I'm curious how the original Monolith's compare with the Monolith III's. Can the grill covers over the 'stats be removed from the Monolith's? There are a pair of Monolith's for sale around me that I'm curious about.
James
James
Monolith vs Monolith III's, any input?
- Thread starter jjcarr
- Start date
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Regarding the socks on the I’s, yes, they are removable.
The Monolith III’s are probably more desirable due to further refinements in the ESL electronics and in the crossovers compared to the I’s
However, I’d not discount a Monolith I just for that, as you can address the panel by just updating with fresh panels for just under a grand, shipped.
None of the Passive crossovers were that great to begin with, so even a III, I’d still recommend going fully active.
The woofers are probably the biggest area of difference between a I and a III. The I’s had ported 12” drivers, and the III’s had sealed 12”. Neither integrated that well with the stat, mostly due to the x-over.
Again, if using an active external speaker processor for crossover and delay management, either one will do fine. But don’t think for minute they will go flat below 40hz or so. So you still need a sub.
Either model will probably be in need of a woofer update anyway (especially a I) so I recommend replacing them with a modern driver unit and running them from 60 to 300hz.
The other big difference between a I and a III is weight, with the I’s being 40lbs heavier due to bigger ported woofer box.
If it isn’t clear already, Monoliths are not exactly plug-and-play if you want the most out of them. But for the money, and once tuned, they are an incredible value.
The Monolith III’s are probably more desirable due to further refinements in the ESL electronics and in the crossovers compared to the I’s
However, I’d not discount a Monolith I just for that, as you can address the panel by just updating with fresh panels for just under a grand, shipped.
None of the Passive crossovers were that great to begin with, so even a III, I’d still recommend going fully active.
The woofers are probably the biggest area of difference between a I and a III. The I’s had ported 12” drivers, and the III’s had sealed 12”. Neither integrated that well with the stat, mostly due to the x-over.
Again, if using an active external speaker processor for crossover and delay management, either one will do fine. But don’t think for minute they will go flat below 40hz or so. So you still need a sub.
Either model will probably be in need of a woofer update anyway (especially a I) so I recommend replacing them with a modern driver unit and running them from 60 to 300hz.
The other big difference between a I and a III is weight, with the I’s being 40lbs heavier due to bigger ported woofer box.
If it isn’t clear already, Monoliths are not exactly plug-and-play if you want the most out of them. But for the money, and once tuned, they are an incredible value.
