Monolith T6 Tower: bit.ly/MonolithEncoreT6Tower Monolith B6 Bookshelf: bit.ly/MonolithEncoreB6Bookshelf Monolith C6 Center: bit.ly/MonolithEncoreC6 Binaural Demo Recording of the Encore T6 Tower: vimeo.com/636962011 Disclosure: The Affiliate links above earn me a commission if you purchase using those links. This is at no additional cost to you. Monolith sent these free for me to review. All opinions are my own, and they did not review this prior.
Hi Joe. I have a chance to buy brand new Encore T6's for $169/each or a pair of used but in great condition B&W 703 S2 for $1200. I used to own a pair of B&W 805 and originally leaned toward the 703 S2 but I'm not certain I'd gain that much for my use, which is 50% for music listening and 50% as PA for my digital grand piano at living room volume. I'm at 50/50 on this and would really appreciate your opinion. Thank you!
@@joentellThanks for your reply Joe. I ordered a pair of B6 at $150/pr and will order a pair of T6 at $340/pr. For the price, I'll probably keep both!
@@joentellone B6 showed up yesterday. I'm still waiting for another B6 and two T6s. For low to medium volume music listening, do you think the Monolith 8" would add much to a pair of T6s? I listen to mostly 60s, 70s and 80s Pop/Rock. Thank you!
Monoprice seems to be kicking the shit out of most major manufacturers - from their speakers to amps, real value for the money compared to the competition. Kudos Monoprice - just bought a sub from you guys / awesome value!
They are killing it with their value proposition. They have a direct to consumer model, so it makes sense. That by itself wouldn't work without the products also being excellent.
I bought a pair of the T6 based on Joe's review and other positive reviews in Sound & Vision, AVS, etc. I'm pretty happy with them. They do seem to have an extraordinary amount of bass and they go pretty low. If you're a basshead without room for a sub, I'd say these are probably your best best without having to spend like $2000. They have other good traits, too, like that giant waveguide really projects sound all over the room so that the listening "sweet spot" is pretty wide. I think a lot of people will look at them and dismiss them as a home theater speaker only but I am finding they are quite musical and have a sound signature that is non-fatiguing to listen to for a very long time.
If you ever get your hands on Heco Aurora 700 i would really like to see the review of them. They are also a budget king speakers, and very popular in Europe!
6:15 The dip near the XO frequency could be explained as follows: I presume (not sure) you measure a speaker close range with the mic level (on-axis) with the tweeter. This means that the mic is off-axis with respect to the woofer. The beaming of the 6,5'' woofer combined with the crossover slope cause that dip to appear when measuring on-axis with the tweeter (thus off-axis woofer). In practice our ears are rarely perfectly level with the tweeter, let alone both the woofer and the tweeter (with the exception of coaxial speakers of course). This is where constant directivity comes in, valuing a constant/smooth off-axis response over a smooth on-axis response. This TECHNICALLY improves the experience in the room as, again, you are rarely on-axis with all drivers of all speakers and of course the constant directivity makes for more even room reflections. Obviously it is very debatable which approach is 'better' and whether all of this is audible compared to measurable. Ps. my compliments to your technical knowledge about speakers, Joe. You are one of the very few speaker enthusiasts on the interwebs with a decent understanding of things. (I'm looking at you, Steve Guttenberg with your embarrassing claims about tweeter size...) There's no problem with a limited technical knowledge. Hell, I barely know the tip of the iceberg when it comes to speaker design. It's just a bit sad to hear those guys preaching as if they know it all. It makes them look uncreditable while they don't mean to be. Anyways, rant is over. Peace out!
Erin from Erin's Audio Corner just put up his measurements of the Monolith Encore B6 with the Klippel and I would say my nearfield MMM measurements come pretty close. Thanks for the compliments. I'm always learning.
Picked up a full 5 channel setup on their recent massive sale and currently listening to the T6 towers and the bass and general sound quality really is impressive for the price.
Bought a pair of T6 today out the door and delivered for $370!! Cant wait to hear them. Based on all other reviews, they are amazing and one helluva deal for less than $400 shipped to the door!
I understand this is an older review, but I have been looking at these speakers for a while now. They are going for about $170ea right now on Monoprice! I would consider that a steal considering the many positive reviews I have seen/read. I haven't heard them in person yet, but getting a pair of T6's along with the C6 for $500 to my door probably can't be beat right now.
@CoconutBanger I would say "yes" that's a little crazy. BUT....... Aren't we all a little crazy? If you are driving these with an amplifier I would say both versions are overkill for a desk. If you can move them back a bit and you love it loud I say go for it. For the price what do you have to lose?
Thabks for the great, honest review. I really like how you stay away from using the wishy-washy audiophile buzzwords ("warmth" "airiness" "forwardness" "recessed" etc) unlike some other popular TH-cam reviewers. At your recommendation, I'm going to be using these T6s as the front L&R channels for my first 5.1 HT build.
Ordered a Numan Reference 801 Tower speakers a couple months ago for 360 EUR/440 USD a pair and pretty happy with them. They may not be available in US, but in Europe they are highly praised, they offer free shipping within Europe.
Hi Joe thank you for bring these tower speakers, unfortunately they are not selling in Europe i mean all the range, maybe thinking on the Heco Aurora 700/1000 tower speakers, price wise Heco are a little more, hope you can also do a vídeo with them.
Can you publish some pictures of the crossovers please? I am a crossover guy and love to look at the appearance and quality of the crossovers of a speaker. Thank you.
Great review as always Joe! These speakers in many way measure and are designed very similar to Revel's Concerta2 F36 tower for less than half the price. Kudos to Monolith for designing and selling a good measuring value speaker!
I am curious as to your thoughts about the Emotiva T1+ tower? I just picked up the little brother to these, the Encore T5 tower? great speaker. I've been very surprised by their performance. But I have a Emotiva C1+ center and the B1+ surrounds. So I'm thinking that I want to have all my speakers match. Thanks!
