Monolith by Monoprice K-BAS Reference Series Bookshelf Speakers (Each)
Product # 15952
UPC # 889028040614
$249.99
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Hi, will PID 15952 https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=15952 work well with this amp?
Joseph C
on Feb 22, 2022
Monolith by Monoprice K-BAS Reference Series Bookshelf Speakers (Each)
Monoprice Pure Tube Stereo Amplifier with Bluetooth, Line and Phono Inputs, and Qualcomm aptX Audio
I am familiar with the amp, not with the speakers. Generally, for tube amps, one would select high sensitivity speakers, with SPL > 95dB or so. By the way, do you hear a 60 Hz hum from this amp. I tried three of them and all had it, coming out of either the left or the right channel, or both.
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- Krzysztof F on Mar 29, 2022
- Purchased on Dec 16, 2021
They should work fine, providing you’re not expecting them to be super loud. Maximum volume will probably peak somewhere around 97-98dB. I’m powering a pair of 6.5” towers at a similar sensitivity rating. Sounds good, but you gotta drive the amp pretty hard to get it moderately loud.
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- Metallikahn on Feb 22, 2022
- Purchased on Jul 15, 2021
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The price point of this bookshelf speaker, Monolith K-BAS Reference Series Bookshelf Speaker, is the same as Elac Uni-Fi B5. How its sound quality compare to the highly rated speaker?
Vernon W
on Nov 22, 2016
BEST ANSWER: CNET did a comparison of the Monolith vs. Elac...check it out by going on CNET and searching K-BAS
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- Dave on Jan 26, 2018
BEST ANSWER: CNET did a comparison of the Monolith vs. Elac...check it out by going on CNET and searching K-BAS
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- Dave on Jan 26, 2018
I have both and I can tell you Monolith has wayyyyyyy more bass than ELACs. Speaking of bass they're in a completely different league.
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- Zhengyang P on Dec 13, 2016
- Purchased on Dec 2, 2016
Thanks for the information. How about other qualities such as staging, clarity and so?
I'm powering both with monoprice's 300w amp. I'd give ELACs a slight nod for treble extension and mid-range cohesion, but if you want deep bass nothing can quite match these babies, JBL 530; Klipsch 160M, Elacs, you name it. I won't think of subs when I'm using these.
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- Zhengyang P on Dec 13, 2016
I listened to both extensively at CES2017 in the suites of Monoprice and ELAC. The K-BAS has deeper bass extension (it was very obvious difference) and the Uni-Fi B5 has better imaging (width and depth). Both will require high quality amplification to get the best sound from them as neither are all that efficient. Cabinet finish is better on the K-BAS (painted vs vinyl) unless you spring for the Uni-Fi B5 "slim" version ($250more). The binding posts are better on the ELAC (if that is important to you). In the end purchased the ELAC "Slims"
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Nope, they must be placed on the floor or on speaker stands.
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- Zhengyang P on Dec 13, 2016
- Purchased on Dec 2, 2016
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Could I use them as Left and Right and the Monolith Center with folded-air.motion-tweeter as Center ?? Timbre match and crossover....ok....will match ??? Comments ???
New User U
on Aug 5, 2018
BEST ANSWER: We would not recommend that set up. They would not be timbre matched.
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- New User U Staff on Aug 6, 2018
BEST ANSWER: We would not recommend that set up. They would not be timbre matched.
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- New User U Staff on Aug 6, 2018
not recommended, there will be a difference in timbre, as the tweeters are different, the AMT definitely is brighter than the domes on the monolith K-BAS. I think you would have good luck with another K-BAS as center channel, assuming you have the space.
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- bruce m on Aug 6, 2018
- Purchased on Sep 22, 2017
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Can they be used as rear speaker in 5.1 setup?
Prabhat G
on Nov 9, 2018
BEST ANSWER: I don't see any reason why they couldn't. They might be considered large by some people but I had them setup on stools and used them as the rears for my 7.4.2 atmos setup for a few months and they kept up with my Paradigms decently enough. Being the rears in my setup helped add to the immersion level of my HT. I do plan on getting matching Paradigm bookshelves to my other rear speakers but they are a lot more expensive and I had these in my office. They definitely did the trick.
Sound wise on their own they are decent bookshelf speakers and priced well for what you get.
