Monitor Audio BX6 Floorstanding Speaker Preview

[Steve81]

The Monitor Audio BX6 is a medium sized floorstanding loudspeaker featuring a 1" tweeter, 6.5" mid/woofer, and dual 6.5" woofers in a vented enclosure. Available in the US market at $494.50 each ($989/pair), the BX6 boasts good looks and reasonably good low end extension with a rated frequency response of 34Hz-30kHz (+/-3dB). Being just shy of the $1,000 mark, the BX6 naturally faces a considerable amount of competition, so inquiring minds want to know: how does it stack up? Read on to see what I think.

Executive Overview
On the face of it, Monitor Audio's Bronze speakers are relatively attractive models, with wood grain vinyl finish (except for the back panel) in either black oak or walnut, rounded edges, and even a gold anodized tweeter. The BX6's imposing driver array which features a trio of 6.5" drivers, promises big output with a total footprint (including the plinth) not much larger than a piece of letter size paper. For a hair under $1,000, the BX6 looks to be a very attractive option in the floorstanding segment.

Digging into the design a bit, you'll find that the BX6 features a 2 1/2 way crossover. The 1" tweeter hands off to a single 6.5" mid/woofer at 3,400Hz. At 600Hz, the other two 6.5" kick in, joining the 6.5" mid/woofer, and further augmented a pair of ports, extends response down to a claimed 34Hz. Monitor Audio further specifies the BX6 to have a sensitivity of 90dB with 1W @ 1m and a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.

Great, so what the heck does all of that actually mean? The extension down to 34Hz indicates that on its own, the BX6 should have adequate low end for most music if used in a 2.0 system. When used with a subwoofer, you could cross over a bit lower than the THX standard 80Hz without fear of the BX6's self-destructing, though I'd still suggest 80Hz as a good choice to maximize dynamic capability of the system (assuming of course the subwoofer in question is a capable unit). The 90dB sensitivity combined with the 8 ohm nominal impedance suggests that the BX6 shouldn't require anything exotic in terms of amplification. However, I'd still be hesitant to pair the BX6 with a low end receiver sans an actual impedance plot showing that it meets the criteria of a true 8 ohm speaker, i.e. a minimum impedance of 6.4 ohms.

Now comes the tough part: a bit of criticism. One number that sticks out is the crossover to the tweeter at 3.4kHz, which is on the high side for a 6.5" woofer. At 3.4kHz, a driver of that size is going to be beaming significantly, which in this case means you're likely to see a big directivity shift around the crossover frequency, and consequently, uneven off axis response. The step down model BX5 is actually an improvement in this regard, utilizing both a smaller driver and lower crossover frequency, attacking the issue at both ends.

Summary
Overall there's a lot to like about the Monitor Audio BX6; it's reasonably attractive for the price and should be capable of delivering high output levels along with sufficient deep bass for most music. A quick glance at the specifications does reveal one potential shortfall in the design, though few speakers of this type and in this price class can claim anything near perfection. If you're in the market for something with a little more aesthetic appeal than a basic black box, and what should amount to enough output capability to fill most rooms, the BX6 could be your cup of tea.

So what do you guys think? Anybody own a pair? Any interest in a review?



Quick Specs
Frequency Response +/- 3dB: 34Hz - 30kHz
Sensitivity (1W@1m): 90 dB
Nominal Impedance: 8 ohms
Drive Unit Complement: 2 x 165mm (6 1/2") C-CAM® bass drivers; 1 x 165mm (6 1/2") C-CAM® bass mid-range driver; 1 x 25 mm (1") gold dome C-CAM® tweeter
Crossover Frequency: LF: -6dB @ 600Hz; MF/HF: 3.4kHz
External Dimensions: (H x W x D inches) 38 3/4 x 7 5/16 x 12 3/8 inches (39 1/2 x 9 1/4 x 13 3/4 - inc Plinth)
Weight (Individual): 18.25 Kg (40.2 lbs)

 

[DLeague]

I think the sister speaker, the BX5 has enough reviews for you to understand how accurate these speakers are. The BX6 has larger drivers and obviously better bass, but I think you're missing an important point. Monitor is a company of renowned speaker designs and this series is their attempt to make an affordable speaker at a reasonable price. I have Polk RTi A series and they are excellent speakers, but the Monitor speakers are a cut above at every price level. If all you intend to do is play movies, then don't waste your money and think about something larger or something cheaper. However, if you want very accurate playback of your music and a speaker that can handle movies, this might be a good choice for you.

 

[zieglj01]

Why not, go ahead and do a review - and see if the bigger woofer really does have a problem.

Sound and Vision reviewed the Bronz BX2 (crossover 3.2 khz) - and gave it a good report, and its
on and off axis response was good.

 

[Slippery Pete]

I went to my local hifi audio shop and listened to both these and the PSB Imagine X2T's. I was determined to pick up the X2T's until I tried the MA's. As much as I like the look of the PSB speakers, I found the lows and middle tones muddled in comparison to the BX6's. I listened to some Fleetwood Mac and Pink Floyd on CD and some electronic funk from my Galaxy Note 5 (Spotify extreme quality). In total I spent about 45 minutes trying to trick myself into buying the PSB's. Alas, I could not. The Monitor Audios are about $400 less expensive (in Canada) and I found the lows and mids they produced more crisp and clear than the PSB's. The difference was surprising. Had sound quality been equal (considering my personal preference), I would have been willing to spend a bit more on the PSB's because I love the yellow drivers, but speakers are for sound, not looks IMO, so I left with the MA's.