These feel like the next evolution of the pioneer FS-52. better bass response and a balanced frequency with the bookshelf and center make a lot of sense for a cost effect start to a 5.1 setup.
The affordable yet overachieving speaker market is really the best place to be in this hobby imo. These are near the top of my list if I do a new build. And Joe, you need to get some demo Swans speakers. I've been using their drivers and nearfield monitors on PC for years and I'm curious how their Home Theater speakers stack up based on being consistently and pleasantly surprised by their stuff.
@@joentell Hey Joe! I am a retired musician who used to own a high-end custom A/V store (we sold mostly B&W speakers and McIntosh amps) so I never thought I'd have a question like this for someone. I have a pair of B&W 805 in my family room so I'm good there but I have a digital piano/microphone setup in my living room and have had a miserable time trying to come up with the "right" speakers - something that sounds good with the piano/mic and with pre-recorded music PLUS look clean enough. I've tried a pair of 8" active studio monitors and a pair of EV Evolve 50 (one on each side of the piano). I didn't like the way the monitors look on stands, on the piano or on the floor angling up and the Evolve 50 ($4k) are simply too big. My next choices are (1) one T6 on each side of the piano (which is on a stand and is 31" high so the tweeters would actually be above the height of the piano) (2) a pair of B6 under the piano, angling up toward me (3) a pair of QSC K8.2 (high end 8" PA speakers) under the piano, angling up. The B6 or T6 would of course require an amp. Speakers below the piano would offer the cleanest look but the T6 may also look and won't require a sub. The T6/amp would also be the least expensive since T6 are on sale for $340 for the pair. 1) Do you think the piano/microphone would sound OK through the T6 and would feedback be a huge issue with the mic between them? 2) We used to RTA PA and audio systems in the 80s & 90s (when they were very expensive). What's the simplest and economical way to achieve a flat frequency response for a "home" system like this? The DBX DriveRack was the last thing I knew of. Thanks a million Joe!
@@hienvu1714 That's a lot. I don't even understand the speakers under the piano thing. I can say these speakers are more than capable of accurately reproducing the sound of a piano. A MiniDSP 2x4HD could EQ the speakers to be as accurate as studio monitors.
@@joentellThank you so much for your reply, Joe. I've read about the Mini DSP and have a chance to buy a used one locally for $60. I was afraid it was gonna be too complicated to use but will give it a try. Speakers under the piano = by my feet, on each side of the sustain pedal, pointing up at a 45 degree angle. I'm gonna go ahead and give the T6 a try. Thanks again!
@@joentellThe 2 things that I worried me about putting a T6 on each side of my electric piano is 1) I would have move them out from the wall due to the rear port 2) they'd be a little over 6' apart but I'd be practically in the center, maybe a foot out. If I toe them in just a little, maybe I won't lose too much of the highs.
I like these better than the ELAC. The ELAC' Uni-Fi Reference seems boxy or unclear to me in comparison, but it could totally just be the way they interact with my room.
After a bit of a/b with the T5's I am noticing just a bit less punchiness - they do extend quite a bit further though. I'm noticing slightly slower attack in the highs but overall I'd say it's smoother and more balanced. If I knock on side of the cabinets (I know - not exactly scientific) I notice a bit more echo compared to the T5 so I'm not sure if that's the reason for the difference in punch - maybe a bit more polyfill or lining the cabinets with deadening material would help.
is that the T5 encore or audition? I'm thinking of buying the T5 encore once they come back in stock. How do you like your T5s overall, and would you recommend them?
@@indridcold4210 Encores. They go on sale from time to time. I'd recommend all of the Encore speakers at their sale prices ($50-$150 per speaker depending on the model) - MSRP is a harder sell as there is a ton of competition up there.
Hey Joe Just curious… since these are budget towers , how would the pioneer spfs 52’s compete with these? The pioneers are my budget champs. They don’t compete with some of my higher end speakers but thought they might hold a candle to these.what do you think? 🤟🔊
I loved this Pioneer FS52's. You could get them for less than $200 a pair back in the day. That's nuts. I bought an extra pair used on Craigslist for $100. They had a darker presentation with the rolled-off highs and they didn't get super deep, but hard to complain at that price.
@@joentell Fair enough, I figured they’d be a bit better with the time that’s gone by since the pioneer’s came out. The pioneers made all others offer better products for the money. I think theses will be my Xmas present too myself. My wife can’t complain because they are less money then most things I buy. 🤣 Thanks for the reply Joe 🍻
So in theory you could just go to your tone controls on your AVR and simply turn the treble and bass both down about 2 db and it'll be a reasonably flat response! Haha obviously I would still run room correction, but I'm just thinking out loud it doesn't look like it'll need much EQ overall. For the price this seems absolutely amazing.
@@glennjones6574 ... Next to my Bowers 606 (Not S2 Anniversary )... BW has better clarity.. but lacks the mid body. Same bass. I prefer the high freq Clarity. (If im honest) ... BUT.. at 3x the price.. I can live with Encore Series for my large system. .. and something more tasty for 2ch music.
I want Hobie to make these in inwall or onwall form. I know I am in the very small minority of people but for my home theater I want to hear the speakers but not see them. Thanks for the review.
Good looking performance. "V" shaped but that is not always bad. I am a Monolith fan and like what they are doing. As far as better for the money, I just picked up JBL Studio 590s for $800 delivered. Would have to do an AB test, but I would guess that the JBL's are better.
I see the Encore T5 (not the Audition - I double checked) is on sale for $99 each. Seems like a fantastic deal - the T6 are $309 each and seem to be worth that. Am I missing something?
Now $89/tower. I snagged a pair and they go very deep at this price, I'm measuring nearly flat to 30hz in room. I don't see the high end peak shown in his measurements. I do notice a bit of a veiled midrange though, but I'm comparing them to some old Wharfedale 9.2's which have very crisp midrange. Overall a steal at $180 for a set.
