Definitive Technology ProCinema 100, ProMonitor 80, ProMonitor 100, ProMonitor 200, ProCenter 100 Brochure & Specs
...
Great sound—and sometimes great
value—are easy to find in big
speaker systems, but it is rarely
possible to achieve great sound that
you can crank on your DTS or
Dolby Digital system at a lower
price. Also, from a purely practical
standpoint, one of the biggest
problems with great systems like
those based around ... Definitive
Technology’s BP2002 is that these
beasts take up a lot of real estate in
your home theater room and can
often dominate a house. Now, if you
have the space, and can afford it,
you would be remiss to buy a lesser
system. On the other hand, if you
don’t have the space, like most
apartment dwellers or those looking
for a second good system for the
bedroom, great sound can be hard to
find. But a whole slew of excellent
minisystems have been coming out
that meet the standards set by the
behemoths mentioned above.
On paper alone, Definitive’s new
ProCinema—the company’s first real
foray into the budget sub/sat system
thing—looks like a great deal.
...you get four matched ProMonitor
100 speakers, a two-way minimonitor
that features the same 5.25-inch
cast-basket, polypropylene-cone
woofer/midrange driver and 1-inch
pure aluminum dome tweeter that
you find in Definitive’s awesome
BP2002 tower speakers. Also included
in this package is the ProCenter 100,
which matches the ProMonitor
sonically in that it uses two 4.5-inch
mid/woofs that are very similar to the
5.25-inchers in the ProMonitor 100,
Everyone loves a good deal.
Whether I’m buying a new watch,
some cool new duds to look good
around the office, or a new home
theater component, I always want a
good value. Very often, though, we
buy value-priced things we think
will rock, but end up sucking
big-time when we get them dialed in
at home. Once we realize something
sucks, what do we do? Toss it in the
garbage, or make it that special
Hanukkah gift for that loser cousin
who the entire family hates.
But what about the stuff that
makes you extremely proud to own
it especially when you got a good
deal? Buying these kinds of
products gives you some of your
best moments ever, even better than
college graduation or your 21st
birthday, when you could
finally legally guzzle
down a truckload of
cheap alcohol, not the
Aqua Velva you were
swigging as a juvenile
under a bridge somewhere.
“clearly sets a
new standard
for sub/sat
systems”
Definitive Technology
ProCinema 100 Speaker System
Definitely the way to go if you want great sound at the right price.
By Jeff Cherun, CFG Labs
“If you want truly incredible
sound at an unbelievable price,
run and get this system.”
“the build quality of
these little speakers
is pretty amazing”
A. The ProMonitor
100s were up to
every challenge we
threw at them.
B. Our center speaker
test was no match
for the ProCenter
100’s capabilities.
C. Jeff was astounded
by the ProSub 100’s
bass quality.
A
C
B
“the ProMonitors
seem as though
they were monster
towers if you closed
your eyes”
“these speakers are
as close to perfection
as I imagine anything
in this price range
could be”
NOW even more powerful with
NEW 250-watt ProSub 100TL.
oriented on either side of the same
aluminum tweeter as the ProMonitors.
Now, what would a sub/sat system be like
without a sub? Well, you’ll never know
because Definitive has included the ProSub
100, a 10-inch long-throw, front-firing
woofer in a slot loaded enclosure, powered
by a substantial 125-watt built-in amplifier.
The subwoofer also has many great
features, including line-level inputs and
speaker-level inputs and outputs (with a 6decibel/octave high-pass filter on the
speaker-level outputs), as well as the usual
subwoofer level and low pass-filter frequency
controls. The low-pass filter starts with a 12
dB/octave slope, then moves into a 24
dB/octave slope, a design Definitive uses to
help the sub blend better with the satellites.
The build quality of these little speakers
is pretty amazing, very much in keeping
with the rest of Definitive’s lineup. All of the
grilles snap on securely, not like some of the
flimsy manufacturing examples that often
come through our doors. The nice thing
about these speakers’ construction is that if
they are well cared for, they will be in your
will to your kids. Each speaker features
chunky gold-plated binding posts, allowing
you to wire them up in any number of ways.
