In this review, we will be comparing Dymension DM40 and Prime Tower, 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 Tower first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Definitive Dymension DM40 | SVS Prime Tower |
|---|
| 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 | — | 4.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 4 x 4.5" Polypropelene | 2 x 6.5" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 55-23 kHz | 30-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 87 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-250 watts | 20-250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 17.30kg / 38.1lbs | 18.23kg / 40.1lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 37.4" x 10.3" x 10"
950 x 261 x 255 mm | 36-5/8" x 8" x 11-11/16"
931.0 x 204.0 x 297.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Definitive Dymension DM40 and SVS Prime Tower 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 Tower |
| 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 Tower 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 Tower
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 Tower |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 4.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
4 x 4.5-inch
|
2 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 Tower features a 1" aluminum dome Tweeter, a 4.5" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 350Hz and 2100Hz.
Frequency Response
Dymension DM40 has a frequency range of 55-23 kHz whereas Prime Tower has a frequency range of 30-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 30Hz, the Prime Tower 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 Tower 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.
On the other hand, they have the same sensitivity of 87 dBdB.
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.
Both handle the same maximum of 250 watts RMS, though Dymension DM40 is rated 50-250 watts and Prime Tower 20-250 watts.
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 Tower 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 Tower'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 Tower'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 Tower has external dimensions of 931.0 x 204.0 x 297.0mm (36-5/8 x 8 x 11-11/16inch).
SVS Prime Tower is 57mm narrower and 19mm shorter than Definitive Dymension DM40 but it is also 42mm deeper.
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 Tower is approximately 605.9cm2 / 93.9inch2. The Dymension DM40 requires 10% more surface area than the Prime Tower which gives it a small disadvantage 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 Tower weighs 18.23kg / 40.1lbs. This makes the Prime Tower 5% heavier than the Dymension DM40.
Here is a comparison of how Dymension DM40 and Prime Tower'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 Tower?
Here are the items that come with the Prime Tower:
- 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
2
|
More woofers |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 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 |
30 Hz
vs
55 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
25k Hz
vs
23k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
931mm
vs
950mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
605cm2
vs
665cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1400USD
vs
1998USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Definitive Technology Dymension DM40 |
SVS Prime Tower |
| Brand |
Definitive Technology |
SVS |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
50-250 watts |
20-250 watts |
| Sensitivity |
87 dB |
87 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
55-23 kHz |
30-25k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
4 |
2 |
| 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 |
4.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
350Hz and 2100Hz |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
950.0mm (37.4") |
931.0mm (36.7") |
| Width |
261.0mm (10.3") |
204.0mm (8") |
| Depth |
255.0mm (10") |
297.0mm (11.7") |
| Weight |
17.30kg (38.1lbs) |
18.23kg (40.1lbs) |
| 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 2015 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 Tower digs deeper - 30Hz against 55Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (87dB vs 87dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | B | SVS Prime Tower 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 250W). |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Price | B | SVS Prime Tower is cheaper - $1,400 against $1,998, about 30% less. |
A Definitive Dymension DM40 B SVS Prime Tower
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 Tower is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take Definitive Dymension DM40 if its size, looks or fit in your room suit you better. 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 Tower 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.