@@jamesbennett1634 Yeah, the T6 will have a bit more extension but not over 2x the price IMO. I think at around $250-300/pair the T6 would be good. At $500 there are a better options especially used.
Looking forward to the center review Home theater idea Four t6 towers and center with monolith 13 sub. 1 Now what's the best avr to push this properly since external amp isn't needed? 2. Any great Atmos speakers to pair these with? I'm going for a 5.2.4 system
Yes, I want some on-wall height speakers from this line. I don't know if I plan on doing a dedicated center. I've mentioned the C6 center on this an my B6 review.
@@joentell I watched an interview with hobie on audioholics 1. In ceiling Atmos speakers coming in Q2 2. New in wall and speakers coming soon and Atmos topers
@@RjTheTrigun Would it even make sense to install a Monoprice speaker in-wall? I mean, wouldn't you want to step up to a higher-end brand if you're going to do that kind of an installation?
@@fartknocker5708are you talking about using a pair of Monoprice/Monolith in-wall speakers or installing a pair of bookshelves into the wall? I used to have B&W 8" in-walls in my house and wouldn't hesitate to use Monoprice in-walls!
Can you get your hands on some Heco Aurora 700 speakers? Might have that Elac effect of being a game changer in tower and bookshelf speakers $1200 for a pair and look very sexy
If they used three 8 inch woofers, there would be a bigger dip in the midrange than there already is. The tweeters in these have to carry a lot of the upper midrange, which is the reason for the gigantic waveguide. There are some older, British speakers from Celestion, KEF etc that worked kinda the same way with an 8 inch woofer, but those had bigger tweeters which I'm assuming would cost a lot more.
Man these really do look like they could be the new kings of value! I only wish they had a more compact desktop version, say with a 4 inch woofer. That market is pretty slim pickings.
I wonder how these compare with the Paradigm Monitor SE 6000F? Both priced right around the same... Currently I'm running some old NHT SB1 5.0 with 2 Monolith 10s and looking at replacing my NHT's.
Hi Joe. I became a speaker nerd. I bought these based on your reviews and recommendations. Big question! The bottom 2 woofers are crossed at 180 Hz But why does the top mid woofer have more excursion then the bottom 2 at any frequency below 180?
Hi Joe, Thanks for the review. In your measurements, how did you create the horizontal dotted +1dB & solid +3dB lines in REW? I tried looking but can't figure it out.
These are currently on sale for $316 each at Walmart, with two 12 inch subs I already have on opposite sides of the room would setting these to large and moving both subs to the rear work?
Do you have tested Teufel speakers on your channel? I do only get positive feedback on them from friends. Would you give them a try? Really like to hear your opinion.
Do they have hight channel's coming out? I'm looking to upgrade my Polk OWM3 that I'm using right now, something that will match the output of my Klipsch THX ultra2 speakers better.
@@joentell I've been trying to find excuses to order more! I picked up some B6's for the garage but I think I'll use T6's at nearly the same price instead.
@@user-rp1vu1gk5u and that's the issue with these sales imo. They ruin the future sales even though they're a great value at higher prices. What's your next best alternative if you want speakers? What's the price of those?
Joe I'm intrigued, price per is a lot less than what I'm prepared to spend for SVS Pinnacle towers. One big issue for me is the C6 is MTM style, Erin's video pointed out the potential problems there. My current Def Tech center is MMTMM and both primary seats are 20 degrees off axis and dialog can be an issue. Is the THX 365C (a 3 way) going to be way different to pair with the towers? I have no problem getting a beefier center than R/L. Going all THX at the front stage puts me in similar price range as Pinnacle's + Ultra Center. I have two subs Denon 4700 w/ Emotiva A3 for the front stage. Thoughts?
I really like these still. They're in my main home theater and with DSP, I am totally happy with the sound. Erin is correct about what he says in the video. A 3-way center is the way to go if it's implemented correctly. Just know there are always trade-offs. In my case, I have an acoustic transparent screen, so I ended up turning my center on the side so it's standing. Now the issues Erin mentioned are on the vertical-axis, but horizontal seat to seat consistency is better.
@@joentell Thanks... I'm pretty much stuck with horizontal options under my 77" CX. Coming out of Def Tech Mythos STS towers, which cost at least 3x the T6 (back in 2009), do you think I'd be downgrading? The WAF goes up as the price of replacements goes down!! I'm pretty high on the Pinnacle's with the Ultra Center, but figure that's about 2x the Monolith T6/C6. I'm focused on value and this HT setup is 80+% movies and 20-% music
@@StephenAtt797 I think SVS is excellent for movies. That center Erin reviewed performed well. Pretty much every SVS product I've ever reviewed has measured well and performed well. My only grip with their Prime and Ultra Bookshelf speakers was they traded deep bass extension for lower distortion at higher volume. That's the proper tradeoff for home theater when used with subs, but not a good tradeoff for 2-channel with no sub.
@@joentell Thanks for taking time out (again) to reply. Although I've been looking at alternatives (Heco, Kef Q750/950, Paradigm Premier), I keep coming back to SVS, besides their customer support has been great with my PE's and SB-1000-Pro. Just too bad no one locally carries anything but the Subs for a listen, but their return policy is great,
I've had a pair of these for a week or so. I don't think it's something you can actually hear in a real-world, practical situation. I can see it on the graph, yes, but I don't hear it with my ears. The main problem these speakers have is a dip in the upper midrange. I'm OK with that, because I'm pretty sensitive to those frequencies and a lot of speakers that go flat from say 2K to 5-6K make my ears bleed. Ironically, female vocals still somehow sound great. It's higher male vocals that end up lacking a little weight and that's probably the speaker's major weakness if you're using it in a 2-channel music only setup.
