Definitive Technology Mythos Gem Manual

pummeled, and detonated the Gems, but this
stylishly diminutive subwoofer/satellite system
met the challenge with poise.
Def Tech has wedged the $2,048 Mythos Gem
system between a plethora of smaller sub/sat
systems and larger, floor-standing systems in its
lineup. The Gem joins the company’s full-size
Mythos offerings, which are designed to mate
cosmetically with flat-panel TVs (reviewed in
oincidence struck when Disney released
The Incredibles on DVD the same week
that Definitive Technology sent me its
Mythos Gem home theater speaker
system. I sought a soundtrack that
would determine if the Mythos Gems were
superheroes or just retiring speakers leading a
bland existence. The Incredibles,which is THX-
certified, punched, stomped, beat, kicked,
C
Definitive
Technology
Mythos Gem Home Theater
Speaker System
TEST REPORT
“Speaker, Speaker on the Wall,” January 2004,
and available on the S&V Web site).
The Gem satellites, used here for both the
left/right front and surround channels, are about
the size of a standard loaf of white bread. Their
contoured, brushed-aluminum enclosures seduce
the eye with a fashionable high-tech appearance.
Underneath the black fabric grille, dual
midrange/bass drivers, with the tweeter in
between, point slightly to the left and right rather
than straight ahead. That means the Mythos
Gems must be used in a vertical orientation, with
those drivers firing away from the central tweet-
er axis, which creates a spacious sound field. The
Mythos Seven center speaker is about the size of
two Gems end to end. Besides its forward-firing
drivers, it has a pair of passive radiators —
speaker cones that extend deep bass but are not
electrically connected to the system.
You may want to hide the SuperCube III sub-
woofer that was specifically designed for this
system. Why? Because 1) it’s so small that you
PHOTOS BY TONY CORDOZA
“indeed impressive ...
I revved up the title song
of John Fogerty’s recent
CD
Déjà Vu All Over Again
and immediately received
an adrenaline rush
from the high-energy
production pouring
out of the Gems”
The Incredibles’ vibrant and bustling
soundtrack gave the Mythos Gem a
superhero workout.
RICH WARREN

tambourine-like rattles, and it showed that this
system can walk and chew gum at the same time.
Except for a subtle lack of openness in the upper
midrange, there was plenty of everything — all
of it delivered without excess. When Fogerty
started singing, he came through dead center,
and I could understand every word while he
raged on the guitar.
The Fogerty tracks were new, so I reached
back into the 70’s for the multichannel remix of
Chicago on DVD-Audio to test the Gem sys-
tem’s surround music mettle. Calling what I
heard a “wall of sound” would be inaccurate —
it was more like an enveloping horseshoe water-
fall of sound. “Poem for the People” begins with
crisp electric piano up front. The production then
swells like a creek after a rainstorm, all the while
keeping Robert Lamm’s vocals centered as the
harmonies fill in nicely around him. Once again
the drums and percussion were tight without
being constricted, torrid without sizzling. The
Gems conveyed seamless continuity between
front and rear, and anchored the sound with con-
vincing bass.
MOVIE PERFORMANCE Computer-
animated movies project sight and sound more
vivid than life. The Incredibles, which combines
James Bond, Superman, Star Wars, and a dash of
The Simpsons, piles on the sound like a crazed
soda jerk shooting whipped cream on a triple-dip
sundae. This movie breaks a lot of glass and
shatters a lot of ice. The Mythos Gem system
sharply reproduced all the potentially shrill
sounds without making anyone’s ears bleed.
When the superheroes burst into a burning build-
ing, the roaring rumble of the conflagration was
can, and 2) it’s nice to fool your guests with its
big-sound illusion, and seeing the pint-size
module too soon would only spoil the fun.
At slightly larger than a 10-inch cube, the
SuperCube III in one of the smallest subs
I’ve used. That doesn’t keep Def Tech from
cramming a 650-watt Class D amplifier inside
along with a 7.5-inch woofer and a pair of
passive radiators.
