Monolith Encore B6: Best Budget Bookshelf Speaker Under $400
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Пікірлер: 223
▶Monolith Encore B6 Bookshelf Speaker: bit.ly/MonolithEncoreB6Bookshelf ▶Monolith Encore T6 Tower Speaker: bit.ly/MonolithEncoreT6Tower ▶Monolith Encore C6 Center Channel Speaker: bit.ly/MonolithEncoreC6Center Binaural Sound Demos of the Monolith Encore: theavsummit.com/exhibitors/monolith-by-monoprice/ My Speaker Leaderboard: bit.ly/SpeakerLeaderboard Black Friday Monolith THX Subwoofers on Sale: bit.ly/MonolithTHXBlackFriday Monolith B-Stock 2021 Q4: bit.ly/MonolithB-Stock2021Q4 All Black Friday Deals 2021: bit.ly/MonolithBlackFriday2021 Disclosure: The Affiliate links above earn me a commission if you purchase using those links. This is at no additional cost to you. Monoprice/Monolith is a channel sponsor. These were sent to me free for review. Monolith did not review my video prior to release. I am allowed to say whatever I want about these speakers.
@RanTausi
2 жыл бұрын
Hi Joe, is it possible for you to show us their crossover ? Thanks
I'm glad folks finally reviewing more Monoprice speakers besides the subs. Their THX line are incredibly underrated and nobody talks a lick about them.
I watch so many speaker videos and pretty much no one shows them working and actually on. Everyone just talks about them and that's all. Thank you for showing them in action. Even on KZread I would want to see them in action.
You are in my top three for reviews. Give detail with your impressions, and sound samples. Keep up the good work, Joe!
The depth you go into this video is incredible. Thank you so much for going into the depth you have, especially in the lower frequency response. I am now not even sure if I need a sub... maybe I'll get one in the end, but I'm rethinking that aspect by a lot.
Got myself a set after watching your review and absolutely love them. I was intrigued by the 1200hz tweeter/waveguide combo, very few dynamic tweeters are able to crossover that low. I think at this pricepoint Monoprice is offering something pretty special.
@joentell
2 жыл бұрын
That's awesome. What is it that you like about them? I'm always curious to hear what people think of products I recommend.
@TomC707
2 жыл бұрын
@@joentell I like the overall build quality of the speakers, the cabinet is solid and the finish is nicely done. Not the most beautiful design with its standard rectangular shape, but I do like the piano black end caps and love the look of the waveguide. Magnetic grills would have been a nice touch. Sound is cohesive across the frequency range with very good soundstage and imaging. Speakers play with authority even at lower volumes allowing them to be enjoyable at lower listening levels. Due to my room layout I’m unable to get that equilateral triangle to my listening position, but the dispersion of the waveguides seem to allow for not so favorable positioning. I'm unable to crank them due to my living environment, but you demonstrated how they perform at higher SP, I mean just the look on your face and feet massage says it all...haha In my previous post I stated I was intrigued with the 1200 hz crossover as there are benefits to this in a 2-way design. I believe using the large wave guide engineered correctly enables the tweeters to cross over this low while negating typical adverse effects it would have with smaller waveguides or flat mounted tweeters. It also places the tweeter near the acoustic center with the woofer. I’m currently running these with a Loxjie A30 which has no problems with the 85db sensitivity, 4 ohm rating. For me, I have no regrets buying them and would buy again. Thanks Joe for reviewing them!
@trenbrah5148
2 жыл бұрын
what amplifier are you guys using to power this set
@TomC707
2 жыл бұрын
@@trenbrah5148 I'm using a Loxjie A30 that provides 80 watts at the 4 ohm rating and more than enough for my room at my listening levels.
Excellent review of the speakers. Makes me want to hear them for myself. Your vlogs are very informative and entertaining Joe, keep on doing what your doing. Out of all the reviewers you and Cheap Audio Man, are the most believable. You guys both seem to be more passionate about the music and less concerned with all the hype. Looking forward to the monolith tower review.
