Thanks for making this video Gene. Makes me want to order a Schiit Vidar and have it drop shipped to you for testing. Super glad Monoprice has done the Monolith line. It helps to keep other manufactures honest and provides audiophiles with options when they need good components without breaking the bank.

Really solid review. I'm glad you made a video to speak to your thoughts on the already published report.

A shootout with listening impressions between the Monoprice two channel amp and some late 90s early 00's Adcom, Rotel, or NAD power amps of equivalent power would be interesting just to see how far we've come (or haven't).

These are the types of videos I’ve been waiting to see haha… thanks Gene!

This is awesome. Please do the Emotiva products as well.

@madcrabber1113

4 ай бұрын

Doubt that will happen unfortunately.

@Audioholics

4 ай бұрын

I've had too many Emotiva products die on me during long-term testing, so I shy away from reviewing their electronics these days.

@joeyrdz1

4 ай бұрын

@@Audioholics We’re these Emotiva products from the current models? I’ve been torn between the Monolith M2100X & Emotiva BasX A2 to power my Klipsch R-820F. I feel my current Emotiva TA integrated amp isn’t enough. Should I go Monolith or Emotiva A2?

@Audioholics

4 ай бұрын

@@joeyrdz1 no. I stopped reviewing their stuff after XPR.

@joeyrdz1

4 ай бұрын

@@Audioholics oh I see. I just wanted to go for the more powerful amp and I saw Emotiva A2 was (160 wpc @ 8 ohms). Should I stay away from Emotiva ?

Thanks for the video Gene. Also great to see a little love for those outside of the Americas with stock images indicating these latest amps are compatible with 220-230V.

Great! I was looking into the Monoprice M5100X. 👍

So basically… Not stellar but above average performance at below average price. That’s a winning formula especially with the current economy.

@Audioholics

4 ай бұрын

The price is an outstanding value on these amps. Not sure how anyone could expect them to be cheaper.

@madcrabber1113

4 ай бұрын

Who implied that?@@Audioholics

@robbetts

4 ай бұрын

"With the current economy"? If you don't mind, can I ask where are you in the country? We've had the best 12 months in the history of my company, the stock market is at record highs and unemployment is at record lows. Feels like boom times to me so I had to ask.

@Audiomainia2310

4 ай бұрын

​@@robbettsI'm with you brother!

@sbwlearning1372

4 ай бұрын

​@@robbettsBut the dollar in your pocket isn't worth what it was

Thank you for the review, I got the 7 channel for testing in my system right now, I must say im pretty impressed. I also have the emotiva Basx 2 channel and Basx 5 channel. Iv been doing some listen test over and over between emotiva and the monolith and its pretty close but for my liking I preferred the Monolith, it is more punchy and open sounded as the Emotive is more flat and less exciting... I will end up keeping the Monoprice 7 channel as I did not encounter any lack of performance or power, It is also dead silent. At this price point it is more then excellent.

@djparra41

4 ай бұрын

What are you using for processing and speakers?

@christiandickey

4 ай бұрын

I bought 2 of the 7 channel amps and running 11 speakers in preamp mode on my x4800h with zero issues. Highly recommend this amp.

@user-rm8gw6nb9u

4 ай бұрын

I agree with you. I purchased the 7 channel for my Atmos speakers and am thrilled with its performance. Going to stay in the system perminently.

@joeyrdz1

4 ай бұрын

I can’t decide between the Emotiva A2 or Monolith 2100X. Good to hear the monolith sounds good. I was just concerned if the Emotiva A2 actually had more power but it seams they have similar internals. I feel I need more powe for my Klipsch R-820F speakers. Will the Monolith 2100X be enough or should I go for the A2? I’m leaning towards monolith for the price of $294

@djparra41

4 ай бұрын

@@joeyrdz1I have the RP-8000Fs and I've used 50 watt, 120 watt and 220 watt per channel amps to drive them and the 220 watt actually leveled out its response. The 120 wpc amp was far too thin and I considered gettin rid of them. But how that extra clean power from the 220wpc made them not shout at me but rather be almost warm... so I'd say if you are gunna do a 2 channel amp for the front stage don't short yourself.