In addition, each ProMonitor 100 has a cool
little stand on which you can mount the
speaker. You can also move the stand to the
back, so it forms a swiveling wall mount. Or
you can wall mount the speakers by way of
special mounting holes that are on the backside of each speaker.
Setting up the ProCinema system is a snap,
because all you need to do is hook up your
amp via speaker cables to the subwoofer
speaker inputs, and connect the right and
left speakers from the subwoofer speaker
outputs. The center and surround speakers
get hooked up conventionally, directly to the
amp. The bass energy below 125 Hertz goes
to the sub, and signals above that go to the
main right and left speakers, essentially
providing a full-range set of speakers.
For this evaluation, we used our TARA
Klara speaker cables terminated with
banana plugs running from our B&K
AV5000 amp. For electronics, we tried the
ProCinema system with both our Chiro C800 and C-5.1 duo, as well as the Philips
Multimedia Home Theater. For sources, we
used Pioneer’s CLD-99 laserdisc player,
along with JVC’s XV-1000BK DVD player.
To evaluate the ProCenter 100, we placed it
atop the Mitsubishi 50-inch RPTV reviewed
in this issue. The rear speakers sat on
stands behind our listening position, firing
at the sweet spot.
The first recording I listened to was the
Seal DTS remix of “Prayer for the Dying,”
available on the DTS demonstration and
setup disc. This song features wonderfully
lively bass, along with great panning and
musical effects that make DTS CDs so
exciting. The other nice thing about this
recording is that Seal’s voice comes only
from the center speaker, testing its ability to
blend with the rest of the performance. With
the ProCinema system, the voice was clean
and the speakers didn’t strain a bit. The
bass coming from the ProSub 100 was clean
and distinct, and made the ProMonitors
seem as though they were monster towers if
you closed your eyes. The sound that this
system put out was much bigger than the
sum of its parts, which is the holy grail for
any system, big or small.
The next recording I thought would
challenge the Definitive sub/sat system was
Jewel’s bright rerecording of “Foolish
Games,” available on the otherwise crappy
Batman and Robin soundtrack CD.
“the entire presentation
put forth by these speakers
was absolutely first class”
“the two little ProMonitors
made for a huge sound,
eliciting all of the textures
and layers that can make
this song such a lush
listening experience”
“the tonal balance
was excellent”
“the surround effects
were highly realistic and
piqued the senses every
time they were present”
“these speakers shined.
The soundstage was
much bigger and deeper
than one could imagine
from such small,
inexpensive speakers”
Definitive Technology
ProCinema 100 Speaker System
CFG Labs measures:
Definitive Technology ProCinema system
This chart shows the frequency response of the complete Definitive Technology ProCinema system (in red),
and the ProSub alone (in yellow). We measured the
ProSub at the lowest and highest settings of its low-pass
filter, and also with the knob set in the middle. With the
control dead center, we got a dip in overall system
response of about 1.5 dB centered at 95 Hz; you’d
probably get a perfect blend with the control set to just
past halfway.
The subwoofer produces its strongest response from
30 to 40 Hz; at the middle filter setting, the response was
down 3 dB at 70 Hz, and started to fall off very quickly
above 98 Hz. At 20 Hz, the response is down 9 dB from
the peak at 30 Hz.
The ProMonitor satellite’s response starts to roll off
around 165 Hz, and is down 4 dB at 105 Hz; below that,
it falls off very rapidly. Above 150 Hz, the response is flat
to plus/minus 3 dB throughout the audio range, except
for a narrow peak of about 6 dB centered at 13,235 Hz.
Except for the spike in the high treble (which could make
the ProMonitor sound slightly bright on certain material),
the response of the system as a whole is exceptionally
even for speakers at this price.
