Definitive Technology ProCenter 2000, ProCinema 1000, 2000 Brochure
DEFINITIVE TECHNOLOGY PROCINEMA 1000 SPEAKER SYSTEM
WHO’S THE
BOSS?
DefTech’s affordable new speakers deliver unsurpassed
>
sub/sat-isfaction.
SCOTT WASSER
BY
Definitive Technology’s
oCinema 1000 loudspeakers
Pr
deliver sound that almost defies
belief given their compact
size and affordable prices.
The speakers are available as
a component 5.1-surround
system or individually with
a choice of two center channels
speakers. Also available is
an even more affordable
ProCinema 800 System.
T
the first order of business was
mocking the speaker system that
was part of my personal home
theater. The Boss gestured at the
famous brand sub/sat speaker system in my family room, then turned
to me and made a face that resembled my son’
taste of broccoli. “Those have got
to go if you’re going to work for
me,” he said, only partly in jest.
His remarks caught me by sur
prise. I’ve never considered myself
an “audioholic,” but sorting good
he Boss showed up at my
door a while back for
what was suppose to
be a business meeting.
But audio elitist that he is,
s reaction to his first
-
sound from bad never seemed to
pose any greater challenge than
telling an I-Pod from a 1960s-era
transistor radio.
showed up, I’d been fairly happy
with my speakers. In fact, they still
sounded OK after he left, but his
comments nagged at me: What was
I missing?
And until the Boss
“sound that almost
defies belief”
That question was answered a
few months later at the Consumer
Electronics Show. Listening to
models from the loudspeaker
deities such as
I was mesmerized by the sound.
These speakers delivered musical
Thiel and Meridian,
nuances never heard before with
the clarity and dynamic range that
didn’t seem possible. The experience was so ear
intended—that the Boss’
attitude was quickly adopted. When
he suggested we listen to a demonstration of Definitive Technology’s
inexpensive new compact speaker
system, I gave him the broccoli
look. “C’mon,” he demanded.
A few minutes later, the
broccoli became a hot fudge
sundae with whipped cream
and wet walnuts as DefTech
co-founder Sandy Gross demonstrated his ProCinema 1000 sub
woofer/satellite speaker system
with a few movie soundtracks and
-opening—pun
s haughty
-
several music CDs. The compact speakers sounded so
stinkin’ good that I suspected
Sandy of pulling a fast one. The
ProCinema 1000s were located
suspiciously close to some of
Definitive's highly regarded
floorstanding loudspeakers, so
at one point during the demo I
lurched from my chair to see if
our host was playing a high-tech
game of three-card monte.
“ability to
effortlessly fill
the room ...
with vibrant sound
as remarkable
as its price”
tors (5.25 versus 4.5 inches) that
provide extended bass response.
The four ProMonitor 1000
satellites included in the
system have 5.25-inch drivers
and radiators, and—like the
center speaker—1-inch pure
aluminum dome tweeters.
Rounding out the system is the
ProSub 1000 subwoofer with a
300-watt digital amplifier: frontfiring, 10-inch, downward-firing
passive radiator.
enhance the bass and help
the subwoofer blend more
seamlessly with the satellites,
are new to the ProCinema line.
The line also included the
ProCinema 800 (featuring 4.5-
My reaction made Sandy
laugh. I just shook my head,
wondering how speakers less
then one foot high and around 6
inches deep and wide could
deliver such rich, expansive
tones and full-range vitality
even when the system’s 300watt ProSub 1000 subwoofer
was turned off. The ProCinema
system’s ability to ef
fortlessly
fill the room—in this case,
a large pre-fab room with
concrete fl
oor covered by thin
carpet—with vibrant sound was
nearly as remarkable as its
price: less then $1,500.
Experiencing the ProCinema
speakers was one of my CES
highlights, so I made an
appointment to audition them
inch drivers and 8-inch subwoofer for $1,099). All of
the new systems feature a
patented new balanced Double
Surround System (BDSS) and
central wave guide for the driver cones, intended to deliver
smoother response and greater
dynamic range and stability.
The ProCinema satellites and
center speakers boast sensually
curved cabinets composed
of high-density, mineral-filled
polymer that resists resonating.
They’re available in a highsheen, hand-rubbed black or
white fi
keyholes and brass threads for
wall mounting. Or they can
perch on optional ($109/pair)
pedestal stands.
at home. They have been every
bit as impressive from the
moment their gold-plated,
ve-way binding posts were
fi
connected by 14-gauge Monster
speaker wire to a 105-watt/
channel Onkyo receiver.
The ProCinema normally
comes with the ProCenter 1000
center speaker, but at
feel like they could support a
Hummer, but I used them
instead for the left and right
front channels and rear surrounds. I placed the ProSub
1000 in a corner about 5 feet
from the right front speaker, and
put the ProCenter 2000 directly
below my 60-inch monitor.
Definitive’s recommendation,
I substituted the ProCenter
2000. A $149 upgrade, it has
larger drivers and passive radia-
and clarity were the first things I
noticed.
speakers, it seemed like we
The radiators, designed to
nish and feature rear
Definitive’s shapely stands
The center channel’
s vitality
With my famous-brand
were always pumping up the
center channel to better decipher dialogue in DTS or Dolby
Digital DVD movie soundtracks. The Pro-Center 2000, on
the other hand, made it sound as
if the actors were in the room.
The sats and surrounds delivered similar realism. Once, I
jumped up to answer the phone
before realizing the ringing was
coming from the movie.
I’ve also jumped on more then
one occasion when the ProSub
construction that are
simply unsurpassed
1000 delivered an explosion
or similar sound effect with gutwrenching power.
without noting any distortion.
For those reasons, I have no
“spaciousness
that makes my
21-by-14-foot room
sound like it’s
two and three
times the size”
Perhaps what impressed me
most about the ProCinema 1000
system, however, is the way it
reproduces music. I’d pretty
much stopped listening to music
qualms stating that Definitive’s
new ProCinema system is a
worthy successor to its wildly
acclaimed predecessor. Or that
it delivers sound quality and
construction that are simply
unsurpassed for the money
the system’
won’t be realized until the Boss
comes to visit again and they
wipe the audio elitist sneer from
his face.
on my home system with the
old speakers, but found myself
craving couch time after
connecting the ProCinemas.
I haven’t yet found any source
material they don’
t render accu
rately with a spaciousness that
makes my 21-by-13-foot room
sound like it’s two or three
times the size. And despite the
speakers’ compact dimensions,
I’ve been able to crank my
receiver’s output as loud as my
ears and neighbors would allow
The ProCenter 2000 center-
channel speaker delivers
crystalline dialogue from
a pair of 5.25-inch drivers
and a 1-inch aluminum
dome tweeter on its face.
Two side-firing passive radiators
enhance bass response.
“sound quality and
for the money”
. But
s greatest attribute
>
TING
RA
>
DESCRIPTION:
ProCinema 1000 speaker system
>
HIGH POINTS:
money; outstanding fi
quality; fairly compact
>
LOW POINTS:
enough that placement could be an
issue for a typical compact sub/sat buyer
>
CONTACT:
410.363.1748, defi
>
PRICE:
ProCenter 2000; ProMonitor 1000s
available individually for $199;
ProSub 1000 available for $499.
EXCELLENT
•
Definitive Technology
Remarkable sound for the
nish and build
t/fi
ProCenter 2000 is large
Definitive Technology,
nitivetech.com
$1,644 as tested, with $349
FALL
2006 DIGITAL TV & SOUND
Loading...