Incredibly well done video. It takes decades of experience in the hobby to be able to bring this kind of perspective to a speaker review. Thanks Tarun!
Tarun, I would like to commend you on your video presentation skills, I thoroughly enjoy your videos, even when I sometimes only understand 65-85% of the subject matter. I love the clean structure of your videos, the clarity of your voice and the 'no-frills' approach, all while keeping a warm but professional atmosphere at all times. You see, I am not an Audiophile, but I do appreciate great sounding music and the challenges it creates to get to that best sound possible. I just do it on a very tight budget, with 80's / 90's equipment which I maintain and service mostly myself. Thanks, Lee UK
Great review. Monitor Audio have always hold their own in the market for quality build and musical reproduction like the other similar renowned brands. But choosing is about firstly auditioning with your own set up before purchasing. Keep up the great work Tarun 👍
Congratulations on scoring a launch model, Tarun. As usual a very thorough job on the review. I love the thought of small stand mount speakers making a plucky attempt at filling a room with realistic sound. Unfortunately, I’ve yet to find a pair that satisfies my need for an effortless bass and hence I gravitate to floorstanders in the end. This is true even in my small listening space. It just takes more effort to find the right match to the room. I’ve loved all of my Monitor Audio speakers and they’re my go to when helping budding audiophiles choose a first system. A pair of Bronze BX2 or 2 with a NAD amp is a classic combo.
Something with Purifi woofers does fairly well in small room; EQ helps though as most manufacturers seem to want some power handling otherwise people blow stuff up if the woofers can play extended with lots of bass presence
Hi Tarun,i found a great offer for a Mission ZX-3 speakers and it was an impulse buy becose my wide and i liked the looks. They are also MTM design and i have never ever had a speaker that disappears like that,even for 4x the price,so they stayed and we are very happy with them
I was looking at those online just the other day in fact. The brand has an excellent reputation, I have no direct experience with them myself. I blamed you directly for my getting the Quad Revela in my review :)
l've been living with the Studio 1G for a few years, and the description of the 89s not coping with dynamics and busy tracks when pushed, convinces me that the 89s have similar crossover caps and resistors. I recently swapped out the 1G caps,and resistors,,this transformed the 1Gs, reducing this dynamic restraints mentioned.
An upgrade kit from Danny at GR Research would be a very interesting proposition with these speakers. I would like to see what quality of components Monitor Audio use in these. For £2k I suspect they might be a bit "cheesy"
@@chrisvand2678I don't think that the shown crossover is from the Studio 89. I think it was just for illustration purposes when Taran was mentioning that time alignment could be compensated for in the crossover. The speaker shown in the background is a Buchardt and not the Monitor Audio. I used to own some MA speakers and had good bones but really naff quality crossover components.
@@nathanevans6277 indeed. It was the Buchardt S400 Mk2 crossover that I used for illustration purposes when discussing time alignment. The Studio 89 has some poly caps but nothing fancy. So plenty for DIY enthusiasts to explore upgrades with 😊
Very nice. Great detail and nuance. I still own a pair of GS60 that are not bright at all. A little dark even maybe. I later realized I love the sound of “bigger” boxes.
Hi Tarun, your reviews are always spot on. IMO you have the right criteria for selecting the most interesting models on the market, and gave very detailed reviews. Wonderful! I wish that you could do a review of a speaker that I have been very curious: the Dali Rubicon 2… that I believe that was very recently replaced by the Rubicore 2.
The search for a really good speaker continues. My Triangle Magallen can stay, they are really good after all. But is convinced that The British audiophile will soon come up with a solution for the next step of the journey. Thanks!
After trying rhodium plated connectors on my speaker wires I was really disappointed...they took some emotion out of the music. I now use them only on powercords but never again in the audio signal path. Great review 😊
Until a few years ago, I had always had 2 or 2.5 way speakers. Now I have 3 way floorstanders and this would always be my choice moving forward (room size permitting). I have 3 way Monitor Audio Silvers at the moment. I am sure that you don't want to turn your channel into a Monitor Audio advert Tarun, but if you like the Silver 100's so much, I would hazard a guess that you might be suitably impressed by their 3 way Silver 300 or 500, although based on the size of your listening room, the smaller 300 might be better than the 500, as the 500 could prove overbearing in the lower octaves. Keep up the good work!