The impedance of the ProMonitor falls to a low of
3.85 ohms in a fairly narrow band centered at 263 Hz,
except between 172 and 498 Hz, and below 45 Hz
(where the ProSub’s high-pass filter will render it
inoperative, anyway) it remains above 5 ohms for its
operating range.
For more measurement info, log onto our Web site
at http://www.cfglabs.com.
2
0
29
41
5
9
85
123
176
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763
1097
1577
2267
3258
4684
6733
9679
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20000
sub only
system
50
55
60
65
70
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100
le
v
el (dB
)
frequency (Hz)
Definitive Technology ProCinema system
Definitive Technology ProCinema System
level (dB)
20
29
41
59
85
123
176
254
365
524
763
1097
1577
2267
3258
4684
6733
9679
13913
20000
frequency (Hz)
100
95
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55
system
sub only
HIGHLIGHTS
• Truly awesome imaging and
soundstage
• Great bass from ProSub 100
• One of the best values we’ve
seen in a sub/sat system
• Outperforms many, many
more-expensive speakers
“this system was able
to sustain loud listening
levels and produce
wonderful sound”
If a speaker is too bright, this recording is
unlistenable. On the other hand, if a speaker
system is too dead-sounding, Jewel’s voice
will slink into the background. On stereo
music in general and this track in particular,
the two little ProMonitors made for a huge
sound, eliciting all of the textures and layers
that can make this song such a lush listening
experience. With so many instruments
playing—including some sort of triangle
thing, a piano, a string section, percussion,
and Jewel’s voice—many speakers have a
lot of trouble deciphering this song. The
ProMonitors made it sound like less of a
recording and more of a performance, and
truly a delightful one at that. On Ron
Sexsmith’s “Words We Never Use,” one of
our imaging and soundstaging reference
tracks, these speakers shined. The soundstage was much bigger and deeper than one
could imagine from such small, inexpensive
speakers, besting recently reviewed systems
such as the Alón Centris and approaching
the imaging presented by really high-end
systems such as the Aerial Acoustics
reviewed last month or the Vienna Acoustics
system reviewed in this issue.
On my
Lion King and Evita center-speaker
test, which uses just the center speaker
alone, the ProCenter passed with flying colors.
The tonal balance was excellent, with the
voices in both movies sounding full without
any audible distortion, even at high levels.
After I turned all the channels back on, I
listened to some of the explosion scenes
from
Evita, which also have an undercurrent
of acoustic bass, as well as bass drum. The
entire presentation put forth by these speakers
was absolutely first class. All of the minute
textures and details that were put into this
wonderful soundtrack rang true.
On the Crimson Tide and Broken Arrow
Dolby Digital laserdiscs, the surround
effects were highly realistic and piqued the
senses every time they were present. These
speakers made both Brent and me yearn for
movies with tons of surround effects and
loathe those without. For digital multichannel
movie material, these speakers are as close
to perfection as I imagine anything in this
price range could be, especially at high
listening levels. This system was able to
sustain loud listening levels and produce
wonderful sound for the duration.
One of the most startling aspects
of this system is the quality of the
bass that it produces. The low end
of each recording is reproduced
with a smoothness and clarity that
no sub in this price range should
be capable of, but the ProSub 100
clearly sets a new standard for
sub/sat systems. The ProSub played
loud and deep, without getting
boomy or muddy. Brent and I both
noticed that the sub reproduced
electric bass lines perfectly, without
emphasizing or blurring any notes.
This system achieves more than just high
fidelity—it has the ability to transport the
listener to another place. On
Broken Arrow,
The Lion King, and Evita, especially, the
front three channels ceased to be three
speakers, and instead became a
massive
front soundfield. Effects that went from right
to center to left
speakers displayed
no significant tonal
shifts, testament to
the matching and
design effort that
clearly went into
this system. The
same is true of the
surrounds, which
never sounded
wimpy or outmatched by bigger
systems—they were
always up to the difficult
paces that we put them
through, and presented a seamless
soundstage on digital multichannel film
soundtracks.
