Monolith Encore B5 & Sophisticated Crossover

zieglj01

zieglj01

Audioholic Spartan
Well I guess it could be, I wanted to see what it looked like and also interesting, no poly cap on the tweeter ... and the B5 is sealed and not vented according to the web site ... I wish the speaker was all vinyl wrap and not gloss top and bottom


1678748814856.png


1678749045553.png
 

Attachments

Last edited:
Verdinut

Verdinut

Audioholic Spartan
What can you expect for only $114? Do they sound good for the price?

Even expensive speaker manufacturers use electrolytic caps in their crossovers. I replaced some on one of my friends' Kef towers. Switching to polypropylene caps after several years of use improved the overall performance.
 
zieglj01

zieglj01

Audioholic Spartan
What can you expect for only $114? Do they sound good for the price?

Even expensive speaker manufacturers use electrolytic caps in their crossovers. I replaced some on one of my friends' Kef towers. Switching to polypropylene caps after several years of use improved the overall performance.
It is not a major issue, but Pioneer and Sony use a poly cap on the tweeter ... As far as the Encore B5 sound, the so-called famous YouTube reviewers are too optimistic ... But for me they have an overall decent nice sound ... however they are a bit bright, the bass a little boomy, but minor EQ does help ... they can be slightly nasal and boxy sounding ... The speakers have some good detail, but a little lacking in definition, voices are nice but not rounded and full as some better speakers ... They can throw a decent soundstage, but it seems a little closed in ... All in all they are pretty good for $226 a pair when on sale ... I can live with them longer than the likes of the Sony Core, Pioneer BS 22, and the Elac BS 41 speakers ... The cabinet weight and door knock test is good for the price.
 
M

MrBoat

Audioholic Ninja
As far as the Encore B5 sound, the so-called famous YouTube reviewers are too optimistic
I have kicked most youtube reviewers to the curb for this very reason. The busier ones listen to way too many speakers and lose touch with the qualities from apparent product exposure overload. Then there's the 30-somethings claiming to have been in touch with the "old school," which makes me laugh and I can't take them seriously anymore.

Then there's the cheap dude who whacks out on word pronunciations, where "better" becomes "beh-TAH" and I just can't go back. . . eh-VAH.
 
Swerd

Swerd

Audioholic Warlord
But for me they have an overall decent nice sound ... however they are a bit bright, the bass a little boomy, but minor EQ does help ... they can be slightly nasal and boxy sounding ... The speakers have some good detail, but a little lacking in definition, voices are nice but not rounded and full as some better speakers ... They can throw a decent soundstage, but it seems a little closed in.
Yes, what you described does seem like cheap speakers.
  • "Boomy bass" indicates a poorly damped woofer, and a cabinet that is too small & possibly too resonant.
  • The "nasal and boxy" sound is usually caused by the lack of any baffle step compensation (BSC) in a narrow cabinet. Adequate BSC would require more crossover parts.
  • Sounding "a little closed in" is often caused by poor crossover frequency choice and/or a mis-designed wave guide for the tweeter.
Correcting all of those faults that you described so well would make those speakers cost a lot more.

Using poly caps instead of non-polar electrolytic caps can't change any of that.
 
zieglj01

zieglj01

Audioholic Spartan
As of today they are around $71 each ... it looks like Monoprice wants to move some speakers
 
newsletter

  • RBHsound.com
  • BlueJeansCable.com
  • SVS Sound Subwoofers
  • Experience the Martin Logan Montis
Top