Good review Tarun, good looking speaker. I tend to favour sealed box (IB) or transmission line ones. I find that reflex ones tend to get One note bass on longer term listening. Maybe it’s just me. Thank you for your review. Cheers😊
Tarun, Really do enjoy your clear, well delivered, personable, and highly informative reviews! Every Saturday morning, on our front porch, cup of coffee…learn so much and then dream of partnering equipment 😂 Exquisite presentation, every single time 🙏🏼
Hi Tarun, that was a great review, as usual. Personally I am not worried these speakers can not do heavy metal. More important is that you know it so you can make informed decisions. There is actually a case to be made that if you only listen to one type of music, it is better to take a speaker design that caters only for that genre. What makes speakers often so expensive is that they have to cater for a wide mix of music in many different acoustic settings. That is why I am not "married" to one speaker design, though I do like full range drivers a lot, where ever you stick them in :)
Thanks for this Tarun, another well crafted review offering your usual high insight. With regards to your ' Tell me what designs you like in the comments', I always had a soft spot for a good transmission line design - I lived for a while with some American 'Meadowlark Swifts' for a few years which had a beguiling sound. I'm also a fan of AMT designs - I heard some pretty awful metal tweeters in the past that had me looking for other solutions and the quick transient response of a good AMT has always produced good results when I've heard it. It's perhaps no surprise then that I settled with Wharfdale's Elysian 3 speakers, with a fine AMT design, three way (I prefer crossover to not be happening in the vocal range) , and large floor standing design (I prefer to let the air be loaded in my room and stand mounts have never really done that for me without subs). Everything I've always enjoyed about Wharfdale's sound, taken to the next level. Unless I win the lottery, this part of my Hi Fi is now finalised and not changing. Though I'm not interested in ever buying more speakers, it doesnt mean I'm not interested in whats coming to market and I appreciate the insight to these designs you bring. PS. I know you wouldn't be the first, but a 'reader's system' post every now and again would be a nice addition to the channel and help people feel like they are in 'ABA's community. People love to share their systems and we all like to be a little nosy, so it's a win :)
Hi, Tarun, I'm writing from the U.S. to say thanks for another great review. Also, not to be a troll, but you mispoke (a rarity!) when you referred to the "premium parts" in the rossover, when you referred to "iron core inductors...apart from the...one on the midwoofers." I think you obviously meant high quality air-core inductors, apart from the iron-core inductor on the larger drivers. Just picking nits (there's one in every crowd, eh?). Again, thanks for the stellar job, as usual.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 My dad--a lawyer and excellent writer--taught me when I was young that EVERYONE needs someone to proof his or her work even if they're really talented, as it's so hard to do oneself. If you have the time to, say, toss something into a file for a few weeks, you can see it anew, fresh, later (obviously this may not be applicable in your situation and this medium). So, anyway, I've always enjoyed having soneone edit/proof my work, even though I have an undergrad degree in English Lit. Anyway, Tarun, thank you for your gracious reply, and also for your careful, thoughtful, well-presented content. I truly enjoy your channel, and have for years, now.
They are to me. I’m into long listening sessions. These speakers never get fatiguing. They lean on the warmer, neutral side. I absolutely love mine and the sound. Nothing to complain about. I highly recommend them and their customer service is excellent also.
I've always been a sucker for transmission line speakers since hearing IMF TLS80s many years ago. I've never been able to afford a pair - my B&W P4s are an interpretation that I'm happy with until I can afford something like the PMC twenty5 23i. Small footprint floorstanders are a must with my listening room.
I prefer open baffle speakers. At the moment, I am using a Lii Song Audio Fast 15 (inch) full range driver in a 1 and 1/2 thick Cherry baffle made by Caintuck Audio. It is also close to 100 db efficient. I am driving them with a 2 watt amp. I no longer have box resonance coloring the bass. It is quick, tuneful and has great dynamics.
I think I like speakers that aren’t led by the tweeter. I use Canton Vento 7 1st edition which are tall with the tweeter below the mid and I listen in a chair where I can see the top panel if I sit erect. Other speakers I’ve had I want to rake them back to achieve this. I don’t think I’d buy speakers made in China but my amp is a Dodge 10b (China) 30 watts in class A and my Turntable Technics 1500C Malaysia, isono feet and achromat. CD player is Denon DCD A100 Japan. You do thorough reviews and know what you’re talking about. Well done.
