Price Paid:  $680.00 from Audiojunction

Summary:
I am back and i recently purchased another ProMonitor 200 for use as a center channel. The reason for purchasing another one is quite simple, I wanted to have a seamless sound across the front soundstage, and i wanted high powerhandling and especially full range frequency response. So foar i have listened to is music. Using my Yamaha RX-V1300 receiver with the ProLogic II Music and a Harman Kardon FL8380 HDCD player and a Monster Cable Digital Coax I started off by listening to Josh Groban because his voice is beautiful and deep this would be a serious test of the low octaves that the Pro200 could do well. Next I put on Elton John's and Tim Rice's AIDA and wow what timbre matching the voices sound exactly the same no matter which channel they came from be it Left,Center, or Right speakers. The truest test i always and will always be The General's Daughter HDCD this is the most underated soundtrack I have heard. It is truly dynamic, with one of the largest soundstages I have come across. and these speakers did a better job than any other speakers for the money I have tried.

Strengths:
Full range sound High Power Handling High Sensitivity

Weaknesses:
Bass Rolls Off Quickly Below 50Hz

Similar Products Used:
Polk, Optimus

Price Paid:  $1600.00 from Marvin's Electronics

Summary:
Since I didn’t want a freestanding subwoofer, I sound shopped for “powered towers” only. That restricted my search to DefTech, Klipsch, AR, NHT, Polk and Infinity, plus a few others. The 04s won easily against all but the NHTs. The NHTs, however, cost three times more than the 04s. Set-up was easy with the simple hook-up although stabilizing the heavy towers was a hassle: It took myself and a neighbor to safely affix the spikes and stabilizer feet. Speaker placement is far more critical than DefTech indicates. I placed the 04s in several different configurations, settling on ten inches from back wall, slight toe-in, tilted back with supplied spikes in front and supplied stabilizing feet in back and the built-in subs facing outward. Break-in took a long time, but worth it! The sound is simply awesome. Highs are light and accurate. I hear Tool’s drum cymbals more distinctly and Miles Davis’ trumpet is clearer, cleaner, and more intimate than on my soft dome ADS 1090s. Mids are right on the money with exceptional vocals. Sting, Norah, Maynard, Sade…whoever; they all sound great. Bass is great (music) to exceptional (HT), but please keep in mind that I’m not a bass freak. HT bass (I use the LFE hook-up) is fantastic: Full but not overwhelming. I have a few friends (total-destruction-of-home-interior bass fiends) that suggest my HT setup would benefit from an additional, dedicated subwoofer. I disagree. The 04s provide plenty of deep, accurate HT bass. Music bass, on the other hand, is merely great. It goes low, but how low does an electric or stand-up bass go? 40 Hz? It seemed to me the 04s pump out bass frequencies that shouldn’t be there. And music bass didn’t seem as “tight” as the dual seven-inch woofers in my ADS 1090s. The same friends that suggested a sub for HT can’t get enough of the 04s in music. I solved the problem by dialing back the bass level on the ’04s to eight o’clock for music, with HT at ten to eleven o’clock. The “lighter” bass setting on music tightened up bass considerably, making me happy and the bass fiends still gobble it up. I cannot imagine why a listener would want more bass than the 04s can deliver in music listening, with the possible exception of rap and/or electronic dance fans. The only negative is the frequent resetting of bass from music to HT and back. Imaging is as good or better than non-bipolar speakers I’ve listened to in the same price range. Vocals are dead center front and drums seem behind the wall. Soundstage is very, very wide considering the excellent imaging. However, the ‘04s that I listened to at Marvin’s sounded more open and airy. The soundstage seemed to extend from sidewall to sidewall to the ceiling. Although I think placing them with no toe-in would open them up more without sacrificing imaging too much, I’m pleased enough with the sound not adjust placement further. In the end, the 04s in HT simply ROCK in their current set-up playing 70% HT to 30% stereo, although music listening will probably increase as my kids age. Finally, I really love the 04’s “look”. Tall, slender cabinets with easy to clean “sock” and caps. The all-black look fits with our décor perfectly so even my wife is pleased. The small footprint allows for a normal arrangement of furniture, TV, etc… Again, my wife is happy. For the curious, my HT speaker set-up is all DefTech: 2004s at L/R main, ProCenter C2, ProMonitor 100s in L/R rear driven by a Yamaha A-V1105 receiver. I will soon upgrade my receiver and later on I plan to upgrade to a C/L/R 2000 at center and upgrade to ProMonitor 200s in the rear. Thus I can set my center and rears to “large” and feed them full range sound.

Strengths:
Superb sound Great value Great looking Plenty of bass without separate subwoofer Delivers wide soundstage with excellent imaging Accurate vocals! Will play very, very loud with quality amplification

Weaknesses:
Placement challenges in some rooms Difficult to stabilize properly Needs high-end eletronics to really shine

Similar Products Used:
ADS 1090 Listened to AR, NHT, Polk, Klipsch, Infinity and others

Price Paid:  $245.00 from Ultimate Electronics

Summary:
I can't believe these things. These are obviously the best speakers I have heard under $500. They easily rival some of the small 2 way speakers that are currently in vogue in the $1,500 to $2,500 range. They have very good imaging, an open sound which is not brash, and limit bass as they should (because of drivers and enclosure) to about 60hz (my guess). Placement is easy, and they like corners. You can even put them on the floor and angle them up, though it looks odd because of their size. The single characteristic which is most amazing is that they maintain the aforementioned qualities at relatively high volume and they sound BIG. I've never encountered these qualities to such an extent in a small speaker. All I can say is give them a listen at home side by side with other speakers you are considering (just return the speaker that loses, most stores will let you). Those of you that can remember the really small Brauns of the early 70s or the Linnaems of the early 80s might remember the surprise of the great sound from the small box. The 200 Monitors will startle you.

Strengths:
Absolutely amazing sound, high quality, easily placed, low price.

Weaknesses:
Looks. And I excuse the looks because of the great sound. If Def Tech stuck this enclosure in a nice looking box they might sell more, and they would have more of a snooty appeal.

Similar Products Used:
Lots and lots of speakers in general and many small speakers including the current Polks (which Stereophile mag loved but I think sound like they play through cardboard tubes though I generally like P

Summary:
Purchased as part of a package
ProMonitor 200 - front
ProCenter C2 - center
ProSub 200TL - subwoofer
BP 2X - surround

I'm very pleased with this package. The ProMonitors have a very clear and natural sound that doesn't pump up the treble like my prior JBL,Genesis or Bose speakers. The sound is excellent for both music and DVDs.

The stands could be improved, but this is a very minor point.

Overall, the Definitive Technology system has been every bit as good as the magazine reviews and the comments here indicate.

Strengths:
Clear, neutral sound

Weaknesses:
Stands

Similar Products Used:
Various JBL, Genesis, Bose

Price Paid:  $500.00 from Tweeter

Summary:
If you want high end without paying thousands of dollars, definitive is the way to go. These speakers sound great. I can't wait to get a sub to complete the my system. Simply an amazing speaker and a reliable company.

Strengths:
Absolutely amazing sound. Incredible bass response for such small woofers. The bases provide a wide range of staging for abnormal settings like an apartment.

Weaknesses:
None

Similar Products Used:
Klipsch