Sound wise on their own they are decent bookshelf speakers and priced well for what you get.
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- Blair M on Nov 9, 2018
- Purchased on Jan 22, 2018
BEST ANSWER: I don't see any reason why they couldn't. They might be considered large by some people but I had them setup on stools and used them as the rears for my 7.4.2 atmos setup for a few months and they kept up with my Paradigms decently enough. Being the rears in my setup helped add to the immersion level of my HT. I do plan on getting matching Paradigm bookshelves to my other rear speakers but they are a lot more expensive and I had these in my office. They definitely did the trick.
Sound wise on their own they are decent bookshelf speakers and priced well for what you get.
Sound wise on their own they are decent bookshelf speakers and priced well for what you get.
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- Blair M on Nov 9, 2018
- Purchased on Jan 22, 2018
I believe they would be a good fit as a rear speakers in 5.1 setup or any surround (7.1) speakers systems.
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- sarin c on Nov 9, 2018
- Purchased on Jan 25, 2018
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Hello, Are the K Bas speakers shielded? I'd like to put them right beside our Pioneer plasma flat screen.
Thanks
Thanks
A shopper
on Nov 3, 2020
I can't tell you much about the K Bas shielding. (Maybe check the spec sheet.) You haven't noted the size of your plasma monitor. I can tell you that if you have them close enough to your plasma monitor to cause problems, then either your listening/viewing room is too small or your plasma screen, is too big for these speakers. I use them as front speakers for video in a 14X18 foot room. (Small room.) They are not near the screen. So no interference. These are excellent speakers.
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- Reed C on Nov 4, 2020
- Purchased on Apr 3, 2020
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Why are there no reviews for this product? I am eager to learn more about how they perform.
Robb W
on Jan 26, 2017
BEST ANSWER: This is a fairly new product. We are waiting for them as well. Thanks for the question though.
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- New User U Staff on Feb 9, 2017
BEST ANSWER: This is a fairly new product. We are waiting for them as well. Thanks for the question though.
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- New User U Staff on Feb 9, 2017
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Can Schiit Jotunheim power these speakers efficiently?
A shopper
on Apr 9, 2017
BEST ANSWER: The Jotunheim is for headphones but its outputs CAN be hooked to a separate speaker amplifier to power these K-BAS
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- Steven C on Apr 10, 2017
- Purchased on Jan 31, 2017
BEST ANSWER: The Jotunheim is for headphones but its outputs CAN be hooked to a separate speaker amplifier to power these K-BAS
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- Steven C on Apr 10, 2017
- Purchased on Jan 31, 2017
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Can the tweeter be rotated 90 degrees for use with the speaker sitting on its side?
William Finn F
on May 30, 2017
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Would these be suitable to use as front left/right channels in a Home Theater set-up that also doubles as my home audio console? I'm currently running Energy Take Classic 5.1 speakers, and a lower model Pioneer Elite receiver. I'm looking to gains some mid's that if eel like I'm losing when listening to music.
Christopher B
on Mar 29, 2018
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What AWG gauge of speaker wire (assuming good quality & 100% copper) is recommended for these K-BAS speakers?
Craig Y
on Apr 12, 2018
BEST ANSWER: Depends on the length of the run, but anywhere between 12 gauge and 16 gauge should do.
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- New User U Staff on Apr 12, 2018
BEST ANSWER: Depends on the length of the run, but anywhere between 12 gauge and 16 gauge should do.
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- New User U Staff on Apr 12, 2018
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What height stands are recommended for these speakers?
A shopper
on Apr 30, 2018
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Is there (or will there be) a matched center channel speaker available?
Steven D
on May 20, 2018
BEST ANSWER: Thank you for your question.
Unfortunately there would not be any plans for a K-BAS center channel speaker.
Unfortunately there would not be any plans for a K-BAS center channel speaker.
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- Tyler C Staff on Jul 18, 2019
BEST ANSWER: Thank you for your question.
Unfortunately there would not be any plans for a K-BAS center channel speaker.
Unfortunately there would not be any plans for a K-BAS center channel speaker.
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- Tyler C Staff on Jul 18, 2019
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What is the best way to mount these speakers in a wall ?
Rocky W
on Feb 22, 2020
BEST ANSWER: Thank you for your question.
