HIGH-PERFORMANCE THEATER
moving experience (literally) that
you could easily find yourself
shouting, “Amen, brother!” and
“Crank it up!”—even if you’re the
strictest of the Amish. In fact,
plunk the Pope down in front of a
pair of these mighty towers belting
“You and Your Folks/23
rd
Psalm,”
and it’s quite possible that he’ll
sign up on the spot to be a keynote speaker at the next Southern
Baptist convention. These speakers are that good.
I’ve always liked Definitive
Technology’s approach. They build
great-sounding speakers that ordinary folks like you and me can
afford. Does that mean that, if you
own a pair of fine MartinLogan or
Sonus Faber speakers, you should
dump them at your next garage
sale and buy a pair of Def Techs?
Not necessarily. Does it mean that,
when you scrape together your
leftover cash (after you’ve paid for
day care, signed this month’s
mortgage check, filled up a grocery cart, and bought a DVD or
two) and buy a pair of Def Tech
speakers, they’ll sound as if you
spent three or four times as
much? Damn straight.
Most of us equate the word value
with mid to lower price points,
probably because manufacturers
promote higher-priced gear on
aspects other than value. That puts
the BP7000
SC SuperTowers in a
somewhat difficult
predicament. At
$5,000 per pair
($7,495 for the
home theater
system that the
company sent me),
the SuperTowers
are certainly up
there when it
comes to what ordinary schmoes like
me can afford, so
they’d better be a
I don’t know much about the
Blind Boys of Alabama. I assume
that these soulful gospel songsters
(being musical advocates of the
truth) are indeed blind, as well as
from Alabama. From the pictures
on their
Higher Ground CD, it’s
pretty clear that they’re not boys.
However, since they’ve been
singing together for over 60 years,
they were no doubt qualifying
youngsters when the name stuck
for good. (The Blind Boys-to-Men
of Alabama doesn’t have quite
the same ring, either.) What I do
know is that listening to
Higher
Ground
’s
“People Get
Ready” and
“The Cross”
through
Definitive
Technology’s
new over-thetop-of-the-line
BP7000
SC
SuperTowers
is such a fundamentally
B
C
A
A. Talk about an
all-in-one package:
The BP7000SC has
two tweeters, four
midrange drivers,
and a 14-inch woofer
that’s powered by an
1,800-watt amp.
B. The BPVX/P is a
bipolar surround
speaker with an
internal subwoofer.
C. The C/L/R3000
center speaker is the
lone direct-radiator
of the group.
Definitive Technology
BP7000
SC SuperTower Speaker System
Praise the Lord and pass the SuperTowers.
by Darryl Wilkinson
Sound as if you spent three or four times as much
... these new creations are simply extraordinary
“Speakers that will
be equally welcome
in a symphony
conductor’s home
or the wildest
frat house”
”
“
“What a leap
this is ...
Definitive
Technology
has taken an
evolutionary
step to the
next level”
“these speakers
are that good”
lot of speaker for the money. In
terms of performance, the competition at this price level gets pretty
intense, so they’d better sound
flippin’ awesome, too.
What exactly do you get for the
money? The BP7000
SC is tall, stand-
ing 52.5 inches high, but the 8.9inch width and 16.6-inch depth
mean that it takes up only a bit
more than a square foot of floor
space. You might worry that such
a tall, slender speaker would be
unstable or easy to knock over.
Fear not: The BP7000
SC’s 100-
plus pounds keep it locked solidly
in place, whether you use feet or
spikes (both are included). Here’s
a tip: Lest you want to risk being
nailed to the floor like the silvermasked opponent who battled
Maximus in
Gladiator, be careful
when you move the BP7000
SC with
the spikes in place. Your best bet
is to position the speaker first and
then install the spikes. In trademark Def Tech fashion, a sleek,
black sock covers the BP7000
SC’s
private parts, except for the
exposed back panel, which contains the speaker connections,
LFE input, subwoofer volume control, and amp-cooling vanes. The
usual hard-edged end caps are
replaced with gorgeous, softly
sculpted ones. Even though it’s a
modest design change, it makes
quite a difference, giving the
speakers a much more-prestigious
look. On the other hand, while the
spikes certainly do the job, they’re
a little wimpy compared with the
rest of the speaker.
The mirror-imaged, bipolar
BP7000
SCs include powered
subwoofers. Although a 1-inch
aluminum dome tweeter and two
6.5-inch bass/midrange drivers
reside on both the front and back
of the tower, the front and rear
drivers use separate and different
types of crossovers. The BP7000
SC
is designed to achieve more-linear
frequency- and phase-response
curves and to be easier to drive
with most amplifiers. The subwoofer section in each BP7000
SC
is the equivalent of a Def Tech
SuperCube Reference subwoofer.
