Monoprice MP-T65RT Floor-Standing Loudspeaker Review

[shadyJ]

One new speaker that caught our attention recently was the Monoprice MP-T56RT. This is a floor-standing version of the MP-65RT bookshelf speaker that we ran a full review of last year (Monoprice MP-65RT Review). The MP-65RT was a great speaker considering its extremely low cost, and we wanted to see if the MP-T65RT could maintain the enormous value of that speaker line. Monoprice has sent us a pair of the MP-T65RT speakers, and what we found astonished us. This is a low-budget tower speaker with one very unusual property. Despite all of the compromises in its design to achieve its very low cost, there is a performance attribute that it does better than many far more expensive speakers. Read our full review of this highly affordable tower speaker to see what it is doing that has us so surprised.

READ: Monoprice MP-T65RT Floor-Standing Loudspeaker Review

 

[Kvn_Walker]

Wow that's impressive!

It would've been worth it to throw in a few extra LCR components for a 2nd order crossover and sell it for $200.

 

[ryanosaur]

Nice, Shady. Keep it coming!!! Love reading your reviews and getting hints and tricks about how to play with gear.
Cheers!

 

[D Murphy]

Thanks Shady. I'm not sure how the tower maintains such broad dispersion in the upper midrange, lower treble. Although planars can go lower than ribbons, all else equal, that must be one inexpensive tweeter, and it's hard to believe it could go low enough to allow a crossover point that would avoid beaming at the upper end of the woofer's response. Any idea what the crossover point is? It looks like the tower would make an excellent crossover upgrade candidate, but the low tweeter height is a real problem. Still, if anyone is interested in my smoothing things out, just PM me. But you would have to agree to buy the final product at my cost + shipping.

 

[ryanosaur]

Thanks Shady. I'm not sure how the tower maintains such broad dispersion in the upper midrange, lower treble. Although planars can go lower than ribbons, all else equal, that must be one inexpensive tweeter, and it's hard to believe it could go low enough to allow a crossover point that would avoid beaming at the upper end of the woofer's response. Any idea what the crossover point is? It looks like the tower would make an excellent crossover upgrade candidate, but the low tweeter height is a real problem. Still, if anyone is interested in my smoothing things out, just PM me. But you would have to agree to buy the final product at my cost + shipping.

When I saw it didn't really have a crossover, I thought of you! Would love to be a fly on your wall if you did that project!

 

[shadyJ]

Thanks Shady. I'm not sure how the tower maintains such broad dispersion in the upper midrange, lower treble. Although planars can go lower than ribbons, all else equal, that must be one inexpensive tweeter, and it's hard to believe it could go low enough to allow a crossover point that would avoid beaming at the upper end of the woofer's response. Any idea what the crossover point is? It looks like the tower would make an excellent crossover upgrade candidate, but the low tweeter height is a real problem. Still, if anyone is interested in my smoothing things out, just PM me. But you would have to agree to buy the final product at my cost + shipping.

I think that the shape of the tweeter is what is giving it this broad but even horizontal dispersion. But yeah, I don't know how this speaker is keeping such a well-controlled directivity pattern down to the low end of this tweeter's response. The tweeter obviously has a 1rst order filter and I think it really kicks in at about 3 kHz or maybe a bit lower, but I think that gradual slope has a lot to do with what is occurring here. I almost think this is some kind of happy accident, that the woofers are blending into the tweeter in just the right way to create this off-axis response. Anyway, it is a really cool little speaker, and I am considering projects around it for further down the road.

 

[slipperybidness]

I think that the shape of the tweeter is what is giving it this broad but even horizontal dispersion. But yeah, I don't know how this speaker is keeping such a well-controlled directivity pattern down to the low end of this tweeter's response. The tweeter obviously has a 1rst order filter and I think it really kicks in at about 3 kHz or maybe a bit lower, but I think that gradual slope has a lot to do with what is occurring here. I almost think this is some kind of happy accident, that the woofers are blending into the tweeter in just the right way to create this off-axis response. Anyway, it is a really cool little speaker, and I am considering projects around it for further down the road.

 

[Kvn_Walker]

Thanks Shady. I'm not sure how the tower maintains such broad dispersion in the upper midrange, lower treble. Although planars can go lower than ribbons, all else equal, that must be one inexpensive tweeter, and it's hard to believe it could go low enough to allow a crossover point that would avoid beaming at the upper end of the woofer's response. Any idea what the crossover point is? It looks like the tower would make an excellent crossover upgrade candidate, but the low tweeter height is a real problem. Still, if anyone is interested in my smoothing things out, just PM me. But you would have to agree to buy the final product at my cost + shipping.

Can you say "Affordable Accuracy Towers" boys and girls?

