How many people in this thread have actually heard an SVS sub? Most of what is talked about is spread by forums, and as Andrew says, you can't trust forums (well, he said it in a roundabout way). Everyone seems to be under some illusion that SVS are sold at mcu lower prices because they are sold by the distributor in this country. All that means is the distributor is making two mark ups. I've seen some of their products selling on ebay, and they were being sold at half the price of the rrp in this country, including delivery, which isn't cheap. So the mark up isn't a small one. They're made much cheaper than you think.
SVS are all about brute force, but with brute force comes a lack of finesse, unless much more money is thrown at the product. Funny, I know an American guy who has been in retail for over 20 years, and he never heard of SVS until this week......
Having said all that, I'd like to hear one or two and see what the fuss is about. Personally I think it's a little bit of hype built up by forums, but we'll see.
These are my personal opinions, before anyone starts shouting the usual.