How do these compare to the Pioneer SP-FS52? I mean, I'm sure they're "better" but I'm looking for something that sounds similar to the Pioneers with more real bass. I am using a Yamaha CX830/MX830 preamp/amp pair, I think it's 170 WPC.
I loved the FS52 for their value. At one point, I bought a pair new for $129 shipped! That's unbeatable. These do sound much clearer. Bass is better too. It does pretty much everything better.
Sounded like there’s not much difference between the towers and bookshelf’s except bass. Can I infer then that if someone were to run these with a good sub or subs and with a typical 80hz crossover, the bookshelf’s would be the way to go?
I'm not even sure if that's the correct weight. They seem as heavy as some of the other tower speakers I've reviewed. I don't enjoy having to move them, let's just say that.
Confirmed.. I see now in your measurements that what I heard and mentioned in my review from just listening.. that I am correct about the 120hz area having a bump. Agree.. easy to EQ down. ... Don't make me go buy these too now.. #AffiliateLinkBump ... haha. Great and comprehensive review. Professional and packed with info, as always. Kudos. 🙏
I prefer towers with 2 subs over bookshelves with 2 subs. They take up the same footprint, but with towers you don't have to buy stands, then fill them to deaden them. Also, when you're blackout drunk on your 40th, you have to worry about knocking the bookshelf off vs the tower will hold you up and you can pass out on it. I may or may not have experienced this.
10-15db down I wouldn't call full range. Your dropping from over 90db at 100hz to 80ish in the lower octave. Thats like going from full volume speaking to a crowd to speaking with your wife next to you. I wish we saw more speakers dipping all the way down to 20hz like my diy towers. It's something to behold when all channels are full range. I guess that's the subs job though nowadays 🤷♀️
You should be making speakers full time if you made DIY towers that go all the way down to 20hz at +/- 3db. I mean the Perlisten THX Dominus are the only tower speakers I know that go below 20hz. Would love for you to send your speakers to Erin's Audio Corner for testing.
Really love your review very precise BUT you are drowning the fish way to much time on graphs... Tell us HOW IT SOUNDS high mid and bass... Quality of finish.. the value and comparing to others.. that's it
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Monolith T6 Tower: bit.ly/MonolithEncoreT6Tower
Monolith B6 Bookshelf: bit.ly/MonolithEncoreB6Bookshelf
Monolith C6 Center: bit.ly/MonolithEncoreC6
Binaural Demo Recording of the Encore T6 Tower: vimeo.com/636962011
Disclosure: The Affiliate links above earn me a commission if you purchase using those links. This is at no additional cost to you. Monolith sent these free for me to review. All opinions are my own, and they did not review this prior.
Hi Joe. I have a chance to buy brand new Encore T6's for $169/each or a pair of used but in great condition B&W 703 S2 for $1200. I used to own a pair of B&W 805 and originally leaned toward the 703 S2 but I'm not certain I'd gain that much for my use, which is 50% for music listening and 50% as PA for my digital grand piano at living room volume. I'm at 50/50 on this and would really appreciate your opinion. Thank you!
@@hienvu1714 I can't speak for the B&W. I know that I've been thoroughly impressed with the performance and value proposition of the Encore T6 and B6.
@@joentellThanks for your reply Joe. I ordered a pair of B6 at $150/pr and will order a pair of T6 at $340/pr. For the price, I'll probably keep both!
@@hienvu1714 please give me an update once they're set up! I'm excited for you!
@@joentellone B6 showed up yesterday. I'm still waiting for another B6 and two T6s. For low to medium volume music listening, do you think the Monolith 8" would add much to a pair of T6s? I listen to mostly 60s, 70s and 80s Pop/Rock. Thank you!
Monoprice seems to be kicking the shit out of most major manufacturers - from their speakers to amps, real value for the money compared to the competition. Kudos Monoprice - just bought a sub from you guys / awesome value!
They are killing it with their value proposition. They have a direct to consumer model, so it makes sense. That by itself wouldn't work without the products also being excellent.
I bought a pair of the T6 based on Joe's review and other positive reviews in Sound & Vision, AVS, etc. I'm pretty happy with them. They do seem to have an extraordinary amount of bass and they go pretty low. If you're a basshead without room for a sub, I'd say these are probably your best best without having to spend like $2000. They have other good traits, too, like that giant waveguide really projects sound all over the room so that the listening "sweet spot" is pretty wide. I think a lot of people will look at them and dismiss them as a home theater speaker only but I am finding they are quite musical and have a sound signature that is non-fatiguing to listen to for a very long time.
If you ever get your hands on Heco Aurora 700 i would really like to see the review of them. They are also a budget king speakers, and very popular in Europe!
6:15 The dip near the XO frequency could be explained as follows:
I presume (not sure) you measure a speaker close range with the mic level (on-axis) with the tweeter. This means that the mic is off-axis with respect to the woofer. The beaming of the 6,5'' woofer combined with the crossover slope cause that dip to appear when measuring on-axis with the tweeter (thus off-axis woofer). In practice our ears are rarely perfectly level with the tweeter, let alone both the woofer and the tweeter (with the exception of coaxial speakers of course). This is where constant directivity comes in, valuing a constant/smooth off-axis response over a smooth on-axis response. This TECHNICALLY improves the experience in the room as, again, you are rarely on-axis with all drivers of all speakers and of course the constant directivity makes for more even room reflections. Obviously it is very debatable which approach is 'better' and whether all of this is audible compared to measurable.
Ps. my compliments to your technical knowledge about speakers, Joe. You are one of the very few speaker enthusiasts on the interwebs with a decent understanding of things. (I'm looking at you, Steve Guttenberg with your embarrassing claims about tweeter size...) There's no problem with a limited technical knowledge. Hell, I barely know the tip of the iceberg when it comes to speaker design. It's just a bit sad to hear those guys preaching as if they know it all. It makes them look uncreditable while they don't mean to be. Anyways, rant is over. Peace out!
