Definitive Technology ProMonitor 1000 Review – All About Radiators

What We Like

What We Don't Like

Definitive Technology ProMonitor 1000 is one of the most interesting and probably most potent bookshelf speakers you can get for less than $200 at the moment. Let’s take a closer look and see why this is the case.

Design

One of the things that you will notice right away about the Definitive Technology ProMonitor 1000 is that it not your average bookshelf speaker. Even in this price range, which is still considered affordable, standard MDF cabinets are still the norm.

Definitive Technology has decided that they want to take a different route. Their design features a rounded synthetic cabinet, all in black color. From a purely aesthetic point of view, the cabs look great. They are subtle enough to fit just about anywhere, yet they hide a truly rare layout.

If you look at the top of the cabinet, you will see that the grille doesn’t only cover the front but reaches up there as well. We will get back to that a bit later. The main issue with Definitive Technology ProMonitor 1000 is the fact that it might not sit well with more conservative users. Their shape alone takes some getting used to.

Features

When you pop the grille off, the front face of the speaker reveals that standard tweeter/driver configuration. Definitive Technology went with a standard 1″ unit for the tweeter and a 5.25″ driver to take care of the rest. But wait, there’s more. The very top of the cabinet hides a 5.25″ pressure driven planar radiators.

All things considered, these absolutely have an impact on how ProMonitor 1000 handles the lowest portions of its frequency range. Speaking of which, that range goes from 47Hz to 30kHz. Additionally, Definitive Technology has also applied their magnetic shielding solutions to the ProMonitor 1000.

In other words, you should experience any issues even if you place a pair of these right next to other electronic equipment. Overall, Definitive Technology went with a simple yet different design which has proven its worth out in the field. This type of nature will appeal to anyone who wants something different.

Performance

The performance is by far the best thing about Definitive Technology ProMonitor 1000. On one hand, you have the unorthodox cabinet design which will irk every conservative audiophile, but on the other, we get those low-frequency radiators. One of the most frequent questions people have regarding these radiators is whether or not they actually work. The answer is a solid yes. At least in the case of this particular speaker. Trebles and mids are fairly articulated and defined. Once you start moving lower down the frequency range, things get interesting. More often than not, a 5.25″ driver won’t be able to give you a ‘wide’ low end. However, with those planar low-frequency radiators, Definitive Technology ProMonitor 1000 definitely does offer some boost. Will it replace a real subwoofer, even a smaller one? Probably not, but you will experience more saturation in the bass section.

The Rumble:

At the end of the day, Definitive Technology ProMonitor 1000 are among the more interesting bookshelf speakers out there. They bring a number of unusual solutions which are done in a way that makes them functional.

Tagged Definitive Technology ProMonitor 1000 Review upgrades