Anyone have any opinions on Definitive Technology's BP7006? And which Axiom speakers would these compare to?

http://www.definitivetech.com/Products/products.aspx?path=Floor-Standing%20Speakers&productid=BP7006

As they have a powered sub I don't think it is all that fair to compare them to Axioms product line.

Although they did give me an idea of dual passive radiators on the EP400.

I would not completely dismiss it. I'm not a fan of power-towers as you can't move the subs separate from the high/mids so you generally have to pick between better imaging and better bass response. Thus, room modes are more frustrating to deal with. But assuming you are not locked in to powered-towers you could easily get better sound from M80s or M60s plus a good sub. Alan would be the best to address this, but I think it is safe to say one ep500 would generate better (deeper and more accurate) bass than two 8" subs locked into L/R formation. In short, you have several options, but I don't know the price of the DefTechs so you will have to look a bit further.
On the whole, I like DefTech's okay, but don't find them to keep up with real high-end speakers. The company's focus is more mass market so you don't see any trickle-down in the technology. I always find the mid-level of the really good speaker companies gives you the best bang for the buck - i.e., Paradigm Studios, B&W 700's, PSB Image, etc. Axiom does not have a halo product range (a $10K speaker to show off) but they don't have the dealer network screaming for such a showroom display either. The M60 is well placed against the others mentioned, and the M80 really aims higher, at a moderate premium.

Edit: now I see the price. I don't trust it. Two 300 watt amps, plus two subs, plus radiators, plus 4 tweets and mids for each tower...for $1,200 MSRP. They have to skimp somewhere. PSB Image T65 used to be a powered tower, if memory serves, and it no longer is. Yet it still cost $1200 without two amps to deal with. The PSB is, in my opinion, similar to the Axioms. The DefTech is just not in the same group in terms of quality.

Actually, I've always liked the idea of powered towers. Not to replace a sub for LFE, but simply to allow a truly full-range speaker that might be relatively flat to 24Hz or so. Plus, having the built-in amps just takes that much more off the receivers load.

Finally, in my square room, the more bass sources the better to even out my nodes!

I'd love to see an M80-type speaker with an 8" or 10" woofer and a built-in 250 watt amp...

Well, I was comparing a tower plus sub to the DefTechs alone. Sure, take a speaker much better than the DefTechs and add a 10" sub, plus your existing subs, and my comments are generally useless - as you are describing a $6,000 speaker! Besides, my Bose 201 get down to 24Hz, what's the big deal.

Oh yeah, I didn't say I could afford it...

I expected more from you...why don't you have a picture of the M80 with an ep600 duct taped to its side? Slacking Mark.

I think SutterCane used to own DT's and liked them very much.

I'm helping a friend decide on some speakers and the room he is getting the speakers for has no room for any kind of sub. It's an awkward room with sliding glass doors, a fireplace, connected to the kitchen, etc, etc. He at least is off the Bose idea, even though satellites (other than Bose) may be a better option for the room.

After going to Magnolia, he sort of decided he may like the definitives just for the added built in subwoofer. I haven't heard them them but I would guess 2 built in subwoofers has to add some value to the sound.

I was just trying to compare prices for him with something in Axiom's range. Given the ideal room with the right places to put fronts and a sub and decent places to mount or place surrounds, it opens a whole world of choices for speakers.

You could take the pre-amp out of your receiver and run it into a EP175, set the cross-over point to somewhere from 60 to 120 Hz, and send the high-pass onto an Outlaw 200W monoblock which is strapped to an M22 sitting on the sub (or nearby).

That's less than $1500 a channel. Substitute subs, speakers, and amps to taste.

I have this old one from a few years ago:

Better Mark, much better. Tape would help, but I give it a B+.

It is an interesting design.

I used to like the tone of DefTech speakers (when there were actual Stereo stores you could go to listen to things) before I got my Axioms. What I ultimately did not like was the bipolar design. While it does have a room-filling effect, I think it does so to the detriment of imaging, phase coherence, etc. Kind of like a modern-day Bose design; let's bounce the sound all over the place.

I also don't like the form factor. Those full-length speaker-grill-cloth socks just don't do it for me. Besides being ugly, they would be an absolute loser in any environment where kids or pets produce hair or other gunk that might stick to cloth.