Erin from Erin's Audio Corner just put up his measurements of the Monolith Encore B6 with the Klippel and I would say my nearfield MMM measurements come pretty close. Thanks for the compliments. I'm always learning.
Picked up a full 5 channel setup on their recent massive sale and currently listening to the T6 towers and the bass and general sound quality really is impressive for the price.
Glad you like them. I really do still.
Bought a pair of T6 today out the door and delivered for $370!! Cant wait to hear them. Based on all other reviews, they are amazing and one helluva deal for less than $400 shipped to the door!
I understand this is an older review, but I have been looking at these speakers for a while now. They are going for about $170ea right now on Monoprice! I would consider that a steal considering the many positive reviews I have seen/read. I haven't heard them in person yet, but getting a pair of T6's along with the C6 for $500 to my door probably can't be beat right now.
Would I be crazy to get these for my computer setup over a bookshelf at this price?
@CoconutBanger I would say "yes" that's a little crazy. BUT....... Aren't we all a little crazy? If you are driving these with an amplifier I would say both versions are overkill for a desk. If you can move them back a bit and you love it loud I say go for it. For the price what do you have to lose?
Thabks for the great, honest review. I really like how you stay away from using the wishy-washy audiophile buzzwords ("warmth" "airiness" "forwardness" "recessed" etc) unlike some other popular TH-cam reviewers. At your recommendation, I'm going to be using these T6s as the front L&R channels for my first 5.1 HT build.
I would if I could. I'm just not good with those words. ;-) LOL
Ordered a Numan Reference 801 Tower speakers a couple months ago for 360 EUR/440 USD a pair and pretty happy with them. They may not be available in US, but in Europe they are highly praised, they offer free shipping within Europe.
No free shipping buddy, at least not now 😕
Hi Joe thank you for bring these tower speakers, unfortunately they are not selling in Europe i mean all the range, maybe thinking on the Heco Aurora 700/1000 tower speakers, price wise Heco are a little more, hope you can also do a vídeo with them.
Can you publish some pictures of the crossovers please? I am a crossover guy and love to look at the appearance and quality of the crossovers of a speaker. Thank you.
I’d hazard to guess the Emotiva T1+ could be good competition to these at their price of $699/pair.
Those do look extremely competitive
Great review as always Joe! These speakers in many way measure and are designed very similar to Revel's Concerta2 F36 tower for less than half the price. Kudos to Monolith for designing and selling a good measuring value speaker!
Wondering how this compares to their THX tower offering? This speaker seems to be designed with a higher end form factor in mind?
The THX towers are double the price and have Atmos drivers. Kind of hard to compare.
I am curious as to your thoughts about the Emotiva T1+ tower? I just picked up the little brother to these, the Encore T5 tower? great speaker. I've been very surprised by their performance. But I have a Emotiva C1+ center and the B1+ surrounds. So I'm thinking that I want to have all my speakers match. Thanks!
These feel like the next evolution of the pioneer FS-52. better bass response and a balanced frequency with the bookshelf and center make a lot of sense for a cost effect start to a 5.1 setup.
Great review homie, keep up the good work.
Thank you! 🙏🙏🙏
Really curious how these compare to the Fluance XL8F at $600 a pair. Surprised you haven't reviewed them Joe!
The affordable yet overachieving speaker market is really the best place to be in this hobby imo. These are near the top of my list if I do a new build. And Joe, you need to get some demo Swans speakers. I've been using their drivers and nearfield monitors on PC for years and I'm curious how their Home Theater speakers stack up based on being consistently and pleasantly surprised by their stuff.
You've seen my video of the DINAS build. I chose to use an external HIVI tweeter like one of their older models.
@@joentell Hey Joe! I am a retired musician who used to own a high-end custom A/V store (we sold mostly B&W speakers and McIntosh amps) so I never thought I'd have a question like this for someone. I have a pair of B&W 805 in my family room so I'm good there but I have a digital piano/microphone setup in my living room and have had a miserable time trying to come up with the "right" speakers - something that sounds good with the piano/mic and with pre-recorded music PLUS look clean enough. I've tried a pair of 8" active studio monitors and a pair of EV Evolve 50 (one on each side of the piano). I didn't like the way the monitors look on stands, on the piano or on the floor angling up and the Evolve 50 ($4k) are simply too big. My next choices are (1) one T6 on each side of the piano (which is on a stand and is 31" high so the tweeters would actually be above the height of the piano) (2) a pair of B6 under the piano, angling up toward me (3) a pair of QSC K8.2 (high end 8" PA speakers) under the piano, angling up. The B6 or T6 would of course require an amp. Speakers below the piano would offer the cleanest look but the T6 may also look and won't require a sub. The T6/amp would also be the least expensive since T6 are on sale for $340 for the pair.
1) Do you think the piano/microphone would sound OK through the T6 and would feedback be a huge issue with the mic between them?
2) We used to RTA PA and audio systems in the 80s & 90s (when they were very expensive). What's the simplest and economical way to achieve a flat frequency response for a "home" system like this? The DBX DriveRack was the last thing I knew of.
Thanks a million Joe!
@@hienvu1714 That's a lot. I don't even understand the speakers under the piano thing. I can say these speakers are more than capable of accurately reproducing the sound of a piano. A MiniDSP 2x4HD could EQ the speakers to be as accurate as studio monitors.
@@joentellThank you so much for your reply, Joe. I've read about the Mini DSP and have a chance to buy a used one locally for $60. I was afraid it was gonna be too complicated to use but will give it a try.
Speakers under the piano = by my feet, on each side of the sustain pedal, pointing up at a 45 degree angle.
I'm gonna go ahead and give the T6 a try.
Thanks again!
@@joentellThe 2 things that I worried me about putting a T6 on each side of my electric piano is 1) I would have move them out from the wall due to the rear port 2) they'd be a little over 6' apart but I'd be practically in the center, maybe a foot out. If I toe them in just a little, maybe I won't lose too much of the highs.
