Definitive Technology C 2500 Test Report

Brand: Definitive Technology

Model: C 2500

Type: Test Report

This manual is also suitable for

cannonballs or the roaring 40s blowing around Cape

Horn, the DVD can test the mettle and endurance of

any speaker system – not to mention the ﬂoor, ceiling,

and walls. If the Deﬁnitive Tech speakers did their jobs

right, I’d need a Dramamine.

The system consists of a pair of BP7002 front tow-

ers, the hefty C/L/R 2500 center speaker, and the trape-

zoidal BP2X surrounds. Unlike the front left/right

ooking for a good test DVD for Deﬁnitive

Technology’s BP7002 system, I settled on

the swashbuckling Master and Commander.

The commander, Jack Aubrey, portrayed by

Russell Crowe, set sail in 1805 in this

adaptation of Patrick O’Brian’s historically

accurate novel, but the special effects and sound quali-

ty are deﬁnitely 21st century. Whether it’s fusillades of

Deﬁnitive

Technology

BP7002 Home Theater

Speaker System

TEST REPORT

speakers in your typical home theater systems, the

BP7002s are bipolar, as are the surrounds. Bipolar

speakers typically produce a more spacious sound by

radiating equally (and in phase) from both the front

and back.

All three front speakers have powered subwoofers

built in, eliminating the need for an external sub with

all its connection issues while relieving your receiver or

power ampliﬁer from having to feed the power-

hungry woofers. The sub in the C/L/R 2500 center

speaker ﬁres upward to simplify its positioning, and the

speaker is shielded to prevent its magnets from

distorting the color on direct-view tube TVs. It has the

common conﬁguration of a tweeter ﬂanked by a pair of

woofers, which produces better-deﬁned sound in a

horizontal orientation than a single woofer and tweeter.

You can wire all three front speakers to your ampli-

ﬁer or receiver with plain speaker cable, as I did, allow-

ing their crossovers to send the appropriate frequencies

to each driver, including the subwoofers. Or you can

connect the line-level subwoofer/LFE (low-frequency

effects) output of your receiver to the center sub and

use speaker connections for the left and right.

While the BP7002 system is relatively sleek, it

could overpower a small room. Fortunately, my 15 x

24-foot home theater proved to be an ideal match. And

even though the system sports 26 drivers in all, I used

a modest 90-watt-per-channel receiver to power the

whole shebang.

MOVIE PERFORMANCE. The trio of

built-in subs, with their powerful Class D ampliﬁers,

created a deep ocean of bass across the front. Did

someone say, “18-pound cannonball across the bow”?

Adjusting the volume so dialogue was reproduced at a

“normal” speaking level raised the effects levels to the

point where light ﬁxtures rattled and a direct cannon-

ball hit nearly knocked the wind out of me. Good thing

my room has a concrete ﬂoor (beneath thin carpeting)

PHOTOS BY TONY CORDOZA

“Deep bass ... magniﬁcent

soundﬁeld and imaging ...

put this system at the top

of your short list”

RICH WARREN

the loud clanging of the ship’s bell. The sound of metal

striking metal was as immediate as if the bell was in

my room.

Even with the video off, the Deﬁnitive Tech system

left no doubt about the nature of the action and envi-

ronment. Being prone to seasickness, I actually felt a

bit queasy. It’s a rare speaker system that pulls off this

kind of illusion so convincingly. The sound was so

completely enveloping that I felt like I was in a large

movie theater rather than in a small home theater where

sound can seem conﬁned to the speakers.

When the officer of the watch sights the enemy and

the drummer beats to quarters, it almost ejected me

from my seat. As the crew makes preparations for the

ﬁght, the sound of cutlery in the galley as it’s swept into

storage seemed as real as upstairs in my kitchen.

Silverware didn’t clank or click – it clattered.

The ﬁrst 18-pounders crashing into the Surprise’s

deck was a testament to the power of the BP7002

system. As the wood splintered and ﬂew and the

cannonade broadsides dramatically raised the volume,

the speakers reproduced the carnage without a hint

of strain.

No system would pass muster if it failed to

convincingly reproduce voices. The Deﬁnitive Tech

passed admirably. Voices sounded smooth, natural,

and believable, although during Master and

Commander I sometimes wished the center speaker

gave them more of an edge to compete better with the

distracting effects.

and concrete walls (behind wood paneling).