 

[bradymartin]

Thanks Shady. I'm not sure how the tower maintains such broad dispersion in the upper midrange, lower treble. Although planars can go lower than ribbons, all else equal, that must be one inexpensive tweeter, and it's hard to believe it could go low enough to allow a crossover point that would avoid beaming at the upper end of the woofer's response. Any idea what the crossover point is? It looks like the tower would make an excellent crossover upgrade candidate, but the low tweeter height is a real problem. Still, if anyone is interested in my smoothing things out, just PM me. But you would have to agree to buy the final product at my cost + shipping.

has anyone pmd you about this? im interested in the results.
glad to see you didnt give up on the hobby completely. looks like you still want to have fun with it.

 

[D Murphy]

No pm's yet. I have a plan B that may get me a pair supplied by the factory.

 

[bradymartin]

No pm's yet. I have a plan B that may get me a pair supplied by the factory.

what about the center?
https://www.monoprice.com/product?c_id=304&cp_id=30404&cs_id=3040406&p_id=35125&seq=1&format=2

will your work on the towers translate to the center? same tweeter except the smaller woofers.
id be interested. looking for something for a small bedroom. bought speakers from you before.

 

[D Murphy]

what about the center?
https://www.monoprice.com/product?c_id=304&cp_id=30404&cs_id=3040406&p_id=35125&seq=1&format=2

will your work on the towers translate to the center? same tweeter except the smaller woofers.
id be interested. looking for something for a small bedroom. bought speakers from you before.

I would have to start from scratch. The baffle dimensions are different, and the woofers and tweeter are different.

 

[Hokies83]

I would have to start from scratch. The baffle dimensions are different, and the woofers and tweeter are different.

One day I want some BMRs.... one day...

 

[Wojtek]

Hi guys!

I've just found your video about those speakers on yt and really like it, I'm just starting with audio and I'm wondering if those would be good fit for NAD 310 stereo integrated amp?

 

[shadyJ]

Hi guys!

I've just found your video about those speakers on yt and really like it, I'm just starting with audio and I'm wondering if those would be good fit for NAD 310 stereo integrated amp?

Yeah, the MP-T65RT speakers should work fine with pretty much any amp.

 

[kls0e]

James, many thanks for your detailed, enjoyable review and helpful measurements!
The youtube video is also well done, thank you. I ordered a pair based on your recommendation. They currently sell them as a sort of limited clearance item at Reichelt at €78, i.e. $90, including shipping, so the decision was easy. I have the situation of an extremely small listening triangle, an even triangle with side length of only circa 50 inches, a little over a meter. They will stand behind my desk with the tweeters at ear level. Driven by a NAD C 326BEE, with an FX-Audio Tube-01 with GE JAN-5654W tubes upgrade in it, this between the NAD's pre-out and power amp.

With this type of setup, would you equally recommend turning the speakers inwards 55-60 degrees?

I appreciate your advice,

Cordially,
Matthias

 

[shadyJ]

This is a peculiar speaker and I couldn't tell you whether you will really like it, only that they have some interesting characteristics. If I were you, I would experiment with toe-in angles to see what you like the most. The nice thing is that these speakers will provide a full response out to such a far angle. Keep in mind they may need some kind of stand to get them level with your ear height.

 

[kls0e]

yes, I will raise them to the appropriate height. Thanks!

 

[davidscott]

Nice review! Definitely a nice set of speakers for someone on a very tight budget.

 

[Kingnoob]

I think that the shape of the tweeter is what is giving it this broad but even horizontal dispersion. But yeah, I don't know how this speaker is keeping such a well-controlled directivity pattern down to the low end of this tweeter's response. The tweeter obviously has a 1rst order filter and I think it really kicks in at about 3 kHz or maybe a bit lower, but I think that gradual slope has a lot to do with what is occurring here. I almost think this is some kind of happy accident, that the woofers are blending into the tweeter in just the right way to create this off-axis response. Anyway, it is a really cool little speaker, and I am considering projects around it for further down the road.

Are these really way better then the price indicates??

I think that the shape of the tweeter is what is giving it this broad but even horizontal dispersion. But yeah, I don't know how this speaker is keeping such a well-controlled directivity pattern down to the low end of this tweeter's response. The tweeter obviously has a 1rst order filter and I think it really kicks in at about 3 kHz or maybe a bit lower, but I think that gradual slope has a lot to do with what is occurring here. I almost think this is some kind of happy accident, that the woofers are blending into the tweeter in just the right way to create this off-axis response. Anyway, it is a really cool little speaker, and I am considering projects around it for further down the road.

Seem good for the price but are they worth it over other brands like insignia, infinity when on sale and others .. Polk ..