Customer Reviews

Definitive Technology ProMonitor 800 Bookshelf Speaker (Single, Black)

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For anyone in a hurry, I'll begin at the end: the DefTech 800s are a fantastic value. And fantastic little speakers regardless of price. I bought a pair for a 2.1 music setup, which doubles as a simple HT system. Coupled with a low-end Velodyne sub (VX-10) and 100-watt per channel amp (JVC RX-5060), the 800s' sound is so pure and musical that I find myself working through my CD collection just to hear how good everything sounds.

I've been a musician for 30 years and needed to go small to fit into a tastefully furnished living room. I read a lot, listened a lot, and found myself wanting DefTech 1000s (the next level up) but not able to handle their larger physical size. I tried a slightly smaller model from another prominent manufacturer but wasn't happy with the small sound. I finally took a gamble on the tiny 800s after reading every review I could find, nearly all glowing. But how good could a slim 8"-tall speaker sound? Well, damn good it turns out. Add the matching stands, and the visuals kick it, too.

I listen at reasonable volumes yet loud enough to demand attention, and the sound is surprisingly smooth and clear, reminiscent of higher-end audiophile models. To compare them to my pricier music studio rig, the 800s are very respectable although they do become a bit splashy if pushed hard with a low-end amp. They also sound good with HT, but music alone is the real test for me, and for that, these are a wonderful find at a modest price. The larger 1000 model is even nicer (fuller sound and higher efficiency)... but if you really need very small speakers, you'll have a hard time finding anything better than these little gems. Just don't forget the sub.

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A few afterthoughts, six months later...
If you do pull the trigger, I'd suggest spending plenty of time setting up the sub. I initially took a few weeks to break in the 800s, and their sound improved nicely as the speakers loosened up. I then dedicated some hours, spread over a week, to find the sweet spots for sub location, crossover setting, and balance. (Settled on 100Hz, but then took a long time tweaking the sub level and overall EQ.) As I'd read, such small speakers can sound noticeably different with even miniscule tweaks. Once I dialed things in, the 800s really came alive. I do suspect that these speakers, in particular, would excel with a high-quality amp and small room, at least if used in a 2.1 music setup. (They're noticeably less efficient than my old Advents.) But overall, seven months in, even with a cheap AV receiver and fairly large room, these DefTechs still make me grin. Big-time. Good luck to you, whichever way you head.

I recently sold my house and included my Bose Acoustimass 10 speaker system with the media room. I researched for many days and even considered buying another Bose set. After looking at CNET reviews (Bose was not listed in the top 10), I decided to buy the Pro Cinema 800 set. But instead of the 8" subwoofer I bought the 10" subwoofer. I bought all the speakers seperately (no cost savings buying the package) including my 10" Definitive subwoofer. The satellites are a lot bigger than the Bose satellites and this helps them reproduce a fuller spectrum of sound. The sound coming from the Pro 800 are more rich and full. On the top is a passive radiator that works in tandem with the woofer to help radiate lower frequencies (these speakers are acoustically suspended). The stand on the bottom is removable and there is an included plug to cover the mounting hole if you are mounting them on wall mounts (each speaker weighs about 4 pounds). The back has binding post connectors with banana conntor receptacle (female). These speakers definitely out perform my old Bose Acoustimass 10 speaker set and cost about the same. For the money, you can't go wrong with this set.

Pros:
- High gloss finish
- Quality construction
- Passive radiator
- Rich crisp sound
- Included stand

Cons:
- Would be nice in documentation to add recommend cross over frequency with sub woofer

These speakers are really something special. I was looking to replace my front speakers in a 5.1 setup and really needed something that could cross well with my center channel and ML subwoofer while still maintaining a small footprint. This was no easy task, and after about a week of searching I thought I was out of luck. Then I found the definitive pro monitor series.

For the size these speakers have a great frequency response. Rated down to 57hz(I will discuss this more below) these are perfect for an 80hz crossover in a home theater application. Since size was one of my concerns(and unfortunately a need)these speakers were a no brainer considering most of the competition satellite speakers cannot touch frequency ranges lower than 100hz. Cabinet build is very solid with a nice, esthetically pleasing design. These speakers contain a 4.5" woofer coupled to a passive radiator(which allows the speaker to produce lower frequency ranges in a small enclosure)as well as a 1" dome tweeter. I've been told that DefTech is an industry leader is designing small, versatile speakers and the pro monitor 800's are an impressive showing.

Now to the cons, which there are a few. First off, I have my doubts about the rated frequency response as well as the speaker sensitivity. While rated down to 57hz, Id say the actual lowest frequency these can hit are about 65-67hz without running the risk of hurting the speaker itself. Like I said before, these work great for an 80hz crossover, but for anyone who was thinking they could push these down to 60hz or even 70hz(which would still be risky IMO)think again. This is somewhat commonplace with speaker manufacturers these days which is unfortunate to say the least, but as long as you know the 800's limits they will play(and respond)just fine. My second issue is the rated sensitivity of 89dB. Most small or smallish speakers these days boast a sensitivity of 89dB. While this is generally fine, again, I believe these to be overrated by the manufacturer. The Deftech 800's can get fairly loud but in order to match the rest of your system you're going to need to do some adjusting in your receiver. All my speakers(except my center channel)are rated at 89dB and are generally much louder than these DefTech's. After adjusting the levels I found the right match, but before that these speakers were being greatly overpowered by the rest of my HT setup. Just something to keep in mind.

