Definitive Technology BP2X, BPVX, BPX, PowerMonitor 500, PowerMonitor 700 Supplementary Manual

With their amazing built-in powered subwoofers,

these compact superspeakers sound like giant towers!

Definitive’s Revolutionary

PowerMonitor

™

Series

“Exceptional ... I heard imposing monoliths,

but all I saw were bookshelf speakers.”

– Sound & Vision

•PowerMonitor 500 •PowerMonitor 700 •PowerMonitor 900
and Complete Matching Home Theater Systems

efinitive Technology’s total commitment to uncompromised sonic superiority has made us the leader in high perfor­mance loudspeakers. We have been voted the industry’s top loudspeaker manufacturer as well as #1 for quality and
reliability. Now it is our pleasure to present our PowerMonitors. These extraordinary compact “bookshelf-size”
loudspeakers truly sound like giant towers. With their built-in powered subwoofers in combination with state-of-the­art Definitive components, advanced engineering and superior-imaging low-diffraction narrow monocoque cabinets,
the PowerMonitors dramatically outperform all other “bookshelf-size” speaker systems regardless of size or price.

The Extraordinary Sound of Definitive’s PowerMonitors
Will Bring Your Music and Movies to Life

The sonic goal of Definitive’s engineers is always to create loudspeakers
which go beyond merely excelling at all the conventional measurable parame­ters of speaker performance. Of course the PowerMonitors have vanishingly
low distortion, lightning-fast transient response, and superbly linear frequency
response which goes above and (uniquely for a bookshelf speaker) below the
limits of audibility. Plus you get all the sonic characteristics which accompany
this measurable excellence such as velvety smooth midrange, crystal clear
highs and deep, tight bass response. But more importantly, the PowerMonitors
have the ability to “suspend disbelief” and literally make the music or movie
come vibrantly alive in your home. These amazingly compact speakers disap­pear in a huge three-dimensional sonic image with tremendous height, width
and depth which seem to make the walls of your room vanish into the sound­stage of the original performance. This is the magic of Definitive Sound.

PowerMonitors Give You Giant Tower Performance
That You Can Easily Put on a Bookshelf or in a Cabinet

The PowerMonitors were created for listeners who want the big sound of
giant tower speakers but don’t have the space. These magnetically shielded
speakers are designed for tremendous placement flexibility and deliver opti­mum performance when placed either vertically or horizontally in a cabinet,
on a bookshelf, in custom built-in applications or on a stand (optional high
performance stands are available). They are engineered so the subwoofer
and/or the rear of the speaker can be positioned as close as

1

/2" from a cabinet’s
side or back wall. Most importantly, the PowerMonitors, relative to conven­tional bookshelf speakers, will deliver smoother response and superior perfor­mance for in-cabinet installations because the woofer level control allows you
to perfectly tune the PowerMonitors to their specific location environment.

Dual High-Power, High-Definition, Built-In Powered Subs

Each PowerMonitor contains a built-in powered subwoofer combining a
high-wattage discrete MOSFET high-current amplifier and a high-definition
long-throw subwoofer driver (PM 900: 250 watts RMS w/ 10" sub, PM 700:
250 watts RMS w/ 8" sub, PM 500: 150 watts RMS w/ 8" sub). An ultra-low
distortion electronic crossover with a precision level control gives you tuning
flexibility, and a complete complement of connections allows easy hook up
with either speaker wire or speaker wire plus a separate low-level LFE input.
Because the subs are built into the speakers, our engineers were able to
achieve superbly coherent blending with a perfect combination of delicate
musicality and thunderous power. The first time you hear PowerMonitors you
will be totally awed, as were top reviewers from around the world, by the huge
image and incredible bass produced by these compact stealth superspeakers.

Definitive PowerMonitors Deliver Total Harmonic Integrity

Definitive invented built-in powered subwoofers in order to create speakers
which not only have incredible bass performance but, more importantly, are
clearly more musical. Having truly full-range capable left and right front
speakers, as well as a full-range center channel, is extremely important for
total harmonic integrity (not to mention full impact and full dynamic range
capability). Our PowerMonitors, as well as our matching center channels with
built-in powered subwoofers, are capable of truly full-range reproduction so
they can be run as “large” speakers and will clearly sound dramatically better

than any conventional speakers with music as well as home theater (the differ­ence this makes in dialogue is also quite dramatic). Conventional bookshelf
speakers, even in conjunction with a separate powered subwoofer, can never
deliver this level of performance. Dolby Digital* was created for full-range
frequency response in every channel and anything less (especially up front)
is a clearly audible compromise of Dolby Digital’s performance potential.

