In this review, we will be comparing Dymension DM40 and Prime Pinnacle, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Definitive Technology and SVS.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Definitive Dymension DM40 and SVS Prime Pinnacle first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Definitive Dymension DM40 | SVS Prime Pinnacle |
|---|
| Brand | Definitive Technology
United States · founded 1990 | SVS
United States · founded 1998 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" 2 x Hard-Dome | 1" dome |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 5.25" |
|---|
| Woofer | 4 x 4.5" Polypropelene | 3 x 6.5" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 55-23 kHz | 29-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-250 watts | 20-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 17.30kg / 38.1lbs | 25.95kg / 57.1lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 37.4" x 10.3" x 10"
950 x 261 x 255 mm | 41" x 8" x 13-15/16"
1042.0 x 204.0 x 355.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Definitive Dymension DM40 and SVS Prime Pinnacle 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 Dymension DM40 |
SVS Prime Pinnacle |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
Average |
(* 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 Dymension DM40 is a 2-way design whereas the Prime Pinnacle is a 3-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 Dymension DM40SVS Prime Pinnacle
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 Dymension DM40 |
SVS Prime Pinnacle |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 5.25-inch |
|
Woofer
|
4 x 4.5-inch
|
3 x 6.5-inch
|
Dymension DM40 features a 1" aluminum oxide 2 x Hard-Dome Tweeter and 4 x 4.5" Polypropelene Woofer. On the other hand, the Prime Pinnacle features a 1" aluminum dome Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 3 x 6.5" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 300Hz and 2100Hz.
Frequency Response
Dymension DM40 has a frequency range of 55-23 kHz whereas Prime Pinnacle has a frequency range of 29-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 29Hz, the Prime Pinnacle can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Dymension DM40's min frequency of 55Hz.
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
Dymension DM40 is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the Prime Pinnacle which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms. Lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit especially when played at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Dymension DM40 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Dymension DM40 sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the Prime Pinnacle's is rated at 88 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the SVS Prime Pinnacle a more sensitive speaker compared to Definitive Dymension DM40, 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.
Prime Pinnacle can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas Dymension DM40 has a max power handling value of 250 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the Prime Pinnacle.
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.
Definitive Dymension DM40
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Dymension DM40 features 5-Way post type posts and Prime Pinnacle has a 5-Way post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Definitive Dymension DM40's Binding post terminals
SVS Prime Pinnacle's 5-Way post terminals
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 Dymension DM40's and SVS Prime Pinnacle's external dimensions. Definitive Dymension DM40 has external dimensions of 950 x 261 x 255 mm (37.4 x 10.3 x 10.0 in) whereas SVS Prime Pinnacle has external dimensions of 1042.0 x 204.0 x 355.0mm (41 x 8 x 13-15/16inch).
Definitive Dymension DM40 is 92mm shorter and 100mm less deeper than SVS Prime Pinnacle but it is also 57mm wider.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
SVS Prime Pinnacle needs about 9% more floor or shelf area. SVS Prime Pinnacle is 100mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. SVS Prime Pinnacle is 92mm taller.
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 Dymension DM40 is approximately 665.6cm2 / 103.2inch2 and base area of the SVS Prime Pinnacle is approximately 724.2cm2 / 112.3inch2. The Dymension DM40 requires 8% less surface area than the Prime Pinnacle which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The Definitive Dymension DM40 weighs 17.30kg / 38.1lbs and the SVS Prime Pinnacle weighs 25.95kg / 57.1lbs. This makes the Prime Pinnacle 50% heavier than the Dymension DM40.
Here is a comparison of how Dymension DM40 and Prime Pinnacle's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
Definitive Dymension DM40
What's in the Box of Definitive Dymension DM40?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Dymension DM40:
- 4 Adjustable hard floor glides
- 4 Adjustable carpet spikes
What's in the Box of SVS Prime Pinnacle?
Here are the items that come with the Prime Pinnacle:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille (pre-installed)
- 4 Elastomer isolation feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Nuts
- 4 Protective discs
- Owners Manual
- SVS brochure
- Online Product Registration Card
 Number of Woofers |
4
vs
3
|
More woofers |
 Height |
950mm
vs
1042mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
665cm2
vs
724cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1998USD
vs
2000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
250 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
88 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
|
Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
4.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
29 Hz
vs
55 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
25k Hz
vs
23k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
| General |
Definitive Technology Dymension DM40 |
SVS Prime Pinnacle |
| Brand |
Definitive Technology |
SVS |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
50-250 watts |
20-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
87 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
55-23 kHz |
29-25k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
4 |
3 |
| Woofer Size |
4.5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Polypropelene |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
2 x Hard-Dome |
dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
5.25" |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
300Hz and 2100Hz |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
950.0mm (37.4") |
1042.0mm (41") |
| Width |
261.0mm (10.3") |
204.0mm (8") |
| Depth |
255.0mm (10") |
355.0mm (14") |
| Weight |
17.30kg (38.1lbs) |
25.95kg (57.1lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Black |
Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
A generation apart: Definitive Dymension DM40 is the newer design, against a 2018 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | SVS Prime Pinnacle digs deeper - 29Hz against 55Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (87dB vs 88dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | B | SVS Prime Pinnacle is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (250W vs 300W). |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Price | evenly matched | Much the same money ($1,998 vs $2,000 a pair). |
A Definitive Dymension DM40 B SVS Prime Pinnacle
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
SVS Prime Pinnacle has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 55Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, SVS Prime Pinnacle is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.