One 14-inch long-throw SuperCube
active woofer is mounted in the
tower’s relatively acoustically
small lower section, along with
two 14-inch passive drivers. An
1,800-watt digitally coupled Class D
amplifier powers the trembling
trio. The SuperCube technology is
one of the latest and, in my opinion, most successful methods of
producing prodigious amounts of
bass in a small enclosure. Just to
give you an idea of what a leap
this is, Def Tech’s previous topof-the-line BP3000
TL incorporates
a single 18-inch woofer with a
1,000-watt amp. Don’t think that
hooking up such a beast is a problem or requires special expertise.
You can get all of the benefit of
the bipolar technology and the
Definitive Technology BP7000SC SuperTower Speaker System
HT Labs Measures: Definitive Technology BP7000SC SuperTower
Speaker System
This graph shows the quasi-anechoic (employing close-miking of all woofers)
frequency response of the BP7000SC L/R (purple trace), C/L/R3000 center
channel (green trace), and BPVX/P surround (red trace). All passive loudspeakers were measured at a distance of 1 meter with a 2.83-volt input
and scaled for display purposes.
The BP7000SC’s listening-window response (a five-point average of
axial and +/–15-degree horizontal and vertical responses) measures
+2.50/–3.64 decibels from 200 hertz to 10 kilohertz. The –3dB point is at
22 Hz, and the –6dB point is at 21 Hz. Impedance reaches a minimum of
2.92 ohms at 424 Hz and a phase angle of –37.82 degrees at 154 Hz.
Sensitivity averages 91 dB from 500 Hz to 2 kHz.
The C/L/R3000’s listening-window response measures +2.39/–1.43 dB
from 200 Hz to 10 kHz. An average of axial and +/–15-degree horizontal
responses measures +2.73/–1.65 dB from 200 Hz to 10 kHz. The –3dB
point is at 37 Hz, and the –6dB point is at 33 Hz. Impedance reaches a
minimum of 2.16 ohms at 310 Hz and a phase angle of –33.93 degrees at
170 Hz. Sensitivity averages 93.5 dB from 500 Hz to 2 kHz.
The BPVX/P’s three-face averaged response measures +3.42/–3.02 dB
from 200 Hz to 10 kHz. The –3dB point is at 38 Hz, and the –6dB point
is at 35 Hz. Impedance reaches a minimum of 2.73 ohms at 457 Hz
and a phase angle of –47.74 degrees at 224 Hz. Sensitivity averages
91 dB from 500 Hz to 2 kHz.
—AJ
Definitive Technology BP7000SC SuperTower Speaker System
HIGH-PERFORMANCE THEATER
“Gorgeous, softly
sculpted ...
a much more
prestigious look”
“SuperCube tech-
nology is one of
the latest and,
in my opinion,
most successful
methods of producing prodigious
amounts of
bass in a small
enclosure”
“You’ll be instantly
smitten with the
life and energy
(and bass) that
come from the
BP7000SCs”
“From a value
standpoint, the
BP7000
SCs are
large, bipolar
speakers with
beautiful aesthetics
and the equivalent
of two steroidally
enhanced, powered
subwoofers”
Fifth Symphony or thinking about
the Queen of England farting—but
there it is. Whether it’s the new
differential crossovers, the results
of the new Definitive Technology
Advanced Research Facility (where
they use their own special anechoic chamber rather than relying on computerized simulations), or some deal with the
devil, I don’t know. The fact is
that the BP7000
SCs can kick your
ass and then pick you up and
gently lick your wounds—or vice
versa, depending on the music
you’re listening to.
“Joy,” for example, from Lucinda
Williams’
Car Wheels on a Gravel
Road
has a relentless beat that
keeps coming at you, and the
BP7000
SCs don’t let you forget it.
It’s quite a contrast with the next
track, “Jackson,” which begins
with a solo guitar and Williams’
rough vocals. Whereas a moment
before, the speakers were loud,
brash, and coming at you like a
freight train from hell, they
instantly settle back into a sweet,
sorrowful softness. If you like to
rock, Lenny Kravitz’s “American
Woman” will make the screws in
your sheetrock come out. If
built-in subs simply by connecting
regular speaker wire. There’s also
an LFE input, and you can biwire
the speakers if you so desire.
From a value standpoint, the
BP7000
SCs are large, bipolar
speakers with
beautiful aesthetics and the equivalent of two
steroidally
enhanced, powered subwoofers. By the way, on
its own, a SuperCube Reference
subwoofer costs $1,699. That
makes the bipolar-speaker part of
the BP7000
SC ring up at a measly
$800. In terms of your budget,
you may not be able to afford the
$5,000-per-pair price tag. In terms
of value, though, it’s a tremendous
amount of speaker for the money.