I hope they give a Glass Black option.
Finally they are in Europe
They could replace my Old speakers but not sure about if the T6 can handle 180w at 4Ohm.
Ok... There's no reason they couldn't have afforded magnetic grilles.. I mean do a few tiny magnets even cost more than plastic grommets ??
Probably yes. Or the installation costs more. IDK.
Emotiva T1+ at $699 a pair.
Price went up to $799! :(
Thanks for reviewing these. How does the midrange and voice sound? How do they compare to Elac?
I like these better than the ELAC. The ELAC' Uni-Fi Reference seems boxy or unclear to me in comparison, but it could totally just be the way they interact with my room.
After a bit of a/b with the T5's I am noticing just a bit less punchiness - they do extend quite a bit further though. I'm noticing slightly slower attack in the highs but overall I'd say it's smoother and more balanced. If I knock on side of the cabinets (I know - not exactly scientific) I notice a bit more echo compared to the T5 so I'm not sure if that's the reason for the difference in punch - maybe a bit more polyfill or lining the cabinets with deadening material would help.
is that the T5 encore or audition? I'm thinking of buying the T5 encore once they come back in stock. How do you like your T5s overall, and would you recommend them?
@@indridcold4210 Encores. They go on sale from time to time. I'd recommend all of the Encore speakers at their sale prices ($50-$150 per speaker depending on the model) - MSRP is a harder sell as there is a ton of competition up there.
Hey Joe
Just curious… since these are budget towers , how would the pioneer spfs 52’s compete with these? The pioneers are my budget champs. They don’t compete with some of my higher end speakers but thought they might hold a candle to these.what do you think? 🤟🔊
I loved this Pioneer FS52's. You could get them for less than $200 a pair back in the day. That's nuts. I bought an extra pair used on Craigslist for $100. They had a darker presentation with the rolled-off highs and they didn't get super deep, but hard to complain at that price.
@@joentell
Fair enough, I figured they’d be a bit better with the time that’s gone by since the pioneer’s came out. The pioneers made all others offer better products for the money. I think theses will be my Xmas present too myself. My wife can’t complain because they are less money then most things I buy. 🤣
Thanks for the reply Joe 🍻
So in theory you could just go to your tone controls on your AVR and simply turn the treble and bass both down about 2 db and it'll be a reasonably flat response! Haha obviously I would still run room correction, but I'm just thinking out loud it doesn't look like it'll need much EQ overall. For the price this seems absolutely amazing.
I like them a lot. I use them in my main home theater setup even though I have much more expensive speakers here.
Thank you man. Your reviews are god send. Can you please compare these with ELAC F6.2 Floorstanding
I haven't had the ELAC F6.2's in years. I can say that I like the T6's more than I liked the F6.2's.
YES. Well designed speakers that even Homer Simpson can afford! But how does this compare to Polk and Klipsch for twice as much?
I can tell you how they compare to my Bowers 606..
@@psyphonyxaudio ok. Please do
@@glennjones6574 ... Next to my Bowers 606 (Not S2 Anniversary )... BW has better clarity.. but lacks the mid body. Same bass.
I prefer the high freq Clarity. (If im honest) ... BUT.. at 3x the price.. I can live with Encore Series for my large system. .. and something more tasty for 2ch music.
I want Hobie to make these in inwall or onwall form. I know I am in the very small minority of people but for my home theater I want to hear the speakers but not see them. Thanks for the review.
How would these compare to Revel F36? You can get used Revels for under $1000 now.
Good looking performance. "V" shaped but that is not always bad. I am a Monolith fan and like what they are doing. As far as better for the money, I just picked up JBL Studio 590s for $800 delivered. Would have to do an AB test, but I would guess that the JBL's are better.
Do you mean you got them for $900? I've never seen them for $800.
I see the Encore T5 (not the Audition - I double checked) is on sale for $99 each. Seems like a fantastic deal - the T6 are $309 each and seem to be worth that. Am I missing something?
Now $89/tower. I snagged a pair and they go very deep at this price, I'm measuring nearly flat to 30hz in room. I don't see the high end peak shown in his measurements. I do notice a bit of a veiled midrange though, but I'm comparing them to some old Wharfedale 9.2's which have very crisp midrange. Overall a steal at $180 for a set.
@@tbob2224 Thanks for the info. $180 a pair for the T5 vs $520 a pair for the T6 now - I think the T6 is still a good deal, but hard to resist the T5.
@@jamesbennett1634 Yeah, the T6 will have a bit more extension but not over 2x the price IMO. I think at around $250-300/pair the T6 would be good. At $500 there are a better options especially used.
Looking forward to the center review
Home theater idea
Four t6 towers and center with monolith 13 sub.
1 Now what's the best avr to push this properly since external amp isn't needed?
2. Any great Atmos speakers to pair these with? I'm going for a 5.2.4 system
Yes, I want some on-wall height speakers from this line. I don't know if I plan on doing a dedicated center. I've mentioned the C6 center on this an my B6 review.
@@joentell I watched an interview with hobie on audioholics
1. In ceiling Atmos speakers coming in Q2
2. New in wall and speakers coming soon and Atmos topers
@@RjTheTrigun Would it even make sense to install a Monoprice speaker in-wall? I mean, wouldn't you want to step up to a higher-end brand if you're going to do that kind of an installation?
@@fartknocker5708are you talking about using a pair of Monoprice/Monolith in-wall speakers or installing a pair of bookshelves into the wall? I used to have B&W 8" in-walls in my house and wouldn't hesitate to use Monoprice in-walls!
Can you get your hands on some Heco Aurora 700 speakers? Might have that Elac effect of being a game changer in tower and bookshelf speakers $1200 for a pair and look very sexy
Joe sorry for being late... but your face in 01:50. Man you are A W E S O M E.!!!
Airmotive T1+ or T2+??
