pinnacles in the bottom half of the spectrum was of Brian Bromberg performing Blue Bossa on his upright bass. 

Here, listening at my normal – approximately – 75dB level, the sub bass and low bass did sound unnaturally elevated – which was welcomed with a smile. 

But it got me thinking of live performances I’ve heard. The upright bass is not a particularly loud instrument – especially when play pizzicato. So, I lowered the amplitude a bit – to what I perceived to be a more realistic volume for the instrument. 

When I did this, the expertly judged voicing of the Pinnacles in the bottom end was displayed in all its glory. SVS has taken advantage of the human ear being less sensitive in this range and, therefore, baked in a little lift to ensure details won’t be missed. 

Bromberg’s playing settled into such a believably authentic balance. The wooden body of his instrument becoming nearly palpable. 

Now, the Ultra Evolution Pinnacles are not a particularly easy speaker to drive with a sensitivity rating of 88dB, but if you lash ‘em to enough watts, they’ll have no problem rendering micro-dynamics with snap and power. 

Touching a bit on how the Pinnacles performed at various volume levels. Again, I was surprised at their output at low levels. Tight and punchy without sounding sterile. 

These aren’t small speakers, and they’ve got some heft, but – when asked – they happily present a feathery touch. 

And on the opposite end of the spectrum, if you need them to squash a fly on the wall, no problem. Crank it up and that pesky Diptera is toast; all without losing their composure – although you may lose yours when that smile cracks on your face. 

While the imaging may not have been revelatory when it comes to soundstage – although it performs better than most in its price range, with the Pinnacles’ ability to effortlessly render low-level detail, the soundspace filled the room and beyond, giving the illusion that sounds were coming from beyond the walls – and floor – around me. 

Wrap 

While we typically try to mate equipment that falls within a similar price range, I had an opportunity to lash the Pinnacles to about $45k in electronics that I have for an upcoming review and these speakers just kept getting better. 

A real testament to how long these speakers could stay in your system should you choose to start on the more modest side and work your way up. 

If you have the space for a pair of speakers that throw some energy into the room and are guaranteed to put a smile on your face from time to time – stop shopping. 

The SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle floorstanding loudspeakers render your music with clarity, drive, detail, and body. Making for enjoyable listening track after track. 

I hope you enjoyed this review as much as I enjoyed making it. If you did, you’ll likely enjoy the print version of The Absolute Sound. There’s a link to sign-up for a subscription below. 

And don’t forget to make listening fun again.