Allwired Technology recently picked up Definitive Technology
Loudspeakers in order to provide an exceptional line of speakers to our
home theater and hifi customers.

In order to help our customers learn about these speakers, we are
including a review of the BP7002 Thearter System from the September
2004 issue of Sound & Vision.

For more information of Definitive Technology Speakers visit:
www.allwired.com/home-theater/deftech/

www.definitivetech.com

Begin Review:
Looking for a good test DVD for Definitive Technology’s BP7002 system, I settled on the swashbuckling Master and Commander. The commander, Jack Aubrey, portrayed by Russell Crowe, set sail in 1805 in this adaptation of Patrick O’Brian’s historically accurate novel, but the special effects and sound quality are definitely 21st century. Whether it’s fusillades of cannonballs or the roaring 40s blowing around Cape Horn, the DVD can test the mettle and endurance of any speaker system – not to mention the floor, ceiling, and walls. If the Definitive Tech speakers did their jobs right, I’d need a Dramamine.

The system consists of a pair of BP7002 front towers,
the hefty C/L/R 2500 center speaker, and the trapezoidal
BP2X surrounds. Unlike the front left/right speakers in your typical home theater systems, the
BP7002s are bipolar, as are the surrounds. Bipolar
speakers typically produce a more spacious sound by
radiating equally (and in phase) from both the front
and back.

All three front speakers have powered subwoofers
built in, eliminating the need for an external sub with
all its connection issues while relieving your receiver or
power amplifier from having to feed the powerhungry
woofers. The sub in the C/L/R 2500 center
speaker fires upward to simplify its positioning, and the
speaker is shielded to prevent its magnets from
distorting the color on direct-view tube TVs. It has the
common configuration of a tweeter flanked by a pair of
woofers, which produces better-defined sound in a
horizontal orientation than a single woofer and tweeter.
You can wire all three front speakers to your ampli-
fier or receiver with plain speaker cable, as I did, allowing
their crossovers to send the appropriate frequencies
to each driver, including the subwoofers. Or you can
connect the line-level subwoofer/LFE (low-frequency
effects) output of your receiver to the center sub and
use speaker connections for the left and right.
While the BP7002 system is relatively sleek, it
could overpower a small room. Fortunately, my 15 x
24-foot home theater proved to be an ideal match. And
even though the system sports 26 drivers in all, I used
a modest 90-watt-per-channel receiver to power the
whole shebang.

MOVIE PERFORMANCE. The trio of
built-in subs, with their powerful Class D amplifiers,
created a deep ocean of bass across the front. Did
someone say, “18-pound cannonball across the bow”?
Adjusting the volume so dialogue was reproduced at a
“normal” speaking level raised the effects levels to the
point where light fixtures rattled and a direct cannonball
hit nearly knocked the wind out of me. Good thing
my room has a concrete floor (beneath thin carpeting)and concrete walls (behind wood paneling).

The bowels of the HMS Surprise sway and bob as
the movie opens. The surround effects completely
enveloped me with the creaking and groaning of the
wooden timbers, the gurgling and rumbling of the sea,
and the various clangs as objects sliding around strike
each other and the ship. This virtual tour ends with the loud clanging of the ship’s bell. The sound of metal
striking metal was as immediate as if the bell was in
my room.

Even with the video off, the Definitive Tech system
left no doubt about the nature of the action and environment.
Being prone to seasickness, I actually felt a
bit queasy. It’s a rare speaker system that pulls off this
kind of illusion so convincingly. The sound was so
completely enveloping that I felt like I was in a large
movie theater rather than in a small home theater where
sound can seem confined to the speakers.

When the officer of the watch sights the enemy and
the drummer beats to quarters, it almost ejected me
from my seat. As the crew makes preparations for the
fight, the sound of cutlery in the galley as it’s swept into
storage seemed as real as upstairs in my kitchen.
Silverware didn’t clank or click – it clattered.
The first 18-pounders crashing into the Surprise’s
deck was a testament to the power of the BP7002
system. As the wood splintered and flew and the
cannonade broadsides dramatically raised the volume,
the speakers reproduced the carnage without a hint
of strain.

No system would pass muster if it failed to
convincingly reproduce voices. The Definitive Tech
passed admirably. Voices sounded smooth, natural,
and believable, although during Master and
Commander I sometimes wished the center speaker
gave them more of an edge to compete better with the
distracting effects.

MUSIC PERFORMANCE. After winning
the battle of standing up to an action movie, the
BP7002 system faced a more musical challenge, starting
with two-channel stereo. (Though I should note that
the violin and cello music in the movie – the two main
characters play these instruments for relaxation – also
sounded natural and authentic.) From Ron Carter’s first
bass notes in McCoy Tyner’s New York Reunion, I
knew the system had mastered music, too.

The bass sounded big without being bloated,
the strings taut but not thin. The high hat sparkled but
never sounded metallic under Al Forster’s brushes.
I’m no piano expert, but I could tell that Tyner was
playing a more defined, tighter, somewhat cooler
keyboard than an ordinary Steinway. The CD’s liner
notes revealed that it was a Hamburg Steinway. The
piano came from the left side in a deep and wide stereo
image that placed the quartet in just the right positions
in the soundstage.

For music in surround sound, I spun the DVD-Audio
release of Neil Young’s classic Harvest. While the
weird mix puts the listener in the center of the action
and makes Neil’s vocals sound a little off to the side,
the BP7002 system brought this 30-plus-year-old
recording to life. The acoustic guitar was crisp, Neil’s
voice was full and natural in all its nasal glory, and
the kick drum in “Heart of Gold” sounded like it was in
my room.

THE BOTTOM LINE. The Definitive
Technology BP7002 system played at realistic volumes
with plenty of reserves, accurately reproducing any
music I fed it and bringing movies to life. Other than
taking up some real estate (especially the large center
speaker) and requiring a trio of wall outlets to power
the built-in subwoofers, it’s hard to fault. If you want
speakers that handle surround sound and stereo equally
well, put this system at the top of your short list. And
while its sound would make any TV seem bigger,
it’s especially well suited for use with a big-screen
projection system or plasma display.

--From the September 2004 issue of Sound & Vision.

For a Definitive Technology dealer near you please visit Definitive's Website http://www.definitivetech.com/.