That's what I was thinking too. They kinda look like coffins to me. 🤣
Did you happen to try the 460T ?
I’m seriously looking at them. Any vids to glean from?
I like the floor standers. They would be better with 8 or 10 inch.
If they used three 8 inch woofers, there would be a bigger dip in the midrange than there already is. The tweeters in these have to carry a lot of the upper midrange, which is the reason for the gigantic waveguide. There are some older, British speakers from Celestion, KEF etc that worked kinda the same way with an 8 inch woofer, but those had bigger tweeters which I'm assuming would cost a lot more.
no wonder they look soo much like the Arendal !
Only in the US and Canada unfortunately, i see this a lot its the same as outlawaudio, why not send world wide like Emotiva?
Joe i wod like to hear your opinion on the klh kendalls did you ever review them thanking you
Man these really do look like they could be the new kings of value! I only wish they had a more compact desktop version, say with a 4 inch woofer. That market is pretty slim pickings.
SVS has mini bookshelves
They have the B4, B5 & B6 which are 4", 5" & 6" 2-way bookshelf speakers at crazy good prices!
I wonder how these compare with the Paradigm Monitor SE 6000F? Both priced right around the same... Currently I'm running some old NHT SB1 5.0 with 2 Monolith 10s and looking at replacing my NHT's.
Hi Joe. I became a speaker nerd. I bought these based on your reviews and recommendations. Big question! The bottom 2 woofers are crossed at 180 Hz But why does the top mid woofer have more excursion then the bottom 2 at any frequency below 180?
I hope you're enjoying them as much as I do. I haven't seen the excursion difference but my guess is the two bottom ones are sharing the bass duty.
Hi Joe,
Thanks for the review. In your measurements, how did you create the horizontal dotted +1dB & solid +3dB lines in REW? I tried looking but can't figure it out.
Controls (gear icon) -> Trace Options
These are currently on sale for $316 each at Walmart, with two 12 inch subs I already have on opposite sides of the room would setting these to large and moving both subs to the rear work?
I just got a pair of Klipschs R-50M for $160 open box. But when I measuredd the speak, why do I get 4.5" amd not 5.25"?
Do you have tested Teufel speakers on your channel? I do only get positive feedback on them from friends. Would you give them a try? Really like to hear your opinion.
Do they have hight channel's coming out? I'm looking to upgrade my Polk OWM3 that I'm using right now, something that will match the output of my Klipsch THX ultra2 speakers better.
how would these compare vs Kef Q3 and Kef q9c? I'm using with a Denon 3200
Encore T6 currently on sale for $118/each 😮
Nuts!!!! I told people to get the deal while it lasts.
@@joentell I've been trying to find excuses to order more! I picked up some B6's for the garage but I think I'll use T6's at nearly the same price instead.
i missed out on the sale.
Now i will never order them unless they come down to that price again out of Principle.
@@user-rp1vu1gk5u I'm guessing it'll be back for black friday or cyber monday. They aren't out of stock.
@@user-rp1vu1gk5u and that's the issue with these sales imo. They ruin the future sales even though they're a great value at higher prices. What's your next best alternative if you want speakers? What's the price of those?
Joe I'm intrigued, price per is a lot less than what I'm prepared to spend for SVS Pinnacle towers. One big issue for me is the C6 is MTM style, Erin's video pointed out the potential problems there. My current Def Tech center is MMTMM and both primary seats are 20 degrees off axis and dialog can be an issue. Is the THX 365C (a 3 way) going to be way different to pair with the towers? I have no problem getting a beefier center than R/L. Going all THX at the front stage puts me in similar price range as Pinnacle's + Ultra Center. I have two subs Denon 4700 w/ Emotiva A3 for the front stage. Thoughts?
I really like these still. They're in my main home theater and with DSP, I am totally happy with the sound. Erin is correct about what he says in the video. A 3-way center is the way to go if it's implemented correctly. Just know there are always trade-offs. In my case, I have an acoustic transparent screen, so I ended up turning my center on the side so it's standing. Now the issues Erin mentioned are on the vertical-axis, but horizontal seat to seat consistency is better.
@@joentell Thanks... I'm pretty much stuck with horizontal options under my 77" CX. Coming out of Def Tech Mythos STS towers, which cost at least 3x the T6 (back in 2009), do you think I'd be downgrading? The WAF goes up as the price of replacements goes down!! I'm pretty high on the Pinnacle's with the Ultra Center, but figure that's about 2x the Monolith T6/C6. I'm focused on value and this HT setup is 80+% movies and 20-% music
@@StephenAtt797 I think SVS is excellent for movies. That center Erin reviewed performed well. Pretty much every SVS product I've ever reviewed has measured well and performed well. My only grip with their Prime and Ultra Bookshelf speakers was they traded deep bass extension for lower distortion at higher volume. That's the proper tradeoff for home theater when used with subs, but not a good tradeoff for 2-channel with no sub.
@@joentell Thanks for taking time out (again) to reply. Although I've been looking at alternatives (Heco, Kef Q750/950, Paradigm Premier), I keep coming back to SVS, besides their customer support has been great with my PE's and SB-1000-Pro. Just too bad no one locally carries anything but the Subs for a listen, but their return policy is great,
Just FYI, ended up finding a couple of eBay deals for lightly used Pinnacles and Ultra Center... happy so far.
how would you compare these to like a klipsch RP-280F or 8000-F? Similar category?
I've never reviewed those unfortunately
Sir can you review the KLH Model 5
Big fan of the Monolith subs but for those who don't want to run full range eq that treble shelf looks kind of brutal.
