Definitive Technology StudioMonitor 450 Speakers (Pair, Black)

by Definitive Technology

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 8.4 x 13 inches
• Shipping Weight: 42 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B000UW07MO
• Item model number: MBLA/MBLB
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #50,812 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
  • #85 in Electronics > Home Audio & Theater > Stereo Components > Speakers > Satellite Speakers

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Power and Performance in a Bookshelf Speaker

Definitive’s StudioMonitors 450s are compact, high-performance, magnetically shielded full-range bookshelf speakers. Their non-resonant monocoque cabinets feature Definitive’s elegant piano-gloss black lacquer endcap/wraparound grille cloth styling. Enclosed are 1" pure aluminum dome tweeters perfectly blended to Definitive's signature 6-1/2" cast-basket high-definition bass/midrange drivers tightly coupled to a planar-technology pressure-driven, side-mounted 10" subwoofer. The StudioMonitors’ sonic performance is truly stunning, producing huge razor-sharp, three-dimensional sonic images combined with incredible detail, ruler-flat frequency response and rich, full bass. Because the StudioMonitors are true full-range speakers with extended low-frequency characteristics, they deliver superb performance both as stand-alone speakers as well as when combined with separate subwoofers (which they are designed to seamlessly blend with).

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Technical Specifications

• Dimensions: 8-3/8" W x 11-7/16" D x 13" H
• Frequency Response: 24 Hz – 30 kHz
• Driver Complement:
• – 6-1/2" cast-basket polymer coned bass/midrange driver
• – One 1" pure aluminum dome tweeter with a 10" pressure-driven subwoofer
• Nominal Impedance: Compatible with 4 – 8 ohms
• Rec. Assoc. Amplification: 20 – 225 watts
• Efficiency: 90 db
• Finish: Gloss Black

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Choosing Definitive Technology Speakers for Your Home

Definitive Technology offers many quality speakers that are just right for your home. Which speaker, or set of speakers, you choose depends on how much you are willing to spend and which features you prioritize in a home theater environment. All of Definitive Technology's speakers are audiophile-engineered, designer-styled loudspeakers intended for musical reproduction and home theater systems of the highest quality. Thousands of man-hours of critical listening and engineering utilizing the most advanced computer loudspeaker development programs available--along with fundamental research at the world's most advanced loudspeaker research facility--have combined to create unmatched instruments for the reproduction of music or movies in your home.

	2002 Center Channel Speaker: Definitive's 2000 series of left/center/right channel speakers have always led the industry with the best-sounding shielded center channels available. Optimum surround sound home theater reproduction places heavy demands on the center channel speaker, which in many respects is the main speaker in the system and often handles 50% or more of the audio information. These C/L/Rs are also superb as matching center, left and right channel speakers and can be positioned horizontally or vertically. All feature non-resonant monocoque cabinets with Linkwitz-Riley crossover networks, pure aluminum dome tweeters and die-cast-basket bass/midrange drivers in D'Appolito arrays.
	BP1.2X Surround Speakers: Definitive's bipolar rear surround speakers are true bipolar systems containing two complete full-range speaker system, one on each side of the cabinet. Bipolar technology is absolutely superior for surround speakers because it synergistically combines the performance advantages of direct radiating (imaging, focus, localization, and specificity) and dipolar speakers (spacious, sourceless, all-enveloping ambience) into one ideal system which is perfect for all discret 5.1 formats including Dolby Digital AC-3, DTS as well as the new Dolby EX and Dolby Pro-Logic. They are all full-range, extremely linear, low-distortion systems which are timbre-matched to blend perfectly with all our speakers as well as other high-quality speaker systems. The Definitive bipolar rear speakers all have tremendous dynamic range as well as true high-definition sound quality which, combined with their bipolar radiation pattern, results in total immersion in the sound field.
	SuperCube II Subwoofer: Definitive's SuperCubes are a new breed of powered subwoofers which utilize unique technology and components in order to achieve state-of-the-art performance from remarkably small boxes. Remember, it is important to understand when you are evaluating the SuperCubes that you cannot simply compare them to conventional subwoofers based on driver size. Because of their unique technology, the SuperCubes deliver far superior performance to conventional subwoofers which utilize drivers of 50% - 80% larger diameter. Equipped with one 8-inch long-throw polymer subwoofer coupled to two 8-inch pressure-driven infrasonic bass radiators.
	StudioMonitors 350 Speakers are compact, high-performance, magnetically shielded full-range bookshelf speakers. Their non-resonant monocoque cabinets feature Definitive’s elegant piano-gloss black lacquer endcap/wraparound grille cloth styling. Enclosed are 1-inch pure aluminum dome tweeters perfectly blended to Definitive's signature 5.25-inch cast-basket high-definition bass/midrange drivers tightly coupled to a planar-technology pressure-driven, side-mounted 8-inch subwoofer. The StudioMonitors' sonic performance is truly stunning, producing huge razor-sharp, three-dimensional sonic images combined with incredible detail, ruler-flat frequency response and rich, full bass. Because the StudioMonitors are true full-range speakers with extended low-frequency characteristics, they deliver superb performance both as stand-alone speakers as well as when combined with separate subwoofers (which they are designed to seamlessly blend with).
	StudioMonitor 450 Speakers are compact, high-performance, magnetically shielded full-range bookshelf speakers. Their non-resonant monocoque cabinets feature Definitive’s elegant piano-gloss black lacquer endcap/wraparound grille cloth styling. Enclosed are 1-inch pure aluminum dome tweeters perfectly blended to Definitive's signature 6.5-inch cast-basket high-definition bass/midrange drivers tightly coupled to a planar-technology pressure-driven, side-mounted 10-inch subwoofer. The StudioMonitors' sonic performance is truly stunning, producing huge razor-sharp, three-dimensional sonic images combined with incredible detail, ruler-flat frequency response and rich, full bass. Because the StudioMonitors are true full-range speakers with extended low-frequency characteristics, they deliver superb performance both as stand-alone speakers as well as when combined with separate subwoofers (which they are designed to seamlessly blend with).