Overall this is an excellent product. The 800's still have a great frequency response despite the liberties taken by Deftech and will fair well in a small to medium sized room. I took a star away because these don't perform quite on par with what they are rated, but still a wonderful speaker nonetheless. With a little more room to work with now, i've decided to order the Deftech 1000's to make my fronts and move these to my rear. No matter how you intend to use them(HT or music)you won't be disappointed. These are simply one of, if not, the best small satellite speakers on the market.

I bought a pair of these to replace some Polk Audio surrounds, and all I can say is wow. I was totally blown away with the sound that these can reproduce clear and precise. They are a little bright for a few hours until they are broken in though. I have them matched up with a Denon 2809ci, 2 Klipsch VF35's and a C3 center and the sound, both home theater and music, is absolutely incredible.

When these speakers arrived, I somehow felt disappointed. I knew the dimensions before I bought them, but it somehow didn't hit me until I actually saw them. I even double-checked the speaker label to make sure I didn't get the wrong speakers by mistakes. Well, after an hour or so to set them up, I was pleasantly surprised by how good they sound. It's unbelievable such full range sound can come from such small speakers. I watched Kill Bill 1 and listened to some CDs w/o running then Audessy setup and it sounded good. I ran the Audessy setup and listened to other CDs and watched Donnie Darko and it sounded amazing. During some scenes on Donnie Darko where the music was emphasized, I couldn't believe how enveloping the sound was. Definitely no regrets with these Definitive Tech speakers.

Very satisfied with the sound of these small speakers, and I would consider myself a very discerning audiophile. I combined them with the Pro Sub 800 for a wonderful sound in my home-office. If you listen to classical music, this set-up delivers fantastic value for sound.

In the past few days I have been searching an upgrade for bookshelf speakers and I finally settled on a pair of these Definitive Technology ProMonitor 800. Even those these are considered to be "satellites" for their ProCinema800 line in home theater use, these work just as well for bookshelf speakers as indicated in Amazon's title description. I have these in black and both are paired to my Onkyo CR-325 receiver with Polk PSW10 subwoofer for solely listening to music. Needless to say, I have these in an exclusive 2.1 setup.

The aesthetics and quality of this speaker are truly superb. The top reason why I got these speakers in the first place after so much research was their relatively small size but excellent audio performing capabilities. Each is a good 4lbs and have a good solid feeling to them. They are finished in an uber classy shiny buffed piano black and come standard with a three-prong foot stand pre-installed. They look even more impressive with the speaker grill off, but I left mine on for dust protection. There are three components as shown in pictures, the tweeter, midrange driver, and passive radiator on top.

The sound from these ProMonitor800s are simply sublime! I bought these as an upgrade to the Bose Acoustimass 3 that came with my Onkyo receiver, and wow there really is NO comparison. To even mention these speakers in the same class as the Bose that I had would be an insult. I knew instantly what a worthy upgrade (and necessary, since I missed out so much on midrange detail from the Bose) this was once the music started playing. My music sound so much fuller across the spectrum coming from these ProMonitor800s. The trebles are sparkly, the midrange is smooth, bold, and present, with the mid bass ready to perform. Vocals sound so real, with instruments distinctively crisp it's like you're there. As far as soundstage goes, I have these speakers setup at least 8-10 feet part, and the imaging is just superb. The stereo imaging is excellent, and you can definitely hear the distinctions between vocals, instruments, and other ambient details in the music. This is just to describe the performance of these speakers within 9 hours of breaking them in. They are bound to sound even better after 40 hours of breaking them in according to the manual, allowing them to open up even further and sound more cohesive.

If you are thinking about these speakers and they fit in your budget, rest assured that you will be getting superb audio performance, and purchase these without hesitation. I was initially hesitant, but now am completely satisfied and am so glad I purchased these. I'm no audiophile by any means (or have the budget to be), but I do enjoy and know where quality audio acoustics exist, and can definitely recommend these without skipping a heartbeat.

I really enjoy these speakers. I have them mounted on the wall using the keyhole slots as my rear surrounds. There are two mounting options (threaded inserts, and keyhole slots). The binding posts are recessed so they do not interfere when the speakers is wall mounted. The speakers also come with bottom bracket with three feet to allow the speakers to be placed on a shelf. A fill plug is also included to fill the bottom bracket hole when wall mounted.

There is an active tweeter and mid-range driver on the front and a passive radiator on the top. The removable grill covers the front and the top. The downside to having a fabric grill on the top is collection of dust. You cannot just wipe with the fabric with a cloth, it takes a little more time.

The cabinet does not rattle or have any negative effects on the sound. The speakers weigh about 4 lbs each. I think they are light for their size, but it makes wall mounting easier.

I have been very pleased with their performance. I have turned the volume up louder than I am comfortable listening and I have not had any distortion. I would recommend these speakers.

I use two 800's for my rear surround speakers and they don't disappoint. Excellent sound reproduction and bass output. Better than my old Bose was!

A well designed, high quality product. Works perfectly in a 5.1 or 7.1 system in smaller rooms with a ProSub 800 and ProCenter 1000. Exceptional sound for the money.