The ProCinema system makes the perfect
step up from the Energy Take 5 system,
which sets the reference standard for under
$1,000 sub/sat systems. Compared to Take
5, the ProCinema’s subwoofer will play louder
and deeper and blends better with its
satellites, so the system sounds
much bigger on the whole. Also,
the ProCinema satellites will let
you achieve higher listening
levels than the Take 5 sats.
Otherwise, the systems offer a
similar level of sound quality.
To step up in sound quality from
the ProCinema, you’d have to go
to tower speakers or a high-end
minimonitor like the Vienna
Acoustics Haydn.
If you want truly incredible
speakers at an unbelievable price,
run and get this system, because it
will improve the quality of your
life, and you will have yet another
fortuitous purchase that you can brag about
getting a great deal on.
“effects that went from
right to center to left
speakers displayed no significant tonal shifts, testament to the matching and
design effort that clearly
went into this system”
“if you want truly
incredible speakers at an
unbelievable price, run
and get this system”
“clearly sets a new
standard for sub/sat
systems”
“this system achieves
more than just high
fidelity–it has the ability
to transport the listener
to another place”
“the front three channels
ceased to be three
speakers, and instead
became a
massive front
soundfield”
“one of the most startling
aspects of this system is
the quality of the bass that
it produces”
Reprinted with permission from CurtCo’s HOME THEATER.
Copyright © by CurtCo Freedom Group. All Rights Reserved.
D. All the speakers
in the system come
with meaty gold-
plated binding posts.
“a smoothness and
clarity that no sub
in this price range
should be capable of”
OVER
See next page for complete product
information on all the incredible
Definitive ProCinema Systems.
www.definitivetech.com
Definitive’s ProCinema 80, 100 and 200 are the Ultimate Sub/Sat Systems
“Monstrous sound from tiny speakers… clearly sets a new standard for sub/sat systems.”
—Home Theater Magazine
• ProMonitor 80s, 100s and 200s also make great
stand-alone bookshelf, wall-mount etc. speakers
• Cast-basket high-definition bass/midranges
• Annealed pure aluminum dome tweeters
• Perfectly timbre-matched center channels
• Non-resonant high density PolyStone™cabinets
(ProMonitors and ProCenters)
• Available mix or match in black or white
• All ProMonitors have a keyhole wall mount
(200 has pivoting stand and 100 has pivoting
stand/wall mount) plus optional floor stands
• Ultra-compact size that almost disappears
• Perfect for Dolby Digital AC-3
*
, ProLogic*,
DTS*home theater and stereo music
• High power handling and tremendous
dynamic range for you-are-there realism
Another Definitive Triumph!
Definitive engineers set out to create truly compact, beautifully styled,
ultra-high performance, high-value, state-of-the-art, matched systems combining small high quality main and surround speakers, timbre-matched
center channel speakers and super dynamic powered subwoofers. It was
essential that each component part should excel separately, while together
they would combine into three-, four-, and six-piece music and home
theater systems of a quality level never before achieved by speakers
this compact. Definitive’s engineering/design group has triumphed!
We are proud to present the Definitive ProCinema 80, 100 and 200
Systems incorporating the ProMonitor 80, 100 and 200, ProCenter 100
and C2 and ProSub 80, 100
TL
and 200TLspeakers, with Grand-Prix
Award-winning performance which
Time magazine called, “Phenomenal.”
The ProMonitor®80, 100 and 200
The ProMonitors are a masterpiece of engineering and design virtuosity.
They are beautifully sculptured, ultra-compact, magnetically shielded main
or rear channel full-range systems. The cabinets are molded of a Definitivedeveloped high-density, mineral-filled, non-resonant polymer material
called PolyStone™. Housed in the totally inert enclosures are a cast-basket
4
1
/2", 51/4" or 61/2" bass-midrange driver and a 1" pure aluminum dome
tweeter (the same basic drivers used in our top of the line bipolar powered
towers), perfectly blended together with a complex Linkwitz-Riley
crossover network. The rear and sides of the enclosures are actually one
continuous compound curve which has very specific performance benefits
in addition to its obvious styling attributes. This NROC™ (Non Resonance
Optimization Curve™) is precisely configured, in combination with a nonparallel top and bottom, to minimize both internal reflections and cabinetwall resonances to achieve purer sound and greater clarity.