SETUP Stands are usually a necessary evil
with small satellites. But the optional aluminum
pedestals Definitive Technology offers (for $270
a pair!) become an integral part of the Gems’
styling. The heavy, tempered-glass bases give
them a classy look while providing stable
support. Def Tech provides a wall-mounting
bracket with each Mythos Gem or Seven
satellite, and optional pivoting wall brackets are
$35 a pair. The center speaker also has a built-in
stabilizing foot that lets you angle it up or down.
I put the front left/right satellites on Mythos
stands 6 inches to either side of my 42-inch
widescreen TV. The surrounds, also on stands,
were slightly to the rear and about 3 feet to the
sides of my listening position. The center
channel fit perfectly on the narrow bezel of my
TV, while the sub occupied my proven spot, a
foot from the wall and to the right of my TV.
MUSIC PERFORMANCE To test
two-channel stereo playback, I revved up the
title song of John Fogerty’s recent CD Déjà Vu
All Over Again and immediately received an
adrenaline rush from the high-energy production
pouring out of the Gems. This song opens with
KennyAronoff’s ominous kick drum contrasting
with percussionist Alex Acuna’s high-end
so convincing that for a moment I wished I’d
installed sprinklers in my home theater.
Then there’s the reality check, the everyday
sounds that ring either true or false. The clatter
of Mr. Incredible’s typing on his computer
keyboard sounded a lot like mine as I write this
review. I actually paused the video during the
insurance-office scene because I thought the
phone chirping in the surrounds was my own
phone chirping upstairs. This was proof of the
surrounds’ability to provide a diffuse rear sound
field free of localization that could betray the
speakers’ positions. Mr. Incredible’s first
encounter with the robot monster Omnidroid
tested the system’s dynamic range and ability
to play at extreme volume. The speakers sur-
vived, although given their diminutive size
they’ll only rock your room, not lift the house
from its foundation.
BOTTOM LINE Every home theater
speaker system requires some tradeoffs, usually
pitting size, style, and sonic performance against
price. In this case, Definitive Technology has
managed to minimize the compromises inherent
in a $2,000 system (though that price is mislead-
ing if you go for the pricey stands). Even the
pickiest decorator would probably accept, if not
welcome, the Mythos Gems into a room. And
while it’s one thing to shrink the satellites, a sub-
woofer this small thundering this mightily is
indeed impressive.
But what ultimately earns my respect for
these speakers is that during the movie they
seemed to disappear as completely as Violet, the
Incredibles’disappearing teenage daughter, offer-
ing big, powerful sound without calling attention
to themselves or their size. In speakers, just like
some teenagers, that’s a pretty desirable trait.
MYTHOS GEM MYTHOS SEVEN SUPERCUBE III
(L/R front and surround) (center) (subwoofer)
TWEETER 1-inch dome 1-inch dome —
MIDRANGE/ two 31/2-inch cones two 31/2-inch cones 71/2-inch cone
WOOFER
ENCLOSURE sealed ported by two 31/2-inch ported by two 71/2-inch
passive radiators passive radiators
POWER — — 650 watts
INPUTS/ multiway binding posts multiway binding posts line-level inputs (L/R
OUTPUTS and LFE); speaker-level
inputs and outputs
DIMENSIONS 41/8x 101/4x 101/4 inches 195/8x 4 x 4 inches 101/4-inch cubed
(WxHxD) and WEIGHT 4 pounds 8 pounds 25 pounds
FINISH silver with charcoal silver with charcoal black wraparound
grille or black with grille or black with grille with gloss black
black grille black grille or cherry end caps
PRICE $2,048 $250 each; optional $349 $699
stands, $270 a pair
MANUFACTURER Definitive Technology, definitivetech.com, 410-363-7148
fast facts
11433 Cronridge Dr. • Owings Mills, MD 21117 • [phone]
Visit us at www.definitivetech.com
Excerpted from SOUND & VISION, JUNE 2005.
soundandvisionmag.com
+
-
PLUS
Seductively attractive, compact design.
Remarkably small subwoofer.
Smooth, balanced sound.
Ample dynamic range
for a small system.
MINUS
Optional stands are pricey.
Playback volume limited by size.
S&V
TEST REPORT