Definitive Technology is betting that the new immersive sound formats Dolby Atmos and DTS:X are going to help usher in a new level of excitement in home theater sound. The company just announced an update to its speaker line-up with the new BP9000 series of bipolar tower speakers and invited a few press folks to a Manhattan hotel suite lat month to check them out up close. These new tower speakers offer built-in up-firing height channel speakers or add-on modules which are fully integrated into the design. This design provides a clean look and simplified wiring while still capturing the essence of height-enabled immersive 3D surround sound.
The top of the line BP9080X ($1749 each) includes the height module right in the main tower speaker while the BP9020 ($649 each), BP9040 ($899 each) and BP9060 ($1099 each) accept a plug-in height speaker module, the A90 ($499). The flagship BP9080X is expected to begin shipping this Summer while the rest of the tower speakers in the BP9000 line are expected to be available later this month (May, 2016).
Installing the A90 height speaker module is as simple as popping off the tower's brushed aluminum top plate and replacing it with the height module. The wiring for the height speaker is inside the cabinet and the speaker terminals for the height channels are on the back of the main tower just above the main speaker terminals. You can see Director of Brand Management, Joel Sietsema from Definitive Technology/Sound United demonstrate how easy it is to plug in the A90 module in the video below.
The BP9000 is Def Tech's fourth generation of Bipolar tower speakers. Bipolar speakers use speaker drivers in both the front and rear of the cabinet to create a more diffuse and immersive soundstage, both in traditional two-channel set-ups and in multi-channel surround sound systems. Along with the tower speakers and height module, the company has introduced matching center channels and surround speakers. The new collection consists of the BP9020, BP9040, BP9060 and flagship BP9080X floor standing Bipolar tower speakers; the CS9040, CS9060 and CS9080 center channel speakers; the SR9040 and SR9080 surround speakers; and the A90 height speaker module. The A90 module is said to offer compatibility with both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X immersive sound.
We checked out the new towers last month and found that they did a nice job creating the enveloping soundstage of Dolby Atmos, using the A90 up-firing speaker module on top. But maybe even more impressive was a two-channel demo which showcased the BP9060 using stereo high-res audio files as the source. Vocals were nicely locked in the center while the accompanying instruments were spaced in a wide soundstage across the front of the room. Low bass duties were handled well by the towers' integrated powered subwoofers. No external subs were used in the demo (nor were they needed).
The flagship BP9080X floor-standing tower speaker features a patented forward-focused ("did he said Ford Focus?") Bipolar driver array, an integrated, powered 12-inch subwoofer, and dual bass radiators. There's some smart processing on board which the DefTech folks call "Intelligent Bass ControlTM." This allows owners to crank up the deep bass without sacrificing the tonal quality of the middle bass registers or adding boominess to male vocals. The company showcased this feature on the BP9060 and I can say it worked as expected, adding noticeable room shake without much muddiness or sloppiness.
Each BP9080X includes three 5.25-inch mid-range drivers and two 1-inch aluminum dome tweeters for articulate midrange and clear high frequencies. The BP9080X also includes an integrated 2-way up-firing height speaker for use in a Dolby Atmos or DTS:X-enabled system. The smaller towers step the powered woofer driver size down to 10 inches (BP9060) or 8 inches (BP9020 and 9040) to accomodate the smaller cabinet volume. All three of the smaller towers (BP9020, BP9040, BP9060) can be upgraded to Dolby Atmos/DTS:X-compatibility with the addition of the A90 height speaker module.
The new matching center channel speakers include the CS9040, CS9060 and CS9080. All feature integrated bass-technologies including an 8-inch subwoofer (CS9060 and CS9080) or bass radiators (CS9040 and CS9080), 1-inch aluminum dome tweeters and dual mid-range drivers (4.5-inch for the CS9040 and 9060 and 5.25-inch for the CS9080). The CS9060 and CS9080 (WITH powered subwoofer) also include the Intelligent Bass Control feature. New rear/side surround speakers include the SR9040 and SR9080. Both feature two 1-inch aluminum dome tweeters and two mid-range drivers. The SR9040 includes 3.5-inch mid-range drivers while the SR9080 offers 4.5-inch mid-range drivers. Both also bipolar in design for maximum immersion.
Definitive Technology BP9000 Line Pricing & Availability:
Powered Towers:
Height Module:
Center Channels:
Surround Speakers:
The BP9000 series loudspeakers will be available at national retailers including Magnolia Home Theater and Magnolia Design Center locations inside Best Buy, Amazon and Crutchfield.
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