Unfortunately this would not have holes for in-wall speakers.
Unfortunately this would not have holes for in-wall speakers.
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- Tyler C Staff on Feb 24, 2020
BEST ANSWER: Thank you for your question.
Unfortunately this would not have holes for in-wall speakers.
Unfortunately this would not have holes for in-wall speakers.
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- Tyler C Staff on Feb 24, 2020
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Will the Monoprice Pure Tube Stereo Amplifier pair well with these speakers? I am new to pure Tube amps and wondered if the 10 watts will be enough for these speakers.
Michael S
on Apr 4, 2020
Monolith by Monoprice K-BAS Reference Series Bookshelf Speakers (Each)
Monoprice Pure Tube Stereo Amplifier with Bluetooth, Line and Phono Inputs, and Qualcomm aptX Audio
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Can these speakers powered by a Monoprice 25W tube hybrid amplifier or should I better get the 50W version?
Triet T
on Dec 1, 2020
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Size of speakers?
A shopper
on Jan 20, 2021
BEST ANSWER: Dimensions7.2" x 15.6" x 13.0" (184 x 397 x 330mm)
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- New User U Staff on Jan 21, 2021
BEST ANSWER: Dimensions7.2" x 15.6" x 13.0" (184 x 397 x 330mm)
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- New User U Staff on Jan 21, 2021
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What does nominal RMS mean? I have to have an amp that has more than 50 watts per channel to push it?
A shopper
on Dec 5, 2021
BEST ANSWER: From Google: The "Nominal" or "RMS" (root-mean-square) rating is the amount of power that can be applied to the speaker under normal circumstances. ... For example: if your speakers are rated to handle 50 watts RMS each, then select an amplifier that will deliver approximately 50 watts RMS to each speaker.
For your second question, that depends on what amp you are using. Most speakers are normal listening levels are not using more than 10 watts. Louder volume, more watts. search on Google for more in-depth answers for the latter question.
For your second question, that depends on what amp you are using. Most speakers are normal listening levels are not using more than 10 watts. Louder volume, more watts. search on Google for more in-depth answers for the latter question.
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- Bradley S on Dec 5, 2021
- Purchased on Dec 23, 2020
BEST ANSWER: From Google: The "Nominal" or "RMS" (root-mean-square) rating is the amount of power that can be applied to the speaker under normal circumstances. ... For example: if your speakers are rated to handle 50 watts RMS each, then select an amplifier that will deliver approximately 50 watts RMS to each speaker.
For your second question, that depends on what amp you are using. Most speakers are normal listening levels are not using more than 10 watts. Louder volume, more watts. search on Google for more in-depth answers for the latter question.
For your second question, that depends on what amp you are using. Most speakers are normal listening levels are not using more than 10 watts. Louder volume, more watts. search on Google for more in-depth answers for the latter question.
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- Bradley S on Dec 5, 2021
- Purchased on Dec 23, 2020
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is the inside of the square port in the face tapered to the back or just open to a larger inner chamber on the reverse side?
Hunter W
on Apr 16, 2017
I wonder what causes the impedance spike around 1200Hz. The midbass driver has a 6dB filter at 3kHz, so obviously the rol of is good enough for it otherwise you wouldn't expect this. It is not caused by the 2 Helmholtz resonators because those work on much lower frequencies. Actually the 2nd compartment is amplifying around 65Hz and that makes that these speakers have such big bass output compared with similar size speakers. Really curious about that spike though, can anyone explain ?
New User U
on Jul 24, 2020
I have B&W speakers in my HT right now but for some crazy reason, I kept wanting to try these K-BAS; i think I just really like the idea of having 5 identical speakers (for less than 1/3 of the price of my pair of 805). My dumb question is: would the K-BAS sound OK in horizontal position is is that an absolute no no? I've never used a regular bookshelf speaker for a center before. Thanks.
Hien V
on Aug 30, 2020
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Rated 5 out of 5
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Rated 5 out of 5
unbelievable bass response and clarity
I sat back and waited for these to go on sale and it was worth the wait. I was immediately blown away by the bass response as I was skeptical of other reviewers statements on the bass from these relatively small speakers.
