| Definitive Technology 7002 Bipolar Super Towers Loudspeakers |
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| Thursday, 01 July 2004 | |
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Introduction As
much as you love speakers and all the lust-worthy toys that go along
with them, one thing you are glad you don’t do for a living is running
a start-up speaker company. With names like Infinity, Bose and Boston
Acoustics gracing the interiors of some of the finer automobiles and
taking out many big-dollar ads in magazines and newspapers, the task of
competing in the loudspeaker market has become nearly impossible –
actually, it has been that way for more than 20 years. I say “nearly”
impossible because one man, Sandy Gross, has been at the head of
launching two speaker companies – Polk and Definitive Technology – that
have not only made it but prospered. Definitive Technology, Gross’ current
company makes some of the sleekest, most powerful speakers designed for
home theater systems. Have they sold their souls to the Devil to be
able to rock Axis’ Bold as Love in your living room in ways that make
you think that you are sitting in Electric Ladyland Studio listening to
archived master tape?The speakers that I have been going gaga to review are the Definitive Technology 7002 Bipolar Super Towers, which are floor-standing speakers that employ Definitive’s world-class SuperCube subwoofer technology, retail for $2,200 per pair and are available with black cloth finish and your choice of either piano black or golden cherry end-caps. The 7002s measure seven-and-one-quarter inches wide, 16 inches deep, 46-and-one-quarter inches in height, with a stated frequency response of a remarkably low 15Hz to 30kHz. At the heart of this floorstanding loudspeaker is Definitive’s 12-inch SuperCube subwoofer technology, along with their internal 300-watt digital amplifier. This allows the 7002 to dive down to an earth-rumbling 15Hz. The 7002s have a bipolar design with matching dual five-and-one-quarter inch cast basket mid-bass drivers on the upper front and rear of the speaker, along with an aluminum dome tweeter on both sides of the speaker. The bipolar design emits information that is in phase from both the front and rear. This allows for a much more airy and open sound when implemented correctly. Keep in mind that any bipolar design means that careful placement is necessary to assure best performance. Along with a brand new crossover network designed to seamlessly blend the extreme low frequency with the upper range drivers, this speaker is positioned in Definitive’s line to take advantage of much the trickle-down technology they have previously developed. Set-up I positioned the 7002’s in the same location where my Revel Salons normally reside, a position that has been deemed by audio professional Bob Hodas as the best location in my room. I found a positional preference with the 7002s towed considerably towards my listening position. I played with having the speakers positioned with the sub drivers facing both in at each other and toward the outer walls; I achieved a more balanced response with them facing in. I set the volume of the 7002 subs at approximately 5 dB above the volume of the speakers and turned off the Linn Sysmik subwoofer that I have been using to compliment my reference Revel loudspeakers. This volume setting was approximately in the 1:00 o’clock position on the dial at the rear of the 7002s. I then placed the spikes and began evaluation. |
