The Monoprice Monolith line is one of the best-kept secrets in high-performance audio. No snake oil here, or dealer markup either, while the price is all about bargains, even if what you are shopping for is thousand-dollar headphones! And no question, that's perhaps what's most notable about this new announcement of three different headphone models released under the Monolith brand: It includes a $999.99 AMT headphone.
You probably recognize AMT from its usage in tweeters. It's a folded ribbon, it looks a bit like an accordion. AMT stands for air motion transformer and it is capable of producing an extremely fast transit response with low distortion. It differs from the planar magnetic headphones in the sense that it is fully a ribbon driver, as opposed to having a magnet plus diaphragm structure. These are open-back headphones, offer a wider soundstage and comfort by keeping your ears from overheating.
Monolith AMT headphones, model# 43235, offer a frequency response of 15 Hz to 40 kHz with total harmonic distortion of less than 0.1%. But perhaps the most startling statistic is the maximum power handling, 10 W for 200 ms. Even with the relatively low sensitivity of 90 dB per milliwatt, nobody should test the full power handling of these headphones! Impedance is fairly easy to drive, 32 ohms.
These headphones Have replaceable ear pads, weigh 24 ounces, and come with a 6-foot cable. Furthermore, Monoprice offers a 30-day moneyback guarantee and a five-year warranty.
These are closed back headphones designed to take on the big players in the planar-magnetic world, like Audeze and HiFiMan. These luxury headphones have leather headband and removable leather ear pads. Huge 106 mm planar drivers ensure that these headphones deliver an elevated listening experience.
According to water price, maximum SPL exceeds 130 dB, so you can emulate the lattice rock concerts (but please watch your hearing). The 60 ohm nominal impedance is not too tough to drive, sensitivities modest at 90 dB per kilowatt, but these are headphones designed to be used with a headphone amplifier, not with your cell phone. The frequency response is one of the most impressive specifications, 5 Hz to 50 kHz, and this is achieved with under 0.1% total harmonic distortion at 100 dB output.
All in all, specifications that indicate the reference class listening experience, and headphones that may at first seem costly, but upon further consideration are quite a bargain for the performance and quality that you get. Five year warranty, 30 day moneyback, pretty much nothing to lose to give them a shot
No frills, high performance. That's the promise of the M1070C. With these headphones, you are getting the 106 mm planar driver and the 130 dB output and the 5 Hz to 50 kHz response and o.1% THD at 100 dB, just like the M1570C.
The big difference is that these headphones dispense with the fancy materials, using faux leather, and utilize a 3.5 mm cable, rather than quarter-inch with XLR. They cost $200 less, and are arguably more portable, but you'll probably want to invest in some kind of a pocket DAC/amp to run them their full potential when on the go.
Like the other headphones in this list, you get a five-year warranty, 30-day moneyback guarantee, so if you're looking for a high-performance headphone that isn't crazy expensive, These are worth an addition.
