Monolith By Monoprice V2 THX Certified 10″, 12″, and 15″ Subwoofers: Big Bass on a Budget!
Monoprice has announced a new iteration of their venerable Monolith subwoofer line. The Monolith by Monoprice V2 subwoofer line is designed to meet a variety of room sizes and budgets and gets a contemporary aesthetic with a redesign. Available in 10”, 12”, and 15” sizes, these THX Certified subwoofers are sure to be a hit. Priced at $549, $849, and $1399, respectively, the V2 is an appealing choice in the competitive subwoofer market.
Looks and Build
As I have said before, aesthetics play a huge part in selecting a speaker. The new Monolith By Monoprice V2 THX Certified subwoofers have maintained a familiar look to their predecessors. Monoprice has a redesigned woofer with a tastefully embossed Monoprice logo in the center with rounded corners and a nice black finish. While I understand that most subwoofers, mine included, are usually tucked away and not seen, I appreciate the attention to detail Monoprice has added.
Monolith by Monoprice 12″ THX Ultra Certified Subwoofer 
Monolith By Monoprice V2 THX Certified subwoofers use High-Density Fibreboard (HDF) for their construction. This choice bucks the trend of using MDF for speaker cabinets. Monoprice claims that HDF and strong internal bracing create a resonance-free enclosure that is inert and guards from any unwanted rattles from the sub. That said, HDF brings extra weight, with the 10” weighing in at 73lbs, the 12” at 98lbs, and the 15” is 133lbs! Bring a friend to move these.
The backplate shares familiarity with its brethren. It has gain, crossover, and phase knobs, an always-on/auto-on switch, and 180° phase and EQ. Completed with a pair of RCA inputs and XLR input/outputs, you can rest assured that you have connectivity across many receivers.
The Specs
The 10” and 12” Monolith by Monoprice THX Certified subwoofers get powered by a 500w (900w peak) amplifier and will hit between 17-20hz. The 15” is bumped up to 1000w (1800w peak) and will dip as low as 14hz. While it may not be as powerful as their other Monolith offerings, rest assured that 500w and 1000w are more than enough to make your room shake. Monoprice has carefully mated their drivers to the right-sized amps along with carefully designed enclosures.
Monolith by Monoprice 10″ THX Select Certified Subwoofer
| Model | M-10 | |
| Woofer | 10″ cone | |
| Cone Material | 2 layer long fiber pulp/glass fiber cone | |
| Voice Coil | 60mm with high-temperature aluminum wire and black anodized aluminum bobbin | |
| Surround | FEA optimized NBR (nitrile butadiene rubber) | |
| Motor | FEA optimized, undercut T‑pole focused field | |
| Magnet | Ceramic Y35, 2 pcs total 180 oz. | |
| Xmax | 18mm (one‑way) | |
| Xmech | 78mm (peak‑to‑peak) | |
| Enclosure | Sealed or vented HDF cabinet with horizontal and vertical bracing | |
| Finish | Black Ash | |
| Amplifier | Class D 500Wrms | |
| Harmonic Distortion | <3% 20‑100 Hz (90dB @ 1m) | |
| Variable Level Control | +15/‑20dB | |
| Crossover | Inline/Bypass variable 40‑160 Hz | |
| Inputs | RCA (2), XLR | |
| Outputs | XLR | |
| Signal Turn On | Selectable always-on/auto | |
| Auto Turn Off | 30 minutes | |
| Dimensions | 20.9″ x 15.0″ x 18.9″ (530 x 380 x 480 mm) | |
| Weight | 72.5 lbs. (32.9 kg) | |
| Frequency Response (‑6dB) | Sealed | Vented |
| Extended EQ | Not Recommended | 17‑200 Hz |
| THX® EQ | 20‑200 Hz | Not Recommended |
Monolith by Monoprice 12″ THX Ultra Certified Subwoofer
| Model | M-12 | |
| Woofer | 12″ cone | |
| Cone Material | 2 layer long fiber pulp/glass fiber cone | |