I'd be interested to know about the crossovers and response graphs. Frankly, I'm not sure I can believe 17Hz at the low end. Also, with only a single 8" "sub", how do you manage to effectively cover the midrange and midbass with one, 4.5" driver facing forwards and one facing the rear? Something just doesn't make sense to me. If you're really trying to get 17Hz from that 8" driver/radiator array, how can it also play high enough with low distortion to appropriately relieve a 4.5" driver at its bottom point?

It just seems kind of gimmicky to me.

Well, I just don't think, at that price, the subs are going to do what you want. IMO, and nothing more, he would be better off with a good full range speaker and skip the sub, rather than getting so many components shoved into a box for $600. He could buy a better amp with the savings, etc. I'm just not a believer in adding more cheap components to overshadow "improve" the existing cheap components' performance. (That sounds snooty, I know.)

Before my M80s I had a pair of Def Tech Pro tower 400s. They each had a 125 watt amp and was rated down to some where around 19HZ. There was no way in heck these speakers went that low. Mind ya I didn't do any frequency sweeps but you can tell when a speaker is truly full range. IMO they were nice but there is a lot of hype behind the brand.

I also had trouble with both amps on the subs TWICE. They did stand behind them but sending them back was on my dime. Even after that the amps would kick on every so often by themselves with nothing being fed to them. Hell I'd be just sitting here and then THUMP, the damn things would have turned on.

I sold them; bought my Axioms and never looked back. I'd bet ya the M80s reach lower then those so called subs in the Def Techs.

Oh and btw I had to send back the speakers and not just the amps.......$$$$$$.

You didn't buy them from Randy, did you?

I have seen posts on audioholics suggesting that 3rd party measurements showed that the powered towers do not reach their stated low end. A google search should turn up some reviews.

It takes a driver like the JL12W7 to reach that low and those drivers retail for about $600 a piece, not to mention they are 12".

17Hz from an 8" driver would imply it's able to go lower than the majority of dedicated subs out there(12"++). That is hard to believe.

It is well known Def Techs published specs are not accurate. There should be some 3rd party measurements on these speakers somewhere. Is the 7006 their top speaker?

Edit: Go fredk!

Gee,guys; why all the skepticism? Since DefTech doesn't state any level for their 17Hz-30KHz response spec, it's entirely possible that it's true, but just happens to be 30-40dB down at each end.

Right on the money as always John.

The 7006 is one of their lowest model with the powered subwoofers.

I've read several reviews of the Def Tech tower speakers. Just last week there was a review about their flagship towers that run $3000 per pair and the measured frequency response is 39 Hz -3dB and 29Hz -6dB. Well the m80's or m60's do that and are much cheaper. I can't see the point of the active sub's in the Def Tech speakers when they don't extend any further than most other tower speakers. But, reading the reviews of the Def Tech speakers it seems that they are geared toward the guy that can't get WAF for a subwoofer. Even so, the Axiom m80's or m60's have about the same footprint and a lower cost. The original poster was asking about the Def Tech bp7006's though. They are $1200 per pair, so they are about the same price as the m60's and m80's. Also, since they have the same frequency responses and have had very good reviews it may be a close shootout if he can find a Def Tech dealer to listen to these and compare to Axiom.



- Nick

I was going to comment on the specs of an 8" powered woofer being able to reach 17hz, even with 2 passive radiators helping out, I was in doubt of the specs. They might reach 17hz, but as JohnK mentioned, be down substantially from the rest of the spectrum so they wouldn't even be felt, but they might be able to measure them that low. I would suggest your friend look at one of the smaller subs out there like the Paradigm DSP3100, it has great power and sound for a relatively small box, combine this sub with M60s/M80s and I believe this will sound better and reach lower than the DT's.

Hi , if you are going to listen to music with the definitive speakers i found the high end a little too bright for my taste .

Welcome to the forum PTPlayers

A simple solution for the -40db at each end would be to daisy-chain 4 vintage 80's EQ's. Boost the bottom-end slider 10db's on each and well-la, you have a nice flat frequency response just as if you had Axiom speakers!!!
That's why they call me the 80'sMan!

lets talk about service and the ability to get a hold of a manufacturer at all when in time of need or professional opinion.
I have had a service company for 19 years and would say that Axiom exceeds the service of most if not all companies I have done business with both personally and through business and I deal with over 15 manufactures in my industry on a regular basis.

Axiom shows old school service and sales which was why I spent for me a couple of thousand more than I would of had it not been for the service and quality that was recommended to me from a friend.

Service and communication is the key to sucess and Axiom delivers.

Welcome, Tim. That's a pretty definitive statement about Axiom's service.

Thank you, long time lurker and finally decided to join .