NEW! High performance shelf/stand monitor loudspeaker
$299.00 each
Redesigned From the Ground Up for Superior Performance, Utility and Beauty
The new Definitive StudioMonitor series is the culmination of over 20 years of research and development to create monitor-quality shelf speakers with the perfect balance of high style, utility and most of all performance.
The Most Advanced Technologies for the Most Advanced Performance
If you love great sound you must experience Definitive's StudioMonitor 55. Its combination of racetrack bass radiator technology, and our latest generation patented Balanced Double Surround System (BDSS) bass/midrange drivers, all housed in a rock-solid attractive enclosure, delivers unsurpassed sonic performance.
Each SM 55 features a cast-basket 6-1/2" (17cm) second generation BDSS midrange driver and a 1" (25mm)
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pure aluminum dome tweeter. The driver features Definitive's patented Balanced Double Surround System (BDSS) technology that supports the speaker cone at both the inner and outer edges allowing longer, more linear excursion for greater clarity and finely textured inner detail. A new patent pending Linear Response Waveguide™ smoothes off-axis frequency response and disperses sound over a wider area for crystal clear intelligibility for every listener in the room. The tweeter is a pure aluminum dome, which has been heat-treated to relax the crystal structure and then coated with a ceramic to produce extended highs that reveal nuance and shimmer without a trace of edginess.
The BDSS long-throw bass/midrange driver is pressure coupled to a top mounted racetrack bass radiator to extend and amplify bass frequencies. The total bass radiating area of a SM55 is substantially greater than that of a single 10-inch woofer but with far greater control, definition and speed than a single sluggish large woofer. The StudioMonitor's bass performance is nothing short of astonishing in its depth, detail and musicality.
Watch the Bass Radiator tech video
Slim Elegant Styling with Rock-Solid Performance
All the driver and crossover technology in the world would be wasted if housed in a resonance-prone box. We devoted as much Design and Engineering attention to the styling and construction of the StudioMonitor 55's enclosure as any other part of its design.
The specially contoured high gloss baffle around the drivers and the tapered enclosure sides enhance sound quality by minimizing diffraction distortion. The decorative high gloss grille and cabinet accents add elegance to the matte black tower the way satin piping adds dash to a tuxedo.
But the enclosure's most important job is to be totally inert and resonance free so as not to color the sound. And that's just we did in engineering the SM enclosures. Internal MDF cross braces further stiffen the system. Tap on the side panel of a StudioMonitor 55 enclosure to hear the solid "thud" of a solid, well-damped cabinet instead of the hollow ring of a poorly constructed speaker.
Phase-Coherent Crossover Networks
The crossover network is the real heart of a loudspeaker as it is responsible for perfectly blending together the sound of the various drivers into a musically seamless whole. The sophisticated design used in the SM55 features premium audiophile-grade components such as oversized inductors, Mylar capacitors for linear phase and frequency response. An integrated Zobel network flattens the impedance of the system so that even budget amplifiers will be able to drive the SM55 loudly without distortion (although a premium amplifier will bring out all the performance this remarkable speaker has to offer). This preserves the phase coherence, transient response and dynamic integrity of the signal for absolutely lifelike music and home theater reproduction in your home.
The Proof is in the Listening
This extraordinary speaker sets a new reference standard for high-accuracy loudspeakers in its class and achieves equally superb performance with both music and movies. The StudioMonitor 55 reproduces a silky smooth, incredibly detailed sonic image at lifelike volume levels with a sense of ease which is truly remarkable. Movies and music are reproduced with unequaled purity, transparency and lifelike realism.
Now that you're thoroughly impressed with the technology and passion we've poured into the StudioMonitor 55 it is time to find a stocking dealer near you to audition this remarkable achievement of art and science.