Thank you for the video, thanks to you l got the 5 ch on the way!!

I just picked up the 5 X 200 Watt...excited to fire it up!

Great job, thanks.

This amp a great first foray into high end. It gets you right there but not quite. If you haven’t heard better then it’s perfect.

I purchased the 7 channel to run my 6 Atmos speakers. I have no regrets with my purchase. The amp sounds fabulous.

@Audioholics

4 ай бұрын

Glad to hear that. Enjoy

I bet they are reworking the 7 channel thanks to you Gene 😮 👍

How does this amp compare to something like the XTZ EDGE A2-300 2 channel amp ?

Would like to see an Emotiva XPA DR-2 Differential Reference Amplifier review done by you.

These tested well. Amazing price really! They even look good! Looking forward to the bench test on the Yamaha RN2000a. Hopefully we see it soon. Thanks!

@Audioholics

4 ай бұрын

R-1000N is next followed by the 2000.

@JR-ho5qm

4 ай бұрын

@@Audioholics Fantastic! Thanks! I’m curious on the differences

Really Awesome specs !! This would solve my aim for separate amps and Gaming theater system.. Would match my Encore system of speakers too. .. IF I could get enough of a discount to compensate for the shipping to Canada .. that would be REALLY great =) I''' have to keep my eye / ears open. Thanks for the specs sir! .. I hope to see you when I get down there to Florida during the Expo Show !! =) ( Ask Don about it )

I just bought the 2 channel to replace 2 Fosi Hd - A1s that I was running to my BW 606s.. I am thoroughly impressed with what I've been hearing so far after a few listening sessions.. I will say the combo of this amp, my Schiit pre, and the bw's.. it's quite revealing with recorda lol it's laid bare my turntables' cheapness as far as how noisey the motor/power supply is.. but for CDs? Streaming? Near perfect for the money 👌

Would be awesome if you did Tonewinner amp reviews.

Gene we are wondering about the class D amps they got too. I would like to throw in that especially for multi ch that it's very hard differentiate the performance differences between high end and low end amps. By low end I would assume something even worse than these. Certainly more so when it's not the bed layer speakers, but im sure even that is questionable to the fact it probably wont matter for those as well. They seem like very excellent amps for multi channel use and also stereo. Would be nice if you can get those class D's for review.

Monoprice M5100X>> would this work well as a base speaker power source on a Denon 3800 using Monoprice THX365 x4 and a THX365C? I figure it would be better than the Denon powering all 9 channels alone. I'll leave the 4 ATMOS (running 5.2.4) on the Denon.

Nice work. I hope you provide details on the 7-channel sometime, I'm sure it would be helpful.

@Audioholics

Ай бұрын

The 7CH amp they provided me was a mess. I can't confirm if it was fixed.

@marstedt

Ай бұрын

@@Audioholics Ouch, well thanks for the warning.

I have the Emotiva BasX A3 (three channel). It comes with a 3 year warranty, similar to Monoprice. A big difference between the Monoprice and Emotiva is power output with Monoprice at 90 WPC and the Emotiva at 140 WPC (8 Ohm). Companies like Monoprice and Emotiva get a lot criticism, but for those of us that are "price sensitive" they offer so much improvement to the system we wouldn't have otherwise at a great value for what they are.

@swllz

4 ай бұрын

Emotiva rated 4ohm wattage only at 1khz, not 20 to 20khz instead. Are there differences rating at only 1khz vs 20-20Khz? Yes, how big? Only detailed measurements can tell.

@Audioholics

4 ай бұрын

They probably benchtest very similarly. Look at the internal pics. They look like clones.

@swllz

4 ай бұрын

@@Audioholics Probably come from the same manufacture line in China with different face plates.

@jasonmendonca6061

4 ай бұрын

​@@Audioholics So are you saying the Emotiva may only bench at around 90wpc like these monoliths? I ask because I'm torn between the m3100x and the A3, and I can justify the extra $200 for the A3 for the extra power, but if it's just rated differently and they are indeed similar power, than the Monolith is the clear winner

@Audioholics

4 ай бұрын

@jasonmendonca6061 No. I think the Emotiva is a newer generation of the same amp design so it probably is slightly more powerful than the Monoprice ver.