I am in a much less ideally set-up room but these speakers sound absolutely fantastic. These are set up in my music only system where I have everything from a Reel to Reel tape player and turntable, to SACD and all sources sound fantastic. I turned my subwoofer off to make sure I wasn't being fooled, and then had to double check that it was indeed off. (It is a cheap Monoprice 12" sub)
Very happy with my purchase!
I am in a much less ideally set-up room but these speakers sound absolutely fantastic. These are set up in my music only system where I have everything from a Reel to Reel tape player and turntable, to SACD and all sources sound fantastic. I turned my subwoofer off to make sure I wasn't being fooled, and then had to double check that it was indeed off. (It is a cheap Monoprice 12" sub)
Very happy with my purchase!
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Rated 5 out of 5
Legit Performance
Great low-end response for their size. Probably not enough to satisfy true bass-heads without some EQ, but for 97% of people this are all you need for a monster 2.0 system.
Power-hungry, but they can take the juice. Loud enough to really jam out in your kitchen on a Sunday while making breakfast but I don't think I'd be comfortable using them solo to rock a house-party. The bass output can fool you: they seem like larger speakers than they are, so I'd imagine more than a few of these have been blown up by enthusiastic owners already.
I power mine with a Lab.Gruppen Lucia 240/2. I give them a +2 dB low shelf at 56 Hz, dip out 200 Hz by 2 dB with a bandwidth of 1 (to compensate for muddiness I attribute to my corner speaker placement), and then a +2 dB high shelf at 11.2k to help them sparkle just a bit more since we aren't too on-axis with them. Great result.
Get a pair.
Power-hungry, but they can take the juice. Loud enough to really jam out in your kitchen on a Sunday while making breakfast but I don't think I'd be comfortable using them solo to rock a house-party. The bass output can fool you: they seem like larger speakers than they are, so I'd imagine more than a few of these have been blown up by enthusiastic owners already.
I power mine with a Lab.Gruppen Lucia 240/2. I give them a +2 dB low shelf at 56 Hz, dip out 200 Hz by 2 dB with a bandwidth of 1 (to compensate for muddiness I attribute to my corner speaker placement), and then a +2 dB high shelf at 11.2k to help them sparkle just a bit more since we aren't too on-axis with them. Great result.
Get a pair.
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April 27, 2020
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Rated 5 out of 5
Very Happy Ears
Good looking and nicely constructed speakers. I'm pushing these with a vintage B&K ST202+ power amp in a smaller room and they sound extremely good. They work particularly well with Jazz, and Classical. R&B and Rock sound fine but maybe not at concert level volumes. (I don't listen at such levels anyway.)
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Rated 5 out of 5
Dont let their Plain-Jane looks confuse you.
These compact speakers sound amazing and are perfectly suited for use in an average living-room or desktop setup. At first impression the tone is wonderfully balanced at any level. Their mids are as good as most speakers under $1000 a pair. Their imaging is focused and better than the coaxial speakers I'm replacing. You can tell theres a complex crossover and that these will only get better sounding as they break-in. Considering their very low price Im highly recommending these transmission-line-designed Little Devils. Im not affiliated with Monoprice. Im just a very satisfied customer.
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Rated 4 out of 5
Remarkable low end
Excellent. Just needs better high frequency extension.
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Rated 5 out of 5
As advertised. Very special !
What can I say. They are really special. I am listening to them right now .
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Rated 5 out of 5
Great speakers! Great bass for a relatively small bookshelf speaker!
I puchased these on a whim when they were on sale. I wasn't exactly sure if I was going to like them but for the price I paid I'm very happy with them.
They have great sound and very solid bass for a bookshelf speaker.
They have great sound and very solid bass for a bookshelf speaker.
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Rated 5 out of 5
Great bass
These speakers have a great bass response - as promised.
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Rated 5 out of 5
bargain stereo speakers with high-end sound
I honestly did not quite expect the total musicality that these well-designed speakers presented. they provide honest bass down to about 30 cycles, and at reasonably room-filling volume. their wide uniform treble dispersion creates a broad, airy stereo image with a very wide sweet spot [really a sweet area] wide enough for at least 2 people to enjoy the same stereophonic image placement. unlike most high-end speakers that require perfectly recorded "audiophile approved" recordings to sound good, these enable me to unreservedly enjoy the sound of my collection of old recordings, most of which were not well made or were worn. these speakers make ALL music sound good! highly recommended. :)
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