In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Definitive Technology. Definitive Technology Demand D17 is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the Demand D11 is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Definitive Demand D17 and Definitive Demand D11 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Definitive Demand D17 | Definitive Demand D11 |
|---|
| Brand | Definitive Technology
United States · founded 1990 | Definitive Technology
United States · founded 1990 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" dome | 1" Hard-Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 6.5" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Carbon-fiber | 6.5" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 42-22k Hz | 61-22k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 40-300 watts | 20-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 29.10kg / 64lbs | 8.64kg / 19lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 42-3/4" x 10-1/4" x 14-3/4"
1086.0 x 261.0 x 375.0mm | 13-1/16" x 7-5/16" x 12-15/16"
332.0 x 186.0 x 329.0mm |
|---|
Demand D17 and Demand D11 are members of Definitive Technology's Demand series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Definitive Technology Demand Series
History
What size room are the Definitive Demand D17 and Definitive Demand D11 speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
Definitive Demand D17 |
Definitive Demand D11 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
Poor |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Demand D17 is a 3-way design whereas the Demand D11 is a 2-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
Definitive Demand D17Definitive Demand D11
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Definitive Demand D17 |
Definitive Demand D11 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6.5-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
Demand D17 features a 1" aluminum dome Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Carbon-fiber Woofer. On the other hand, the Demand D11 features a 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Polypropylene Woofer.
Frequency Response
Demand D17 has a frequency range of 42-22k Hz whereas Demand D11 has a frequency range of 61-22k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 42Hz, the Demand D17 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Demand D11's min frequency of 61Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Demand D17 and Demand D11 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Demand D17 sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the Demand D11's is at 90 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Definitive Demand D11 a more sensitive speaker compared to Definitive Demand D17, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
Demand D17 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas Demand D11 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the Demand D17.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier - change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both Demand D17 and Demand D11 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Definitive Demand D17's 5-Way Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Definitive Demand D17's and Definitive Demand D11's external dimensions. Definitive Demand D17 has external dimensions of 1086.0 x 261.0 x 375.0mm (42-3/4 x 10-1/4 x 14-3/4inch) whereas Definitive Demand D11 has external dimensions of 332.0 x 186.0 x 329.0mm (13-1/16 x 7-5/16 x 12-15/16inch).
Definitive Demand D17 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 75mm wider, 754mm taller and 46mm deeper than Definitive Demand D11.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Definitive Demand D17 and Definitive Demand D11 in scale.
Comparison image of Definitive Demand D17 and Definitive Demand D11 Size and External Dimensions
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the Definitive Demand D17 is approximately 978.8cm2 / 151.7inch2 and base area of the Definitive Demand D11 is approximately 611.9cm2 / 94.8inch2. The Demand D17 requires 60% more surface area than the Demand D11 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of Definitive Demand D17?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Demand D17:
- Left floorstanindg loudspeaker
- Right floorstading loudspeaker
- 2 Grilles
- 4 Jumper-straps (pre-installed)
- 2 Bases
- 8 Spike feet
- 8 Floor-glides
- 8 Lock-rings
- 8 Screws
- Cleaning cloth
- Owners Manual
What's in the Box of Definitive Demand D11?
Here are the items that come with the Demand D11:
- Left bookshelf loudpseaker
- Right bookshelf loudspeaker
- 2 Grilles
- 4 Jumper-straps (pre-installed)
- Cleaning cloth
- Owners Manual