Question Is the Monolith still one of the best subs around??

[Eoen10]

I am planning on getting a sub in a couple of weeks, and for a long time I wanted to get the Monolith Plus but I am not sure how it stand up to the competition anymore.

I understand BK have a reputation for making fantastic subs with near unmatched performance/cost but the Monolith Plus is pretty old now, and I am wondering if there's something out there with better performance around the 600 mark. SVS has caught my eye with the PB-2000, especially due to the fact the Sledge Amp is so durable, and it would be good to know your sub won't break when pushed during Demo's. (Heard Mono's tend to break with Audyssey. Could someone enlighten me on this )

I was also interested in the 'standard' Mono and the XXLS400, and I am sure they sound great, but I decided against them as I don't wanna get a sub that I might need to upgrade, especially if in the future I get a much bigger room.

For the record the use will be Music 50% - Movies 50%, Medium Room, and as mentioned before £600... but then again I started with £300 so you never know

TL;DR

What's better than the Monolith, upcoming-release subs included

 

[kbfern]

XTZ 12.17 Subwoofer

XTZ 12.17 @ £450 is a very good alternative.

 

[audimushroom]

One thing to bear in mind with the bk monolith plus is the purchase is direct from the manufacturer so no retail markup. Therefore I have been told that to get something better would cost at least £2k
So that's worth a ponder

 

[kbfern]

Mono beating subs can be had for way less than £2k, XTZ 1x12 is £675 and is certainly as good.

The Mono is a great sub and has been for some time but others are available now to match and beat it without spending major bucks.

 

[DKnight69]

Eoen10,

Been looking at both Mono and the XXLS400 for myself but I like to have demo’s when I buying stuff, when I saw these thread I emailed Jag @ Epic Home Cinema to arrange a demo.

I went last night to have demo's of the XTZ 10.17 & 12.17, I was blown away with subs performance.

I finally went for XTZ 12.17 gloss black @ £450 it’s a steal for the price, going to pick it up in weeks time.

I Hope this helps you.

 

[Chinstroke]

Eoen10,

Been looking at both Mono and the XXLS400 for myself but I like to have demo’s when I buying stuff, when I saw these thread I emailed Jag @ Epic Home Cinema to arrange a demo.

I went last night to have demo's of the XTZ 10.17 & 12.17, I was blown away with subs performance.

I finally went for XTZ 12.17 gloss black @ £450 it’s a steal for the price, going to pick it up in weeks time.

I Hope this helps you.

Sorry to thread jack, but how did the 10.17 and 12.17 compare with each other? And also what other subs have you listened to as a comparison.

 

[mojogoes]

Mono beating subs can be had for way less than £2k, XTZ 1x12 is £675 and is certainly as good.

The Mono is a great sub and has been for some time but others are available now to match and beat it without spending major bucks.

I agree Keith plus there is the PSA-s1500 to consider which gives great output for movies and music and great depth , and its slightly larger than the bk xxls400.

 

[Eoen10]

I agree Keith plus there is the PSA-s1500 to consider which gives great output for movies and music and great depth , and its slightly larger than the bk xxls400.

PSA caught my attention but I can't find a dealer in the UK. Do you know any shops or online dealers?

 

[kbfern]

Products | Kalibrate Limited | Home Cinema products, Calibration, DVD Players, 3D Glasses | Audio Systems | Cinema Systems

Kalibrate are the uk distributor/dealer and Ricky is the owner and they are an assured advertiser on here.

 

[Bluedog]

I'm in the process of upgrading my speakers and the final piece of the jigsaw is maybe upgrading my B&W 650 Sub. I really like the reviews of the Monolith but wasn't sure if i should go with Df of FF? Whats the benefits of both? My room is a small medium and the sub placed near the corner. Or just stick to B&W?

 

[MemX]

Subwoofer output frequencies are all omnidirectional - in that they are too long in wavelength to be affected by what way the driver faces in-room, as they just wrap around the box.

It therefore shouldn't make much difference to the flatness (or not) of the response at the listening position - the shape of the room and the peaks and nulls it creates are the dominating feature of the response at the LP.

That said...

... @Ringnut on here has done graphs of the response of his old DF USC18 sub (I really should just link to them in my signature as they are so useful!) and has shown that the response at his ears is virtually identical, but that downfiring onto his suspended wooden joist floor did transfer some energy into the structure, which meant that it gave a very 'tactile' response at the listening position - which either increases the fun or irritates you, depending on your view lol

With a concrete slab underneath it removed that tactile effect (I presume by stopping the sound energy transferring into the structure) but now he's upgraded to a dual 18" FF setup, he's found that the tactile feel has returned, despite not being downfiring!

So... to summarise...
- If you are in a flat or a new-build house with paper-thin walls, I would get FF;
- If you are an 'audiophile' who views a resonating room as annoying rather than fun , I would get FF;
- If you are looking for a tactile, bass-filled movie experience, get DF;
- If you are on a concrete slab floor, get whichever one you think looks better because the energy does not transfer through the floor anyway.

