by California-based audio company Definitive Technology has been making insanely powerful speakers since the early ’90s, and today the company announces its new Dymension series, a nine-speaker lineup based on its “bipolar” driver array technology and the built-in features – including powered subwoofers, on-wall surrounds, and Atmos-certified height modules.
You may not be immediately familiar with the Definitive Technology brand name, but it has prestigious lineage as one of its founders was Polk Audio founder Sandy Gross and its sister brands include Boston Acoustics, Bowers & Wilkins, Denon and Marantz.
Def Tech (as it is also known) made its name in 1991 with its B10 ‘bipolar’ speakers and later with its popular BP9000 series of home theater speakers. Well Def Tech has decided it’s about time the BP9000s got a much needed upgrade with the all new Dymension series. The components of the new series will range from $699 to $2,499 and consist of four models of tower speakers, three center speakers, and a Dolby Atmos-certified/DTS:X-compatible height module that can sit atop two models of the towers. Def Tech has ditched the BP9000’s two sizes of beefy surround speakers in favor of a single, slimmer pair of wall-mounted height and surround speakers.
The flagship towers of the Dymension series, the DM80 ($2,400 each) is a monstrous speaker set that can squeeze 400 watts of continuous power out of its new GaN-FET amplifier, which promises less heat, high power efficiency and lower distortion. That’s a good thing, because it also powers the DM80’s 12-inch side-firing subwoofer, one in each tower, so you can build a sonically balanced system with subwoofers in every corner of the room without taking up the space for two need large woofer cabinets. Each tower enclosure also contains two opposed bass radiators that process the low end of the subwoofer frequencies for a bigger, deeper sound.
At the top of the DM80’s tower chassis is Definitive Tech’s much-vaunted bipolar array, consisting of a total of six speakers configured in two sets of three drivers: one set faces the front of the cabinet, the other faces the rear. Each set consists of a stacked array of two 5.25″ mid/bass woofers and a redesigned 1″ aluminum oxide tweeter that sits between them. The rear-facing array of drivers has a balanced, equal output to the front array and is able to utilize the walls of the room to enhance the sound, resulting in an enveloping, wide soundstage that many listeners enjoy and is more engaging, according to Def Tech is .”
The power balance of the rear bipolar array can be adjusted and fine-tuned to optimize placement and suit any space – e.g. when you need to position them closer or farther from a wall – and the DM80s have separate crossover controls and further adjustment options for the bipolar effect that the other towers in the series don’t have. The Dymension Series tower lineup includes the flagship DM80s, the DM70s with a slightly smaller 10″ active woofer ($1,999 each), the DM60 with an 8″ active woofer ($1,499 each) and the DM40s, a passive-slim unpowered tower speaker ($999 each). No further information on these towers was available at press time, but we can assume they all share the same bipolar arrangement.
Another improvement to the Dymension Series tower speakers is the optional DM90 Height Module ($999 per pair) that connects on top of the DM80 and DM70 towers, although it’s unclear exactly how they connect. The DM90 is a Dolby Atmos certified and DTS:X compatible height speaker that directs sound upwards and towards walls and ceilings for immersive sound. DM95 wall-mounted in-wall speakers ($799 per pair) can also be added to further expand a full surround system.
Definitive Technology has also announced a line of three center channel speakers: the flagship self-powered DM30 ($1,499), the smaller, slimmer unpowered DM20 ($799), and the smallest of the three, the unpowered DM10 ( $699). . However, with its four 5.25″ midrange drivers and 1″ aluminum oxide tweeter, as well as the “3XR” architecture that combines an 8″ active subwoofer with two passive bass radiators for big bass, the DM30 is the Creme de la creme. End. And like the DM80s, the DM30’s midrange woofers use Definitive Technology’s BDSS (Balanced Dual Surround System) and LRW (Linear Response Waveguide), which the company says provides smooth bass response, boosted output and midrange detail, and low ensure distortion. Again, no additional information specific to the DM20 or DM10 center speaker was available at press time.
The Dymension Series speakers can be mixed and matched to suit your needs and budget, and are available today from brick-and-mortar retailers or via Definitive Technology’s website.
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