@joentell
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you. Let me get on that Monolith T6 tower review.
Looking pretty awesome! Wow, higher than all the Elac's on on the leaderboard? New value king crowned?!
Reminds me a bit of the Buchardt S400 with the large waveguide., although that is also 4x the cost of the B6.
Monoprice is selling foot massagers now❤🔥❤🔥. Hobie has definitely made a deal with the devil for all these amazing Monolith products 😅😂😭. Your love and enthusiasm for these speakers really shined through in this review. Free bass😭😂😅. Nancy says just say no😅😂
I bought a pair of these Encore B6s. Even before braking them in they sound great. Comparing to Elac UniFi 2 and Klipsch Quartets. Good CALL!
@joentell
2 жыл бұрын
I'm glad you're really liking them!
Sealed center helps with placing inside a cabinet* Others have done this too or use passive radiators to deal with enclosed cabinet spaces or really near the front wall.
I never see Joe like that 😂😂
How would these compare to the Emotiva B1+ bookshelf speakers for 230ish $ a pair
Reminds me of the nuance speakers that were sold up here in Canada in the 90s with that big waveguide. Used a similar waveguide with a silk dome tweeter. 8" paper laminate cone woofer. I suspect its a similar sound, but priced appropriately.
Have had these for about week now and I have to say, I LOVE, love love LOVE them. How they have not received more online attention is beyond me. I've A/B'd them to other budget-oriented speakers (Sony SSCS5, JBL 130's, Bose 301-V's) and these monolith's just sound so BIG. I have them paired up to my Marantz 2238 receiver and Fluance RT-82 turntable. Sooo good. If you're shopping for bookshelfs and on a budget (heck even if you're not in a budget) these are the ones to get in my book. This is an odd comparison, but they actually sound somewhat similar, tonally, to my JBL S530's. So if you like that sound but with a bit more bottom end, you'll love these. Very easy to listen to and really fills the room. Also do not be intimidated by the low efficiency rating. Its equally low impedance rating (4ohm) kind of makes up for it, as it's able to grab more power from the amp.
Listening to Saint Saens Organ Symphony. Even the low pedal notes are rocking the house.
I just bought these on black friday discount. $89/each. I am super excited to get these and pairing them with a Monolith HT-35 for 7.1 Surround sound.
Researching speakers to rock my retirement! No home theater, just loud rock music! 8 ohm receivers. no sub. This speaker seems to be what I need but i'm not sure I want to buy an off brand, though. Exceptional video!
@joentell
Жыл бұрын
I love these things. I recommend them all the time.
I picked these up off Amazon since they have a good deal currently. I've always like the Monolith line from Monoprice. On the other hand, I am a big Emotiva fan. My regular speakers are the Airmotiv B1+. Boy, they go up quite head to head. Both great speakers with minor subtle differences. I can see how you had that excitement about them. Pretty impressive so far. Thanks Joe for all your great reviews and videos!
Working man Buchart S400?
Good looking speaker. Monolith/Monoprice have been putting out excellent products at fair prices. Don't like the rear port, but its great to see a new quality inexpensive bookshelf speaker. Thanks for the review.
Nice review as always. Would like to see a review of the entire set in a home theater setting. Is that review in the future?
@joentell
2 жыл бұрын
I plan on doing a separate review of the floorstanders.
Thanks for bringing these to our attn Joe! I'm sure Randy ('Cheapaudioman') will be getting his hands on these too! (The only thing i'm NOT crazy about is that low sensitivity rating.....)
@homeboi808
2 жыл бұрын
Keep in mind many companies lie about sensitivity. Lots of speakers people praise even for home theater are sometimes 82dB or even 80dB sensitive. On average companies embellish by about 1.5dB, the statistical average is 86dB for bookshelf and 89dB for towers/centers.