| Voice Coil | 60mm with high-temperature aluminum wire and black anodized aluminum bobbin | |
| Surround | FEA optimized NBR (nitrile butadiene rubber) | |
| Motor | FEA optimized, undercut T‑pole focused field | |
| Magnet | Ceramic Y35, 2 pcs total 180 oz. | |
| Xmax | 18mm (one‑way) | |
| Xmech | 78mm (peak‑to‑peak) | |
| Enclosure | Sealed or vented HDF cabinet with horizontal and vertical bracing | |
| Finish | Black Ash | |
| Amplifier | Class D 500Wrms | |
| Harmonic Distortion | <3% 20‑100 Hz (90dB @ 1m) | |
| Variable Level Control | +15/‑20dB | |
| Crossover | Inline/Bypass variable 40‑160 Hz | |
| Inputs | RCA (2), XLR | |
| Outputs | XLR | |
| Signal Turn On | Selectable always-on/auto | |
| Auto Turn Off | 30 minutes | |
| Dimensions | 25.8″ x 16.7″ x 22.8″ (656 x 425 x 880 mm) | |
| Weight | 98.34 lbs. (44.7 kg) | |
| Frequency Response (‑6dB) | Sealed | Vented |
| Extended EQ | Not Recommended | 17‑200 Hz |
| THX® EQ | 20‑200 Hz | Not Recommended |
Monolith by Monoprice 15″ THX Ultra Certified Subwoofer
| Model | M-15 | |||
| Woofer | 15″ cone | |||
| Cone Material | 2 layer long fiber pulp/glass fiber cone | |||
| Voice Coil | 60mm with high-temperature aluminum wire and black anodized aluminum bobbin | |||
| Surround | FEA optimized NBR (nitrile butadiene rubber) | |||
| Motor | FEA optimized, undercut T‑pole focused field | |||
| Magnet | Ceramic Y35, 3 pcs total 270 oz. | |||
| Xmax | 25mm (one‑way) | |||
| Xmech | 90mm (peak‑to‑peak) | |||
| Enclosure | Sealed or vented HDF cabinet with horizontal and vertical bracing | |||
| Finish | Black Ash | |||
| Amplifier | Class D 1000Wrms | |||
| Harmonic Distortion | <3% 20‑100 Hz (90dB @ 1m) | |||
| Variable Level Control | +15/‑20dB | |||
| Crossover | Inline/Bypass variable 40‑160 Hz | |||
| Inputs | RCA (2), XLR | |||
| Outputs | XLR | |||
| Signal Turn On | Selectable always on/auto | |||
| Auto Turn Off | 30 minutes | |||
| Dimensions | 28.7″ x 17.7″ x 26.8″ (730 x 450 x 680 mm) | |||
| Weight | 132.9 lbs. (60.3kg) | |||
| Frequency Response (‑6dB) | Sealed | Vented (1 Port) | Vented (2 Ports) | Vented (3 Ports) |
| Extended EQ | 17‑200 Hz | Not Recommended | 14‑200 Hz | 16‑200 Hz |
| THX® EQ | 26‑200 Hz | Not Recommended | 22‑200 Hz | 20‑200 Hz |
Performance
As is expected from the Monolith By Monoprice V2 THX Certified subwoofers, performance is the top priority. Designed to run in both sealed and unsealed mode and THX EQ and Extended EQ modes, there is a subwoofer to meet any room size or sound preference. Monoprice has designed the V2 to make use of the high excursion woofers and squeeze out every decibel of performance available.
The Monoprice V2 THX Certified subwoofers come with two preset DSP modes and are not user-configurable. All can be run in sealed and ported modes, but each model has recommended settings by Monoprice We do like that Monoprice has opted for both THX Select and THX Ultra certification. Because of this certification, you can rest assured that it will perform to exacting standards. The subwoofer also ships with port plugs, meaning you can dial this sub in to perform best in your space.
Our Take
Monoprice is hitting its stride with the Monolith By Monoprice V2 THX Certified subwoofers. By offering a 10”, 12” and 15” version, Monoprice appeals to the budget-minded and performance-minded alike. SVS has traditionally been the king of subwoofers in most price points, but it appears as if Monoprice is coming out swinging and looking to take the title. With similar specs and lower pricing, Monoprice makes choosing a subwoofer harder.
For more information, visit Monoprice.com.
