Following up on their recent release of their Monolith THX 13 and 16-inch subwoofers, Monoprice has announced three more subwoofer sizes in the Monolith THX Subwoofer line that are more reasonably priced, without sacrificing sonic or build quality.
The three new additions are offered in 10, 12, and 15-inch sizes labeled as V2 (version 2) that are priced at $549, $849 and $1,399, respectively. A good subwoofer is a must in a home theater setup, so let’s take a look at what this trio of subwoofers offers.
What All Three Subwoofers Have in Common
THX Certification: This means that these subwoofers have been submitted and passed THX standards for application and performance.
Driver Design: A newly developed high-excursion driver capable of handling the above-mentioned power output without distortion.
Flexible Port Design: The ports can be used in an open, semi-sealed, sealed setup.
Cabinet Design and Finish: Sleek rounded-edge enclosures with a black ash finish.
Monolith M-10 Version 2 THX Subwoofer
Product Number: 42843
THX Category: Select (Suitable for rooms up to 2,000 cubic feet in size).
Driver Size: 10-inches
Driver Material: 2 layer long fiber pulp/glass fiber cone
Voice Coil: 60mm, with high-temperature aluminum wire and black anodized aluminum bobbin construction.
Magnet: 180 oz (that’s approximately 11 pounds!)
Amplifier: Class D rated at 500 watts RMS.
Enclosure: High-Density Fiberboard (HDF) that is horizontally and vertically braced. 1 port is provided that can be used open or sealed.
Frequency Response (-6db) with Extended EQ Operation
- Sealed Port: Not Recommended
- Vented Port: 17-200 Hz
Frequency Response (-6db) with THX EQ Operation
- Sealed Port: 20-200 Hz
- Vented Port: Not Recommended
Harmonic Distortion: Less than 3% from 20-100 Hz (90dB @ 1m reference point)
Variable Level Control: +15/‑20 dB
Crossover Control: Inline/Bypass variable from 40 to 160 Hz,
Phase Control: 0 to 180 degrees variable (used to match the in/out motion of the subwoofer driver to the rest of the speakers in your system).
Inputs: 2 RCA, 1 XLR
Outputs: 1 XLR
Signal Turn On: Selectable always on or Auto-Detect.
Auto Turn Off Time: 30 minutes
Dimensions: 20.9″ x 15.0″ x 18.9″ (530 x 380 x 480 mm)
Weight: 72.5 lbs. (32.9 kg)
Finish: Black Ash
The Monoprice Monolith M-10 Version 2 THX Select Certified Subwoofer (Product Number 42843) is available for $549.00 at Monoprice.com.
Monolith M-12 Version 2 THX Subwoofer
Product Number: 42847
THX Category: Ultra (Suitable for rooms up to 3,000 cubic feet in size)
Driver Size: 12-inches
Driver Material: 2 layer long fiber pulp/glass fiber cone
Voice Coil: 60mm, with high-temperature aluminum wire and black anodized aluminum bobbin construction.
Magnet: 180 oz (that’s approximately 11 pounds!)
Amplifier: Class D 500 Watts RMS
Enclosure: The enclosure is made of High-Density Fiberboard (HDF) that is horizontally and vertically braced. 2 ports are provided that can be used open or sealed.
Frequency Response (-6db) with Extended EQ Operation
- Sealed Ports: Not Recommended
- Vented Ports: 17-200Hz
Frequency Response (-6db) with THX EQ Operation
- Sealed Ports: 20-200Hz
- Vented Ports: Not Recommended
Harmonic Distortion: Less than 3% from 20-100 Hz (90dB @ 1m reference point)
Variable Level Control: +15/‑20 dB
Crossover Control: Inline/Bypass variable from 40 to 160 Hz
Phase Control: 0 to 180 degrees variable (used to match the in/out motion of the subwoofer driver to the rest of the speakers in your system).
Inputs: 2 RCA, 1 XLR
Outputs: 1 XLR
Signal Turn On: Selectable always on or Auto-Detect.
Auto Turn Off Time: 30 minutes
Dimensions: 25.8″ x 16.7″ x 22.8″ (656 x 425 x 880 mm)
Weight: 98.34 lbs. (44.7 kg)
Finish: Black Ash
The Monoprice Monolith M-12 Version 2 THX Ultra Certified Subwoofer (Product Number 42843) is available for $849.99 at Monoprice.com.
Monolith M-15 Version 2 THX Subwoofer
Product Number: 42851
THX Category: Ultra (Suitable for rooms up to 3,000 cubic feet in size)
Driver Size: 15-inches
Driver Material: 2 layer long fiber pulp/glass fiber cone
Voice Coil: 60mm, with high-temperature aluminum wire and black anodized aluminum bobbin construction.
Magnet: 270 oz (that’s approximately 17 pounds!)
Amplifier: Class D 1000Wrms
Enclosure: The enclosure is made of High-Density Fiberboard (HDF) that is horizontally and vertically braced. 3 ports are provided that can be used open or sealed.
Frequency Response (-6db) with Extended EQ Operation
- Sealed Ports: 17 to 200Hz
- Vented Ports (1): Not Recommended
- Vented Ports (2): 14 to 200Hz
- Vented Ports (3): 16 to 200Hz
Frequency Response (-6db) with THX EQ Operation
- Sealed Ports: 26 to 200Hz
- Vented Ports (1): Not Recommended
- Vented Ports (2): 22 to 200Hz
- Vented Ports (3): 20 to 200Hz
Harmonic Distortion: Less than 3% from 20-100 Hz (90dB @ 1m reference point)
Variable Level Control: +15/‑20 dB
Crossover Control: Inline/Bypass variable from 40 to 160 Hz
Phase Control: 0 to 180 degrees variable (used to match the in/out motion of the subwoofer driver to the rest of the speakers in your system).
Inputs: 2 RCA, 1 XLR
Outputs: 1 XLR
Signal Turn On: Selectable always on or Auto-Detect.
Auto Turn Off Time: 30 minutes
Dimensions: 28.7″ x 17.7″ x 26.8″ (730 x 450 x 680 mm)
Weight: 132.9 lbs. (60.3kg)
Finish: Black Ash
The Monoprice Monolith M-15 Version 2 THX Ultra Certified Subwoofer (Product Number 42843) is available for $1399.00 at Monoprice.com.
Matthew
November 7, 2021 at 1:57 pm
The specs for the magnets seem very high for just the ferrite portion. It could be the total motor structure weight including the T-pole and back plate. Not sure why the magnet (or motor) weight is even important nowadays.
Ian White
November 7, 2021 at 2:09 pm
Matthew,
That is a good observation. My take is that there is so much competition right now in the subwoofer category (SVS, REL, Monoprice, Klipsch) that the brands are trying to out-spec the other thinking that home theater geeks will think that makes a huge difference and buy brand ‘x’.
I’m a REL subwoofer person myself and think the SVS mid-tier subwoofers are great for home theater. Spending $3,000 or more on a subwoofer seems excessive right now unless you’re spending $100K on a dedicated home theater space that is quite large.
Ian White
Rob Shields
April 29, 2022 at 12:44 pm
You have the wattage of the 15″ at 500w rms but the website and manual say 1000w rms.