and single one-inch aluminum dome tweeter mirrored on the
speaker’s backside. The BP7000
SC
is fairly efficient for a speaker
of its size and stature, with a stated efficiency of 92dB into a
rather benign eight-ohm load. Each of the BP7000
SC
s feature a
14-inch SuperCube
®
long-throw powered subwoofer, coupled to
two 14-inch infrasonic radiators. The internal sub is powered by
an internal ***1800-watt*** Class D amplifier, which gives the
BP7000
SC
a stated frequency response of 11Hz–30kHz.
Definitive Technology states that the single 14-inch sub inside
the BP7000
SC
is capable of achieving depths equal to that of
seven stand-alone SuperCube
®
subwoofers. If even half of that
statement is true, we’re talking about a copious amount of bass.
The subwoofer portion of the BP7000
SC
can be controlled via the
speaker’s binding posts and large, rear-mounted volume pot or via
the LFE input. This allows you connectivity options you just don’t
get with even the highest-priced loudspeakers. However, due to
the presence of a powered subwoofer, the BP7000
SC
must be
plugged into a standard US outlet or power conditioner to take
advantage of the prodigious bass capabilities.
Set-up
After I took stock in all that the BP7000
SC
s had to offer, I began
the process of integrating them into my system. For starters,
I placed them in approximately the same place where the Yao
Ming-like Magnepan 3.6s had rested. This put the BP7000
SC
s
roughly three feet from my front wall and two-and-a-half feet from
each of the side walls. To be fully forthright, most of my speakers
find themselves roughly in this position in my room, as this yields
the best overall coherence and sound stage depth. However,
unlike the Maggies, the BP7000
SC
s did sound best with
considerable toe-in, with the main midrange drivers and tweeter
coming to a point virtually right at the listening position. There
was some minor tweaking here and there but, for the most part,
I had achieved a suitable sound, at least throughout the midrange
and high frequencies, with little effort. I connected the bass or
SuperCube
®
portion of the BP7000
SC
s to my Meridian G68’s
LFE output using a splitter. However, after much experimentation,
I found I preferred to simply run the BP7000
SC
s full range
through single and very sexy runs of Transparent Reference
speaker cable. This configuration allowed me to set my
processor’s speaker settings to Large and then dial in the sub’s
overall volume at the speaker itself. This configuration also came
in handy when I connect the BP7000
SC
s to my two-channel rig,
consisting of a Mark Levinson 433 amplifier and matching 326
preamp (reviews pending on both Mark Levinson components),
which doesn’t have a speaker setting and must run everything
full-range. I ended up setting the volume dials on each of the
speakers to roughly 10 o’ clock, with high noon signaling halfway.
That’s a scary thought, considering the amount of blissful bass
I experienced at such a low setting; needless to say, I didn’t
really scratch the surface of the BP7000
SC
s’ sub-sonic output.
I must also point out that, for the course of this review,
Definitive Technology sent me a matching full-range powered
center, the L/C/R 3000, and a pair of bipolar surrounds, the
BPVX/Ps. I should also mention that, should you invest in this
system, the entire system price for what I’ve just described will
run you roughly $7,500. Considering the price of most high-end
multi-channel speaker groupings, it’s an astonishingly low figure
for a full-range speaker system.
Movies And Television
I kicked things off with the Peter Malick Group, featuring the
ever-popular Norah Jones (Koch Records). This tremendous
recording features Jones’
trademark breathy vocals,
accompanied by the well-
recorded stylings of blues
guitarist Peter Malick. The
opening track, “New York
City,” features
a very articulate drum line
accompanied by a punchy
yet slow rolling bass guitar.
Through the BP7000
SC
s,
the bass lines were rendered
with excellent heft and impact while retaining all the necessary
speed and articulation found in all of the best acoustic recordings.
The kick drum has a three-dimensionality to it that you’ll need a
true full-range speaker to fully realize, which the BP7000
SC
s
provided time and again. The kick drum was beautifully rendered
and on par with the best in terms of breath, extension and weight.
One cannot fault the BP7000
SC
s’ large subwoofer drivers for
being slow; in fact, they are among the most nimble I’ve heard in
recent memory. Moving up the spectrum, Norah’s vocals were as
pristine as ever. The BP7000
SC
’s tweeter is nearly without rival in
terms of air, extension and ultimate sweetness. I tend to shy away
from aluminum tweeters as, more often than not, they are brittle
and can become harsh at louder volumes. Well, the BP7000
SC
’s
tweeter doesn’t fall into this camp. It only gets better with more
volume. If I had to fault it, I’d say it doesn’t retain all of its magic
when played by at low levels usually reserved for background
music during cocktail parties. Then again, at those levels, you’re
not critically listening anyway, so there you go. Where the
BP7000
SC
s really shine is throughout the midrange, which is
delightfully rich without becoming overtly bloated, a trait
beautifully illustrated throughout Norah’s vocals. The midrange
is warm and has a tinge of added weight to it, but the result
is fantastic when judged against the speaker’s other elements.
More importantly, for a speaker with so many drivers, the sonic
presentation is seamless. The BP7000
SC
s can image in
ways that defy their large stature, seemingly disappearing,
leaving only music and one hell of a center image behind. The
“The BP7000
SC
s are truly epic ... as quick
on their feet as Ali. They can float like a
butterfly and sting like a sledgehammer
to the skull.”
“The BP7000
SC
s continued to grace me
with magic”
“It only gets better with more volume ... the
sonic characteristic was seamless, bowling
me over with a wave of sonic brilliance.”
“ultimate sweetness ... delightfully rich ...
simply stunning”
