Monoprice Monolith 16” THX Ultra Subwoofer Performance Analysis

[AudioLover73]

Oh yeah, it's nothing I'd ever worry about, especially at porting frequencies that low. I honestly don't think this would have any meaninful effect on anyone, but it's just interesting that they were able to reduce it. I still don't see how it's possible unless the main signal was delayed but clearly that's not the case (obviously because the subwoofer amp can't delay the signal to the main speakers), so none of it makes any sense.

Right now, it seemingly defies the laws of physics because in order for there to be a reaction (the sound coming out of the port), there has to be an action (the subwoofer moving). The way they make it sound, it seems that that sound coming out of the port has less delay than physically possible, as if the reaction is taking place before the action itself is complete. There must be a little time machine inside that reads the future.

According to Floyd Toole and some other experts, group delay is so subtle...

 

[digital911]

Hey guys, why is this sub reviewed with 1800 watts RMS when Monoprice is marketing this as 2000 watts RMS?

Also I purchased a Rythmik FV18 and have demoed it for the last 3 days. Ther performance is good but I feel I want more. My room is 6700 cubic feet approximately.

So I ordered this 16" Monolith sub. The loser will be returned.

JTR Cap2400ULF was also in the run but they do not respond to my emails nor do they have a phone number, not to mention the premium price, so I passed. Also according to data-bass.com this sub only outperforms 16HZ and below. But to be fair those measurements are from the older JTR 18" driver I do believe.

I'll post thoughts around the end of the month between the FV18 and Monolith 16.

*EDIT* I realize multiple subs would be the way to go but unfortunately this is not possible in my case as this is a living space and getting just one of these is hard to implement much less two. Additionally I have one location (behind a sofa) to place the sub so I cannot perform the "sub walk" to find optimal location.
Secondly, I want to stress the FV18 is performing well. I just want more and according to the raw numbers the Monolith 16 should oblige.

 

[haraldo]

Hey guys, why is this sub reviewed with 1800 watts RMS when Monoprice is marketing this as 2000 watts RMS?

Also I purchased a Rythmik FV18 and have demoed it for the last 3 days. Ther performance is good but I feel I want more. My room is 6700 cubic feet approximately.

So I ordered this 16" Monolith sub. The loser will be returned.

JTR Cap2400ULF was also in the run but they do not respond to my emails nor do they have a phone number, not to mention the premium price, so I passed. Also according to data-bass.com this sub only outperforms 16HZ and below. But to be fair those measurements are from the older JTR 18" driver I do believe.

I'll post thoughts around the end of the month between the FV18 and Monolith 16.

Being unable to reach someone that is supposed to sell you something is showstopper for me!

 

[mtrycrafts]

Hey guys, why is this sub reviewed with 1800 watts RMS when Monoprice is marketing this as 2000 watts RMS?

Also I purchased a Rythmik FV18 and have demoed it for the last 3 days. Ther performance is good but I feel I want more. My room is 6700 cubic feet approximately.

So I ordered this 16" Monolith sub. The loser will be returned.

JTR Cap2400ULF was also in the run but they do not respond to my emails nor do they have a phone number, not to mention the premium price, so I passed. Also according to data-bass.com this sub only outperforms 16HZ and below. But to be fair those measurements are from the older JTR 18" driver I do believe.

I'll post thoughts around the end of the month between the FV18 and Monolith 16.

You have a very large space you want to energize to your level of satisfaction. You may need several subs, not just one.

Also, power is not measure as RMS even though even companies use it, my pet peeve. Power is derived from RMS volt and RMS current, so it gives continuous average
power.

 

[everettT]

Hey guys, why is this sub reviewed with 1800 watts RMS when Monoprice is marketing this as 2000 watts RMS?

Also I purchased a Rythmik FV18 and have demoed it for the last 3 days. Ther performance is good but I feel I want more. My room is 6700 cubic feet approximately.

So I ordered this 16" Monolith sub. The loser will be returned.