@corkydukeII5898
2 жыл бұрын
@@homeboi808 What?! You mean companies will sometimes exaggerate the stats to try to sell more? So that budget car amp I just bought for $49 isn't really providing an accurate 2000 watts of claimed power? I want my $$$ back! : P
wow! That's the LOWEST crossover point I've ever seen in a two way speaker. 1200 hz! Means the tweeter is doing a lot of lifting and the lows are dealing with LOWS! Interesting that they claim they only reach to 49hz. Of the Elac series, the ORIGINAL B6s hit the lowest to me, yeah they weren't the tightest bass but the bass presence was way more than the B 6.2 that followed. I believe they claimed 44hz low? I still can't believe the bass that comes out of the originals which I have doing duty in my home office. Might check these out! 1200. Reminds me of how Henry Kloss used to crossover his designs, he often had low crossover points as well?
@psyphonyxaudio
2 жыл бұрын
That waveguide is designed to assist in exactly what you've mentioned. The width of the guide helps that wavelength/frequency project at desired levels across the cross over points.. and the shape of the guide determines how that slope couples to the tweeter driver ability.
I love my Monolith M570 planar magnetic headphones! 💘 Killer sound for the best price. My Sanskrit 2 and Asgard 3 help quite a bit also.
¡Esas bocinas se ven increíbles! Espero que sean excelente en sonido también.
can't wait for Erin to Klippel'em (and that they get to Europe...)
Why is your audio constantly overlapping and being cut short? It sounds super unnatural and it's hard to follow what you are saying. Love the videos Joe and excited to see what reviews come next
@pjo1964
2 жыл бұрын
He may have a noise suppressor/ noise gate on .
@MasterMark5
2 жыл бұрын
@@pjo1964 I think during editing he is cutting the clips too soon and putting the next clip as the first one is ending which makes sense but if it's too close together they start to overlap
@diamondbracelette
2 жыл бұрын
Cutting out speaking pauses for a snappier vid
@MasterMark5
2 жыл бұрын
@@diamondbracelette Well yeah I understand why but he cut them way too short and his words are blending together and making it hard to understand at least for me
@joentell
2 жыл бұрын
This is from a one hour live stream. Trying to respect the viewer's time (you) in exchange for maybe a less natural sound. Conscious decision. You'll survive.
I’m not usually a fan of really flat freq response speakers, most I’ve heard sounded boring to me. But for $180 each, they’d be worth checking out. I wanna hear more about the towers though, can’t wait for your reviews.
@joentell
2 жыл бұрын
People mix up flat on-axis sound with flat measurements at your listening position. Research has shown people prefer flat/neutral/accurate speakers in a room. When you measure those speakers at a typical listening position, the measurement isn't flat, it's downward sloping with higher bass and lower treble. Most people would NOT like a flat sound at the MLP (main listening position.) Hope that helps.
Just scored these new on amazon for $75/ea!
I've never heard of monolith speakers until now. There's literally hundreds of loudspeaker companies that are under the radar.
This looks awesome and I love Monolith gear. I have the Monolith turntable and It's very very good. I need to check out those towers though, not a bookshelf guy because I hate spending money on stands. LOL
@joentell
2 жыл бұрын
Review coming up. Spoiler alert: they're awesome!
wave guide sure looks like the one on Buchardt S400
Great video Joe! Sounds like these compare favorably to QAcoustics 3030i or the Klipsch RP-600M. Will likely pickup a pair after the big move. NJ -> TX.
I see now that the height of the bookshelf compared to the other size brands.. is the cabinet volume (rather than depth **which looks better to me than a shallow tall cabinet**) I think you know how im feeling/thinking on these... Clearly focused on info and seeking assurance before I go all in... 🙏🙏
You mentioned The Fives. The Klipsch R41PMs were a great buy. They sound very good but their functionality can't be beat. I paid $175 but the price was raised way higher. No way can they compete with the Encore B6s for tonality and loudness.
