About the Definitive Technology Mythos SSA-42
Slender, wall-mountable sound bar delivers spacious sound
Slender, wall-mountable sound bar delivers spacious sound
Definitive Technology's Mythos SSA-42 is the perfect solution when you want superb surround-like sound with a simple setup. Definitive's Spatial Array™ technology precisely controls which sounds are played by each of the nine drivers, creating the illusion that you are surrounded by five separate high-performance speakers. The result is a wide listening area with excellent performance to the sides, in which you can clearly pinpoint action happening to your left and to your right. The SSA-42 doesn't depend on bouncing sound off of your walls, unlike some sound bar speakers, so it works well in just about any room. And it's designed to perform equally as well with your favorite music as it does with your Hollywood blockbusters.
High-tech speaker design produces detailed surround-like effects
The SSA-42 houses nine total drivers — five for the front soundstage and four to handle the rear channels. Three of those drivers have a pure aluminum dome tweeter mounted in front of the speaker cone, for extended highs that reveal nuance and shimmer without a trace of edginess. And Definitive's BDSS driver technology helps increase the tiny speakers' output without increasing the size of the enclosure. Connect it to a multi-channel receiver and you've got a simple, high-performance home theater solution that's sure to impress.
Gorgeous aircraft-grade aluminum cabinet
The slim enclosure is made of stunning black hand-polished aluminum, and is sized to match TVs with screens measuring 42" or larger. The SSA-42 can be wall mounted using the supplied mounting bracket, or placed on a shelf in front of your TV.
Add Definitive's ProSub800 subwoofer to get full bass that reaches down to 20 Hz.
Got wire?
Most speakers don't include any. Learn about choosing and installing speaker wire at the Crutchfield Learning Center.
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Did you know?
Your new speakers will probably sound better after several weeks of use than they do right out of the box. That's because the material surrounding the woofers will loosen up, allowing the drivers to move more fully. Definitive Technology estimates a break-in period of 24 to 48 hours of playback before the speakers will deliver optimum sound quality. For more information and helpful tips, check out this article from Definitive's website about conditioning your speakers.
Product highlights:
- frequency response 60-30,000 Hz
- sensitivity 89 dB
- 8-ohm impedance
- handles up to 175 watts
- Balanced Dual Surround System (BDSS) technology places rubber surrounds on both the outer and inner edges of each speaker cone for greater, more precise motion resulting in exceptional clarity
- three 3-1/4" BDSS drivers with axially aligned 3/4" pure aluminum domed tweeters
- two 3-1/4" BDSS full-range drivers
- four 3" full-range surround drivers
- non-powered for use with a home theater receiver
- five pairs of 5-way binding posts
- aircraft grade extruded aluminum cabinet
- gloss black finish
- includes wall mounting bracket and leveler feet
- 40-3/8"W x 4-3/8"H x 4-1/8"D
- warranty: 5 years
- MFR # VELB
What's in the box:
Definitive Technology Mythos SSA-42 owner's manual
- 1 Black Solo Surround Array 5-channel speaker
- Removable cloth grille (installed)
- Mounting bracket
- 2 Rubber-tipped threaded feet
- 2 Foot brackets
- Two M4 x 10mm screws
- Self-adhesive rubber bumpers
- Owner's Manual
- Online Product Registration card
Scratch & Dent items may be missing non-essential accessories. In some cases the manufacturer's accessories have been replaced with generic equivalents.