It's still within +/-3dB. I think the scale makes it look worse than it is. I should've put a B&W, Klipsch, or old Polk speaker for reference. 🤣
I've had a pair of these for a week or so. I don't think it's something you can actually hear in a real-world, practical situation. I can see it on the graph, yes, but I don't hear it with my ears. The main problem these speakers have is a dip in the upper midrange. I'm OK with that, because I'm pretty sensitive to those frequencies and a lot of speakers that go flat from say 2K to 5-6K make my ears bleed. Ironically, female vocals still somehow sound great. It's higher male vocals that end up lacking a little weight and that's probably the speaker's major weakness if you're using it in a 2-channel music only setup.
I was wondering every now and then you bring up MDF as a preferred material to HDF why is that?
I prefer MDF because it isn't as heavy for me to lift! 🤣 I don't doubt that HDF is more inert. Monolith HDF subs are really heavy.
How do these compare to the Pioneer SP-FS52? I mean, I'm sure they're "better" but I'm looking for something that sounds similar to the Pioneers with more real bass. I am using a Yamaha CX830/MX830 preamp/amp pair, I think it's 170 WPC.
I loved the FS52 for their value. At one point, I bought a pair new for $129 shipped! That's unbeatable. These do sound much clearer. Bass is better too. It does pretty much everything better.
Sounded like there’s not much difference between the towers and bookshelf’s except bass. Can I infer then that if someone were to run these with a good sub or subs and with a typical 80hz crossover, the bookshelf’s would be the way to go?
My opinion: with a good sub and a 80hz crossover, I'm not sure how much difference I could tell.
Of course you'd need a good pair of stands...
Interesting...why does Monolith NOT market these more aggressively? Why not make more indepth ads and just post on TH-cam?
It's new. I think you'll probably see more from them. I just don't know what their marketing budget is too.
Am i the only one that thinks that 13 M views are sooo few for THAT CHANNEL???
$544.38/ pair including tax right now. Unbeatable value. I wanted to wait for Black Friday, but I was afraid they would be sold out.
Basically monoprice>arendal 1961>1723>perlisten they all look very similar philosophy wise. Depending on the budget
Same designer (as mentioned) Yes. Could have been all one brand.. but ya.. budget across each brand as you "level up".. (so to speak)
Is there a chance you would review the monolith thx 365t / 265t range?
Idk
How would these compare to the Emotiva T1+/B1+? Thanks.
Good question. Heard lots of good things about the Emotiva as well. Haven't tested them though.
Klipsch RP 5000 or T6 please help
Never tried the RP 5000. See if you can find some frequency response charts of the Klipsch and compare.
Great review. Would you say the Encores are way better than the Polk signature series?I have the s55,s30 and s15 with my dual SVS PB1000 pro.
I haven't reviewed the Signatures. Thanks for the compliment
My issue is the weight of the towers. 24lbs per tower for the T6 is really really low. 49.2lbs is the weight of both towers.
I'm not even sure if that's the correct weight. They seem as heavy as some of the other tower speakers I've reviewed. I don't enjoy having to move them, let's just say that.
That's for each speaker.
So would you say that those are better than Klipsch speakers.
I haven't tried all Klipsch speakers, so I couldn't say absolutely. I'm sure there might some Klipsch speakers that might be better than these.
@@joentell ok have you tried Klipsch rp-8000 .
The JBL studio 580's when on sale give the Monoprices a run for their money.....$580.....shipped.
Oh yeah, I forgot about those. Never tried them myself.
@@joentell I have the 590's. They are a serious speaker.
Confirmed.. I see now in your measurements that what I heard and mentioned in my review from just listening.. that I am correct about the 120hz area having a bump. Agree.. easy to EQ down.
... Don't make me go buy these too now..
#AffiliateLinkBump ... haha.
Great and comprehensive review. Professional and packed with info, as always.
Kudos. 🙏
Personally I prefer bookshelves and 2 subs over towers.
I prefer towers with 2 subs over bookshelves with 2 subs. They take up the same footprint, but with towers you don't have to buy stands, then fill them to deaden them. Also, when you're blackout drunk on your 40th, you have to worry about knocking the bookshelf off vs the tower will hold you up and you can pass out on it. I may or may not have experienced this.
@@dicmccoy 🤣🤣🤣
All it missed was your wife's reaction 😅
I would like to see Monolith makes some Tower speakers with 15 inch woofers.
I think the days of large woofers are over for most consumer products. People want slim speakers. I guess they could put them on the sides maybe?
@@joentell JTR have big speakers
You'd be much, much better off adding one or two powered subwoofer(s)!
10-15db down I wouldn't call full range. Your dropping from over 90db at 100hz to 80ish in the lower octave. Thats like going from full volume speaking to a crowd to speaking with your wife next to you. I wish we saw more speakers dipping all the way down to 20hz like my diy towers. It's something to behold when all channels are full range. I guess that's the subs job though nowadays 🤷♀️
You haven’t heard my wife…
I'm not saying they ARE full range, I said Audyssey detected them as such. Unless it's +/-3dB at 20hz, I wouldn't consider a speaker full-range
You should be making speakers full time if you made DIY towers that go all the way down to 20hz at +/- 3db. I mean the Perlisten THX Dominus are the only tower speakers I know that go below 20hz. Would love for you to send your speakers to Erin's Audio Corner for testing.
@@keepingupwiththejones2933 wow! 20hz and below from a floor standing speaker? That’s crazy…
Really love your review very precise BUT you are drowning the fish way to much time on graphs... Tell us HOW IT SOUNDS high mid and bass... Quality of finish.. the value and comparing to others.. that's it
They look like a carbon copy of Arendal speakers. I don't trust Monolith from things that I've learned recently.
The T6 are on sale for $360/pr rn. Absolute STEAL for that price.
Howd you get $360? Im seeing $424 (still great)
@@adamserwacki3610 They we’re running a promo where it was that plus an additional 15% with code “MARCH15”. I think that’s gone now though :(
@@ernestryles Yeah i tried and didnt work. Thank you tho!
@@adamserwacki3610 If you reach out to monoprice support they might honor it! It’s worth a shot, anyways :)
@@ernestryles I just reached out. Worth a shot!