So I decided to go around town the other day to look at some yard sales and came across a guy who owned the local hi-fi audio store and all over his driveway was about 15,000 to 20,000 dollars in merchendise which after seeing this I almost immediately started getting prices and throwing cash around and in the end had almost all of it for just around 400 dollars the man was even nice enough to throw in two sonance celling speakers one was fully functional and the other had been droped by one of his employes and had the speaker terminals broken off but if somthing went wrong with the driver in one of the other I got I now have a spare driver and tweet but to get on to the purpose of this review sitting amongst the mountain of speakers this guy had was sitting a pair of definitive studiomonitor 450 speakers the man wanted $25 for the pair and let me tell you it was one of the best $25 I've ever spent with the 10" passive radiator it adds a very nice additional punch with very clean mids and highs music and movies will be shown to their full potential through these and sound amazing with my Elan center (can't remember the model) that I also got from the sale for $25, my Truaudio cw-10 powered subwoofer, my Polk audio psw111 subwoofer along with 2 Polk audio fxi surrounds 2 pioneer towers and 2 sonance in in celling architectural speakers being pushed by a yamaha rx-v2065 7.2 reciver along with an onkyo 4 channel HT amp (can't remember model) also running 2 outdoor speakers

I purchased a pair of Def Tech SM 350s (the smaller version of these 450s) last year and was very impressed with their clean and acurate 'sound'. Actually, it was their 'lack of sound' that impressed me most, by which I mean these little speakers let the music come through with a minimum of coloration and distortion.

The SM450 models have all the good qualities of the 350s and then some. These are more nearly full-range speakers than the 350s due to the larger (10") passive radiators on the side. These 'subwoofers' are not powered...they respond to the pressure waves inside the box. The speakers do not produce much usable bass below about 50hz..but for their size, they are very satisfactory without an additional subwoofer.

They seem to handle all kinds of music from symphonic to chamber, jazz, pop and rock with an effortlessness and transparency that makes me completely forget I am listening to speakers. For really low bass at realistic levels I have coupled them with an SVS PC 25-31 subwoofer but switch the subwoofer off when the music doesn't require deep bass. The sound is so naturally clear and musical ...voices and instruments seem to be in your room!

The construction is first rate. The piano-gloss top and bottom end caps along with the grill cloth which surrounds the speakers and the wire connectors in the rear indicate a well made product with attaention to detail. Although considered 'bookshelf' speakers the best way to mount these are on stands about 24-28" high and away from rear and side walls.

To summarize, these are excellent speakers to consider as a stereo pair or in a home theater set up. They are efficient and require little power to drive them cleanly to satisfying levels.

6th Ave electronics has had them on sale at the rediculous price of $248 for the pair (list $648)...and I was lucky enough to snatch them up at this price....but they represent good value at the asking price as well...

*Low low low register never been so beatiful even with Ephos and JM Lab.
*Radiator concept now renewed and came to life ,after so many years!
*Soundstage, even upper register as good as, perhaps sometimes better, than my top ref.monsters Usher X-719!!!
*Price price price...

*Deserving much better cosmetics.
*Might have "bi-wire terminal" to improve bass control
*Better binding posts could be used,instead of brass ones.

Just I was shocked with all charasteristics of this valuable bookshelf speakers. Not only price range but also quality, kept me listening those beatiful pairs deserving really five stars. Such a precise monitors these are that , the word "calibration" will be the most matching word for those pairs: since I have been listening calibrated / corrected my system in many respects (while I was missing the same,with another monster speakers, Usher X-719, which is another league)

Similar Products Used:

Epos Book Shelf
JmLab Cobalt 708
Cabasse Sumuo
Usher X-719 (still on the job)

Never heard of a bookshelf speaker that had subwoofers built in.Clear and clean midrange

Covering may not be cat friendly.No problems yet.

Has a subwoofer in both speakers.Goes down to 24hz.Clear and clean midrange.
Compared it directly(SM350)($500 a pair)at Best Buy to their $1500 a pair Vienna speakers.The Vienna speakers at 3 times the cost always choked up and sounded congested,while the Definitive Technology SM 350 always sounded smooth, clear and clean.
While the best speakers I've ever owned were Sonus Faber Concertinos, I'll give the edge to Definitive.Just as clear as the Sonus Fabers and yet they have the low bass. Best Buy takes 5 weeks to special order the SM450's,so I decided to call Myer Emco.Myer Emco was having a 15% off everything in the store and I could special order them in 7 days.It was direct from Definitive in Baltimore which is less than 50 miles away.Love these speakers.

Customer Service

Have'nt used .

Similar Products Used:

PolkAudio,Sanus Faber,Tylers