I don't think I gravitate towards a certain design. I like concentric designs, and single driver speakers, but I also like ribbon tweeters and panel speakers a lot. In my experience budget and space are the deciding factors. Especially space is key, I found out.
Nice review Tarun. I think I'd miss the bottom end too much to choose these speakers. I've tried the KEF LS 50 META and even with a sub I felt that there was something was missing compared to my Paradigm Studio 20 V4's.
To be fair they look amazing... I assumed they were going to be 4-6k! My Revel F35's are meant to have "drip down" tech from higher end speakers in the Revel range which is all good with me if its true!! :)
Hi Tarun. I really appreciate Monitor Audio speakers. They tend to be very suitable to my sonic preferences and they are excellent value for money. I’m currently running some Monitor Audio RS6’s with my Willsenton R8 and they are a match made in heaven 🎵🎶 These new speakers look beautiful but the thing that struck me most about your review is just how versatile the Hegel amp is. It seems to be a great match for most of the equipment you partner it with. I heard Hegel 600 with Amphion speakers at the North West Audio Show recently and was very impressed with the synergy between them. Have a great weekend Tarun. C’mon England 🏴 ⚽️
@@andrewp9725 I have a pair of Castle Avon 5's which are transmission lines coupled with a ribbon tweeter . Marvellous combination of great clarity and detail coupled with a firm deep tuneful bass.
I have been tuning my bass reflexes really low and then I will usually need a long port . I find I get the same type of gradual roll off with the Bass . Since I started doing that I have heard of other speaker designed like that for the same reason. It's strange because I am new at speaker design and I come up with ideas and throw them buy my diy groups and they all act like I'm crazy, then I realized that they don't think outside the box and just copy each other
I'm a big fan of wide band/full range drivers in sealed cabinets, paired with subwoofers. A multi-driver speaker will tend to have a flatter frequency response. A full range driver will be much better in the time domain. The human ear is very sensitive to even slight variation in timing but not all that sensitive to variations in relative loudness. A full range driver will also have a much more even room response as there won't be big dips in the reflections due to cancellation between the drivers. Getting rid of the crossover completely is the best way to avoid the crossover components smearing and colouring the sound. Full range driver speakers have a coherence that is rare with multi driver speakers. The only limitation I've found is that they don't play as loud but as mine can play much louder than I ever want this is a moot point.
I fully agree. It's much easier to place small fullrangers for soundstage and subwoofers on the optimal spot for room bass control. Also, the x-over is a crucial often overlooked (cheaped out) part of a loudspeaker. And less is more. I suspect the iron core inductors are part of the problem with bass here (saturation). I made my own dipole 2x 3" Ti fullrange, closed box with an AMT supertweeter. Limited loudness but you'll hardly notice when the subs are weighing in.
But also full range will beam more and they still usually need a notch filter crossover. There's always a compromise. It's all what you like. But for one thing you end up sacrificing something else.
@@BostonMike68 it is true that they do beam more than a conventional two way so tow-in is more critical than most. I'm using Jordan Eikona 2 drivers and achieve a very wide sweet spot. The only filter that I am using is a single capacitor on the input of my power amplifier that rolls the bottom of the Jordan off 6dB/octave faster than it does naturally. This helps tame the rising harmonic distortion that is inherent in all drivers below their resonant frequency. Sonically this is most noticeable as a cleaning up of the lower midrange. The output of the power amp is connected directly to the driver. The slight loss of low end extension is not an issue as I'm handing bass duties over to a subwoofer anyway.
I’m really surprised to come across a re-release of the MA Studio. I bought the previous version of this when MA killed/cleared out their stock of Studios for less than £400 a few years ago. That being said, brilliant speaker and perhaps better suited to a digital source with that magnificent tweeter, more so than the MA100 which IMO can get too bright. As you say they do lack in the lower bass a little, but can satisfy, with proper placement or in smaller rooms. I replaced them with Dynaudio Heritage Specials but also kept the Studio for a smaller system in another room. Can’t be beaten for £400, though at £2000 I’d think they’ll have as much (lack of) success as the previous version.