Hey Gene, do you know if Monoprice fixed the power connection after you let them know about it?

Hi Gene! I recently picked up the Monolith M3100X. I have it connected to a Marantz SR-5015. It is driving a pair of KEF Q350s and a Q250C. I am really enjoying it. Love the build quality. During movies I get great dynamics and crisp clear dialogue. For music it really opens up the sound stage. Detail and clarity are 👍👍! Have a great one!

@nastang87xx

3 ай бұрын

Question for you, I see your receiver has 100 watts with 2 ch driven at .08 THD which is pretty close to the rating of the 3100X's. If you have made any 2 channel comparisons running on your AVR vs using the pre outs to your M3100?

@wilfredkioko2669

2 ай бұрын

⁠@@nastang87xxthe receiver alone would obviously perform poorly dynamically.

$329 Crown XLi800 Stereo Class A/B 200wpc. into 8 ohms................ MUCH larger copper doughnut and much more filter capacitance. Working galvanically isolated balanced XLR inputs, channel gain control & other protection circuits. Built tough for the road. Acid jazz, Funk & Brass 🔈🔉🔊

@gregmatula9749

4 ай бұрын

I bought one on eBay for about $70 used it's a great amp. Using the balanced connection from an ifi zen dac.

You’re awesome buddy!

I just got a Rockville RPA9 2 channel amp, 400 watt RMS a channel, retail $180, i paid S!35 used. the rca on them has a horrible 60hz hum, but the xlr's are clean(ish) introducing a little hum in the system, but for the price, and the use case, it's doing me good. I have a pair of cambridge T500 towers, and both sub amps blew, it's an inherent issue, not worth fixing, they were 300 watts, so I am using this to drive the subs in the tower externally. I'm sure this monoprice is better, but at less then half the price, good enough for me. I'd be curious how badly it tests though.

I picked up the 7 channel amp for $464 before seeing this. Going to run 4 atmos and bi-amp fronts with my Arcam AVR20. Hope it sounds ok... haven't finished theater room yet to set it up.

Also thanks for letting me know about the contest, it's funny cus I just got a google news article push about a contest you were running for I think an SVS 2000 pro, i got excited until I saw it was from like 2022...lol, so this si a nice alternative, nicer actually.

@Audioholics

4 ай бұрын

Google is weird

@FOH3663

4 ай бұрын

Google = The Man

I have the polks xt-70 for fronts and xt-35 for center I was thinking of getting the emotiva xpa-6gen-3 6 channel amp is this unit to strong for my speakers ??

Thanks!

Gene, have you done any testing on Buckeye audio amplifiers?

@hochhaul

4 ай бұрын

Or perhaps a VTV amp.

Any word on more affordable monolith processors?

I love the nasa shirt!

M2100x paired with Wiim Pro Plus? Would it be better than Yamaha RN803?

Will the Monolith 90watts x 5 be enough power for a 5.1 system with speakers rated at 4 ohms? Or do I need a more powerful amp. Drives me crazy I have a pretty pricey Marantz and I still need an amp cause all the speakers I want to upgrade to are 4 ohms and I know you don’t change the ohm settings. Thank you.

I know the video is about Monoprice, but do you have any plans on doing Emotiva? Just curious to see how they stack up against similarly priced amps. I own 4 Emotiva amps. The DR3, XPA3-GEN3, BASX A400, and BASX A300. So far Ive has no complaints on none of them. Thanks in advanced

@Audioholics

4 ай бұрын

There are no plans for Emotiva gear reviews in the immediate future.

I wish you could get large meters on some dudget friendly amps. Nearly everyone loves them. They would sell out of them fast. Its possible to make a good looking amp, and still be inexpensive, relatively of course. (1 to 1.5k)

@FOH3663

4 ай бұрын

Agreed Nice big D'Arsonval movement ... or maybe even LEDs, like 70's Soundcraftsman! It'd likely add $100 or more ... which is fine, except that's 1/3 of the price!

By the way the XPA amps are all Class H power supplies with an SMPS vs. a linear power supply unlike previous amps. Also sourced most likely from ToneWinner.