See the difference between "Open Box" and "Scratch & Dent" Outlet items
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Customer reviews for Definitive Technology Mythos SSA-42
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Average review:
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More details on the Definitive Technology Mythos SSA-42
Features & specs
General | ||
---|---|---|
Design | Bar | |
Amplification | Separate Receiver Required | |
Separate Subwoofer | No | |
Wireless Surrounds | No | |
Number Of Channels | 5 | |
Surround Formats | ||
Dolby Digital | No | |
DTS | No | |
Dolby Atmos | No | |
DTS:X | No | |
Audio Enhancements | ||
Dialogue Enhancement | No | |
Auto Volume | No | |
Night Mode | --- | |
Virtual Surround | No | |
Room Correction | No | |
Audio Connections | ||
Optical Digital Inputs | None | |
Coaxial Digital Inputs | None | |
HDMI ARC Input | No | |
HDMI eARC Input | No | |
3.5mm Stereo Analog Inputs | None | |
RCA Stereo Analog Inputs | None | |
USB Type-A Input | No | |
Subwoofer Output | 0 | |
Audio Specs | ||
Tweeter | 0.75" Dome (x3) | |
Midrange | 3" Cone (x4) | |
Woofer | 3.5" Cone (x5) | |
Subwoofer Driver | None | |
Enclosure | Acoustic Suspension | |
System Frequency Response | 60-30k Hz | |
Sound Bar RMS Power | 0 | |
Subwoofer RMS Power | N/A | |
Video Connections | ||
HDMI Inputs | None | |
HDMI Outputs | None | |
Video Specs | ||
HDMI Version | N/A | |
HDMI Video Pass-through Resolution | N/A | |
HDR Video Compatible | No | |
Control | ||
Includes Remote | No | |
Voice Control | No | |
Control by App | No | |
HDMI CEC | No | |
Remote IR Passthrough | No | |
Learns TV Remote | No | |
Audio Streaming | ||
Bluetooth Connectivity | No | |
Bluetooth Audio Playback | No | |
Bluetooth Transmitter Mode | No | |
Online Music Sources | --- | |
Apple AirPlay | No | |
Chromecast built-in | No | |
Amazon Music | --- | |
Apple Music | --- | |
Pandora | --- | |
SiriusXM | --- | |
Spotify | --- | |
TIDAL | --- | |
TuneIn | --- | |
YouTube Music | --- | |
Files on Your Network | No | |
Wi-Fi Networking | ||
Built-in Wi-Fi Version | None | |
Bands | N/A | |
Other Info | ||
Wall-mountable | Yes | |
Mounting Bracket Included | Yes | |
Sound Bar Size (inches) | 4-3/8H x 40-3/8W x 4-1/8D | |
Sound Bar Weight | 20 lbs | |
Subwoofer Size (inches) | No Subwoofer | |
Subwoofer Weight | N/A | |
Speaker Parts Warranty | 5 Years | |
Speaker Labor Warranty | 5 Years | |
Amplifier Parts Warranty | N/A | |
Amplifier Labor Warranty | N/A |
Product Research
Overview: The Definitive Technology Mythos Solo Surround Array 42 (SSA-42) is a unique multichannel loudspeaker that provides a 5-channel surround sound experience from just one speaker. The Definitive Technology SSA-42 is the perfect surround audio solution when you are unable or unwilling to wire and place rear channel speakers in your room, but still want a home theater experience. The SSA-42 uses Definitive Technology's best drivers and tweeters for audiophile-grade sound quality so you can enjoy enveloping surround sound from a single speaker. The Mythos Solo Surround Array 42 features five discrete channels to connect to your 5.1-channel Dolby Digital receiver, so you don't need to run wire to five separate speakers. The Mythos SSA-4 can be wall- or shelf-mounted using the supplied hardware.
Driver Technology
Enclosure Design
Connections
Mounting Options
Driver Technology
Spatial Array: The Definitive Technology Mythos SSA-42 incorporates Spatial Array, a unique patented technology that optimizes the spatial presentation of five-channels to create the illusion that you are surrounded by five separate high-performance speakers. Spatial Array Surround technology uses subtle, but complex directional cues to completely free the sound from the speaker enclosure and convince your ear/brain listening mechanism that you are surrounded multiple speakers. Since Spatial Array technology does not depend on bouncing sound off walls, it works in virtually any room and set-up configuration. The SSA-42 uses Spatial Array technology on the front left and right speakers as well as the surround channels, so that you get big three-dimensional imaging from both stereo and multi-channel sources.