Such nice speakers. Doesn't seem we would be running Wagner, Holst, Underworld, or Gorgon City through these though. (But in a smaller room might be fun to try) Small jazz groups and string quartets might work. Thanks for the review Tarun 🙂
Tarun, you're killing me! I need everything you review and I can't afford it! LOL At the age of 67 I'm buying a new house, (STUPID) and my lower level listening room is well over twice the size of my current one and even though it is in a basement it has nine foot ceilings. I am going to need some power upgrades. I will have to swap out my beloved Marantz 2220b with my Harman Kardon 3370. 70w vs 20w. I am eagerly awaiting your garage sale! LOL
Had I a suitable listening space, an open baffle speaker would be my choice. Had I both the money and the listening space, the IQ Qualio Ultra Open Baffle Speaker would be my hands down choice. As it is what it is, I'm living happily with my Neat Acoustics Motive SX3 bookshelves coupled with my Totem Acoustics Kin Sub 8 subwoofer.
Good stuff Tarun. Never heard D'appolito speaker design before. Cool. Unsurprisingly they seem to share several characteristics with the MA Platinums. Also interesting, most of your nitpicks with the 89 appear to be addressed with the Platinums, as you'd hope at over double the price (full juicy but controlled bass, midrange weight and palpability). Terrific review.
Again well done Tarun,giving us your experience and perspective.I think tonality is the more important thing in sound signature!In this way I think it would be great you reviewing the Harbeth P3ESR !!!
Because of having a awkward listening space, I love a seal boxed design, like an LS3/5A, base extension might be limited, but a well designed sub woofer will fix that’
Hey Tarun, to make your listening sessions more enjoyable and more accurate at the same time you should get rid of your large reflection point at the front left of the room. Also, moving your kit out of the corner of the room will really help your hifi sing. It’s basic physics. Good luck on your hifi journeys 🔊 🎶
Interesting review Tarun. I remember auditioning Monitor Audio speakers before I purchased my first pair of (British) B&Ws. Thought the Monitors were very bright, apparently that's no longer the case. As to speaker design, it's so room dependent. 3-way floor standers can fill up a big room, but one needs to sit a fair way from them. In my small room, small stand mounts, with coaxial drivers work really well. Especially augmented with a sub. Horses for course, eh?
Hey, Tarun. Another great review, as always! What do you reckon the chances are of you obtaining some Audio Physic Step 35’s? Been intrigued by these for a little while, but not heard them and would love to hear your thoughts! Chris
Another Stellar review Tarun🤩 learning a new technology I never heard before. Wondering how are You getting along with those Stack audio isolators underneath you source components?🎼
@@bert-9916 thank you. I found they have made a noticeable improvement to the sound. The biggest was surprise was that even the streaming transport and DAC benefited 😊
Think because Monitor Audio have amalgamated with Roksan, the likes of the Roksan Caspian or Blak would suit them well, especially with a touch of smoothness from Roksan amps
@wfifa199 Yup, years ago I demoed a Roksan Kandy K2 with my old MA RS6s, and it sounded very good. All MAs like an amp with either good power delivery or clean current.
Have to. admit I do not watch many presentations such as this but in this case I find the British Audiophile rather entertaining. Say that in a good way..BTW ..just wondering if any reviews of the old British Castle Acoustics line have ever turned up ..would love to hear his opinions of such.
Thank you. I have reviewed the new Castle Windsor Earls 😊 HARBETH COMPETITOR! Castle Windsor Earls ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-grWj-Vw-1zg.html
For me always coaxial designs like KEF or TAD etc. are the most interesting because of the symmetric radiation pattern. Would love to see this Monitor Audios on the Klippel scanner from Erins Audio Corner, and see if they act the same like most mtm Center speakers, he has a very interesting older video about that too. Thanks for the nice review, would love to see a easy inroom fr measurement of them to see if the treble is to hot for me or not :) greetings
Against all audiophile grain, my favourite speaker (and subsequently design I suppose) is the Celestion Ditton 551. A big chipboard box speaker with a big woofer and offset mid & tweeter. Imaging? Ok I suppose. Soundstage though? Completely boundary defining. All about fun but still pretty clear and revealing.