Snagged a pair of these for my garage to replace some SS-CS5's (bright, poor low end extension) - I wasn't quite as impressed as I was with the T5's but they do sound pretty good. I think the treble is a little more refined compared to the T5's and can run at 0db treble vs -2db on the T5's. When pushed hard I am noticing some port chuffing, the bass isn't as tight as the T5 and dynamics aren't really comparable - the T5's go much louder but you could apply a high pass filter and they would go louder I'm sure. I think at the same sale price the T5's are the better value if you aren't pairing a sub and have the space but I feel like the B6's are probably nearly untouched compared to other bookshelves at $180/pair.
incredible that the denton 85th are still at the top.. i need to check them out
@joentell
2 жыл бұрын
Unfortunately, those burned in a storage fire as I like to have speakers long-term to compare to newer ones as my memory of how they sound is only so good. I would love to revisit some of those speakers and see how they compare head to head with newer ones. I think part of my reason I liked them was yes, their sound, but also their look and fit & finish.
no plan to test the praised $88 sony ss cs5 ?
Bonus Bass
I wish I was in USA or these were in here in my country. Love from India 🇮🇳.
Joe this is the worst edited video I have viewed from you. This is just constructive criticism. I love this channel.
Hey Joe! Do you remember having to burn them in? I have them in a big room. And although they can produce some bass. I think my room is really dampening their performance. In a small room they are monsters
they are budget buchardt s400
Looking forward to the floor stander review. I'm trying to get a home theater going. Subs are definitely in the future. I'm just trying to kick that ball down the road a little. to save up for some decent ones. I was looking at the emotiva T2 +. curious how they compare.
@joentell
2 жыл бұрын
Coming soon!
Didn't even think bass excursion was possible on on bookshelves
The port tuning is very low in order to be used without a high pass filter. It's a commonly used method that actually isn't a Chebyshev tuning but is very similar. The speaker uses a high Qts driver probably around .6 that naturally has a high vas and desires a large box. The driver is put into a box that is theoretically far too small for a ported design and much closer to what would be used in a sealed design with the same woofer. The engineer then puts a small port that is tuned fairly low (28-32hz generally) which will act as a cushion to keep the speaker from unloading beyond Xmax at low frequencies. Since the speaker is in a small box the port gives a very slight bump above the driver's fs and creates a shallow roll-off until below the port tuning that can take advantage of room gain or boundary reinforcement to get a sense of low-end extension. They can also be eqed effectively if some care is taken. The port can be small because it is not being excited much because of the low tuning. It is a very clever design for a manufacture that wants to keep costs low by using a driver with a weak woofer motor. It also keeps warranty claims low because people won't bottom out the drivers as easily playing low bass music without a high pass. One of the only downsides is that efficiency usually goes down because the driver needs to have a low fs. 85db/2.83v at 4 ohms is about 3-4dB down from what something meant to play only 40-60hz and up could do. This speaker reminds me of old semi-budget JBL speakers that used similar designs. The HLS line comes to mind especially because it used a waveguide as well. Those were made before subwoofers had really taken off in home audio so JBL had to make something to be run without a high pass. Glad to see monoprice bringing back some of that engineering at a low price.
@joentell
2 жыл бұрын
What you've said makes perfect sense and I can't know for sure since I don't know the t/s parameters of the driver. I am inclined to go along with what you've said though.
$74.99 each at Target!
JnT, apologies in advance hermano. Those video cuts are very uncomfortable to watch/ listen to. They really detract from your messaging. The cuts in the start of the video with text was great. After that, the transitions made me speechless.😢 Just lookin out for ya. All the best ... 🙏🏼
How bout bringing back the music samples at the end of speaker reviews ?
@joentell
2 жыл бұрын
I linked to a binaural sound demo in the description. Wear headphones.
@WindomRettes
2 жыл бұрын
@@joentell What I meant Joe was the music samples you used at the end of your speaker reviews from back in 2019.
Thanks for your upload but the quick editing was getting me paranoid anxious
@joentell
2 жыл бұрын
It was from an hour live stream. Sorry for the edit
Great company and video. 4ohm, 85 db, what amp/s did you use/what type of music at what volume levels for how long? How hot did your amp/s get? The only thing that is making me hesitate are the specs.