The differences are marginal and hard to measure anyway TBH, but I think the above is broadly the view of most!

 

[Bluedog]

Thank you MemX
The room has floor boards but direct on concrete. The floor boards are covered in insulated seagrass.The floor is basically rock solid! I prefer the tactile effect so may go for the DF.
Thanks again

 

[Stu C]

XTZ 12.17 Subwoofer

XTZ 12.17 @ £450 is a very good alternative.

Have they only recently come into stock? That is a very nice option for the price... I don't believe they were yet available when I bought my Monolith Plus a couple of months ago. The XTZ is a bit smaller than a Monolith, but still fairly similar.

At that time the decision was between the Monolith and the SVS models... I concluded that the SVS models were probably technically superior, using a digital amp, but in reality the difference in performance would be slight (and the SVS models were more expensive unless on sale).

I've now changed my perspective and (pending a review or forum feedback) assume that the XTZ 12.17 is a better option than the SVS subs when considering performance and price.

However, the Monolith has an extra factor that should be considered - the finish... this was the deciding factor for me. Are you happy with a big black box in your living room, or would you prefer a big oak or mahogany box in your living room? I have the Monolith in oak, and it looks just as much as a piece of furniture as it does a part of the AV system.

 

[kbfern]

Yes these particular 12 series have only come out in the last month or so but they have others as with their speaker range that have been available for a few years.

XTZ are very well reviewed and make a full range of hi-fi and cinema range speakers and subwoofers. XTZ have been around for nearly 20 years and are a best kept secret as they are not that well known outside of audiophiles and folks who like to search round for a diamond in the rough so to speak.

They are getting more well known of late and are developing a larger following since Epic Home Cinema have become the UK distributor who have fairly regular forum members meets to demo their products at their base in Slough.

Because they don't have retailers margins to factor in they represent serious value for money and any of their products perform well above their price. It's a bit like BK with their subs only XTZ do a full range of speakers & subs from the modest price end to true audiophile grade but without the premium price that that sort of quality tends to command.

 

[Stu C]

Keith, I am aware of XTZ (and Epic), and considered the 1X12 when I was shopping around last Autumn, but I couldn't justify the extra cost over the Monolith Plus, and, as mentioned above, the lounge-friendly appearance of the Monolith was the deciding factor. However, the price of the new XTZ 12 series make them a significant option in the <£500 bracket that BK have dominated up to this point.

 

[MemX]

Thank you MemX
The room has floor boards but direct on concrete. The floor boards are covered in insulated seagrass.The floor is basically rock solid! I prefer the tactile effect so may go for the DF.
Thanks again

No worries

You will likely only get limited 'feel' through the floor due to the concrete, but DF does also mean it can look like a side table or other piece of furniture, and it protects the cone from accidental damage as well, so there are additional benefits!

I look forward to your thoughts when the new arrival is in place

 

[Satpalbhai]

Hi Guys,

I'm in the process of looking for a BK Monolith Plus DF Subwoofer after reading all the reviews, I did listen to a Cambridge Minx 301 and a Dali E12, wasn't impressed with either off them, not enough Deep base for my liking..
Its going in a room which is 44 sqaure meter, powered by a Sony STRDN1060 Amp, with Sonance Ceiling speakers and Centre speaker..
Has anyone heard a Monolith Plus and if so what is the sub like... once I commit to buy this I cant return it, so really looking for your honest opinions guys.. my budget is £700.. Monolith Plus in Gloss black is about £640 ish

Thanks

 

[MemX]

Hi Guys,

I'm in the process of looking for a BK Monolith Plus DF Subwoofer after reading all the reviews, I did listen to a Cambridge Minx 301 and a Dali E12, wasn't impressed with either off them, not enough Deep base for my liking..
Its going in a room which is 44 sqaure meter, powered by a Sony STRDN1060 Amp, with Sonance Ceiling speakers and Centre speaker..
Has anyone heard a Monolith Plus and if so what is the sub like... once I commit to buy this I cant return it, so really looking for your honest opinions guys.. my budget is £700.. Monolith Plus in Gloss black is about £640 ish

Thanks

No need to post the same thing in three different places...

BK MONOLITH PLUS SUBWOOKER

BK

 

[Satpalbhai]

sorry dude first time ive ever done this..

 

[MemX]

sorry dude first time ive ever done this..

Well, we all gotta start somewhere so welcome to the forum

Join the darkside in the DIY Subwoofer forum

 

[Satpalbhai]

How do I do that lpl

 

[Satpalbhai]

Lol

 

[MemX]

The darkside is more a state of mind lol

 

[Satpalbhai]

Lol. What do you think of a dayton sub??

 

[lgans316]

This is mine SVS PC-2000 for £535.
Pleased with it although I can't push it to avoid arguments with my neighbours.