Definitive Technology Mythos Five Brochure page 2

A U D I O R E V I E W
"soundfields and immersion with such persuasiveness
that I had to double-check the wiring to ensure a larger
system hadn't kicked in"
Although the Mythos system was designed
and optimized for use with a subwoofer,
midbass and upper bass responsiveness was
quite good even without the muscle of the
SuperCube III. Still the Mythos Towers alone
won't stomp coal into diamonds all by them-
selves.If you want to follow the acoustic bass
to its deepest notes during Tom Waits'
"Georgia Lee" [Mule Variations], you'll need
to SuperCube it. Note: Keep in mind that
integrating left/center/right speakers with a
sub relies equally on the subwoofer and the
satellites to reproduce the bass frequencies
at or near the selected crossover point.
Thanks to the Five's neutral mid- and upper-
bass response, the transition from subwoofer
to satellite is nearly imperceptible.
SPECIFICATIONS
Driver Units: 1" aluminum-dome,
(2) 3.5" midrange, (2) 3.5" woofers, (2) 3.5" radiators
Frequency response: 40 Hz – 30 kHz ±3 dB
Impedance: 4 – 8 ohms
Recommended amplifier power: 20 – 225 Watts
Dimensions: 40.5" x 5.75" x 5.75"
Driver Units: 1" aluminum-dome,
(2) 3.5" mid/bass, (2) 3.5" radiators
Frequency response: 60 Hz – 30 kHz ± 3 dB
Impedance: 4 – 8 ohms
Recommended amplifier power: 10 – 175 Watts
Dimensions: 4.1" x 19.6" x 4"
Driver Units: 1" aluminum-dome,
(2) 3.5" mid/upper bass woofers
Frequency response: 60 Hz – 30 kHz
Impedance: 4 – 8 ohms
Recommended amplifier power: 10 – 200 Watts
Dimensions: 10.25" x 4.13" x 4.25"
SuperCube III Subwoofer
Driver Units: 7.5" long-throw woofer,
(2) 7.5" infrasonic radiators
Frequency response: 16 Hz – 200 kHz
Crossover: Low-pass: 40 Hz – 150 Hz, variable
Dimensions: 10.25" x 10.25" x 10.25"
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D e f i n i t i v e T e c h n o l o g y M y t h o s F i v e L o u d s p e a k e r S y s t e m
Imaging and soundstaging mavens will
take one look at the rail-thin baffles of the
entire Mythos line and begin salivating. And
they won't be disappointed. In both stereo
and multichannel playback the Mythos sys-
tem seemed to vanish with the first few bars
of music. From the live acoustic soundstage
of a symphony hall to the virtual realities
manufactured on a film mixing stage, depth
and dimensionality were excellent.
"a speaker consistent with
the svelte packaging of
plasma and LCD flat panels,
while maintaining a broad
envelope of performance"
In terms of dynamics there was a modest
Mythos Five
subtractive quality that obscured the finer
micro- and macro-gradations. For example,
the dynamic urgency of Joni's electric piano
intro to "Woodstock" [Hits: Reprise], where
Sensitivity: 89 dB
she's striking chords with increasing intensi-
ty, was not reproduced as boldly as it
should have been. Again,some mild dynamic
Weight: 20 lbs. compression was audible in the blast from
Price: $499 each
Clark Terry's trumpet [One on One, Chesky].
Ultimately, when it comes to the heavy-lifting
Mythos Seven
required in a Mahler Third Symphony or
a Gladiator DVD, the Mythos' small drivers
can't attain the dynamic scale and scope of
sound of a conventional wide-body speaker.
Sensitivity: 89 dB
But while the Mythos can't quite ante up
the full majesty of epic soundtracks, it's a
system that constantly surprised me by how
Weight: 10 lbs.
close it came.
Price: $349 each
Five Channel Flat-tery
Mythos Gem
In both movie and music multichannel every
speaker in the Mythos 5.1 system admirably
pulled its weight to produce soundfields and
immersion with such persuasiveness that I
Sensitivity: 89 dB
had to double-check the wiring to ensure a
larger system hadn't kicked in. A great show-
case example is "The 100 Mile Dash" — a
Weight: 5 lbs.
scene from The Incredibles, which pits the
Price: $249 each
speedster wonderboy Dash against saucer-
mounted security goons of Syndrome in a
tip-of-the-hat homage to Hollywood's finest
chase sequences, from James Bond to Star
Wars. The Mythos system reproduced a
soundfield vastly more expansive than I
would have predicted, yet fully in line with
Power: 350 Watts
the hyper-realism of the animation, where
Weight: 50 lbs.
characters are slingshot in and out of frame.
Price: $699
It captured details of branches and twigs
snapping underfoot, the Skil-Saw scream of
the saucers in pursuit, even the tiny patter of
Dash's feet as he sprints across the lake.The
movement through the Gem surrounds was
— in spite of the size differences — tonally
consistent with the L/C/Rs, a tribute to using
identical drivers throughout and a fast sub-
woofer underneath.The Mythos center chan-
nel held up well under dynamic pressure yet
maintained good articulation, reproducing
challenging low-level dialogue quite well.
Finally, don't be put off by the teeny
SuperCube III. It might look like a toy, but its
reproduction of the weight and drama from
a trio of drummers plus percussion during
"All Things Must Pass" from Concert for
George was nothing less than grown-up.
In the au courant world of fashionistas
and flat panels the Definitive Technology's
Mythos system is equal parts style and
substance. It's a system that I continually
underestimated — only to be proven wrong
each time. However, its success will hinge
on it being more than a good sound
system. Where issues of room integration
and lifestyle are concerned it must also be
a solution. For this reviewer and envious
flat-panel-owner wannabe, Mythos has got
this issue flat-out solved.
"begin salivating ...
Definitive Technology's
Mythos system is equal
parts style and substance"
An all-aluminum looker
Exceptional dimensionality
Plays big, yet disappears
Some dynamic compression
Lighter tonal balance
MANUFACTURER INFORMATION
DEFINITIVE TECHNOLOGY
11433 Cronridge Drive
Owings Mills, Maryland 21117
(410) 363-7148
www.definitivetech.com
System Price: $2504
11433 Cronridge Dr. • Owings Mills, MD 21117 • (410)363-7148
Visit us at www.definitivetech.com
Excerpted from The Perfect Vision magazine, July/August 2005.