Monoprice Announces Four New Home Theater Amplifiers
In a recent release, Monoprice announces four new home theater amplifiers for the budget-minded. The Monolith M2100X, M3100X, M5100X, and M7100X (priced at $400, $500, $550, and TBA respectively), continue the Monoprice tradition of delivering quality products for reasonable prices. Let’s discuss!
The Specs
The Monolith M2100X, M3100X, M5100X, and M7100X are Class A/B and offer 90WPC (8ohm)/135WPC (4ohm) into two, three, five, or seven-channel configurations. While not power monsters like their more expensive cousins, 90WPC is enough for the typical home theater setup.
Around the back are unbalanced RCA inputs and balanced XLR, allowing you to add these amplifiers to any system. Add a 3RU enclosure for rack mounting, and you have a capable series of amplifiers for most folks.
| Model | Monolith M2100X | Monolith M3100X | Monolith M5100X | Monolith M7100X |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Channels | 2 | 3 | 5 | 7 |
| Inputs | RCA, XLR | RCA, XLR | RCA, XLR | RCA, XLR |
| Power Output @ 8 Ohms | 90 Watts | 90 Watts | 90 Watts | 90 Watts |
| Power Output @ 4 Ohms | 135 Watts | 135 Watts | 135 Watts | 135 Watts |
| Total Harmonic Distortion; A-Weighted | <0.02% | <0.02% | <0.02% | <0.02% |
| Signal-to-Noise Ratio | A Weighted >100dB | A Weighted >100dB | A Weighted >100dB | A Weighted >100dB |
| Frequency Response | 20Hz to 20Khz | 20Hz to 20Khz | 20Hz to 20Khz | 20Hz to 20Khz |
| Gain RCA Input | 28.5dB | 28.5dB | 28.5dB | 28.5dB |
| Gain XLR Input | 28dB | 28dB | 28dB | 28dB |
| Damping | >500 | >500 | >500 | >500 |
| Input Impedance | 27 kOhms | 27 kOhms | 27 kOhms | 27 kOhms |
| Speaker Connections | 5-Way Binding Post | 5-Way Binding Post | 5-Way Binding Post | 5-Way Binding Post |
| Trigger Input | 5 – 12 V (AC or DC); | 5 – 12 V (AC or DC); | 5 – 12 V (AC or DC); | 5 – 12 V (AC or DC); |
| Trigger Output | 12 VDC | 12 VDC | 12 VDC | 12 VDC |
| Load Impedance | 4 to 16 ohms | 4 to 16 ohms | 4 to 16 ohms | 4 to 16 ohms |
| Dimension | 21.5″ x 19.5″ x 9.0″ | 21.5″ x 19.5″ x 9.0″ | 21.5″ x 19.5″ x 9.0″ | 21.5″ x 19.5″ x 9.0″ |
| Weight | 29.5 Ibs. (13.4kg) | 32.4 Ibs. (14.7kg) | 35.5 Ibs. (16.1kg) | 37.5 Ibs. (17kg) |
While the new M series shares a similar exterior and aesthetic to the more expensive Monolith home theater amps, but they are not made by ATI. These amplifiers have Made In China across the back. Lastly, the XLR inputs are NOT fully balanced. Essentially, you don’t get the benefits of the balanced connection but you do get the ability to connect to a pre-amp that has XLR outputs.
Our Take
While the new series of amps are not ground-breaking, they are a welcome addition to the home theater crowd. For those who want, or need to add external amplification, the Monolith M series now offer a very competitive alternative. The Monolith M2100X and M3100X are currently for sale on Monoprice’s site as well as Amazon. The M5100X is only available (at time of publication) on Monoprice.com. The M7100X was briefly available on Monoprice.com but was removed. We expect to see it released very soon.
If you’ve always wanted an amp but never really needed the extra power, the price points of the Monolith M2100X, M3100X, M5100X, and M7100X should have you very intrigued. These almost fit into an “impulse buy” price range.