Product Description

Definitive Technology's new StudioMonitors are very compact high-performance, magnetically shielded full-range bookshelf speakers. Their non-resonant monocoque cabinets feature Definitive's elegant piano-gloss black lacquer endcap/wraparound grille cloth styling. Enclosed are 1-inch pure aluminum dome tweeters perfectly blended to Definitive's signature cast-basket high-definition bass/midrange drivers (6.5-inch for the SM450, 5.25-inch for the SM350) tightly coupled to planar-technology pressure-driven, side-mounted subwoofers (10-inch for the SM450, 8-inch for the SM350). The StudioMonitor's sonic performance is truly stunning, producing huge razor-sharp, three-dimensional sonic images combined with incredible detail, ruler-flat frequency response and rich, full bass. Because the StudioMonitors are true full-range speakers with extended low-frequency characteristics, they deliver superb performance both as stand-alone speakers as well as when combined with separate subwoofers.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sweet for stereo, December 30, 2010

By 

Hedgehog (New Jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Definitive Technology StudioMonitor 450 Speakers (Pair, Black) (Electronics)

These are awesome speakers. Given that they are listed for $660 presently, I thought it was a mistake when I saw them for $300 (e.g. I thought perhaps that was meant for each speaker), but the other review shows it is possible to find this price for the pair. I have quality whole house audio with in-walls. The media room though was always planned to have stand-alone monitors, and these really fit the bill for that. I mated an old (but good) dedicated amp just to drive these as a pair of stereo mains, and they excel. I'm still in the break-in period, but I think I'm getting to the point where these are opening up. When first hooked up, the highs were a bit harsh (and stood out in a bad way), but that's basically gone now. I have these in a small room, with plenty of power to spare on the amp, so I'm surely in the clean range of power, and that's plenty to make these speakers sing. Musicality and soundstage are excellent. It's almost hard to believe how such small speakers can create such a significant sound separation - the passive element seems to do a lot in this area.

Some qualities and quick tips I've found that I think are notable based on what I've read:
- some reviews suggest that you need a lot of power to open these speakers up. I don't think so. Perhaps the person was using a lower quality amp.
- the bass on small, cheap speakers is usually either muddy (like many that use a separate subwoofer), or very weak. The bass on these speakers is really tight and punchy. They give my main listening room mains a run for their money.
- note that I do have these literally on bookshelves, laying on their sides with the passive element facing upwards. and plenty of space for the cabinet to add to the bass - so perhaps I'm helping the speaker a bit with that, but if the speaker was poor, no cabinet or placement could help.

Top-quality sound for the price. I wouldn't want to run low quality MPEGs through them - they would probably expose all of the lost sound features.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars StudioMonitor 450, April 22, 2010

By 

Daniel Bal (Kamuela, HI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Definitive Technology StudioMonitor 450 Speakers (Pair, Black) (Electronics)

I bought these to use for television monitors as movies would overwhelm the TV's built in speakers. I power them with a 100 wpc amp fed from the TV's output. These speakers sound fantastic. Voices are smooth and natural. The speakers are so good you forget about them, you can believe the actors are speaking right in front of you. Heavy bass passages do not overwhelm this speaker. I am very happy these are the ones I choose out of about six I was considering.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best bookshelf speakers for the money., January 15, 2010

By 

D. spitcaufsky - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Definitive Technology StudioMonitor 450 Speakers (Pair, Black) (Electronics)

I like to start by saying that I had full intentions on buying Klipsch RB-81's for my bedroom sound system. I have and love Klipsch Reference speakers for my main system. I never really gave Definitive Technology a chance. In the process of trying to save money I saw the 350's at a local store and liked the way they sounded. However wanted a bigger driver for a more full sound experience even though I already have a Klipsch sub hooked up in the bedroom. The 450's were recommended to me and I was assured the 450's would fill my room with plenty of sound. I wasn't willing to pay the listed price, or wait for them to be ordered, so I started hunting online.

I found the 450's for 300 bones a pair NIB shipped. I've seen Bose,Polk, Klipsch Synergy speakers go for about 30-100 bones less and in my opinion sound terrible.The 450's are by far the best bookshelf speaker for the money and size IMO. The speakers sound amazing in my bedroom, accompanied by a Klipsch Sub and Klipsch center speaker.

I placed them on stands to get the full affect on each side of our cabinet and directed them toward our bed. I love these speakers. They sound incredible they fit the bill in every aspect. They truly have big sound in a little package. They do seem a little large for wall mounting in a small/medium bedroom IMO. The instructions mention a 20-40 hour break in period for the speakers to reach their full potential.

I highly recommend the 450's to anyone with a small/medium bedroom,office,or den. They would also make excellent surround speakers period for someone lacking room for a full size setup.