Cleverly incorporated in the designs of the 100 and 200 is a matching
stand with a pivoting mount which can be optionally attached to the bottom (or on the 100 also to the rear of the enclosure for a pivoted wall
mount) plus a built-in keyhole mount on all three for total flexibility for
on-wall or shelf mounting. Optional matching floor stands are available.
Now, for the first time, the requirements of small, easy-to-place systems
are met with true state-of-the-art, no-compromise loudspeakers. The
ProMonitors are full-range speakers, intended to be used by themselves in
a host of applications (including as stand-alone bookshelf, stand- or wallmounted speakers), as well as paired with matching powered subwoofers
and/or center channels in astounding music and movie systems of astonishing performance capability. Ultra-smooth high-definition clarity and musi-
cal linearity combine with superb transient response, tremendous dynamic
range, rich warmth and precise room-filling three-dimensional imaging.
The sonic depth, width, and height reproduction and sound of these amazingly compact speakers is so big that
Home Theater magazine said, they
“seem as though they are monster towers if you close your eyes.”
The ProCenter®100 and ProCenter C2
The matching, magnetically shielded ProCenters utilize similarly styled
and engineered cabinets to those of the ProMonitors to which they are
precisely timbre-matched. They incorporate two 5
1
/4" or 41/2" cast-basket
bass-midrange drivers oriented on either side of a 1" pure aluminum dome
tweeter in a D’Appolito configuration. The tremendous clarity achieved
by the high-definition drivers in their unique high-performance cabinets
results in outstanding reproduction of dialogue as well as all the other
information directed into the critically important center channel. High
power handling and high efficiency assure the full dynamic range capability necessary for proper lifelike reproduction of all program material. A
built-in vertical adjustment device allows precise up and down aiming.
The ProSub®80, 100TLand 200
TL
The ProSubs are truly superb high-performance powered subwoofers of
awe-inspiring low-frequency capability, perfect for the ProCinemas or any
high-quality home theater or music system. Their 8", 10" or 12" long-throw
woofers utilize huge magnet structures, mineral-filled polypropylene cones and
butyl rubber surrounds. The drivers are loaded by a proprietary computer synthesized transmission line slot load for deep, tight, explosive low-frequency
performance. The compact monocoque, high-density, medite cabinets are configured for easy and flexible placement. The ProSubs include a continuouslyvariable low-pass filter (40-150Hz) plus 5-way speaker level and low-level
RCA inputs (including direct LFE sub-in). In addition, built-in speaker level
outputs incorporate a high-pass crossover for perfect blending with the
ProMonitors. The drivers are tightly coupled, using Definitive’s proprietary
Powerfield™ technology, to high-current, high-headroom 250-watt Infinite
Power Source MOSFET amplifiers with a signal-sensing auto on/off circuit.
The ProCinema®Music and Home Theater Systems
The ProMonitor 80, 100 and 200, ProCenter 100 and C2, and ProSub 80,
100
TL
and 200TLare all designed to be used separately, or together in any combination to create perfectly sonically-matched, ultra-high performance music and
home theater systems. All systems are specifically engineered to sound equally
superb with music and movies, and excel in all areas of performance, with the
step-up 100 and 200 series of speakers offering even deeper, richer, fuller sound
with greater dynamic range, higher-power handling and more extended lowfrequency response than the comparable 80 series speakers (which already have
exceptional performance in all these areas). Because all Definitive speakers are
engineered with the same timbral balance and sonic signature, they can be
combined in any number of three-piece (2 ProMonitors and a ProSub), fourpiece (2 ProMonitors, a ProCenter and a ProSub), and six-piece (4 ProMonitors,
a ProCenter and a ProSub) systems with the specific choices depending on your
own personal needs and requirements based on speaker size, room size, budget
and performance goals. Of course, you can also use any of our bipolar surrounds
or in-walls in the rear as well as multiple subwoofers if desired.
