Founded in 1990 by Sandy Gross, Don Givogue and Ed Blais, Definitive Technology used a unique combination of great design and technology, slick cosmetics, and razor sharp marketing to beat the established players at their own game and claim its own spot at the top of the cutthroat affordable high end loudspeaker market. Definitive focused on the then-budding concept of home theater and provided designs specifically focused on it but also with enough refinement to excel in music-only settings. Eventually, in late 2004, Directed Technologies, the world's largest vehicle-security and remote-start company and owner of the Viper, Clifford, Orion, a/d/s, Precision Power, and Python brands (among others), bought Definitive as its entry into home audio and home theater and has kept the brand's standards high.

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Part of its BiPolar series featuring five "Supertower" floorstanding designs with built-in powered subwoofers, three passive floorstanding bipolar designs, and four surround designs, the BP7006 ($649.00 each, MSRP) is the smallest of the Supertower models. As a bipolar design, it features one front and rear driver array, each utilizing one high-definition cast-basket 4.5-inch bass/midrange driver coupled to a 1-inch annealed Pure Aluminum dome tweeter. For the low end, the BP7006 employs one patented 8-inch side-firing subwoofer driven by a 300-Watt class D amplifier, and two pressure-coupled 8-inch Low Bass passive radiators.

The tweeters and midranges are mounted on a slim baffle to reduce diffraction, which is lowered further by the BP7006's rounded, grill-less monocoque cabinet covered by a black sock. The rock-solid cabinet, made from medite, features extensive bracing and damping to reduce internal standing waves. The cabinet is topped by a thick top plate finished in gloss black. Measuring 38.125 inches high by 6.25 inches wide by 11.5 inches deep and weighing 49 pounds, the BP7006 is a slim, stout, not-too-tall offering that stays out of the way and looks great. The back panel integrates beautifully into the cabinet and features a pair of five-way, gold-plated binding posts, a single RCA input for LFE signals, and a subwoofer volume control.

The BP7006 provides stabilizer bars and a spiking kit to facilitate placement on most floor surfaces. The fit and finish of the BP7006 is amongst the best in its class. Parts quality is high, the look is slick, and it weighs enough to clearly indicate there's a lot going on inside. Watch out for the sock covering the cabinet, however - it's a little on the thin side, and could wear out fast in high-traffic environments. It also doesn't come off, which may not appeal to those wanting the last shred of fidelity.

Sound
The BP7006 was evaluated with no LFE input and the subwoofers facing inward, using only music sources. Even with the powered subwoofers handling the low bass, the BP7006 still needed good quality power to sound its best. Average quality power sources didn't come close to driving it properly.

The BP7006 threw an exceptionally wide, deep soundstage with very crisp imaging and lots of information coming from outside the speakers. The bipolar design really flourishes in these areas, offering a big, spacious, holographic presentation that really captivates. You need space behind and next to it, of course, for those extra drivers to breathe, but if you can provide that the rewards are huge. The top end had a light, airy quality that sounded better with rock and electronic material. While it stayed on the right side of smooth, and had just enough detail and speed with classical, acoustic and jazz material, it could have used a bit more of an edge and overall musical quality. The blend into the midrange was very smooth, and almost seamless. The mids also had a lighter balance on piano and vocals, but still offered enough weight and bite to retain musicality. The midrange lacked the honkiness that many "budget" speakers have, which was refreshing. Instead, the balance needed a little more meat in the lower mids to round things out, but that was only apparent on the occasional acoustic and vocal track. Overall, the mids had a good balance of speed and substance.

Continue reading about the BP7006 loudspeaker on Page 2.