Monitor Audio Bronze B1: A New Favorite Among $300/pair Small Speakers
Written: Jul 01 '04
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Ease of Use: |
 |
|
| Durability: |
|
|
| Flatness: |
 |
|
| Imaging: |
|
|
| Overall Sound: |
|
|
|
Pros: smooth sound; non-fatiguing; good imaging; really nice looking
Cons: not much bass; inner detail not as good as with more expensive small speakers
The Bottom Line: The Monitor Audio Bronze B1s are among the best small speakers I have heard for around $300.
|
|
|
| Horswispr's Full Review: Monitor Audio Bronze 1 Main / Stereo Speaker |
The Monitor Audio Bronze B1 is a small bookshelf speaker from a respected British speaker manufacturer. Only 10 1/4" high, 6 1/2" wide, and 7" deep, it is a very small speaker, but it feels quite solid, weighing in at about 10 lbs per speaker. The Bronze B1 is extremely attractive in an understated, British sort of way (see the photo above). The cabinets are finished in real wood veneer, and the black grilles are removable.
Each Bronze B1 uses a 5.5" woofer/midrange and a small "gold dome" tweeter in a ported enclosure. Frequency response is rated at 55hz to 22khz (no tolerances given), and sensitivity is rated at 88db. Price is about $300 per pair.
I compared the Bronze B1s with the comparably price Klipsch RB 15s and my memory of the Polk RT25is, which were favorably reviewed in Stereophile magazine a couple of years ago.
To cut to the chase, I really like the Monitor Audio Bronze B1s. They are really smooth through the midrange, and non-grainy in the highs. The grating edge that sometimes accompanies female vocals on CD was not exaggerated with these speakers. If anything, they smoothed things out a bit. This smoothness means you can listen to the B1s for a long time without feeling the need to do something else or turn the volume down. They are "non-fatiguing," as the audiophiles like to say.
The bass of the Monitor Audio Bronze B1s didn't go particularly deep (not surprising, given the small size of these speakers), but it was fuller and more satisfying then what I heard from the Klipsch RB 15s, and what I remember hearing from the Polk RT25is.
Imaging was excellent through the Monitor Audio Bronze B1s. The musicians sounded like they were placed behind the plane of the speakers, and there was considerable depth to the image. The speakers were not as forward or dynamic as the Klipsch RB 15s, in the sense that loud transients were not thrust in your face, but I thought the B1s were more natural sounding.
Microdynamics (the ability to hear subtle changes in volume, or differences in volume between different instruments), was quite good with the Monitor Audio B1s. In this area, they were superior to the Klipsch RB 15s, and roughly comparable to the Polk RT25is.
The Monitor Audio Bronze B1s were fairly detailed sounding, more so than the Klipsch RB 15s, but I think the Polk RT25is may have been slightly better in this area. But the overall tonal balance of the B1s was my favorite of the three.
It wasn't until I switched to the Monitor Audio Silver 1s that I realized how much better a really small speaker can be. The Silver 1s were more detailed sounding, presented a better sense of space around the instruments, and had tighter and deeper bass. However, the Silver 1s retail for about $600/pair, twice as much as the Bronze 1s.
If you are looking for a really good $300 speaker, check out the Monitor Audio Bronze B1s. They may be the best $300 speakers I have heard. If you want to add a bit more bass down the road, you can add a good 10" or 12" subwoofer for maybe $250 (Cambridge Soundworks BassCubes are good deals when they're on sale).
If your budget permits, check out the $600/pair Monitor Audio Silver 1's. They are true audiophile speakers, their only real limitation (that I could hear) being that they probably don't produce the bottom octave of music (roughly 20 hz to 40 hz).
Given the price ($300 retail and probably a bit less when on sale at your local audio supermarket), the Bronze B1s get a five star rating from me, as will the Silver S1s at $600 when I get around to reviewing them.
Happy listening!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 300
|
|
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.