I recently purchased the Monitor 75T floor standing speakers for use in my media room. I already had the Monitor 70 Series II as part of my main family room home theater, so I thought I'd do a little side-by-side comparison.
You can see the specs and features of each speaker here:
Monitor 70 Series II
Monitor 75T
In 2011, I purchased the Monitor 70s for $220/ea on sale. In 2013, I got the same price for the 75T. Awesome
So here they are, standing side-by-side:
Cat used for scale purposes:
I played 4 songs (Mario - Because she said hi, Frou Frou - Must be dreaming, Mozart - Requiem, Carl Orff - Carmina Burana) and 1 movie (Lords of the Rings: Return of the King) as my test.
Speakers were plugged into an Onkyo TX-NR609 which was set to Stereo only. The subwoofer was left unplugged, so the only sound came from the 2 speakers themselves. The receiver was set in Bi-Amp mode, for whatever good that does (next to nothing since the speakers have passive crossovers).
Anyway, all that to say the conditions were the same for each test (same receiver, same settings, same bi-amp configuration, same songs, same movie, same room, same cat...)
My personal feelings:
I have absolutely loved the Monitor 70s so my expectations were high for the 75T models. The 70s produce a great range of lower-mid to high frequencies and have crystal clear definition. They can produce lower bass, but not with a great deal of power or feeling. They really need to be paired with a sub. Some lower frequencies can actually hit pretty hard, but this is more in the 200Hz+ range. Unfortunately, without a sub, this can make the bass sound inconsistent. With a sub, everything sounds perfect. The highs are super clear, and voices sound amazing. Special effects of course are stunning. The clashes, clanks and slashes of medieval battle make it sound like your own head was being lopped off.
The 75T was nearly identical in all its qualities, but with a few exceptions. The speakers seem capable of slightly (and I mean slightly) lower frequencies, with a little more power. Still, a sub is required for full effect. The highs are just as clear, but perhaps not quite as ear-piercing. I'm not sure if it was slightly attenuated, or just more controlled.
At the end of the day, you'd be hard pressed to really discern a difference between the 2 sets. I would say that the 75Ts are just as good as the 70s, and there is no need for hesitation if you're thinking about buying. They go on sale frequently on NewEgg and are an incredible value! If you have 10x their price in disposable cash, I guess you might look at a different brand or set, but honestly, be prepared to spend that much more to get anything "better." I'm honestly not sure if anything other than scientific instrumentation could detect the difference in more expensive gear.
Happy shopping, and I hope this helps everyone understand the slight differences in the new set.
Edited by Adoniram - 2/5/13 at 8:13pm
You can see the specs and features of each speaker here:
Monitor 70 Series II
Monitor 75T
In 2011, I purchased the Monitor 70s for $220/ea on sale. In 2013, I got the same price for the 75T. Awesome
So here they are, standing side-by-side:
Cat used for scale purposes:
I played 4 songs (Mario - Because she said hi, Frou Frou - Must be dreaming, Mozart - Requiem, Carl Orff - Carmina Burana) and 1 movie (Lords of the Rings: Return of the King) as my test.
Speakers were plugged into an Onkyo TX-NR609 which was set to Stereo only. The subwoofer was left unplugged, so the only sound came from the 2 speakers themselves. The receiver was set in Bi-Amp mode, for whatever good that does (next to nothing since the speakers have passive crossovers).
Anyway, all that to say the conditions were the same for each test (same receiver, same settings, same bi-amp configuration, same songs, same movie, same room, same cat...)
My personal feelings:
I have absolutely loved the Monitor 70s so my expectations were high for the 75T models. The 70s produce a great range of lower-mid to high frequencies and have crystal clear definition. They can produce lower bass, but not with a great deal of power or feeling. They really need to be paired with a sub. Some lower frequencies can actually hit pretty hard, but this is more in the 200Hz+ range. Unfortunately, without a sub, this can make the bass sound inconsistent. With a sub, everything sounds perfect. The highs are super clear, and voices sound amazing. Special effects of course are stunning. The clashes, clanks and slashes of medieval battle make it sound like your own head was being lopped off.
The 75T was nearly identical in all its qualities, but with a few exceptions. The speakers seem capable of slightly (and I mean slightly) lower frequencies, with a little more power. Still, a sub is required for full effect. The highs are just as clear, but perhaps not quite as ear-piercing. I'm not sure if it was slightly attenuated, or just more controlled.
At the end of the day, you'd be hard pressed to really discern a difference between the 2 sets. I would say that the 75Ts are just as good as the 70s, and there is no need for hesitation if you're thinking about buying. They go on sale frequently on NewEgg and are an incredible value! If you have 10x their price in disposable cash, I guess you might look at a different brand or set, but honestly, be prepared to spend that much more to get anything "better." I'm honestly not sure if anything other than scientific instrumentation could detect the difference in more expensive gear.
Happy shopping, and I hope this helps everyone understand the slight differences in the new set.
Edited by Adoniram - 2/5/13 at 8:13pm
