Download Print this page

Definitive Technology BP7001SC Test Report

Definitive technology bp7001sc: supplementary guide
Hide thumbs Also See for BP7001SC:

Advertisement

SOUND & VISION
test report
BP7001
"Awesome ... frighteningly real ... Definitive's
BP7001
SC
W
ith the popularity of flat-panel TVs
exploding and companies straining to cre-
ate speakers that will mate with the unob-
trusive sets, it seems like the era of hulking
home theater gear — towering speakers,
massive subwoofers, video projectors hov-
ering above your head like an F-15 — is over. I'll admit
that part of me likes the interior design-friendly stuff, but
another part frets about trying to coax too much from too
little. I'm reminded of that every Saturday night when I
hear the screech of my neighbor's "home theater in a
box." Man, I wish that guy would go out to the movies!
Inexpensive subwoofer/satellite systems can give you a
taste of surround sound, but compromise-free perfor-
mance requires serious speakers. And in my experience,
that usually means floor-standing towers at least for the
front left/right channels. Definitive Technology's
BP7001
SuperTower speaker, a slightly smaller version
SC
of its flagship BP7000
, is equipped to deliver full-range
SC
performance thanks to its built-in powered subwoofer. In
the system I tested, a pair of BP7001
Definitive Technology
Home Theater Speaker System
SC
based system demands your attention."
equal sound from the front and rear, and because all of the
drivers operate in phase with one another, it can produce a
nearly 360° sound field.
The second thing, of course, is the built-in powered
sub in each tower speaker (each BP7001
be plugged into an AC outlet for the sub to operate and the
same goes for the C/L/R 3000). The BP7001
10-inch driver is powered by a 1,500-watt Class D ampli-
fier and it has two 10-inch passive radiators, so using
a pair of BP7001
subwoofers. In some rooms this will boost deep-bass
output. The BP7001
separately feed the subwoofer/LFE (low-frequency
effects, the ".1" in "5.1") output from your surround
processor or receiver to the tower's built-in subwoofer.
There's also a volume control to adjust the sub's output.
The C/L/R 3000 has a line-level input as well, but it's
designed to connect to the full-range center-channel pre-
amp output found on some receivers and is not intended
for subwoofer/LFE signals.
towers is mated
The system Definitive Technology sent me came with
SC
BY AL GRIFFIN
with the company's C/L/R
3000 center speaker —
another full-range design
with a built-in powered sub
and a couple of beefy BPVX
surrounds. Definitive Tech
claims the system can han-
dle the dynamic needs of
both the movie soundtracks
and multichannel music on
DVD Audio and Super
Audio CD. And with each
speaker in the system using
the same 6 1/2-inch woofer
and 1-inch tweeter, you can
count on seamless sound
all around.
There are plenty of top
shelf speaker systems avail-
able, so you're probably
wondering what makes this
one different. First off, both
the BP7001
tower and
SC
BPVX surround are bipolar
designs (the C/L/R 3000
center speaker is a conven-
tional direct-radiating, or
monopolar design). A bipo-
lar speaker uses matched
sets of drivers to radiate
must
SC
sub's
SC
towers effectively gives you stereo
SC
has a line-level input that lets you
SC
wood end caps finished in its new golden cherry piano
gloss finish. They all have the same black knit wrap-
around sleeves as most of the company's previous speakers,
but to me the lighter finish on the end caps is an aesthetic
leap forward from the previous monolithic black look.
Another pleasing touch is the beveled edge that runs the
length of the tower speaker's front baffle and is echoed
in its end caps.
Weighing in at 61 pounds, the C/L/R 3000 is one hefty
center speaker — as you'd expect from a model packing a
powered subwoofer. It's also pretty large, so don't expect
to set it on top of one of those slim new TVs, most of
which provide only a few inches of surface depth on top.
For horizontal placement, a set of adjustable feet lets you
angle the speaker up or down.
With a specified low-end limit of 31 Hz, Definitive
Tech's BPVX is equipped to deliver more bass than your
average surround speaker. Standing a tall 22 inches, it has
a semi-triangular design with matched sets of drivers on
both of its angled sides. The supplied mounting hardware
lets you attach the speaker's back panel to a wall.
There's been a lot of debate about which type of speak-
er works best for surround sound. But because they radi-
ate sound from both front and rear, bipolar surrounds like
the BPVX split the difference between a dipole's diffuse
presentation — a desirable trait for movie soundtracks —
and a monopole's directionality, which tends to work
better for music.
I used the Def Tech system to christen Sound &
Vision's new A/V testing facility — a set of soundproofed,
acoustically treated rooms tucked away in the heart of
midtown Manhattan. Owing to the large size of the
BP7001
towers, I set up the system in the more volumi-
SC
nous Room 1, a 20 x 14-foot space with an 8 1/2-foot ceil-
ing. The C/L/R 3000 center went on a shelf of a large TV
stand, under the screen, and was angled up toward the
seating position. I put the BPVX surrounds on a set of
38-inch-high stands 2 feet behind the couch. I set these up
H I G H
P O I N T S
Great Sound.
Impressive low-end extension.
Seamless blend between front
and surround speakers.
Full-range center speaker.
L O W
P O I N T
Sub level can be tricky to optimize.

Advertisement

loading

Summary of Contents for Definitive Technology BP7001SC

  • Page 1 Weighing in at 61 pounds, the C/L/R 3000 is one hefty center speaker — as you’d expect from a model packing a powered subwoofer. It’s also pretty large, so don’t expect to set it on top of one of those slim new TVs, most of which provide only a few inches of surface depth on top.
  • Page 2 “no” for the subwoofer option in your receiver or preamp’s setup menu and run- ning only one set of wires to each speaker. That way your receiver sums the subwoofer/LFE channel with any full- range signals that it sends out.

This manual is also suitable for:

BpvxC/l/r 3000C 3000L 3000R 3000