Monoprice Monolith 7-Channel Amplifier Review

[gene]

Monoprice may have made its name making cheap HDMI cables but there's absolutely nothing cheap about their new line of audiophile-grade Monolith amplifiers. The Monolith 7 is a 7-channel, 200wpc (with all channels driven), 93 pound beast of an amplifier. From its build to astonishing real-world performance the Monolith 7 may just rank as one of the best price/performance amplifiers you can buy. We put the Monolith through a battery of tests and came away impressed.

Read our full review to see why the Monolith really is THAT good.

Read: Monoprice Monolith 7-Channel Amplifier Review

 

[gene]

 

[Pogre]

That thing looks like a beast. I want one.

(No really, I do)

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I think all the amp companies should be afraid if everyone catches on to this amp (made by ATI for Monoprice).

Monoprice 200WPC x 7Ch is $1,500.

Emotiva 200WPC x 7Ch is $2,000.

Outlaw 200WPC x 7Ch is $2,150.

If I were Monoprice, I would change the name of the company (or add a "sister" company for their High-End audio department) to something that sounds more serious - like California Audio (since they are based in California).

Let's face it. Pretty much everyone in audio associates Monoprice with CHEAP stuffs.

The California Audio 200X7 Amplifier for $1,500 - built by ATI in the USA.

And if they are very successful, I think we can expect a fully balanced 300X7 amp.

Makes me want to start an Amp company and just have ATI built me their amps.

Crosstalk of -120 dB and other measured specs are worthy of Mark Levinson amps IMO.

 

[Jeffrey Mercado]

Really curious how you felt the monolith compared to the amps in the Denon. I know you kept the unit, but would you say there was enough of a difference to upgrade.

 

[TheoN]

Really curious how you felt the monolith compared to the amps in the Denon. I know you kept the unit, but would you say there was enough of a difference to upgrade.

Hi Jeffrey,

Very fair question. If you have an Denon X7200 then you have the benefit of solid amplification. The internal amps in the Denon are Class AB.

That being said, yes I preferred having the Monolith 7 driving my speaker setup (all SVS Ultras) and in my home theater room, which is quite large and then reassigning the Denon's internal amps to handle height channels.

 

[Irvrobinson]

Crosstalk of -120 dB and other measured specs are worthy of Mark Levinson amps IMO.

Of course, since ATI made ML's multi-channel amps too.

 

[KEW]

Just wondering...Is the transformer/power supply for the 2 channel unit the same as that of the 7 channel?

 

[Irvrobinson]

Just wondering...Is the transformer/power supply for the 2 channel unit the same as that of the 7 channel?

No way. The 2-ch model has a single transformer on the chassis floor, while the 7-ch version has two asymmetric transformers on the backside of the front panel, which is the ATI standard configuration. See the photo in the link below:

https://www.monoprice.com/Product?p_id=14566&gclid=Cj0KEQjw2fLGBRDopP-vg7PLgvsBEiQAUOnIXHQgU75XOv4-lPbr7tn0DCd0YrtG26wWV3tcHy38J48aAvHp8P8HAQ

 

[lovinthehd]

Gene mentioned the range of the VA ratings and number of transformers....but I don't see the specifics on their site.

 

[KEW]

No way. The 2-ch model has a single transformer on the chassis floor, while the 7-ch version has two asymmetric transformers on the backside of the front panel, which is the ATI standard configuration. See the photo in the link below:

https://www.monoprice.com/Product?p_id=14566&gclid=Cj0KEQjw2fLGBRDopP-vg7PLgvsBEiQAUOnIXHQgU75XOv4-lPbr7tn0DCd0YrtG26wWV3tcHy38J48aAvHp8P8HAQ

Nice!

 

[surveyor]

There is an error in the review. This amp has 12 output transistors per channel. The review states that it has six.

 

[Cos]

I think all the amp companies should be afraid if everyone catches on to this amp (made by ATI for Monoprice).

Monoprice 200WPC x 7Ch is $1,500.

Emotiva 200WPC x 7Ch is $2,000.

Outlaw 200WPC x 7Ch is $2,150.

If I were Monoprice, I would change the name of the company (or add a "sister" company for their High-End audio department) to something that sounds more serious - like California Audio (since they are based in California).

Let's face it. Pretty much everyone in audio associates Monoprice with CHEAP stuffs.

The California Audio 200X7 Amplifier for $1,500 - built by ATI in the USA.

And if they are very successful, I think we can expect a fully balanced 300X7 amp.

Makes me want to start an Amp company and just have ATI built me their amps.

Crosstalk of -120 dB and other measured specs are worthy of Mark Levinson amps IMO.

Amazing price for an AMP of this quality. That being said, I would still be curious how it compares to the Emotiva Gen 3 7 Channel

 

[PENG]

Hi Jeffrey,

Very fair question. If you have an Denon X7200 then you have the benefit of solid amplification. The internal amps in the Denon are Class AB.