ProCinema Systems DeliverAbsolute Sonic Superiority
The reasons for the unquestionable sonic superiority of the ProCinema
Systems relate to many factors, including: superior engineering, superior quality drivers, superior crossovers and our revolutionary PolyStone NROC cabinet
technology. But additionally, unlike most other three-, four-, and six-piece
sub/sat systems (most of which have seriously compromised dynamic range as
well as discontinuity and poor blending between the main speakers and the
subwoofer), the ProCinema Systems excel in all areas of performance. This is
because the ProCinema speakers, although very small and compact, are precisely engineered to get the job done correctly. The ProCinema Systems are
Dolby Digital ready, true high-end state-of-the-art systems which are capable
of delivering absolutely outstanding and uncompromised music and home theater performance in your home. You must hear them for yourself!
Specifications
ProMonitor 80—Dimensions: 7.75"H x 4.625"W x 5.125"D. Response: 60Hz-30kHz. Nominal Imp.: 4-8 ohms.
Rec. Assoc. Amp: 10-150 watts. Driver: 4.5" cast-basket bass midrange driver, 1" pure aluminum dome tweeter.
ProMonitor 100—Dimensions: 10"H x 5.9"W x 5.7"D. Response: 50Hz-30kHz. Nominal Imp.: 4-8 ohms.
Rec. Assoc. Amp: 10-175 watts. Driver: 5.25" cast-basket bass midrange driver, 1" pure aluminum dome tweeter.
ProMonitor 200—Dimensions: 14"H x 7.75"W x 11"D. Response: 28Hz-30kHz. Nominal Imp.: 4-8 ohms.
Rec. Assoc. Amp: 20-200 watts. Driver: 6.5" cast-basket bass midrange driver, 1" pure aluminum dome tweeter.
ProCenter 100—Dimensions: 5.25"H x 14.75"W x 5.75"D. Response: 50Hz-30kHz. Nominal Imp.: 4-8 ohms.
Rec. Assoc. Amp.: 10-175 watts. Driver: Two 4.5" cast-basket bass midrange drivers, 1" pure aluminum dome tweeter.
ProCenter C2—Dimensions: 6.625"H x 20"W x 9.25"D. Response: 45Hz-30kHz. Nominal Imp.: 4-8 ohms.
Rec. Assoc. Amp.: 10-200 watts. Driver: Two 5.25" cast-basket bass midrange drivers, 1" pure aluminum dome tweeter.
ProSub 80—Dimensions: 12.5"H x 9.5"W x 15.25"D. Response: 21Hz-150Hz. Driver: 8" woofer with polymer cone.
Built-in Amplifier .:250 watts.
ProSub 100TL—Dimensions: 14.25"H x 11.25"W x 17"D. Response: 19Hz-150Hz. Driver: 10" woofer with
polymer cone.
Built-in Amplifier: 250 watts.
ProSub 200TL—Dimensions: 14"H x 13.75"W x 18.625"D. Response: 18Hz-150Hz. Driver: 12" woofer with
polymer cone.
Built-in Amplifier: 250 watts.
All speakers available in Black or White finish. Specifications subject to change.
11433 Cronridge Drive, Owings Mills, Maryland 21117, U.S.A. Visit us at: www.definitivetech.com
* Registered Trademarks.
T
• Absolute state-of-the-art sonic performance for
music and home theater perfection with rich warm
sound plus superior detail, clarity and presence
• Huge lifelike soundfield throughout your room
• 250-watt powered 8", 10" and 12" subwoofers
for deep tight floor-shaking bass response
• High efficiency makes the most of your electronics
hese Remarkable Systems Feature:
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