BDSS Driver Technology: The Front left, Front right, and Center channel drivers of the SSA-42 utilize Definitive's exclusive and patent-pending Balanced Dual Surround System (BDSS) technology. Speaker cones usually have one support point at the circumference of the cone (called the surround), but BDSS drivers have two support points or surrounds. This design suppresses cone resonance and promotes a longer, more linear cone motion for higher output, lower distortion and more accurate frequency response. As a result you will enjoy perfectly natural and lifelike timbre with crystalline clarity on voices, musical instruments ,and movie sound effects, even at high-volume levels.
Pure Aluminum Dome Tweeter: The Definitive Technology SSA-42's tweeter is a pure aluminum dome, which has been heat-treated to relax the crystal structure and then coated with a ceramic to produce extended highs. In order to keep the enclosure from being longer than popular sized video displays, Definitive engineers positioned the front channel tweeters in front of the drivers. While this is a commonly used space-saving technique, a tweeter placed in front of the driver usually interferes with the driver's sound waves. Using computer and physical modeling, Definitive engineers developed unique tweeter-housing geometry and venting that eliminates interference effects for audiophile-grade clarity, precision, and accuracy.
Drivers: The Definitive Technology Solo Surround Array 42 features three 3-1/4" BDSS drivers with axially-aligned 3/4" pure aluminum dome tweeters; two 3-1/4" BDSS high-output full-range drivers, and four 3" full-range high-output surround drivers.
Break-In Period: The Mythos SSA-42 will sound good right out of the box; however, an extended break-in period of 20-40 hours or more of playing is required to reach full performance capability. The break-in period allows the suspensions to work in and results in full bass, a more open midrange, and smoother high frequency reproduction.
Enclosure Design
Extruded Aluminum Enclosure: The SSA-42's enclosure is fabricated from aircraft-grade, hand-polished gloss black extruded aluminum, styled to perfectly match today's flat panel plasma and LCD TVs. Internal baffles and braces inside the enclosure eliminate interference effects between drivers and channels for true audiophile purity and maximum channel separation.
Connections
5-Way Binding Posts: The SSA-42 is equipped with 5 pairs (Front left, Front right, Center, Rear right, Rear left) of gold-plated, 5-way binding posts to attach your 5.1-channel home theater receiver's speaker wire.
Mounting Options
Placement: The Mythos Solo Surround Array 42 is designed for horizontal use only. The 5-channel loudspeaker can be positioned below or above your flat-panel television. The SSA-42 matches perfectly with 42-inch and larger flat-panel televisions.
Mounting: The Definitive Technology SSA-42 comes with easy-to-install mounting hardware that allow it to mount on the wall above or below your television. The Mythos SSA-42 comes with a wall mount bracket that allows direct mounting to a wall. The SSA-42 can also be mounted directly to select flat-panel TV swing out arm-style wall mounts, so that the speaker angle changes with the TV angle. It also includes hardware that allows you to place the speaker on the TV, on a shelf , or on a table-top (surface must be at least 5-inches deep).
Angle Adjustment: The Mythos Solo Surround Array 42 comes with two brackets and two feet which screw into the speaker's wall-mount bracket to stabilize the speaker and allows you to adjust the vertical angle when the system is placed on a flat horizontal surface. When you set the speaker down, the speaker will lean back and rest on these feet. By varying how far you screw in-and-out the feet, you can adjust the vertical angle of the speaker. It is recommended that you aim the center-speaker so that it aims directly towards the height of the listeners' ears.
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Customer Q&A
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This thing is outsatdning. Sets up with ease, sturdy as can be and produces a sound like no other. Must have some kind of echo location thing. seems like the sound come from all sides. Amazing! .
Larry L from Houston