The bowels of the HMS Surprise sway and bob as

the movie opens. The surround effects completely

enveloped me with the creaking and groaning of the

wooden timbers, the gurgling and rumbling of the sea,

and the various clangs as objects sliding around strike

each other and the ship. This virtual tour ends with

MUSIC PERFORMANCE. After win-

ning the battle of standing up to an action movie, the

BP7002 system faced a more musical challenge, start-

ing with two-channel stereo. (Though I should note that

the violin and cello music in the movie – the two main

characters play these instruments for relaxation – also

sounded natural and authentic.) From Ron Carter’s ﬁrst

bass notes in McCoy Tyner’s New York Reunion, I

knew the system had mastered music, too.

The bass sounded big without being bloated,

the strings taut but not thin. The high hat sparkled but

never sounded metallic under Al Forster’s brushes.

I’m no piano expert, but I could tell that Tyner was

playing a more deﬁned, tighter, somewhat cooler

keyboard than an ordinary Steinway. The CD’s liner

notes revealed that it was a Hamburg Steinway. The

piano came from the left side in a deep and wide stereo

image that placed the quartet in just the right positions

in the soundstage.

For music in surround sound, I spun the DVD-Audio

release of Neil Young’s classic Harvest. While the

weird mix puts the listener in the center of the action

and makes Neil’s vocals sound a little off to the side,

the BP7002 system brought this 30-plus-year-old

recording to life. The acoustic guitar was crisp, Neil’s

voice was full and natural in all its nasal glory, and

the kick drum in “Heart of Gold” sounded like it was in

my room.

THE BOTTOM LINE. The Deﬁnitive

Technology BP7002 system played at realistic volumes

with plenty of reserves, accurately reproducing any

music I fed it and bringing movies to life. Other than

taking up some real estate (especially the large center

speaker) and requiring a trio of wall outlets to power

the built-in subwoofers, it’s hard to fault. If you want

speakers that handle surround sound and stereo equally

well, put this system at the top of your short list. And

while its sound would make any TV seem bigger,

it’s especially well suited for use with a big-screen

projection system or plasma display.

Faced with the naval cannon fire of Master and

Commander, the Definitive Tech system rose to

the challenge and left no doubt as to its power.

BP7002 C/L/R 2500 BP2X

(left/right front) (center) (surround)

TWEETER two 1-inch domes 1-inch dome two 1-inch domes

WOOFER four 5

-inch cones two 5

-inch cones

SUBWOOFER 12-inch cone plus two 8-inch cone

12-inch passive radiators

ENCLOSURE infrasonic radiators transmission-line ported

POWER 300 watts 150 watts

INPUTS AND

gold-plated five-way binding tri-wirable gold-plated gold-plated five-way

OUTPUTS

posts; RCA jack for LFE five-way binding posts binding posts

input; subwoofer level control

DIMENSIONS 7

x 46

x 16 23

x 6

x 14 9

x 10

x 6

(WxHxD) inches inches inches

WEIGHT 77 pounds 37 pounds 11 pounds

FINISH black knit fabric sock; black knit fabric sock; black knit fabric grille,

gloss black piano lacquer gloss black piano lacquer black or white matte

or golden cherry end caps or golden cherry end caps vinyl end caps

PRICE $1,099 ea. $799 $250 ea.

Total: $3,497

MANUFACTURER Definitive Technology, www.definitivetech.com, 410-363-7148.

fast facts

11433 Cronridge Dr. • Owings Mills, MD 21117 • (410)363-7148

Visit us at www.deﬁnitivetech.com

Excerpted from SOUND & VISION, SEPTEMBER 2004.

www.soundandvisionmag.com

PLUS

Magnificent soundfield and imaging.

Wide dynamic range with

low distortion.

Full frequency range

including deep bass.

Built-in subwoofers save wiring,

simplify setup.

MINUS

Looks best in a large room.

Requires three AC outlets.

S&V

TEST REPORT

“

I knew the system

had mastered music ...

accurately reproducing

any music I fed it and

bringing movies to life”

Definitive Technology C 2500 Test Report

Definitive Technology C 2500 Test Report

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Definitive Technology C 2500 Test Report

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