@dchron8565
2 жыл бұрын
Seems you'll need an amplifier "that has a bit of grunt" to drive these speakers properly, Mike. Out of curiosity, what amplifier do you intend to use?
@joentell
2 жыл бұрын
I have tested these ok an inexpensive SMSL SA300 and I can get them annoyingly loud without distortion. Of course, the more clean power the better, but you have to consider your room size, distance from the speakers, content, and expectations.
@chrisy4011
2 жыл бұрын
@@joentell Will an onkyo tx nr 646 power these? 12x15 room
I notice a growing trend for wave-guides on the tweeter, which is good. The tonality of reflections is as important as the direct sound. Sad that British designed speakers haven't adopted this yet, with the exception of the co-axial/concentric ones.
I wish that they were 8 ohms. I have 4 of their ceiling speakers and they are 8 ohms. I have two of their c5 center channel as the rear surrounds.
My man has the tuuuunes
Hello Fresh ! Represent !
Can you publish some pictures of the crossovers please? I am a crossover guy and love to look at the appearance and quality of the crossovers of a speaker. Thank you.
@joentell
Жыл бұрын
I don't have any
So you can buy a Buchardt S400, or you can buy the Buchardt $400 aka Monolith b6
Hey Joe thank you so much for bringing this, for us on a budget it's very helpful. How would you compare this with the Emotiva speaker line ?
@joentell
2 жыл бұрын
Haven't tried the Emotiva.
I Want To Purchase a Set Of these To Finish Off My 7.2ch H.T. Setup, Quick Question Though If All My Current Polk Audio Speakers Are 8ohms But These B6 Bookshelves Are 4ohms Can I Still Use Them In My Current Setup? My A/V Receiver Is a Yamaha Aventage RX-A1080. My Front L/R are Polk Audio Monitor 75T, Rear L/R Surrounds Are TSi200, Center Channel is TSx250c I'd Use These Encore B6 For Rear Back Surrounds.
Monolith THX 365 need to be reviewed....
nice, but is it better than ELAC Uni-Fi UB5? I'm torn
Hi Joe, why did you mention in the video" thank you for not making the cabinet HDF ? I thought HDF was better than MDF more rigid , correct me if I'm wrong please. Thanks
Better than (and cheaper than?) Pioneer BS22?
@joentell
2 жыл бұрын
The BS22 is less, but think of this as a scaled up version of that with a more neutral response
I'm a big fan of monolith products and Monoprice products. I own some. Just got to get this out there, they are $360 per pair. To name a few Brands where you can get something pretty decent at that amount is elac, kef, and Klipsch audio. If they were at $250 for for a pair it would make more sense get so excited about it. What makes the speakers so much better than the brands I just mentioned for the same price?
@joentell
2 жыл бұрын
The old ELAC UB5's when they were on sale for $349 were my go to recommendation. I enjoyed the Klipsch RP600M. I like Wharfedale Diamond 12.1's. I like Q Acoustics 3030i's. So much to like. I think these just take it up another notch when it comes to neutral response, smooth directivity, output for their size, and bass response. I'm actually reconnecting my old trusty UB5's to make sure I'm not crazy. I never got a chance to review the KEF Q150's, but have heard good things.
@ryanschipp8513
2 жыл бұрын
@@joentell gotcha:) Check out the new POLk SIGNATURE ELITE ES60 towers, on sale for $499. I know it's a couple hundred more than the monolith speakers but it might give them a run for their money. Fluance towers are pretty good too for the money.
kiind of a monster Pioneer BS22 wave guide, but on steroids. AJ, you can make a big wave guide, but look at this!
@joentell
2 жыл бұрын
For our budgetaudiophile community, I'm so excited for those getting into this hobby!