Driver Complement | |
|---|---|
| Tweeter | |
| Quantity | 1 |
| Diameter | 1" (2.54cm) |
| Type | Pure Aluminum Dome |
| Mid / Woofer | |
| Quantity | 1 |
| Diameter | 6 1/2" (16.51cm) |
| Type | BDSS Midrange Driver |
| Tweeter/Mid Array | |
| Type | Direct Radiating |
| Bass Radiator | |
| Quantity | 1 |
| Oval Height | 10" (25.40cm) |
| Oval Width | 6" (15.24cm) |
| Type | Racetrack Planar Bass Radiator |
Electrical | |
|---|---|
| Audio Inputs | |
| Speaker Level | 2 Pair (Bi-wire Ready) |
| Maximum Sensitivity | |
| 1 watt @ 1 Meter | 90 dB |
| Total Frequency Response | |
| Overall | 32 Hz - 30 kHz |
| Nominal Impedance | |
| Compatible with | 8 ohm |
| Crossover | |
| A/V Receiver Crossover Setting | Small (60 Hz) |
| Power Handling | 20 - 225 watts per channel |
Installation | |
|---|---|
| Placement | |
| Vertical Orientation | On Shelf or On Stand |
| Product Weight | |
| Out of Box | 15 lbs |
Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| Cabinet Dimensions | |
| Height | 13" (33.02cm) |
| Width | 7 7/8" (20.00cm) |
| Depth | 12 3/8" (31.43cm) |
| Cabinet Type | |
| Speaker Enclosure | Internally Braced with Top Mounted Pressure Coupled Bass Radiator |
Shipping | |
|---|---|
| Accessories | |
| Included Accessories | Bumpers (4) |
| Optional Accessories | StudioMonitor Stand (Not Included) |
| Carton Size | |
| Height | 16 1/16" (40.80cm) |
| Width | 11 3/16" (28.42cm) |
| Depth | 15 3/4" (40.01cm) |
| Shipping Weight | |
| One per Carton | 16.5 lbs |
Warranty | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer's Warranty | |
| Parts and Labor | 5 |
| Fronts (L&R) | Center | Surrounds | Subwoofer(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| StudioMonitor 55 | CS-8040HD | StudioMonitor 45 | SuperCube 6000 |
| Quantity: 2 | Quantity: 1 | Quantity: 2 | Quantity: 1 |
| $299.00 each | $499.00 each | $199.00 each | $999.00 each |
| System Total: $2,494.00 | |||
| Fronts (L&R) | Center | Surrounds | Subwoofer(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| StudioMonitor 55 | CS-8080HD | StudioMonitor 45 | SuperCube 4000 |
| Quantity: 2 | Quantity: 1 | Quantity: 2 | |
| $299.00 each | $999.00 each | $199.00 each | $799.00 each |
| System Total: $1,995.00 | |||
Demonstration of how bass (passive) radiators work in loudspeakers and subwoofers.
Learn about speaker cone resonance, why it hurts sound quality and one technique for reducing it.
"The StudioMonitor 55 is a floorstanding speaker masquerading as a bookshelf speaker. "
"The pair of them produced deeper, more voluminous bass than any similarly sized speaker I’ve heard...the result was a speaker that played deeper, and with more authority, than its size and price had led me to expect."
"The StudioMonitor 55 sounded like a much more expensive loudspeaker...[it] doesn’t take a back seat to speakers costing even multiples of its price."
Philip Beaudette - SoundStage HiFi (Jul 15, 2012) Read More"Definitive Technology has produced a detailed and uncolored bookshelf speaker that provides superb value for the money. And in terms of its midbass definition and high-level dynamic drama with orchestral works, you'd probably have to spend more than $1000/pair to exceed its performance."
Robert Reina - Stereophile (Nov 09, 2012) Read More3 reviews with an average of 5
I've allways heard that DefTechs we're so good that who ever had them would never give them up.Well I took a chance and bought (3) three SM65s for the front & (4) four SM55s for the surround & (2) two SC 4000s for the low end.Now I know why! They sound great from the high range,Mid range & the low end You will never buy a better made or better sounding speakers for the price!
I bought these new 6 months ago and love them. I only listen to music on them so I can't comment on how they perform for HT. I use a NAD amp to run them at 160 watts per ch. They sound amazing at low level and even better when you put a lot of power to them.
Purchased a pair of 55's back in October for the start of a secondary music system and absolutely love them! I assembled a system of leftover gear I had sitting around and was looking for a set of mini-monitors. These monitors have great imaging and soundstage. The low extension is amazing, quite shocking really. For all intents and purposes, no sub needed here (in my case). Now I'm often fighting between my main rig (Onkyo 809, Oppo 93 and Triangle Celius') and these. The treble is a little hot but at the same time seems to pan out more detail. The Triangle's are sweeter and a little rolled off by comparison. But this is besides the point. No regrets here. Now I'm often wondering what my main rig would be like with the 65's in front. Way to go Definitive. These are keepers! Associated equipment : Onkyo 705 Oppo DV-980H MicroMega MyDAC Kimber Kable PBJ interconnects and 8TC speaker cable Bello 30 inch stands
StudioMonitor Stand All Metal Speaker Stand
W x H x D
