have integrated subs, are priced at $1,5 00 per pair. This
may sound like a lot of sub support, but balance is the
name of the game. I am intrigued by the philosophy.
Downside
Because the BP3000
TL
s have integrated power amplifiers
driving their low-frequency drivers, they require A/C
power. This means that you will need to plug them into the
wall, which might or might not be a problem in your home.
In my application, I preferred the BP3000
TL
s to be
positioned significantly off the front wall and therefore had
an unsightly power cable to negotiate and try to hide.
Additionally, the BP3000
TL
’s power cord is hardwired into
the speaker. This means that if you don’t have an outlet
conveniently located, you will have to use an undesirable
extension cord.
The BP3000
TL
is a very tall, narrow and heavy speaker.
You don’t have to be a physicist to know that this means
there’s a danger of the speaker being knocked down. When
spiked, the tower is pretty stable but it could still possibly
be pushed over by a curious toddler. To reduce this and
similar risks, Definitive has furnished some extender feet,
included in the price, to help provide additional stability.
Conclusion
The BP3000
TL
s are a surprisingly unique speaker
system. They are full-range speakers that will satisfy music
enthusiasts and film aficionados alike. Some may describe
them as speakers with built-in subwoofers, but after
auditioning them, I felt that they were so much more.
The fact that the BP3000
TL
s have integrated sub
frequency capability is a plus. They are essentially two
loudspeakers and two subwoofers in a convenient, space-
efficient package. For music, these speakers can (much like
AC-DC) shake you all night long, but I think that their
bigger strength is their striking finesse and ability to
believably reproduce genres ranging from up-tempo
progressive jazz to female vocals to full orchestral music.
The BP3000
TL
’s bipolar design was implemented very well,
providing a stage with profound depth and width. For
movies, they were mighty and forceful. In fact, adrenaline
junkies looking for a theater speaker that can do it all won’t
be able to do better in this price class. Another significant
strength of the BP3000
TL
s is that they are extremely
efficient. At 92 dB, they can be driven with a simple AV
receiver if necessary. Unlike most high-end full-range
loudspeakers, which require very large amounts of
amplification, the BP3000
TL
’s internal amplifier allows it to
shake the walls with very modest amplification. This means
that you can make a significant speaker purchase and can
wait on expensive electronics if you so choose. Not that
you’d want to wait long.
Make no mistake, the Def Tech BP3000
TL
will rock you
like a hurricane, but you may be surprised at how well this
flagship speaker performs more touchy-feely musical feats,
especially when compared to more snooty
high-end
speakers costing at least twice the price.
Associated Equipment
“They are full-range speakers that will
satisfy music enthusiasts and film
aficionados alike.”
“these speakers can (much like AC-DC)
shake you all night long, but I think
that their bigger strength is their
striking finesse and ability to believably
reproduce genres ranging from up-
tempo progressive jazz to female vocals
to full orchestral music.”
Amplification
• Sonic Frontiers Power 3 (SE)
• Proceed HPA 3
• Proceed HPA 2
Preamp
• Sonic Frontiers Line 3
• Sunfire Theater Grand II
• Conrad-Johnson Premier 17LS
• Anthem AVM20
Digital
• Linn Sondek CD-12
• Camelot Roundtable DVD
Player
• Sonic Frontiers SFT-1 (I2S-E)
• Sonic Frontiers Processor 3
• Audio Research CD2
• Sony DVP S530D DVD
• Kenwood DV-5700
Power
• Richard Gray's Power
Company 400S (4 Units)
• PS Audio P600
Cables
• Transparent Reference
Speaker Cable
• Transparent Audio Reference
Balanced Interconnects
• Transparent Premium
Component Video
• Transparent Premium
RGB Video
• AudioQuest Dragons SE
• Kimber Select KS-1130
• Nirvana Digital
Video
• Sony VPH 1270Q
• Faroudja NR Series (800x600)
• Silicon Image DVDO
I-Scan Pro
• Stewart Filmscreen
Studiotek 130
• Stewart Filmscreen Greyhawk
Additional
• Black Diamond Racing Cones
11433 Cronridge Drive
Owings Mills, MD 21117
(410) 363-7148
www.definitivetech.com
Audio Revolution
, www.audiorevolution.com, July 2002.
