Short answer: the Klipsch Heresy IV. It ranks #32 of 54 floorstanding speakers by sound quality at $3198; the SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle ranks #37 and costs $4999.98, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
What the Klipsch Heresy IV offers: Very high 94.5dB/2.83V/1m sensitivity in Erin’s anechoic measurement—well below Klipsch’s 99dB in-room claim, but still excellent—and strong short-term output from a 12-inch woofer plus horn-loaded midrange and tweeter. Watch for: Erin measured a 77Hz F3 and response rolling away near 100Hz in-room, so a subwoofer is required for modern full-range reproduction.
What the SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle offers: A large curved-baffle tower built for time alignment: a 1” dome tweeter flanked by two 5.25” midranges above two 8” mid-bass drivers, plus a matching pair of 8” drivers and dual ports on the back. Watch for: Not a fully linear speaker: a dip in the upper midrange followed closely by a peak (roughly 2-3kHz) gives vocals and other midrange content a shouty, forward quality that toe-out alone doesn’t resolve, pointing to a genuine…
Buy the Klipsch Heresy IV. It ranks higher for sound quality than the SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
Specifications Side By Side
| Klipsch Heresy IV | SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3,198/pair | $4,999.98 |
| Ranked | #32 of 54 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers | #37 of 54 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 77Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 40Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 94.5dB/2.83V/1m (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 88.1dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Impedance | Approximately 4 ohms minimum (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 6 ohms nominal, 2.6 ohms minimum (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Drivers | 1" horn-loaded tweeter; 1.75" horn-loaded midrange; 12" woofer | 1" dome tweeter, two 5.25" midranges, four 8" mid-bass drivers (2 front, 2 rear) |
| Dimensions | 24.8"H x 15.6"W x 13.3"D | 49"H x 12"W x 18"D (1245.0 x 305.0 x 457.0 mm) |
| Weight | 45 lb each | 100.1 lbs / 45.4 kg (100 lb) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear | ported, rear (dual) |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | - | 27Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Frequency Response | - | 24Hz - 40kHz (±3dB, Manufacturer specified) |
| Crossovers | - | 140Hz & 1.8kHz |
| Recommended Power | - | 20-300W |
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- JBL HDI-3800 vs Klipsch Forte IV
- MoFi SourcePoint 888 vs Revival Audio Atalante 5
- SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle vs Dynaudio Emit 30
- Revel F226Be vs Klipsch Heresy IV
The Two Speakers In Full
Klipsch Heresy IV: $3,198/pair Amazon Crutchfield
Pros: Very high 94.5dB/2.83V/1m sensitivity in Erin’s anechoic measurement—well below Klipsch’s 99dB in-room claim, but still excellent—and strong short-term output from a 12-inch woofer plus horn-loaded midrange and tweeter. The compact, furniture-grade Heritage cabinet is easier to place than most high-efficiency designs, and dynamics at moderate levels can sound lively. A stable four-ohm-capable amplifier can produce substantial SPL with relatively little voltage.
Cons: Erin measured a 77Hz F3 and response rolling away near 100Hz in-room, so a subwoofer is required for modern full-range reproduction. The impedance dips to about 4 ohms, reducing the practical amplifier advantage implied by its sensitivity. Pronounced directivity mismatch at the driver transitions, impedance/response resonances and elevated distortion spikes around the crossover remain audible concerns that EQ cannot fully solve. At 102dB Erin measured roughly 1.5dB midband compression; at 96dB distortion rises around crossover. Performance is difficult to justify at the price, and Erin explicitly did not recommend it.
Full Klipsch Heresy IV review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 77Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 24.8"H x 15.6"W x 13.3"D |
| Drivers | 1" horn-loaded tweeter; 1.75" horn-loaded midrange; 12" woofer |
| Impedance | Approximately 4 ohms minimum (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 94.5dB/2.83V/1m (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 45 lb each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear |
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SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle: $4,999.98 SVS
Pros: A large curved-baffle tower built for time alignment: a 1” dome tweeter flanked by two 5.25” midranges above two 8” mid-bass drivers, plus a matching pair of 8” drivers and dual ports on the back. Impulse-response testing shows a single clean arrival rather than the staggered tweeter-then-woofer arrival typical of conventional flat-baffle designs, confirming genuinely effective time alignment. Excellent build quality throughout. Very wide, consistent horizontal radiation around ±70-80° gives a large, enveloping soundstage. Capable of very high output with very low harmonic distortion - the reviewer says this measured the lowest harmonic distortion of any speaker he has tested to date, at both 86dB and 96dB output, with distortion staying under 1% down to 40Hz.
Cons: Not a fully linear speaker: a dip in the upper midrange followed closely by a peak (roughly 2-3kHz) gives vocals and other midrange content a shouty, forward quality that toe-out alone doesn’t resolve, pointing to a genuine on-axis response issue rather than just room reflections. A wide, high-Q bass bump around 70-80Hz makes the speaker sound boomy unless pulled at least 3 feet from the rear wall or tamed with EQ (a -3dB cut with a Q of 1 around 70Hz worked well in testing). Minimum impedance dips to about 2.6 ohms around 80Hz, a genuinely demanding load - the reviewer could not drive these to satisfying output with budget-oriented amplifiers and receivers, and recommends a robust stereo amp or monoblocks instead. At around 100 lbs and roughly 4 feet tall with the tweeter about 32.5” off the ground, seating position matters: straying beyond about 10° of the tweeter axis loses real detail in the upper midrange, and the crossover region shows lobing that shifts from about 10° to 50° between 2-4kHz. Multitone distortion and dynamic compression both increase in that same upper-midrange/tweeter region at higher output, consistent with the on-axis dip-then-peak character.
Full SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 27Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 40Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Crossovers | 140Hz & 1.8kHz |
| Dimensions | 49"H x 12"W x 18"D (1245.0 x 305.0 x 457.0 mm) |
| Drivers | 1" dome tweeter, two 5.25" midranges, four 8" mid-bass drivers (2 front, 2 rear) |
| Frequency Response | 24Hz - 40kHz (±3dB, Manufacturer specified) |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal, 2.6 ohms minimum (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Recommended Power | 20-300W |
| Sensitivity | 88.1dB (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 100.1 lbs / 45.4 kg (100 lb) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear (dual) |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
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- Head-to-Head Comparisons