@Audioholics

4 ай бұрын

I wasn't referring to XPA. These Monoprice Amps are very similar to BasX and likely made at same factory.

Great, I literally just bought the 7 channel this week. 😂 Installed it yesterday. Granted I’m only running 4 Klipsch Pro 6800 ceiling speakers @ 4 ohms for atmos and not using 3 of the channels. So far it’s working great.

@mdfrick

4 ай бұрын

I'm literally in the same boat. Just got the 7 channel yesterday. I was only going to use it to drive 6 KEF Ci160QR in-ceiling speakers for Atmos. Have opened it but haven't hooked it up yet.🤞 it's just fine for that use case!

@Audioholics

4 ай бұрын

Maybe they fixed the layout issues since my beta test. Not sure.

Dang I was hoping this would review their class D multi channel amps.

@dextermorgan1

4 ай бұрын

They've already reviewed those.

I love monoprice, mostly because so many snobs hate them

I currently have a denon 6700 powering my 6 atmos (svs elevations), and a tonewinner amp for my 7 bedlayer. Curious if adding this 7 channel will be any benefit. From denons 70% rule the wattage seems to be about the same

@wilfredkioko2669

2 ай бұрын

Of course the amp provides clean continuous power that’s a plus for dynamic movie scenes or dynamic music. I have the same Denon & it didn’t matter that I even bi-amped, dynamic content would fizzle

Gene! Will you be conducting a Bench Test Monolith 8250 Class D model?

@Audioholics

4 ай бұрын

They've asked me but I have to finish up other products first.

@michaelslocumbsr.2286

4 ай бұрын

@@Audioholics Understood! I have two of them... I'll purchase one more to complete my theater after the home is built...Thanks again! I'm satisfied! And you're right! There prices changed...I picked up each one on sale...

How do these compare against the Monoprice class AB ones?

@Audioholics

4 ай бұрын

These are class AB

HI, my comments here are not related to the current video. They are related on an older video you made about the Audioquest DBS 72 volts on the speaker cables. I was a little taking by it, and as an owner of the AQ K2 8 feet with the DBS system, was intrigue by your findings then. So as an audiophile I decide to lesson to a very good album from Karen Souza, which has a very clear voice. I removed the DBS completely after lessening to the same album with the DBS connected and not using any equipment then my ears this is what I found out my self. With BDS connected: I found the sound to be smoother all around, a little less aggressive on the treble and mediums and more aggressive on the bass. With out the BDS, i find the treble and medium to be more pronounce and the bass a little less aggressive. This said I am not sure if the actual sound is better or not to do the smoothness with the DBS connected,. SO my question is> Is AQ trying to full us, forcing the sound to be more smooth due to the cable restricting the actual treble and mediums and somehow increasing the bass? doe this makes any sense at all. Equioment use in my studio and not my audio room at home. speakers Arendal 1723 THX towers, Emotiva XMC 2, Emotiva DR2 reference amplifier, Turntable EAT Fortis with # 5 cartridge. All cables are audioquest, Speaker cables AQ K2 8 Feet. Phono stage Black ice Fusion 9 MKIII with FOZ XTR, Glass FX Tube DAC.

How do these compare with their more expensive big brothers like the Monolith 2X, 3X, and 5X?

@Audioholics

4 ай бұрын

They don't. The Monoliths are much better amps.

I would love to see video of factories where cheap gear like this is made.

@Audioholics

4 ай бұрын

More like factory 😉

The inside looks very similar to the Tonewinner AD-5100PA+.

Can you elaborate on what you didn't like about the 7 channel version please? And do you know if monoprice has made any updates to fix it? It is currently on sale and looks like a stellar deal

@Audioholics

3 ай бұрын

It had higher noise and distortion than the other units I tested. I have no confirmation if they've fixed this issue since my testing was completed.

Can you buy it with EU powercord?

Do the Emotiva BasX versus the Monoprice PLEASE... Gene... make it happen my dude!

@PEM-zt5rd

4 ай бұрын

And also how they compare to the XPA series

Hey Gene, is there's any sensibility to adding a 2100X to say an AVR like the Yamaha RX-V6A with 100 watts 2ch driven at .06 THD to power a 2 channel system? The speakers I would be using have an 87dB sensitivity. The up front power numbers are definitely close. But obviously there's always more to everything.