Mmmm nice they look good they have an amazing price but the floorstanding should be fire i need to listen to them
Thinking on getting these because i have Telefunken Box 3105 bookshelf that play good and sound good but they have now 40 years old and maybe it's time for new stuff not sure if they sell these in Europe i have an old Sony str-4800 45wpc so yeah and i love bass so these could be the ones
Audiophile often looked in to refine clean sound ,so they are not into klipsch JBL types of speakers, they are more suitable for partying with big Bass big sound but not so refine Thank you.
*Where can I get those wall panels you have?*
I have a little class D 100w per channel amplifier that's rated to power 2-8ohm speakers. Will my amplifier have enough power for these speakers?. I narrowed my options between the Monolith B6 and the klipsch RP-160M. Which do you think my little class D amplifier will power best?. The Amplifier is my next upgrade. The Klipsch RP-160M are $374 right now so that's why I figured these two would be my best choices and I already have two klipsch R-12SW subwoofers.
Binding posts shown on Monolith's website are not the same as the speakers you have. The ones on the website look way cheaper.
What are they like with regard to things like midrange clarity, soundstage, imaging etc?
@joentell
2 жыл бұрын
Very good on all accounts. I should have stated that in my review. I nerd out so much, I forget that showing off-axis response and talking about the directivity might not mean anything to most people. But yes, the factors that allow a speaker to have good sound stage and imaging are there and it does translate to an enjoyable experience when listening to two-channel or multi-channel music/movies.
Great review Joe. I'd love to know how these sound with DSP using PEQ or even Dirac live to correct for the imperfection, especially the bass dip and bass peak. I think you could build a good system with these with no sub and just minidsp.
@joentell
2 жыл бұрын
I use these with manual PEQ using Audyssey MultEQ-X, and I don't have any desire to change out the speakers in my home theater.
What sub would you recommend to go with the 5.0 Encore system I am looking at the SVS 1000 pro SVS 2000 pro and monolith 10 inch THX? Also Does monoprice take care of there customers like SVS?
Looks really interesting. What are the dimensions of this speaker?
Great video! I put a pair of Sonance speakers in my garage, with a Sonos amp, and I hate them. So, I started looking at your leaderboard and saw this. I've found some wall-mounts, but since the speakers are pretty tall, I'm not sure I would like the look. How do you think these would compare the the svs prime elevations?
@joentell
2 жыл бұрын
These are huge compared to the SVS Prime Elevations.
Joe, I may have missed it in the review of comments, but what are the dimensions of this speaker? I see them on the site, but they don't seem like they're accurate because the speaker does not seem to be 13" wide.
@noahandky3019
2 жыл бұрын
Yup, I saw that too. The dimensions do seem off.
@joentell
2 жыл бұрын
They fixed the dimensions on the site.
Did they change the binding post on these compared to what you have reviewed? The images on Amazon looks to be plastic posts. Sorry if I got that wrong!
@joentell
2 жыл бұрын
Yes, it looks that way
Does anyone know if these come with the correct tweeter now? They had an issue that they found.
@joentell
Жыл бұрын
They do. They sent them to me and I haven't even installed them. I just don't hear the issue even though I see it in the measurements. I will eventually, but just not a top priority because it's not noticeable.
Seems odd to me that they aren't more efficient, would have expected a db maybe 2 due to the box being large but 85 isn't terrible especially since it looks like the bass is higher in db. I do see a wrinkle in their impedance graph 220 - 240hz but a lot of other stuff in this price range (or higher!) has box/port resonance so it having a some wouldn't really surprise me. Only thing I wish is that it had a better center channel design but 1200 hz crossover is really low so a lot of your typical MTM center channel issues won't be as bad and the center appears to be quite a bit more sensitive although I can't see any specs for any of the speakers on the monoprice website. Only thing I think gives this a run for the money is Emotiva B1+ and C1+ as the C1+ in theory wouldn't have any of the issues that most MTM speakers have but I think once Klippel gang sees this it's going to be on a lot of recommend lists assuming it does well.