That being said, yes I preferred having the Monolith 7 driving my speaker setup (all SVS Ultras) and in my home theater room, which is quite large and then reassigning the Denon's internal amps to handle height channels.

The bench tested numbers for power output into 8/4 ohms, THD, XT, SN between the two are quite similar, the Monolith won by an edge, but even the Denon's numbers were well below acceptable levels. For a larger room and for multi-channel I am sure the Monolith will make a difference at last at near reference level. In smaller room, most likely not, especially for stereo 2 channel music, because that extra 2 to 3 dB won't be call for anyway. If I needed another 7 channel amp, I would likely grab this one and not the Emo's.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Of course, since ATI made ML's multi-channel amps too.

...I would still be curious how it compares to the Emotiva Gen 3 7 Channel

You want to see an ATI-made amp (measured specs comparable to Mark Levinson, Lexicon, Cary Audio) compared to an Emotiva amp that costs $500 MORE?

Why?

What I want to know is how this Monoprice 200WPC amp compares to the ATI 180WPC amp since they are both unbalanced. The ATI 200WPC amp is FULLY BALANCED.

I have a feeling the Monoprice amp is the similar to the ATI AT1800s Amp.

Here is the ATI AT1802 180x2 amp for $1121 (the Monoprice 200x2 amp is $1,000, but the ATI amp has 7YR warranty).
http://www.classicaudioparts.com/index.php/amplifiers/ati-at1802-two-channel-x-180-watt-amplifier-b-stock-120v.html

So in this case, I would get the ATI AT1802 over the 2Ch Monoprice for $121 more.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

If I needed another 7 channel amp, I would likely grab this one and not the Emo's.

Exactly. Why would anyone pay $500 more for a 7Ch Emo amp when they could pay $500 LESS for a 7Ch Monolith amp made by ATI ?????

What if you could get the ATI AT1807 180x7 amp for the same price as the Emo 200x7 amp? Which would you get? The Monoprice for $500 less or the ATI or $500 more ?

I agree that he most likely wouldn't need an external amp since the Denon 7200 is very capable.

 

[shadyJ]

You guys are talking about raw specs for the dollar, but there are other factors that should weigh in on a decision. That being said, this Monoprice amp looks like a beast. I wouldn't mind having one!

 

[Cos]

You want to see an ATI-made amp (measured specs comparable to Mark Levinson, Lexicon, Cary Audio) compared to an Emotiva amp that costs $500 MORE?

Why?

What I want to know is how this Monoprice 200WPC amp compares to the ATI 180WPC amp since they are both unbalanced. The ATI 200WPC amp is FULLY BALANCED.

I have a feeling the Monoprice amp is the similar to the ATI AT1800s Amp.

Here is the ATI AT1802 180x2 amp for $1121 (the Monoprice 200x2 amp is $1,000, but the ATI amp has 7YR warranty).
http://www.classicaudioparts.com/index.php/amplifiers/ati-at1802-two-channel-x-180-watt-amplifier-b-stock-120v.html

So in this case, I would get the ATI AT1802 over the 2Ch Monoprice for $121 more.

Why?.....

• I can get the Emotiva from a dealer less than the website, so the difference gets brought down a little
• The Emotiva utilizing different technology, weight is significantly less, cooler and no transformer hum
• If you are using less than 7 channels you will get more Power
• The possibility to extend beyond 7 channels
• If you want to use XLR Connections

I am by no means dismissing the ATI er Monoprice Amp, I also do not own a single piece of Emotiva gear bedsides my desktop Airmotiv 4 Speakers. If there is less weight, running cooler, those would be two things to make me consider the Emotiva, if there is 0 transformer hum due to no transformers then I would expect the emotiva to run dead silent.

 

[RichB]

Why?.....

• I can get the Emotiva from a dealer less than the website, so the difference gets brought down a little
• The Emotiva utilizing different technology, weight is significantly less, cooler and no transformer hum
• If you are using less than 7 channels you will get more Power
• The possibility to extend beyond 7 channels
• If you want to use XLR Connections

I am by no means dismissing the ATI er Monoprice Amp, I also do not own a single piece of Emotiva gear bedsides my desktop Airmotiv 4 Speakers. If there is less weight, running cooler, those would be two things to make me consider the Emotiva, if there is 0 transformer hum due to no transformers then I would expect the emotive to run dead silent.

Solid reasoning.

It is interesting that Emotiva replaced the transformer and left the A/B output. ATI left the transformer and replaced the output with NCore.

- Rich

 

[Julian P]

Hi!!!! just a question, do you think necesary to add a monolith 7 to a Marantz sr 7002 in a medium size room? I know that It would get more power, but do I can hear any difeerence in terms of quiality in the sound for HT use? Thanks from Argentina!