High-Definition Cast-Basket Bass/Midrange Drivers

The PowerMonitors utilize Definitive-developed high-definition cast-bas­ket bass/midrange drivers for significant performance advantages in upper
bass detail, midrange clarity and dynamic range. These sophisticated drivers
incorporate deeply drawn mineral-filled homopolymer cones, butyl rubber
dustcaps and surrounds, high temperature vented voice coils and massive
magnet structures. This combination of features assures high-definition, superb
transient response, high-efficiency, high-power handling and extended linear
response. In addition, the aerodynamically designed, magnetically inert, non­resonant, cast magnesium baskets minimize reflections of the sound radiating
from the back of the cones and preserve structural and magnetic integrity.

Ultra-Precision Differential Phase-Coherent Linkwitz-Riley
Crossover Networks for Perfect Driver Blending

A loudspeaker’s crossover network is the real heart of the system. It is like
the conductor of an orchestra, telling each driver exactly when to come in and
precisely how loudly to play. Here Definitive’s talented engineers really work
their magic, perfectly blending the sound of the various drivers into a sonically
seamless, musically coherent whole. Our complex and sophisticated Linkwitz­Riley designs, which utilize the finest components, are masterpieces of electri­cal engineering. In addition, the electronic crossovers in the subwoofer mod-

Definitive’s Remarkable PowerMonitor

D

ules perfectly blend the subwoofers with the driver arrays. The result is a sym­phony of sonic perfection that completely preserves the phase coherence, tran­sient response and dynamic integrity of the original signal.

PowerMonitor Home Theater Systems Deliver Superb
Performance Without the Need for a Separate Subwoofer

Each PowerMonitor has a powerful high-definition powered subwoofer
built into its compact cabinet. Because of this, Definitive’s PowerMonitors are
the only “bookshelf-size” speakers in the world which deliver the musical
superiority that comes from the total harmonic integrity which only true full­range speakers have. And obviously, they are the only “bookshelf-size” speak­ers that will give you, without the need for a separate subwoofer box, all the
floorshaking impact and dynamic excitement that Dolby Digital LFE channel
subwoofer quality bass brings to your movies. Thus they offer performance
advantages over all other “bookshelf-size” main speaker-based home theater
systems, whether they have a separate subwoofer or not.

For Ultimate Mega-System Performance You Can Add a
Separate Subwoofer to Your PowerMonitor Home Theater

If you are a listener with a very large room or are seeking even higher lev­els of mega-system performance (you know who you are), you can easily add
an additional Definitive subwoofer (they’ll all work perfectly) to your
PowerMonitor home theater system and enjoy the added impact of a third sub­woofer in your room (or a fourth sub if you have one of our C/L/Rs with a
built-in sub). You will still maintain all the benefits that the PowerMonitors’
built-in subwoofers give you in terms of having total harmonic integrity with
fuller, richer, more coherent sound, better imaging, more seamless blending,
etc. A system like this is truly a state-of-the-art mega-system with performance
well beyond anything you can achieve with any combination of conventional
bookshelf speakers and separate subwoofers regardless of size or price.

Choose Your Own Perfectly Matched Definitive Home Theater

Selecting your own perfectly matched Definitive home theater system is
easy to do. Since all Definitive speakers are engineered to have the same tim­bral balance and sonic signature, they can all be used together in any combina­tion with excellent results. For optimum performance, we recommend our

C/L/R Center Channel speakers with built-in powered subs (C/L/R 2300,
C/L/R 2500, or C/L/R 3000) and our bipolar rear/side surround speakers
(BP1.2X, BP2X, BPX, BPV/X, BPVXP, UIW BP/A, UIW BPZ/A). However,
you can use any of our other center channels (including another PowerMonitor
as a center) and any of our PowerMonitors, ProMonitors or UIW in-wall/in­ceiling speakers as rear/side surrounds or center rear with excellent results
(consult our website for a complete listing). Whatever you choose, you will
have a superb home theater system which will deliver optimum performance
with all discrete 5.1, 6.1 & 7.1 decoding systems (Dolby Digital, EX* and
DTS*) as well as Dolby Pro-Logic* and all music formats including stereo.