@joentell
2 жыл бұрын
If I were to guess the sensitivity of these speakers, I would've thought they were higher than what's stated here. There are a few companies, that tend to exaggerate their sensitivity figures. I wouldn't be surprised if they played it safe with that number for the sake of integrity.
Waiting for price drop below $300 ....not convinced yet.
What's that white diamond wall finish you have?
@joentell
2 жыл бұрын
Affiliate link ahead! amzn.to/3vPTUsj
Hey Joe. How do you think the bookshelves would pair with the Monolith THX Center (365t). Thanks!
@joentell
2 жыл бұрын
Never tried the 365T. Sorry.
Im astonished by the build quality and performance at this price point. What I don’t get is why you are using a 100dB scale on your REW plots ? That overly smooths and makes the frequency response look more lineal that it actually is. Is it possible to ad link for measurement file or plot pic with 50dB scaling 🙏🏻 ?
@joentell
2 жыл бұрын
I matched the scale used by Monolith. I try to ensure the vertical scale is 5dB increments. There are only 2 zoom settings before it changes and I assume you prefer the closer one. Also, REW spits out a different image with the same y-axis scale whether I am using my laptop or my computer with an 34" ultra-wide screen. Seems resolution dependent. If you have any recommendations for specific settings, I'm open to hearing them.
Should I go for these over the KEF Q150’s?
@joentell
2 жыл бұрын
For a desk? Where? These are pretty big for a desk.
Not sure you get usable output around the port frequency? Even my $16,000 Revel Studio2s had very audible port noise. I had to use a high-pass filter set to 30Hz in order to get rid of it. The REW frequency response results suggested that they would offer usable output with a flat response down to 20Hz. Not so. That lowest half octave wasn't clean!
@joentell
2 жыл бұрын
By experience tells me that the output combined with room gain makes the low frequencies extremely useful and audible. BTW, my measurements are done to try to avoid as much room interaction as possible by measuring a spatial average about a foot away from the drivers/port. I run multiple measurements to confirm.
What did you use to power the speakers? How much power do you recommend to throw at them?
@joentell
2 жыл бұрын
That's always a tough question as it's dependent on your room size, your content, your expectations, your placement etc. I powered them with 180 watts per channel at 4 ohms. I also used a cheap class D amp in the SMSL SA300 and I could play them loud enough for my space.
Noticing their (Monolith) response measures better HF towards the 20khz end. (My preferred was the Polk for HF resolusion) ... What real-world differences are happening there?
@joentell
2 жыл бұрын
I cannot say for sure which is more accurate between my measurement and theirs. I use a spatial average which might make a difference. We'll wait for the Klippel guys to see for sure.
Don’t these have the same speaker designer as arendal and perlisten? I own the arendals and they rock as well
@joentell
2 жыл бұрын
Or so I've heard 😉
Would four of these work as fronts and rears? Wondering if they would replace the monolith towers for less money
@joentell
2 жыл бұрын
I don't know that it would replace towers, but with a sub, sure. 4 of these would be awesome!
@leecm
2 жыл бұрын
@@joentell sorry, forgot to mention that I would get a monolith 12 sub too to compensate for the lack of bass
@joentell
2 жыл бұрын
@@leecm I think with proper room EQ to blend the bass of the sub and mains, I would 100% go with the bookshelf + sub combo
That measured bass response looks like it has a bit of the "room" in it. Did you do close-miked measurements of the woofer and vent? Those can be used to help remove the "room" from the measurement. The published FR from Monoprice is interesting, as that sort of "bass curve" is showing up in other speakers as well, such as some of the KEF series. Basically they'd turned lower, so there's a sloping response from 100 Hz down to Fb, and I'd be this is being done to take advantage of room and proximity gain to both remove some "boom" and extend the in-room bass performance to very low frequencies.
@impuls60
2 жыл бұрын
In small apartsments and room its good to dump that bass energy so low that it wont excite any standing waves. So beginners wont make boomy rooms worse than they have to be, thats definetly a win!
