This is a subwoofer from SVS, which is known for its quality subwoofer constructions.
Appearance: The sub is small and quite discreet. It can fit into a living room or a room without someone saying, "What is that trunk?". Essentially, it is a cube. It comes with a grille that makes it go unnoticed, but you can remove it and see its beauty. The finish has a wood-like appearance. In the photos, its colors appear much brighter. In practice, they look minimal and aesthetically pleasing. It weighs about 11 kilograms and is made of MDF. The grille fits tightly without the possibility of causing resonances.
Sound: It is sealed. Personally, having gone through various subs, all ported and lower-priced, I noticed an immediate difference: This one I would describe as melodic. It blends very beautifully and sweetly with the music, which aligns with the flat response it offers. The mild physical sensation of pressure gives a feeling of warmth, like when you are by the fireplace and it warms you up. If you want it for thumping club sounds, in a store, etc., you might not care if it is harmonically tied and would get a more powerful one. There, perhaps a ported sub would have a slight advantage since with fewer watts you can get the job done. As you can see in the graph, it responds down to about 23Hz and then rolls off (I can hear/feel it down to 27Hz). It is important to test all the areas where you can place it. Personally, the corners did not work for me as they emphasized the 60Hz too much and I had nulls at 40. You can calibrate it approximately with this (using a tone generator and sweeps from REW or even on YouTube) if you don't want to use microphones.
Regarding movies/gaming: I have no complaints. It is definitely not a ported sub that "shouts," and I don't say that as a negative, but as strong SPL in the ultra-deep bass (<20Hz). It is still powerful. Compared to older subs, I would call it "cinematic." In a space of about 23 square meters, I have it very low and it still has a lot to give if I want. At maximum volume, it creates a mini earthquake, which is impressive given its small size and my large space, making you wonder how this can happen. Unfortunately, I can't enjoy it to its full extent due to living in an apartment building. It is important to place it in a spot where you don't have nulls. In gaming, I also have no complaints. If your main focus is movies/gaming, I would suggest going for the ported version - as the sealed one, while good, sometimes leaves you craving something more impactful.
For apartment dwellers: This was my main criterion, along with size. I didn't want to make my neighbors suffer. I recommend it. Mainly due to the flat response and the sealed factor, it will be a safer choice. Also, you will need to handle it with care, as low-frequency sounds pass through walls easily and can cause anxiety for neighbors. If you have wooden floors, you will probably need absorption stands to prevent frames from falling and windows from rattling.
APP: It makes things easier for you. You can sit where you want and adjust the machine. This is important because sounds change depending on your position. Therefore, you can trim the peaks with its EQ and have a smooth sound. In my opinion, it sounds nicer to the ears with increased low frequencies, and as the frequencies increase, the dB level should decrease. In other words, a downward waveform. This has to do with the acoustic perception of sounds. Also, due to the profiles, you can have different settings for different seating positions. For example, I have different settings for when I'm at my desk and different ones on the couch. Also, another one for evenings so it doesn't become annoying - just to have a subtle presence. In the photo, as you can see, it has a relatively flat response with a peak at 30hz. With the app, you enter, set the Equalizer, and put, for example, -10db at 30hz, and there is a corresponding option for the width of the eq.
EDIT mature review after some time with it:
I continue to remain satisfied. I still enjoy it completely, and every time the sound supports low frequencies, I feel like a kid. It works flawlessly like the first day I got it. Reading my review, I would again draw attention to those living in apartment buildings. The low hz is incredible how it penetrates the walls. Nevertheless, I have not received any complaints from the neighbors in the apartment building, and in my inquiry, they say they don't hear anything (classic apartment building from the '70s). Your listening position may have a null at 30hz (meaning you don't hear anything), but in the next room, it can be chaotic at 30hz. In such a case, you can change the position of the sub or yours, or play with the EQ, or if you have $$$, get a second sub to have a more balanced sound at the cost of your personal time to tune them. I still believe that for an apartment, it is good, especially in music: You feel like you have a unified system that produces massive sound that hits you. Tested in various music genres. Especially ambient/soundtracks/synths/low-bass sounds, it's honey for the ears but also brings life to the sound, warms your soul, so to speak.
The pb1000pro is significantly larger in size - in all three dimensions, which should also be taken into account. Finally, if your room is large, or a big living room, or has a high ceiling, check the cubic meters it supports so you won't be disappointed. Mine is about 15-20sqm with a high ceiling, and I run it at low db (compared to what it can reach), however in >30sqm, although it would produce strong sound, in distant positions you could perceive where it comes from. Keep in mind I'm always talking about music. For movies, as I write in the next edits, it may not fully satisfy you.
EDIT 2-
Direct comparison with the pb1000 at the same spot. Aesthetically, the pb1000 is unattractive and in a small space, it dominates in an unpleasant way. It is clearly larger than the sb, in all its dimensions (mini furniture). Without the grille, it looks a bit flashy with the two front "pipes" and doesn't fit in a "serious" living room in my opinion. As for the sound, above 30hz if you closed your eyes you wouldn't notice a difference (after all, they use the same driver). Where it changes is at <30hz, where the pb is clearly stronger, even down to 17hz (below 20 you don't hear it, the whole room just vibrates and creates a psychological anxiety - ideal for movies with LFE), which of course would be an unpleasant experience for your neighbors, and I don't recommend it in apartment buildings - unless you want to keep it low, which defeats the purpose of going for a pb. A small difference is that in my opinion, the sb1000pro is slightly more localizable compared to the pb, possibly due to its smaller size, and has a less "expansive" sound - but not huge differences, the sound signature is exactly the same (deep, dark bass). As for the music: the sb1000 is the winner. The difference is obvious to my ears. No matter how hard I tried, the pb remained less melodic, lacking. It's hard to explain in writing, there's a video on YouTube that compares pb/sb in music (I think it's the 3000) and even there, you can perceive the difference. To put it simply, the sb1000 can "touch" me emotionally, but the pb does not. A lot has been written about this on the internet, but I haven't found a definitive answer. If I hadn't heard the SB, I would have liked the PB a lot for music, it's just that the SB is S tier and the PB is A tier. The box comes with plugs for the ports, so you can convert it to sealed. I haven't tried it. On the other hand, in movies, the difference is obvious in the "seismic vibrations." Or more simply, at 23hz the PB shakes everything, the SB is nonexistent (it might do something if you have a small room, e.g., 2.5x4 with wooden floors). For someone who has space and isn't bothered by the large size, wants to watch action movies, and less music, and has no neighbors, the PB is an excellent choice.
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