@Audioholics

3 ай бұрын

Only if you're running true 4ohm speakers and using all of the internal amps of your AVR.

@c0uchsl0uch

3 ай бұрын

​​@@Audioholics So you're saying if 3 channels are being used on a 100 watt x 7 AVR (Onkyo) it would not improve anything going to the m3100x, 100 watts is 100 watts either way ❓ 8 ohm speakers, rtr1530

@Audioholics

3 ай бұрын

@c0uchsl0uch it would take some load off the AVR, especially if the speakers are all running fullrange. But if it's a $1k+ AVR, I'd just stick with the internal AVR amps.

@c0uchsl0uch

3 ай бұрын

@@Audioholics the receiver im using is a Onkyo tx-nr6100 😁 Rated at 100w x 2 at 8ohms

My question is how reliable are these amps? Whats the longest duration someone has owned some?

@Audioholics

4 ай бұрын

Who cares. $300 and 3 year warranty. Dump it after, and it cost you $100/yr.

Can you test bench a crown amplifier for us

What I really like here is the 4-ohm capability, as I think this sets it apart from regular AVR. That being said, if someone just needs a couple channels of amplification for 8 ohm speakes, I think an older AVR on the used market is going to be the better strategy in terms of value.

@FOH3663

4 ай бұрын

Had to go back and look, ... 4ohm measurement was ~1.38x (8ohm) 4ohm burst was ~1.6x I really have no idea how that stacks up.

@MrChompenstein

4 ай бұрын

@FOH3663 Probably not superb for very power-hungry speakers like large subwoofers, but in cases where a speaker drops impedance a bit too low for medium tier AVR, this could keep everything happy. I think it is more common for AVR amps to handle 4-ohm speakers by current limiting and, therefore, offering up less wattage. I (and Gene) include comparisons to AVR levels of performance, and I think that is a fair comparison. This amp should find its place as a companion to AVR systems that need just a bit more headroom in their power supply. This should also save the consumer from buying a behemoth 300 wpc amp where it isn't needed, and that wouldn't actually offer them a better sonic experience anyway.

@FOH3663

4 ай бұрын

@@MrChompenstein Agreed, many good points. "Not superb for subs"? Yep Unless it's a sub supplementing a modest desktop rig, I'd say not recommended for subs period! What I meant by not sure how it stacks up, I was referring to it's capability in attempting to be load invariant ... towards doubling down, etc. I find this offering very attractive, the performance/cost ratio is strong. Except my IB, I'm all active, I'm not in the market ... but I can certainly see the market for such a piece ... as long as the sonics are fine (Gene didn't listen). You're right, it saves someone from buying a big monster amp, ... (which they probably would benefit from, but perhaps not fully appreciate).

Where’s the entry form for the Martin Logan’s?

@Audioholics

4 ай бұрын

www.audioholics.com/news/martinlogan-motion-xt-f100-new-years-giveaway

Emotiva have more transistors for chanel still a good price.

If I had 1500 to spend, I wouldn't put 800 into a DAC though. I own a thx subwoofer by Monoprice which is absolutely stellar for the 550 I paid for it. Great company.

@Audioholics

4 ай бұрын

It's a DAC and preamp and worth every penny.

Wished they would make a 4 ch one for 4 atmos speakers

@rcud1

2 ай бұрын

I know right!

What company builds these?

wish someone would get on the dsp game instead of always home theater channels. so 4, 6, and 8 channels for stereo 2-4way speakers. i cant even find a single 4channel chipamp using LM3886 or similar. i know lots of people using minidsp setup, and almost noone setting up home theater, possibly because im in europe with smaller houses.

Can you ship to South Africa 🇿🇦 if I buy from you?

Sorry if I missed it but monoprice claims power ratings “all channels driven”. Were these tested all channels driven?

@Audioholics

3 ай бұрын

Yes, it's all in other video and our written test report.

Gene, Monoprice lists the XLR connections as "unbalanced", is that a typo?

