Definitive Technology TPV5604 dimensions Subwoofer Survey, Specifications

S U R V E Y C h r i s M a r t e n s

Subwoofer Survey:

Definitive Technology SuperCube Reference

“World-Class”

Definitive Technology’s new SuperCube Reference sub- woofer is dead serious about delivering world-class low bass in a compact package,

fitting a 14" long-throw woofer, two 14" passive radiators, a beefy 1800-watt Class-D amplifier, and an extensive con- trol panel with electronic crossover inside an enclosure that measures just under 17" per side. Don’t let those compact dimensions fool you; this subwoofer is capable of incredible low-frequency extension (reaching below 20Hz with authority) and very high output (playing nearly as loudly as four of Definitive’s original SuperCube Is). Obviously this sub- woofer offered large quantities of low bass on demand, but what sur- prised me was the amazing quality of the bass it produced.

In sharp contrast to the many big,

billowy, boomy subwoofers on the market, the SuperCube Reference was at heart an audiophile’s sub- woofer—one that combined the cat-quick reflexes of Jet Li with the man-mountain clout of Warren Sapp. The result was a subwoofer that speaks forcefully and clearly,

SPECIFICATIONS

SuperCube Reference

Frequency response: 11–200Hz

Integral amplifier power: 1800 watts

Driver complement: One 14" long-throw

woofer, two 14" passive radiators

Dimensions: 16.7" x 16.7" x 16.9"

Weight: 111 lbs.

Warranty (parts and labor): Five years

(speaker), three years (amplifier)

Price: $1699

yet is capable of remarkable delica- cy and grace. In the first few minutes of Open Range, for example, a coming cloudburst is announced by a nearby lightning strike, and the SuperCube Reference captured the subterranean slam of the lightning bolt and the loud peal of thunder that followed so con- vincingly that I started involuntarily and instictively began looking around to see if the lightning blast had fried any of my home-theater components (one of those moments where cinematic art imitated life too closely for my com- fort). What is more, the SuperCube

Reference proved equally convinc- ing on music, striking a great bal- ance between power and control,

and offering so much headroom that it never seemed to be working hard.

There aren’t many subwoofers that can outperform the SuperCube Reference, and the few I’ve heard that do cost a lot more. I recom- mend this subwoofer highly, sub- ject only to the suggestion that you

use crossover frequency settings below 100Hz (so as not to force the 14" woofer and passive radiators to go

higher than they should). CM

11433 Cronridge Dr. • Owings Mills, MD 21117 • (410)363-7148

Visit us at www.definitivetech.com

Excerpted from The Perfect Vision magazine, May/June 2004.