Monolith 13” $1000 versus 15” at 1599

[Bman484]

Hi - been eyeing the monolith 13” 2000 watt for 1599 and realized the 15” is on sale right now for $1000 (normally $1339). I know the specs on the 13” are impressive but wondering if it is worth the extra $600. I’m looking to get 2 for my HT.


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[Danzilla31]

Hi - been eyeing the monolith 13” 2000 watt for 1599 and realized the 15” is on sale right now for $1000 (normally $1339). I know the specs on the 13” are impressive but wondering if it is worth the extra $600. I’m looking to get 2 for my HT.


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In the reviews done here in audioholics the 13 is an upgrade but not enough of one to justify the huge 600 price difference you'd have to upgrade to the 16 for that

 

[ryanosaur]

While the 13 may be technically better, the Monolith 15 v1 was still a very potent and impressive Sub. At 1K, that is a great price for some great Woofage.

 

[Pogre]

Well 2 of them would be an extra $1200 for the 13". I don't think the difference in price justifies the bump in performance, but the bump is there. Are subs all you plan to upgrade?

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

Looking at getting two I saw. That’s 2k vs 3200. If get three 15’s for 3k and be much farther ahead.

 

[Bman484]

Well 2 of them would be an extra $1200 for the 13". I don't think the difference in price justifies the bump in performance, but the bump is there. Are subs all you plan to upgrade?

Yes, already purchased my other speakers. Salk song3 and monitor audio in wall and in ceiling. Subs are my last remaining purchase.


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[Bman484]

Another question. I have a 1224 cubic foot room with enclosed on all sides but rear and then opens into a basement with approximately 2500 cubic feet. I’m rethinking the 15” and looking at maybe 2x12” monolith thx. Attached as an image of my layout. Would 2x12” be sufficient? I noticed 1x12” has thx ratings up to 3k cubic feet. Any thoughts on 12” versus 15”? Thanks.

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[shadyJ]

Another question. I have a 1224 cubic foot room with enclosed on all sides but rear and then opens into a basement with approximately 2500 cubic feet. I’m rethinking the 15” and looking at maybe 2x12” monolith thx. Attached as an image of my layout. Would 2x12” be sufficient? I noticed 1x12” has thx ratings up to 3k cubic feet. Any thoughts on 12” versus 15”? Thanks.

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I would go for the 2 x 12" THX subs over a single 15" THX in most situations.

 

[Bman484]

I would go for the 2 x 12" THX subs over a single 15" THX in most situations.

How about 2x15”? Would that be overkill?


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[William Lemmerhirt]

How about 2x15”? Would that be overkill?


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No such thing. The only thing that can be considered overkill is buyers remorse.

 

[shadyJ]

How about 2x15”? Would that be overkill?


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It might be overkill, but that depends on how loud you like to listen. It will make for a hell of a system to be sure!

 

[Bman484]

[mention]shadyJ [/mention]

Here are some pictures of my space. The room where the tv is 12x12x8.5 (1224ft volume). You can see it opens into a decent size space. In addition to the tv viewing area the space the volume is 2550-2800ft. You can also see the stairwell is in the middle of the basement, but walkways on both side of the stairwell.

My plan is keep one sub near the front by the tv. Additionally, I was thinking of putting a sub in the closet (picture attached), which is approximately 12ft from the viewing area. Another option would be to keep it in the TV viewing room on the same wall as the 1st sub, but on the other side of the room.

Questions
1. For this space would 2x12” monolith be sufficient? I would say my normal viewing level will be somewhat loud. I have Salk song3 towers with center channel.
2. Would the subwoofer in the closet work well sitting in the middle of the basement, or would it better to stay in the tv area.? I’m trying to disguise it as much as possible, so thought the closet would be an option.

 

[ryanosaur]

[mention]shadyJ [/mention]

Here are some pictures of my space. The room where the tv is 12x12x8.5 (1224ft volume). You can see it opens into a decent size space. In addition to the tv viewing area the space the volume is 2550-2800ft. You can also see the stairwell is in the middle of the basement, but walkways on both side of the stairwell.

My plan is keep one sub near the front by the tv. Additionally, I was thinking of putting a sub in the closet (picture attached), which is approximately 12ft from the viewing area. Another option would be to keep it in the TV viewing room on the same wall as the 1st sub, but on the other side of the room.

Questions
1. For this space would 2x12” monolith be sufficient? I would say my normal viewing level will be somewhat loud. I have Salk song3 towers with center channel.
2. Would the subwoofer in the closet work well sitting in the middle of the basement, or would it better to stay in the tv area.? I’m trying to disguise it as much as possible, so thought the closet would be an option.

The only way to understand the acoustic effect is what we call the sub crawl.
When the space is finished, p[ut a sub in the MLP and crawl around listening to the Bass. What it sounds like "in reverse" is what you can expect to experience if you actually put the Sub there.
It is crude, but can offer great insight into the Low Frequency Acoustic behavior.

Crawling for Bass - Subwoofer Placement Tips

Do the Subwoofer Crawl. It's the easiest way to find the proper placement location for your subwoofer to get the best performance and sound.

www.audioholics.com

I can't say this frequently or loudly enough:
Room aesthetics and room acoustics are diametrically opposed, usually, and you have to be prepared for this. Good Sound Quality is not necessarily convenient. You have to weigh the choice. None of us can look at the space and predict what will happen.

You can most certainly stash your Sub in the Harry Potter closet, but what it will do and how it will behave is a mystery until you test it. If you had a cutout in the wall and had the Sub inserted through the cutout, the likelihood of success would be better. As it stands, it's a crapshoot at best as to whether you will get good quality sound and positive low frequency summation from that location.

 

[ryanosaur]

@Bman484
Here is a good resource to help you if you want better understanding of what you may need to deal with if you want to be more educated about how you can be better in control of your own fate in this matter:

Two Great Articles on Multiple Subwoofers by Dr. Earl Geddes

I have written before on the absolute necessity of multiple subwoofers for high-fidelity reproduction of modal region frequencies in a hom...

seriousaudioblog.blogspot.com

Also:

Geddes approach to Multi-Sub setup Instructional Video by Matthew Poes

As the title states this is a recording of a talk I gave on the Geddes approach to subwoofer setup. It covers both theory and execution. While the content had direct input from Earl Geddes, the views expressed are my interpretation.

forums.audioholics.com