Monoprice Monolith Unveils 10", 12" and 15" THX Ported Subwoofers

[gene]

Monoprice has announced a new line of subwoofers at the 2017 CEDIA Expo: a 1,000 watt 15", a 500 watt 12", and a 10" model. They are all THX certified and expand Monoprice's high-end Monolith product group as a solution for heavy-duty home theater and high-fidelity audio applications. They feature drivers that have a tremendous amount of excursion, beefy amplifiers, and hefty cabinets, so they have all the necessary ingredients for extreme performance, even notwithstanding their THX certification. Their pricing is very aggressive, so we expect them to make a big splash in the subwoofer market when they hit the streets. Be sure to also check out our YouTube sneak peek video to get a better look.

Read: Monoprice Monolith Unveils 10", 12" and 15" THX Ported Subwoofers

 

[gene]

 

[swspiers]

Hey Gene, any updates on official pricing or availability? The subs and headphones seem like they're pretty big news....

 

[everettT]

Hey Gene, any updates on official pricing or availability? The subs and headphones seem like they're pretty big news....

Prices and availability dates are on the monoprice website
https://www.monoprice.com/pages/monolith?gclid=Cj0KCQjwprbPBRCHARIsAF_7gDYglkdlM_XJxt2ICIqHzZlpz7G2Ss6_qOAJi3-db8XJjB5MBeMrNF4aAvo9EALw_wcB

 

[swspiers]

Prices and availability dates are on the monoprice website
https://www.monoprice.com/pages/monolith?gclid=Cj0KCQjwprbPBRCHARIsAF_7gDYglkdlM_XJxt2ICIqHzZlpz7G2Ss6_qOAJi3-db8XJjB5MBeMrNF4aAvo9EALw_wcB

Thanks: I found that after I posted, but too busy (lazy) to update. Thanks for the heads up though!

 

[Steve81]

Looks like Monoprice has posted output numbers for their subs now.
https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=24458
https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=24457
https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=24456

 

[everettT]

Looks like Monoprice has posted output numbers for their subs now.
https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=24458
https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=24457
https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=24456

When I looked them the other day I noticed that they use 6db down on the output numbers. I will bee interested to see the 3rd party measurements. Paying for 3 Subs to go thru THX approval is interesting for monoprice as it seems they are making a hard audio push with "monolith" products.

 

[shadyJ]

When I looked them the other day I noticed that they use 6db down on the output numbers. I will bee interested to see the 3rd party measurements. Paying for 3 Subs to go thru THX approval is interesting for monoprice as it seems they are making a hard audio push with "monolith" products.

Those numbers are very good. What is special about them is the THD and component distortion values- those are very low, as it needs to be to gain THX certification. Look at the 2nd order distortion: almost nothing. That is an extremely well designed driver. Also kudos on Monoprice for providing this amount of data, and along with the context of distortion quantities. Those do make a difference.

 

[DubPlate]

Don’t seem to dig as low as comparatively priced SVS subs?

 

[shadyJ]

These look tuned comparably low and also with comparably low deep bass distortion.

 

[Bucknekked]

Those numbers are very good. What is special about them is the THD and component distortion values- those are very low, as it needs to be to gain THX certification. Look at the 2nd order distortion: almost nothing. That is an extremely well designed driver. Also kudos on Monoprice for providing this amount of data, and along with the context of distortion quantities. Those do make a difference.

well, whaddya think? is the Monolith up to direct compares with Hsu and SVS?
I am going to be in the market soon for a small sub. Not a big one, but a small one.
The Hsu 10" is right at $500 and so is this Monolith. Hsu has a track record, the Monolith is new.
I trust the brand name to bring out quality product.
Opinions? Just for music. No movies in this room.

 

[shadyJ]

well, whaddya think? is the Monolith up to direct compares with Hsu and SVS?
I am going to be in the market soon for a small sub. Not a big one, but a small one.
The Hsu 10" is right at $500 and so is this Monolith. Hsu has a track record, the Monolith is new.
I trust the brand name to bring out quality product.
Opinions? Just for music. No movies in this room.

I have the Monoprice subs in house, but haven't even unboxed them yet because I have been so busy with other things. There is going to be a delay on this review. I lost access to my usual test site and had to find a new one, and the kind of site I need is not easy to find in my area.

As for a comparison, I can only speculate at this point. My guess is that the Monoprice sub will be able to get louder and stay cleaner at deep frequencies. It looks like a bit more capable sub overall, but it is more expensive. The Hsu is a bit over 400 shipped, and the Monoprice is 500 not including shipping, but the shipping weight is 93 lbs so it won't be that cheap to ship. As for traditional bass music frequencies, 40 Hz and above, I think they will be about even for maximum output, but the Monoprice sub may be able to have lower distortion for the same output. Lower distorton at max output won't really be a factor if you don't push them to the limit though. I would say if you are interested in content with frequencies below 40 Hz, the Monoprice is the one to get. Keep in mind that the only music with content that low is some pipe organ music and some electronic music.

One nice thing about the Hsu for people who like to tinker with placement is it is pretty light at 42 lbs. The Monoprice is a bit more of a chore to move around at 72 lbs. That is a big help to reviewers who have to move these things around a lot, so that may skewer my perspective a bit!