JTR Cap2400ULF was also in the run but they do not respond to my emails nor do they have a phone number, not to mention the premium price, so I passed. Also according to data-bass.com this sub only outperforms 16HZ and below. But to be fair those measurements are from the older JTR 18" driver I do believe.

I'll post thoughts around the end of the month between the FV18 and Monolith 16.

I'm sorry but your remarks are out of touch relaity, the biggest being that you expect a single sub to fill a massive space without defining what your parameters are for the sub and what parameters you used to setup the subs during testing. THX subs clearly hit every design goal needed to satisfy their size category. If you want crazy output that ex needs those requirements you might want to look at the next level up in subs, which when done correctly are not many. I hope you find what your looking for but a little more background information may be needed.

As far as Jeff not picking up the phone, it is the holidays and he is a small shop, if it were SVS or JL it would be a surprise, so don't discount that too much.

 

[digital911]

I'm sorry but your remarks are out of touch relaity, the biggest being that you expect a single sub to fill a massive space without defining what your parameters are for the sub and what parameters you used to setup the subs during testing. THX subs clearly hit every design goal needed to satisfy their size category. If you want crazy output that ex needs those requirements you might want to look at the next level up in subs, which when done correctly are not many. I hope you find what your looking for but a little more background information may be needed.

As far as Jeff not picking up the phone, it is the holidays and he is a small shop, if it were SVS or JL it would be a surprise, so don't discount that too much.

Please explain what is out of reality. Yes the space is large but according to the raw numbers the Monolith is much more powerful than the FV18 and pretty much any other single driver sub above 16HZ that I can find for a reasonable amount of money. Dual massive subs is out of the question unfortunately due to it being a living space.

 

[haraldo]

Please explain what is out of reality. Yes the space is large but according to the raw numbers the Monolith is much more powerful than the FV18 and pretty much any other single driver sub above 16HZ that I can find for a reasonable amount of money. Dual massive subs is out of the question unfortunately due to it being a living space.

I got 4 subs .... in the living room, double stacked .... not the same size as the huge Monolith, but what´s the problem with multisubs in living space?

 

[digital911]

You have a very large space you want to energize to your level of satisfaction. You may need several subs, not just one.

Also, power is not measure as RMS even though even companies use it, my pet peeve. Power is derived from RMS volt and RMS current, so it gives continuous average
power.

Agreed for multiple subs but unfortunately, I cannot add more than one in this living space.

Regarding my original question, which is the 1800 vs 2000 watt, are you saying that even though it's marketed as 2000 watt RMS it really only produces 1800watt RMS?

I read somewhere that they had a version 1 of this sub and now a version 2. Is it possible version 1 had 1800 watt and version 2 has 2000 watt RMS?

 

[digital911]

I got 4 subs .... in the living room, double stacked .... not the same size as the huge Monolith, but what´s the problem with multisubs in living space?

Ever heard of WAF? Plus I like the way our living room looks. Adding multiple huge subs would make it look less good.

 

[digital911]

It is possible that I could replace my media furniture with something smaller and add two subs one on each side. That is a possibility, and I may go there if this single Monolith 16 doesn't do it for me.

 

[haraldo]

Ever heard of WAF? Plus I like the way our living room looks. Adding multiple huge subs would make it look less good.

WAF, NO!

My take on it for me: If wife does not like it .... maybe wrong wife or teach wife ...
I do NOT suggest this for others!

Lot of subwoofers could become a design feature, not an unwanted object

 

[digital911]

Ever heard of WAF? Plus I like the way our living room looks. Adding multiple huge subs would make it look less good.

Yeah then we start getting into NAF. Neighbor Annoyance Factor.

 

[mtrycrafts]

Agreed for multiple subs but unfortunately, I cannot add more than one in this living space.

Regarding my original question, which is the 1800 vs 2000 watt, are you saying that even though it's marketed as 2000 watt RMS it really only produces 1800watt RMS?

I read somewhere that they had a version 1 of this sub and now a version 2. Is it possible version 1 had 1800 watt and version 2 has 2000 watt RMS?

