The American company Definitive Technology was founded in the 90's by Sandy Gross, who had previously collaborated with Polk Audio, and from the very beginning he conceived it as a means of implementing his own innovative ideas. Innovation in engineering and design has become a trademark of the brand, producing home theater speakers and audiophile stereo systems. Because of its innovation and excellent quality Definitive Technology speakers were twice recognized as the best manufacturer of speakers in the United States.
So it's no surprise that the brand's newest system, Demand D17, having just appeared in 2020, almost immediately won the IF Design Awards. It is one of the most prestigious international competitions, annually attracting more than 2,000 participants from 30 leading industrial countries.
Main features
Demand D17 is a three-way floor-standing system made in an acoustic enclosure with a side-mounted bass driver. The speakers produce the purest sound of Hi-Fi class.
The speaker system is constructed with a 1" metal dome tweeter, a midrange driver and two 6.5" cone bass drivers. On the sides of the speakers are two passive radiators.
At 1.1 meters high, 25.8 cm wide and 37.4 cm deep, they weigh 29 kg. The speakers operate over a wide frequency range from 38 Hz to 24 kHz. The nominal impedance of the speakers is 4 ohms and the sensitivity is 87dB. For optimum sound the manufacturer recommends connecting the speakers to an amplifier with 40-300 W per channel.
Advanced solutions for perfect sound
To bring the sound of the Demand D17 closer to the ideal, the developers applied a number of original design solutions and advanced materials.
The tweeter is made of annealed aluminum using a special process. The heat treatment gives the metal the desired shape and relieves internal stresses. As a result, the natural lightness and stiffness of aluminum is supplemented by good damping. It's exactly the right combination of properties to make a great tweeter. The benefits of the tweeter are further enhanced by the specially designed silk surround.
Accurate and clean tweeter response is smoothed by the acoustic 20/20 Wave Alignment Lens, which further improves dispersion and enhances the acoustic experience of listening to music, regardless of listener position in the room. The tweeter is slightly offset from the center of the enclosure, which improves the sonic image and eliminates symmetrical diffraction on the grille.
The Demand D17 midrange driver features a proprietary BDSS double balanced suspension that improves overall performance and linearity. As a result, the speaker reproduces the fine details of the midrange more accurately. Frequency response is enhanced by the Linear Response Waveguide.
The cones of the bass drivers are made of carbon fiber, which not only gives the necessary stiffness for optimum bass, but also eliminates unwanted distortion. At the same time, the material makes the cone very light and strong. It stands up very well to a large operating amplitude without distortion, and delivers clean, deep bass. Bass reproduction is further enhanced by two passive radiators pointing sideways.
Stylish Design Demand D17
High-end loudspeakers means not only great sound, but also decorating the interior. The Demand D17 has an exquisite front panel made of extruded aluminum with a metal shot finish as the main design element.
The speaker cabinet is made of high quality hand-finished MDF. The material is coated with 5 coats of premium black or white lacquer. The surface is polished to a mirror finish.
The drivers are enclosed by an acoustically transparent grille that contributes virtually no distortion to the sound. The speaker grille is magnetically secured, so it's easy to remove if you prefer open speakers.
