No reviews of the Monoprice K-BAS bookshelf speakers??

[Motrek]

These seem like the most interesting speakers of the year, to me at least. (Except for maybe the ELAC UB5s?)

Same enclosure design as the Atlantic Technology AT-2s, which cost ~$700+ each and get universally spectacular reviews.

And these Monoprice models only cost $250 each.

Seems like all the professional review sites would be tripping over themselves to get some, and yet... crickets...

 

[shadyJ]

I think if you ask Santa for a K-BAS review for Christmas, and you have been extra good this year, your wishes might come true. Read the paragraph in the Audioholics Christmas Guide about the K-BAS speakers.

 

[zieglj01]

These seem like the most interesting speakers of the year, to me at least. (Except for maybe the ELAC UB5s?)

Same enclosure design as the Atlantic Technology AT-2s, which cost ~$700+ each and get universally spectacular reviews.

And these Monoprice models only cost $250 each.

There is compromise in there somewhere - however, you can always test them out,
and then give us your take on them.

 

[slipperybidness]

There is compromise in there somewhere - however, you can always test them out,
and then give us your take on them.

First "compromise" is the Monoprice badge. I have seen several MP items that are re-badges from other well respected companies, and the MP item is deeply discounted in every case.

I think the people running MP are making a LOT of very wise decisions here! It's awesome that they are going to the OEM and getting the same or very similar products, but not paying a licensing fee. Everyone in the chain is getting a benefit from this model.

 

[zieglj01]

Atlantic Tech and Monoprice

 

[slipperybidness]

Atlantic Tech and Monoprice

Yeah, I gotcha, these are clearly different but similar. But I have seen other items that appear to be identical with different badging.

That's obviously a different tweeter.

 

[Motrek]

Yes, they're different speakers, not just a rebadge, but it's public knowledge that Monoprice licensed the same patented enclosure design. (And are calling it K-BAS instead of H-PAS.)

Speaker reviewers couldn't heap praise on this enclosure design fast enough, for the amount and quality of bass it delivers.

Monoprice is clearly using different drivers, so the question is, do the different drivers result in a speaker that's similar to the ATs, or inferior, and if they're inferior, by how much? (Or maybe the Monoprices are superior?! That's also a possibility.)

That's why we need a review! I'm afraid $500 is way above my budget for buying something just because I'm curious about how it sounds. Plus I'm not set up to do any objective speaker testing.

 

[Motrek]

I think if you ask Santa for a K-BAS review for Christmas, and you have been extra good this year, your wishes might come true. Read the paragraph in the Audioholics Christmas Guide about the K-BAS speakers.

Thanks for the link, I hadn't seen that. But it seems to be repeating the assessment from the "preview" article they wrote a while back. I want a REview!

 

[shadyJ]

There is this line from the article: "Be sure to stay tuned for our full featured review of these speakers with measurements in the coming month."

 

[Motrek]

There is this line from the article: "Be sure to stay tuned for our full featured review of these speakers with measurements in the coming month."

Hahaha, whoops, I stopped reading when I got to:

"We got a chance to listen to them on the CEDIA floor in September and were wowed by the amount of low end bass coming through."

Thanks for the hint.