I don't know what real rating is unless someone actually tests it properly. 200 Watt difference at that level is fractional dB difference that will not be noticeable other than just the numbers are different.

 

[everettT]

Please explain what is out of reality. Yes the space is large but according to the raw numbers the Monolith is much more powerful than the FV18 and pretty much any other single driver sub above 16HZ that I can find for a reasonable amount of money. Dual massive subs is out of the question unfortunately due to it being a living space.

The size of your space vs the reality of what a single sub can do. Did you read the Audioholics room rating for the Monolith? If sheer output at the lowest octave is necessary from a single sub, there are subs but most would never pass WAF. 2 of the Monolith subs would probably satisfy your needs, however you still haven't explained what those are yet.

 

[digital911]

The size of your space vs the reality of what a single sub can do. Did you read the Audioholics room rating for the Monolith? If sheer output at the lowest octave is necessary from a single sub, there are subs but most would never pass WAF. 2 of the Monolith subs would probably satisfy your needs, however you still haven't explained what those are yet.

Yeah understood, just curious why there is a discrepancy between what Monoprice publishes and what Audioholics published.

 

[haraldo]

Not only about size of sub v.s. living space.... having multisubs in different locations in the room will trigger different standing wave patterns.... making bass more even, powerful, better.

IMHO, if you had multisubs, there is just no way going back. In my room, going from 2 to 4 subs is unreal
(well, my subs are Mickey Mouse sized compared to those huge Monolith`s)

 

[everettT]

Yeah understood, just curious why there is a discrepancy between what Monoprice publishes and what Audioholics published.

I'm honestly not sure where the discrepancy lies, but I wouldn't be concerned about what a subwoofers amp wattage is 99.9% of the time, it's irrelevant unless the design is flawed.

 

[ryanosaur]

You can compare the FV18 and the Monolith 16 Specs by comparing the Databass measurements of the Rythmik to the AH review of the Mono.
As I recall, there is very little difference between the two. Perhaps the Mono is a little stronger in the lower parts and the Rythmik was a little stronger in the mid bass? But comparatively, they are more alike than not.

FWIW, I agree with the general comments that doing two subs will likely get you more of what you are looking for. I would suggest 2 of the Mono 13s or 15s frankly over 1 16. I get that you may have an aesthetic concern. The flipside is you are clearly not getting the experience you are looking for.
To this latter point, the value of Bass output and where you get that output (infrasonic vs midbass) in a very large/extreme room is going to be a challenge no matter what. In the end, you have to decide which is more important and whether there is a compromise somehow.

When you get the other Sub in to try out, you should set them both up and run them together to see how that impacts your experience. Setting up 2 subs can be difficult, but can also work out quite well. With a little creativity and an open mind, you may well be able to do 2 15s and hide one in a corner or under a table.

Just spitballin. Some of us here, we love our Bass. And some more still than others. It's worth the effort to do it right.

 

[haraldo]

Yeah understood, just curious why there is a discrepancy between what Monoprice publishes and what Audioholics published.

Wouldn`t there always be some discrepancy one way or the other between official figures and the real-life measured figures?
so many variables.....

 

[ryanosaur]

Wouldn`t there always be some discrepancy one way or the other between official figures and the real-life measured figures?
so many variables.....

While there are always variables, the published information on the Monoprice website track well with the AH measurements. FWIW, they at least show an interest in representing their product fairly and truly to the potential consumer.
Rythmik Subs haven't had any reviews since Ricci did them. Some of thos models are still sold today. While I don't expect major differences, I do know at some point they changed Port Designs, and may have had some slight updates to the Amp along the way. For them, it would be nice to see updated information that can be compared directly to other measured Subs.
Then to complicate... look at PSA that doesn't really have any interest in supporting any third-party measurements. While I have seen some measurements published on their site, they are generally pointless FRs with no other key info like CEA-2010 or Long Term Compression Sweeps or Distortion Components.