@Goose_Lord

4 ай бұрын

He speaks to that in the video; they are not fully balanced. It's really just an additional input for those who already have XLR cables and need to connect, but don't offer any benefits beyond that.

@djlee688

4 ай бұрын

@@Goose_Lord Got it, I missed that part.

It's my understanding that these amps and Emotiva are both made by ATI. I just bought the five channel, going to use it for the bed layer with a two channel Parasound for left-right

@Audioholics

4 ай бұрын

These are NOT ATI amps

@musicman8270

4 ай бұрын

@Audioholics Just what I heard...from several places. Just remember, they are being built to the spec that they were given.Anyway, you know they were contracted out.

@justinbeamon6624

4 ай бұрын

Emotiva is Tone Winner. Monolith went away from ATI design awhile ago. They are not ATI amps not even the big boys anymore.

@musicman8270

4 ай бұрын

@justinbeamon6624 I just ordered a Tonewinner preamp, it's basically a Basix mc1 except with balanced outs. But that doesn't mean that Emotiva is Tonewinner. Just that they order from the same vendors.

These would be great for driving surround and zone channels imo. I don't think I would use for my mains.

Are they build by Tonewinner ?

@justinbeamon6624

4 ай бұрын

Yah apparently same place as the BasX stuff.

Are it icepower modules?

@Audioholics

4 ай бұрын

No linear AB

Good value. Still rather have an ultra-efficient Class D with similar specs. The auto manufacturers offer all kinds of config of channels and power in class D for good prices-. Tempted to get one and run it on a Li power tool battery vs something like these with respectable S/N stats but the usual inefficiency and heat.

What does audiophile looking mean?

@Audioholics

4 ай бұрын

Thick faceplate, blue lights, blingy

Bought this around 10 days ago and waiting on my AV receiver to come In today. I checked the price on Amazon and it's now approximately $140 less than what I paid for it. Go figure

Or D- Sonic? I was trying to remember that name in my last question but im old lol......

Would love you to review Emotiva MR 1!

415 usd for a 5ch amp is crazy value, no way you can diy close to that, crazy

16:46 This budget seems heavy towards electronics rather than speakers, is this typical in the AV community? I come from more of an audiophile experience.

@Audioholics

4 ай бұрын

No, usually you you pla e more budget on speakers. Arylic streaming preamp is probably a more budget friendly option in this case.

LOL I love how Gene throws there SINAD out there for the ASR Amir junkies. Where r the processors for these low cost multichannel amplifiers? Not talking about receivers with pre-outs. Where are the processors????? With discrete subwoofer channels.

Knowing Emotiva amps are same as Monoprice is a huge deal.

3:30 Toroidal*

Maybe you could make a short video about how you wrecked your favorite NASA T-shirt.

@Audioholics

4 ай бұрын

It's vintage now

@billsmith5166

4 ай бұрын

@@Audioholics I have several just like it though not from NASA.

@Audioholics

4 ай бұрын

​@billsmith5166 the patch doesn't fair too well from the washing machine

This is not a criticism, it’s merely a passing comment. When studying class A-B amplifier specifications, I rarely see the amount of class A bias mentioned.

@Audioholics

Ай бұрын

True and I think it's become less of a concern since AB crossover distortion is so low these days that even just a few watts of class A is sufficient in most cases to be transparent. Just bc an amp has a high bias into Class A doesn't mean it will maintain it's good behavior when driven to rated power. I've seen this be an issue with some expensive esoteric amps touting high Class A bias.

@howardskeivys4184

Ай бұрын

@@Audioholics 👍

Why would they price the 5-channel amp only $50 more than the 3-channel amp? Can you think of any reason anyone would buy the 3-ch over the 5ch?

@Audioholics

2 ай бұрын

3CH measures better and if you don't need the extra 2 channels.

“Cleaned up and tidy” isn’t what they are going for at this price point. People at that factory couldn’t care less.😂

Emotiva BasX amps have a 3 year warranty to the original owner

Thanks $5

All the other Monolith M X100 series Amps are on sale with code BIG25 except the M5100x

They doing too much at this prices point with the 7 channel amp. Owell

Wow thats horrible... what would one expect for "audiophile" crap. I got a 1500w 2ch amp for $250. My Denon puts out as much.