 

[Bucknekked]

I have the Monoprice subs in house, but haven't even unboxed them yet because I have been so busy with other things. There is going to be a delay on this review. I lost access to my usual test site and had to find a new one, and the kind of site I need is not easy to find in my area.

As for a comparison, I can only speculate at this point. My guess is that the Monoprice sub will be able to get louder and stay cleaner at deep frequencies. It looks like a bit more capable sub overall, but it is more expensive. The Hsu is a bit over 400 shipped, and the Monoprice is 500 not including shipping, but the shipping weight is 93 lbs so it won't be that cheap to ship. As for traditional bass music frequencies, 40 Hz and above, I think they will be about even for maximum output, but the Monoprice sub may be able to have lower distortion for the same output. Lower distorton at max output won't really be a factor if you don't push them to the limit though. I would say if you are interested in content with frequencies below 40 Hz, the Monoprice is the one to get. Keep in mind that the only music with content that low is some pipe organ music and some electronic music.

One nice thing about the Hsu for people who like to tinker with placement is it is pretty light at 42 lbs. The Monoprice is a bit more of a chore to move around at 72 lbs. That is a big help to reviewers who have to move these things around a lot, so that may skewer my perspective a bit!

Shadyj
Thanks for the perspectives. I dont believe the Monolith is available until 11/26/2017 and i have no idea if they will actually be available. But because my room is small and 100% music it looks like I have at least two great subs to choose from. The weight does play a role. When i was 25 it would have been a badge of honor to move a 90lb sub around the room. Now that i am over 60 i have to get one of my grandkids to do it. Not as cool.

 

[panteragstk]

You could just get both...

 

[Giant bubble guy]

I've got the twelve inch Monolith on order and expect it this Tuesday. I can't wait to get it hooked up. It's my first real subwoofer. According to the specs published by Monoprice the twelve inch bests the Outlaw Audio ultra-x13 both for output and distortion at a little more than half the price. Considering how well regarded the ultra-x13 is for the money I'm pretty excited.

 

[shadyJ]

I've got the twelve inch Monolith on order and expect it this Tuesday. I can't wait to get it hooked up. It's my first real subwoofer. According to the specs published by Monoprice the twelve inch bests the Outlaw Audio ultra-x13 both for output and distortion at a little more than half the price. Considering how well regarded the ultra-x13 is for the money I'm pretty excited.

Monoprice's 12" does not best the Outlaw 13, from looking at Monoprice's measurements. You have to use the RMS measurements column on the Monoprice page. The Outlaw has higher CEA-2010 measurements.

 

[Giant bubble guy]

Monoprice's 12" does not best the Outlaw 13, from looking at Monoprice's measurements. You have to use the RMS measurements column on the Monoprice page. The Outlaw has higher CEA-2010 measurements.

I had supposed that the burst measurements of both were directly comparable. The chart for the Outlaw 13 specifies burst readings. The chart for the Monolith has both burst and RMS. Burst measurements for the Monolith are higher than the Outlaw. The THD measurements for the Monolith aren't specified as to which column they belong in, but I suppose it's a safe bet that they're for the RMS measurements.

Either way, (and I could be wrong) it seems to me that the Monolith is better in regards to burst output. If I'm wrong I'd be happy to be shown how.

 

[Яusty]

While we're here, can someone give the quick explanation of peak vs rms as it relates to speaker output? I understand what it means for an amplifier. But I am not sure about the meaning wrt a mechanical driver / SPL. Is this just saying at full tilt the measuring device sees +/- 3 dB? [Everything I find with web search wants to explain 500W rms vs 1000W peak.]

 

[shadyJ]

I had supposed that the burst measurements of both were directly comparable. The chart for the Outlaw 13 specifies burst readings. The chart for the Monolith has both burst and RMS. Burst measurements for the Monolith are higher than the Outlaw. The THD measurements for the Monolith aren't specified as to which column they belong in, but I suppose it's a safe bet that they're for the RMS measurements.

Either way, (and I could be wrong) it seems to me that the Monolith is better in regards to burst output. If I'm wrong I'd be happy to be shown how. View attachment 22876 View attachment 22877

CEA-2010 measurements are a bit of a mess in this regard. All CEA-2010 tests are burst tests, whether it says RMS or peak. That can mean the very peak output of the burst or a more averaged level of energy. Both are legitimate ways of looking at the measurement, since the measurement looks at energy over time. The only difference is what length of time that is considered.

The practical difference between peak and RMS is merely 3 dB. If you want to go from peak to RMS, simply subtract 3 dB. That is what Monoprice has done. These are the same test results for either metric, only difference in practical terms is 3 dB, so the distortion quantities are the same for peak or RMS since they are just different ways of look at the same measured data.

The way to compare them is to use the RMS column of the monoprice data to the audioholics measurements of the Outlaw. The Monoprice sub does not outperform the Outlaw, but it is very good for the price.

 

[Bucknekked]

Those numbers are very good. What is special about them is the THD and component distortion values- those are very low, as it needs to be to gain THX certification. Look at the 2nd order distortion: almost nothing. That is an extremely well designed driver. Also kudos on Monoprice for providing this amount of data, and along with the context of distortion quantities. Those do make a difference.

shadyj
I ponied up and took delivery on the 10" version. Very happy. Very pleased.
Super product and the company is very easy to deal with.
Two thumbs up.