Intro
Contents
Definitive Technology is not exactly a speaker brand that comes to mind when we ask you to list a top five speaker brands. The American brand was founded in 1990 and is still in private hands. By the way, they are part of Sound United. And that now ensures that it is also delivered in the Netherlands. After all, Denon and Marantz (and Polk) are also part of that group. We are testing the Definitive Technology D15 floor stand
American speakers don’t always do well in the Netherlands. Or even Europe. That has a bit to do with the sound tuning. It’s different in America than it is in Europe. Also in Asia, by the way. It’s fascinating, because it has a lot to do with quite a lot of things: construction of houses, musical taste and habituation. But it seems that also the hearing is different (a different ‘tuning’ and sensitivity).
Partly because of the above reasons, American speakers sometimes sound a bit full and bassish. Not something most European listeners are fond of. Definitive Technology – and we understood Polk too – have noticed that. And so there is another sound tuning for models coming to Europe. It turns out – if we take Fukushima who is responsible for the tuning – that the European tuning is also doing very well in the US. Funny to hear.
Construction
Definitive Technology prides itself on its style and construction. The front is made entirely of thick aluminium. We estimate in half an inch. The cabinet itself is also nice and thick and well reinforced. It has to be, because with two active and two passive woofers located there, there is a lot of pressure in the cabinet. The two passive woofers are large aluminium models. On both sides. That’s how Definitive decreases the resonances. They cancel each other out. We often see that in subwoofers.
The real bass comes from two carbon reinforced drivers. The pressure they build up also goes to the passive woofers on the side of the cabinet. Then there’s a BDSS midrange driver with the famous phase ‘mushroom’. This should improve the radiating behaviour of the mid tones. Especially off-axis. And finally the trebble. This is provided by an off-set aluminium dome tweeter. It is placed out of the middle to make reflection not symmetrical and to prevent cancellation of some frequencies.
We find the Demand D15 very well build. It looks very neat. It’s a slender column with a sleek appearance.
Finally, the foot. Although not very large, it provides sufficient sturdiness and fits neatly into the design. In short: mission accomplished if you ask us. On to the view!
