Sub.liminal? On paper, the new SVS 3000 Micro had it all in its category of micro sub: a ~11" sealed box in gloss black or white; 8" force-cancelling aluminium woofers; 800 watts of class D with 2kW claimed headroom; Bluetooth-based app to bolt on DSP access beyond the controls on the back. Those extra features include 3-band EQ with three presets. As is my trusted shopping MO, I downloaded the owner's manual to get into the nitty gritty. One thing it didn't mention? Could its Bluetooth emitter defeat when not in use? After all, once all adjustments to filter, DSP and volume are made, one tends to leave a subwoofer alone. Why pollute one's home with microwave radiation that now serves no purpose?
During my review of the iFi Audio Aurora, I'd learnt that their Bluetooth emitter is always active. It always transmits. In our WiFi/Bluetooth-allergic household, that's verboten. Getting a reply to my question from SVS customer service only took a shocking 90 minutes. On a Saturday no less. Gracias, Scott Miller!
"The Bluetooth on the subwoofer is always on and cannot be disabled". Hello sub.liminal. Oy!
That darn radiation cannot be switched off to strike the SVS 3000 Micro from personal contention. Damn, such a close call and most disappointing when the $800 price meant that one could get two of these puppies for the price of a single KEF KC62 and thus more SPL, bandwidth and in-room linearity. That part is positively sub.versive. Of course very few modern listeners are bothered by WiFi or Bluetooth. Expecting SVS to cater to our minuscule minority of contrarians by making their Bluetooth defeatable was perhaps hoping for too much.
Still, I herewith put forth the request. You never know who reads these things. Perhaps adding this feature is just one quick firmware update away?