What about the sound? Can
these mighty monoliths, with
their beer-chugging roots, hold
out their pinkies and hang with
the champagne-sipping crowd? If
you read the first paragraph (you’re
not one of those just-bought-themagazine-for-the-pictures types,
are you?), you already know the
answer. The BP7000
SC’s sonic
performance deserves more elab-
oration, however, because it shows
that Definitive Technology has
taken an evolutionary step to the
next level. Sure, I’ve always liked
Def Tech speakers because they
were really fine-sounding speakers
that were exceptionally exciting
and fun to listen to, but these new
creations are simply extraordinary
in the way they retain previous
models’ boisterous, party-hardy
elements while adding a subtler,
more-refined aspect. These are
quite simply the most sublime Def
Tech speakers ever. The idea of a
high-end speaker that can grab
you by the balls as well as by the
brain is a hard concept to get your
mind around—like imagining
square dancing to Beethoven’s
• Massive, built-in subwoofers
• Tall but very slender profile
• Beautifully sculpted end caps
HIGHLIGHTS
“It’s a tremendous
amount of speaker for the money”
D
D. The BP7000SC has an LFE input
for the internal sub, and you can
biwire the speaker if you wish.
“It takes up only a
bit more than a
square foot of
floorspace”
“I have always
liked DefTech
speakers because
they were really
fine-sounding
speakers that
were exceptionally exciting and
fun to listen to”
“Likewise, the
center channel’s
extra sonic reach,
courtesy of that
powered subwoofer,
made the opening
narration of
The
Lord of the Rings
sound authentically
rich and deep”
“a fundamentally
moving experience”
“They are quite
simply the most
sublime DefTech
speakers ever”
Definitive Technology BP7000SC SuperTower Speaker System
Group until you’ve heard it through
this system. Those BPVX/P surrounds can rock!
Not everyone can afford the
new BP7000
SC speakers (or the
entire system). The slightly
smaller BP7001
SC, which incorpo-
rates a SuperCube I sub, is available for $1,749 each. If you can
scrape up the cash, however,
you’ll experience a rare treat:
truly refined, high-end-caliber
speakers with huevos the size of
Volkswagen Beetles, speakers
that will be equally welcome in a
symphony conductor’s home or
the wildest frat house. If Fay
Wray and King Kong had hit it
off and settled down, the
BP7000
SCs would be the perfect
speakers for them. Just be careful
what you listen to, or you may find
yourself appreciating types of
music you never thought possible.
Parisian-café/Gypsy-jazz music is
more your style, you’ll be instantly
smitten with the life and energy
(and bass) that come from the
BP7000
SCs with “Danse des
Esprits” and “Attraction” from
Paris Combo’s
Attraction disc.
If you’re into pre-Enya Celtic
music, the sense of space and
honest fidelity you’ll hear on
“Figal’s Mach/Halting March”
from Ensemble Galilei’s
Music
in the Great Hall
is especially
breathtaking.
Not wanting to leave me wanting when it came to home theater,
Definitive Technology sent along
their best center channel, the
C/L/R 3000, a direct-radiating
speaker that includes its own powered subwoofer. They also sent a
pair of their best bipolar surround
speakers, the BPVX/Ps, which
(wouldn’t you know) also include
powered woofers, to create dramatic accompaniment for the
BP7000
SCs. Since I’d already given
the main speakers a workout with
two-channel music, I was prepared
for the excellent way the system
handled the soft interplay between
music and Foley sound throughout
the beginning of
The Red Violin. I
was totally unprepared, however,
for the frightfully powerful blasts
that came during
U-571’s depth
charges. I don’t know of any other
speakers—without help from an
external subwoofer—that can
generate that kind of explosive
bellicosity. Likewise, the center
channel’s extra sonic reach, courtesy of that powered subwoofer,
made the opening narration of
The
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship
of the Ring
sound authentically
rich and deep, while the
BP7000
SCs’ subs made sure that
the sense of foreboding was
omnipresent.
Multichannel music may have
been the most enchanting, especially
Standing in the Shadows of
Motown
. It’s a disc that lets all of
the system’s qualities shine—the
high energy, the excitement, the
bass, and the pinpoint accuracy—
especially on tracks like “Heard
It Through the Grapevine” and
“Brokenhearted.” And you haven’t
heard “PVC IV” from Blue Man
HIGH-PERFORMANCE THEATER
“Those BPVX/P
surrounds can
rock!”
11433 Cronridge Dr. • Owings Mills, MD 21117 • (410)363-7148
Excerpted from the October 2003 issue of HOME THEATER.
“You’ll experience
a rare treat: truly
refined high-end
caliber speakers
with huevos the
size of Volkswagen
Beetles”
“The sense of
space and honest
fidelity you’ll hear
... is especially
breathtaking”
“The system’s
qualities shinethe high energy,
the excitement,
the bass and the
pinpoint accuracy”
“Will make the
screws in your
sheetrock
come out”
For information and dealers
www.definitivetech.com
BP7000SC Super Tower Speaker $2,499
C/L/R 3000 Center-Channel Speaker $999
BPVX/P Surround Speaker
in gloss black or cherry $749
in white $699
Definitive T echnology
(410) 363-7148
www.definitivetech.com
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