Thanks for the amazing review, between these and argons which ones would you reccomend for modern music ? Pairing with a tube MUzishare X7. Kind regards
I've been subscribed for about a year now, and have started watching these videos religiously. A lot of Tarun's commentary goes over my head, but there's a growing amount that doesn't. Ultimately, watching one of these videos is an experience for me that's as equally mystifying as it is informative, and that makes for something incredibly gratifying! Tarun, you've sung the praises of the Cambridge Audio AXA35. What about the AXR100? That's what I've owned for the last 5 years - and I'd love to know your thoughts.
Have you ever found that stacking disconnected speakers behind your in-use speakers can absorb quite a bit of the sound energy in the room? I ask simply because when I did this once to demo a set I had for sale, I lost the sale due to very weak bass & dynamics compared to when the stacked speakers were shorted at the terminals and placed as far away as possible. Great video as always - nice blend of technical coverage and opinion!
So this is the new version of speakers nobody was talking about:) Curious if there is a real sound difference between these and the old, "non-89" ones.
i tend to go for MTM and sealed, then i get a small speaker footprint only a bit taller. woofers then do not have to be large and i add subwoofers. i just need my main speakers to do 150hz and above, almost like a midrange.
Great informative and educational For me anyway forgive the question if it’s been asked before have you ever reviewed any Kef speakers thinking mainly of perhaps the LS 50 Meta I realise they are probably the most reviewed and Hyped speakers of recent years but would like to hear your take on them
@@thepuma2012 Thanks I stand corrected. However the head designer of Amphion Audio recently made a song and dance about "serious" speakers being cut over under 2kHz for midrange (now to me obviously not vocal) clarity. And the head designer of Marten made a song and dance about 1st order crossovers being the best. And my little Dynaudio Evoke 10's do both.
@@connorduke4619 sounds logical - to hand over frequencies above 2 kHz to the tweeter. I looked that up for my (old) Dali suites 1.7 (se) and they cross over at 2.2 Khz. A first order crossover gives a minimal time shift to the signal - so thats fine too.
@@andrewmccorkell652 I am trying to retire them from review. It isn’t like people can go out and buy them. My 1SCs still have the best midrange of any speaker I have encountered below £3,000. It is the combination of richness and superb clarity 😊
this would be close to perfect for me if it only were closed box, that should make it half as deep and add more dampening inside, and lower cost a bit. if you need subwoofer then port are only a drawback.
The crossover you showed uses polyester film caps., NOT polypropylene capacitors like you stated. My Bronze 100 speakers also use polyester caps. So obviously MA is using these lesser grade capacitors to meet a price point and satisfy their "bean counters".
I couldve sworn ive seen this model before but grey. Reviews were so-so. Didnt sound as well as others in the same price. Needed a lot of power. Nice video.
Imo deapolito isn't really "needed" with good speaker design; monitor audio does this themselves pairing a small midrange very close to the tweeter, and using larger woofers for bass. Of course when wanting to make a slim speaker like this then it sort of comes naturally . Such designs have also been used with larger woofers; i have such speakers.
@@abritishaudiophile7314never heard you talk negative about ProAc .. Well, luckily there’s plenty of speakers out there. Looking forward to your next review, always top notch 👍🏼😊
Curious what you crossed them over at to the sub. Some suggest crossing speakers over as low as possible while others are quite happy at 80 or 90hz. Surely, a quality sub can perform above 40 or 50 hz,
I cross my sub at 90hz because it helps fill out bass dips in the 80hz-90hz region. In a different room using the exact same speakers the best setting might be 50hz crossover instead. In my experience it all depends on the room, speaker placement and your seating position.
Not necessarily in timing. The most significant differences in the best more expensive speakers I have reviewed is that the deal with complex music better, have more bass and a richer midrange 😊
Listened to several MA speakers but just cant get on with them..initially impressive but doest take long for them to start sounding too hard/brittle for my ears
Tarun, Respectfully, from an American who aspires to using good English, “presently” means soon. “At present” means now. As a bass player and audiophile since having worked for Ed Villchur at AR, and Art Janzen in the 1960’s, I generally prefer sealed box designs for how they reproduce bass. I have (thanks to the Olofsson brother’s generous compensation for some recording work) a lovely pair of (ported) Marten Duke 2s that are pretty good used for near field listening. But I’m not a reliable audiophile judge. I’m overly distracted by musical values and quickly forget about details of sound.
