In this review, we will be comparing Dymension DM70 and Ultra Tower, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Definitive Technology and SVS.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Definitive Dymension DM70 and SVS Ultra Tower first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Definitive Dymension DM70 | SVS Ultra Tower |
|---|
| Brand | Definitive Technology
United States · founded 1990 | SVS
United States · founded 1998 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" 2 x Hard-Dome | 1.0" Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 4 x 5.25" | 2 x 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 10" Polypropelene | 2 x 8.0" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 30-23 kHz | 28-32k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-300 watts | 20-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 33.60kg / 73.9lbs | 34.27kg / 75.4lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 47.4" x 11.3" x 16"
1204 x 287 x 407 mm | 45-5/8" x 13-15/16" x 17-1/2"
1159.0 x 355.0 x 445.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Definitive Dymension DM70 and SVS Ultra 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 DM70 |
SVS Ultra Tower |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Good |
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
Both Dymension DM70 and Ultra Tower are 3-way speakers.
Definitive Dymension DM70SVS Ultra 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 DM70 |
SVS Ultra Tower |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1.0-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
4 x 5.25-inch |
2 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 10-inch
|
2 x 8.0-inch
|
Dymension DM70 features a 1" aluminum oxide 2 x Hard-Dome Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 1 x 10" Polypropelene Woofer. On the other hand, the Ultra Tower features a 1.0" aluminum Dome Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 8.0" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 160HZ and 2000Hz.
Frequency Response
Dymension DM70 has a frequency range of 30-23 kHz whereas Ultra Tower has a frequency range of 28-32k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 28Hz, the Ultra Tower can go slightly deeper then the Dymension DM70's min frequency of 30Hz.
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 DM70 is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the Ultra 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 DM70 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Dymension DM70 sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the Ultra Tower's is rated at 88 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Definitive Dymension DM70 a more sensitive speaker compared to SVS Ultra Tower, 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.
Both handle the same maximum of 300 watts RMS, though Dymension DM70 is rated 50-300 watts and Ultra Tower 20-300 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 DM70
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Ultra Tower features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Dymension DM70 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Definitive Dymension DM70's Binding post terminals
SVS Ultra Tower's Binding 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 Dymension DM70's and SVS Ultra Tower's external dimensions. Definitive Dymension DM70 has external dimensions of 1204 x 287 x 407 mm (47.4 x 11.3 x 16.0 in) whereas SVS Ultra Tower has external dimensions of 1159.0 x 355.0 x 445.0mm (45-5/8 x 13-15/16 x 17-1/2inch).
Definitive Dymension DM70 is 68mm narrower and 38mm less deeper than SVS Ultra Tower but it is also 45mm 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 DM70 is approximately 1168.1cm2 / 181.1inch2 and base area of the SVS Ultra Tower is approximately 1579.8cm2 / 244.9inch2. The Dymension DM70 requires 26% less surface area than the Ultra Tower 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 DM70 weighs 33.60kg / 73.9lbs and the SVS Ultra Tower weighs 34.27kg / 75.4lbs. This makes the Ultra Tower 2% heavier than the Dymension DM70.
Here is a comparison of how Dymension DM70 and Ultra Tower's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
Definitive Dymension DM70
What's in the Box of Definitive Dymension DM70?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Dymension DM70:
- 4 Adjustable hard floor glides
- 4 Adjustable carpet spikes
What's in the Box of SVS Ultra Tower?
Here are the items that come with the Ultra Tower:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Cloth grille
- 2 Metal grilles
- Foam port plug
- 4 Elastomer isolation feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Nuts
- 4 Protective discs
- 2 Terminal jumpers (pre-installed)
- Owners Manual
- SVS brochure
- Online Product Registration Card
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
10 inches
vs
8.0 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Passive Radiator |
2 x 10-inch
vs
None
|
Increases the bass performance |
 Dolby Atmos Drivers |
Optional
vs
No
|
Dolby Atmos Compatibility |
 Base Surface Area |
1168cm2
vs
1579cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
|
Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
28 Hz
vs
30 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
32k Hz
vs
23k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Height |
1159mm
vs
1204mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
2600USD
vs
3998USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Definitive Technology Dymension DM70 |
SVS Ultra Tower |
| Brand |
Definitive Technology |
SVS |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
50-300 watts |
20-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
30-23 kHz |
28-32k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
10" |
8.0" |
| Woofer Composition |
Polypropelene |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1.0" |
| Tweeter Type |
2 x Hard-Dome |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5.25" |
6.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
160HZ and 2000Hz |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1204.0mm (47.4") |
1159.0mm (45.6") |
| Width |
287.0mm (11.3") |
355.0mm (14") |
| Depth |
407.0mm (16") |
445.0mm (17.5") |
| Weight |
33.60kg (73.9lbs) |
34.27kg (75.4lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Passive Radiator |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Oak veneer |
| Available Colors |
Black |
Black Oak,Piano Gloss Black,Piano Gloss White |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
A generation apart: Definitive Dymension DM70 is the newer design, against a 2013 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | evenly matched | Much the same reach (30Hz vs 28Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | A | Definitive Dymension DM70 is more sensitive (90dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | SVS Ultra 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 (300W vs 300W). |
| Size | depends | Definitive Dymension DM70 is easier to place; SVS Ultra Tower is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Cabinet | depends | Passive Radiator vs Ported. |
| Expandability | depends | Definitive Dymension DM70: Atmos drivers; SVS Ultra Tower: bi-amping. Definitive Dymension DM70 sits in a wider range (8 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | B | SVS Ultra Tower is cheaper - $2,600 against $3,998, about 35% less. |
A Definitive Dymension DM70 B SVS Ultra 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?
Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let the "depends" rows and your own room settle it. Match it to your room: we rate Definitive Dymension DM70 the better fit for a very large room; elsewhere the two are rated the same. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, Definitive Dymension DM70 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.