@joentell
2 жыл бұрын
Close mic about a foot away to maximize the direct sound from the speaker and minimize the reflected sound. Spatial average 30° horizontal and 10° above/below the midpoint between the tweeter and mid-bass driver or wherever the manufacturer says is the point they've optimized for (for example concentric/coaxial designs often have the worst response directly on-axis of the tweeter.)
@Grommet2007
2 жыл бұрын
@@joentell Sounds like a little too far away :-). Close-miking is usually done with the mike very close to the woofer or the vent. This makes sure that any impact from other sources, like room reflections, is minimized. It's a technique to remove the "room" from the low frequency response of the speaker. Should not be used for anything other than measurement at bass frequencies however. I use close-mike and transfer function measurement to get a better idea of what the bass response of a full range speaker would be in an anechoic environment, but that approach is a bit more complicated. More complicated to describe than to actually do, but still complicated. :-).
@joentell
2 жыл бұрын
@@Grommet2007 I hear you and I've experimented with getting as close to the drivers as possible. I haven't seen a huge difference between that and 1ft away. The trickiest part is the port when it's on the rear because how do you properly integrate that with the measurement from the front considering it's not in the same location. Front port is easier, but of course you have to be careful of wind noise hitting the mic from all ports. My gauge is consistency, repeatability. I find my measurements typically align reasonably well with those from the Klippel NFS being the reference.
@Grommet2007
2 жыл бұрын
@@joentell There are a number of different ways to sum the output of the vent and the driver. One is to do the close-mike measurement for both, then scale the vent measurement downward based on the ratio of the vent area to the driver surface area. Another way is to adjust the vent measurement downward until the output below the peak lines up with the measured output from the driver. I use the transfer function method which is longer to describe than it is to do, but but basically involves measuring the speaker with the vent stopped up and with it open, both close-miked and at a distance of 1M, and use the measurements to determine what the combined vent and driver output would look like in an anechoic environment by deriving then subtracting the room transfer function. For best results, gotta get rid of all background noise as much as possible, and choose a locations for the speaker and mic that are least affected by room effects. I've detailed the process here - techtalk.parts-express.com/forum/tech-talk-forum/1365351-a-different-way-to-measure-a-subwoofer-s-frequency-response.
Thanks Joe! Sadly More companies need to have white options to their product lines.
Would this be good for left and right for hometheater?
@joentell
2 жыл бұрын
Ohhh yeah!!!
How to these compare to the Klipsch RP600m? I just purchased the Klipsch but I’m thinking of returning and picking these up? C’mon Joe let me know what you think please.
@joentell
2 жыл бұрын
I responded to someone else with the same question. I put them above the Klipsch on my speaker leaderboard for a reason, I like them better. bit.ly/SpeakerLeaderboard
@xsonicpunkx
2 жыл бұрын
@@joentell yes I noticed after I asked the question. Sorry about that. You really are the best on KZread. We can all relate to you. Thanks for doing what you do so we don’t have to.
@joentell
2 жыл бұрын
@@xsonicpunkx thanks man! That's a great compliment. I just want to seem more like a friend than an authority on the subject.
@xsonicpunkx
2 жыл бұрын
@@joentell as soon as I get back to work I will sign up to be a patreon. Thank you
Woooo , so how would you compare to the kplisch rp 600
@joentell
2 жыл бұрын
More even response here. I liked the RP-600M's, but they are slightly bright and the dip at the crossover is real.
It look like buchardt s400
Sony SS-CS5 is the real Bookshelf for the people lol
@stevenholt5484
2 жыл бұрын
gotta give love to Sony, some time back Thomas and Stereo matched them up against the Buchardt 400's and they HELD THEIR OWN.
I got the monolith k-bass, and they freaking bump
@joentell
2 жыл бұрын
Oh yeah, I remember those. Transmission line? I never got a chance to check those out.
@MrMegatron85
2 жыл бұрын
@@joentell those are it. They didn't seem to get a lot of attention, which is weird because they sound great. One of the best choices if you don't want a subwoofer. They get pretty low