“Exceptional…I heard imposing monoliths, but all I saw were

bookshelf speakers.”

— Rich Warren, Sound & Vision

“The PowerMonitor 700 and C/L/R 2500 are small enough to hang from a
palm tree, yet their powered woofers could shake down all its coconuts…wide
dynamic range…smooth, broad frequency response…surprisingly deep, power­ful bass from a relatively compact speaker…ample bass, even without [a sepa­rate] subwoofer…exceptional imaging…compact, easy to place….The way the
PowerMonitor system reproduced this montage of sound during the crash might
be a little too realistic for those with a weak heart. Layer upon layer of wind
noise, engine roar, cockpit alarms, shouting crew members, and rolling carts
and loose cargo careening around filled my home theater, yet each strand of
sound was clear enough to seem real….This system did an impressive job of
conveying every audible bit of this catastrophe.”

“The Definitive system did equal justice to music…the system produced
enough low bass to impressively recreate the ambience of Meyerson Center in
Dallas, transforming my theater into a concert hall…bass performance without
[a separate] sub was

that good…the sound seemed effortless….I heard impos-

ing monoliths, but all I saw were bookshelf speakers....Playing this recording on

the pair of PowerMonitor 700s brought them (Tom Paxton and Anne Hills) into
the room, with highly accurate vocal reproduction. Next I played Suzanne
Buirgy’s

The View From Here. This full-throated pop vocalist also entered my
room with flawless imaging….The compact PowerMonitor 700s and their well­chosen companion speakers provide big sound while fitting in small spaces
where larger systems would be obtrusive or impractical. No matter where you
listen, they can transport you to your own tropical island.”

™

Loudspeakers

Definitive PowerMonitor Specifications:

• PowerMonitor 900:

Dimensions: 8 3/8"W x 16"D x 18 3/8"H.

Response: 19Hz

–

30kHz. Efficiency: 92dB,

Rec. Amp.: 20–300
watts. Nominal Imp.: 4–8 ohms. Drivers: one 10" long-throw sub
w/ 250-watt RMS amp, one 6

1

/2

" cast-basket upper bass/midrange
driver, one 1" pure aluminum dome tweeter. Connections: gold­plated 5-way binding posts and optional LFE input. Auto on/off.
Finish: piano gloss black. Weight: 49 lbs. Magnetically shielded.

• PowerMonitor 700:

Dimensions: 6 4/5"W x 14 1/8"D

x 16

3

/4"H. Response: 20Hz–30kHz. Efficiency: 92dB,
Rec. Amp.: 20–250 watts. Nominal Imp.: 4–8 ohms.
Drivers: one 8" long-throw sub w/ 250-watt RMS amp,
one 5

1

/4

" cast-basket upper bass/midrange driver, one 1" pure
aluminum dome tweeter. Connections: gold-plated 5-way
binding posts and optional LFE input. Auto on/off. Finish:
piano gloss black. Weight: 36 lbs. Magnetically shielded.

• PowerMonitor 500:

Dimensions: 5 3/4"W x 12 7/16"D

x 14

3

/4"H. Response: 22Hz–30kHz. Efficiency: 91dB,
Rec. Amp.: 20–200 watts. Nominal Imp.: 4–8 ohms.
Drivers: one 8" long-throw sub w/ 150-watt RMS amp,
one 4

1

/2

" cast-basket upper bass/midrange driver, one 1" pure
aluminum dome tweeter. Connections: gold-plated 5-way
binding posts and optional LFE input. Auto on/off. Finish:
piano gloss black. Weight: 28 lbs. Magnetically shielded.

Warranty: Drivers and Cabinet: 5 years parts & labor. Amplifiers: 3 years parts &
labor. Specifications subject to change without notice. * Registered trademarks.

Excerpted from the PowerMonitor 700 Speaker System Review, Sound & Vision Magazine, October 2001.

Definitive Technology:

The World’s Most Highly-Honored

Loudspeakers...

Visit us at:

www.definitivetech.com

11433 Cronridge Drive, Owings Mills, Maryland 21117, U.S.A.
[phone]

Definitive’s countless product awards from around the world
clearly underscore our total commitment to sonic superiority.