Verdict
A great duo of open - backed , two-dimensional magnetized headphones with a quick tint to their demonstration , their size and weight may put some off and they ’ll expect gamy - end kit to excerpt the best execution from them .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
The Monolith M1570 are the second duad of open - bet on headphones I ’ve tested from Monoprice , and looking at them side - by - side , you ’d be hard beseech to tell the difference between them .
Both are pitched as headphones for professional use and decisive hearing , they look near identical , and their specification is virtually the same . The chief difference is the asking terms , with the M1570 more expensive by over £ 100 .
And that tap the most obvious of questions – is whatever performance the M1570 offers worth the jump in Mary Leontyne Price ?
Design
I could pretty much rinsing and repeat the words I wrote for theM1070because both it and the M1570 headphones are virtually identical in appearance and construction , the only aesthetic difference is that the tissue layer for the open - backed portion of the earcup get on a dissimilar appearance , and that the M1570 habituate a dissimilar connector for the cable .
The M1570 are big , burly and even heavier than the M1070 at 700 constant of gravitation compare to 580 g. I can feel their heft and discover their presence when jade but like the other yoke , they ’re not what I ’d describe as discomforting to wear . The earpads are tremendous but the contact surface around the ear is about as plush as you may get , and the headband ’s breadth disperses the weight on top of the head . That said , smaller heads will palpate inundate pose these headphone on .
Craftmanship is solid and though there does n’t appear to be any info on the materials used , I distrust lightweight but durable metal for the underframe and hinges combined with some charge plate here and there . It ’s a unsubdivided conception but there ’s so much of it . They ’re also only available in black , marking them out as a pair of headphones that Batman would wear .
The earpads can be replaced and there are some velour launchpad enclosed in the mammoth carry box , which makes a mockery of the word portable . Rather than apply a 3.5 mm jack , the Monolith apply a mini - XLR pin out and the review sampling I had came with two balanced cable : one that finish in a 6.3 mm connection ( a 3.5 mm adaptor is offer ) and another that terminates in a four - peg XLR connector .
Do n’t count on that being the typeface if you do purchase these headphones , as the four - pin XLR cable out is only available separately on Monoprice ’s internet site and the import version sells for £ 109 on Amazon UK , which adds a hefty glob on top . XLR is generally considered to output higher - quality sound than 3.5 mm but that does bet on the gadget you ’re connecting to .
Features
Aside from the XLR cable length , the M1570 gibe the M1070 in pretty much every way on the spec sheet . Impedance is 60ohms , indicating aDAC / headphone amplifierought to be study to absorb out their best performance . Large 106 mm planar charismatic drivers are used for the audio frequency , which should create a larger , expansive soundstage .
predisposition is 96dB , which is around the middle end of the spectrum and not as loud as theAustrian Audio Hi - X65can manage , by compare . There is mention of a maximum SPL of 130dB just to confuse matters , which is the mellow sound pressure level the headphones can reach before distortion creeps in . THD ( Total Harmonic Distortion ) is rated at less than 0.1 % @100dB to point that signal racket is minimal .
The frequency response is an ambitious 5Hz to 50kHz . The human range of hearing does n’t cover that broad a frequency range , so you may be able sense rather than see notes below or above 20Hz – 20kHz , but you ’ll need some gamey - end kit and gamy - quality audio sources for that to come about . I would n’t suggest amaze these headphones if you ’re not au fait with the nuts and bolt of elaboration boosts and EQ setting .
Sound Quality
Give how interchangeable the Monolith is to the M1070 in design and features , the expectation – at least for me – is that sound character will be the deciding gene between the two . There is a difference between them but a slight one , and in the end , I prefer listen to the M1070 .
With both earphone colligate to aChord Mojo 2 DAC , the soundstage is describe in similar scope and the more I heed , the harder I find to differentiate much of a remainder between the M1070 and M1570 ’s overall performance .
There ’s a slightly warm and deep tone to the M1570 with some more punch and thrust to humble frequency that makes it the more up-and-coming of the two . Bass has more weight when listening to the main title topic of theApple TV+show Foundation but the M1070 ’s clearer and sharper high frequency performance etches out more detail within the rail that ’s not as acutely revealed by the M1570 .
A listen to the Corelia Chase from the Solo soundtrack ( 192kHz ) and again there ’s more thrust to the orchestral division but detail is slightly less clear . With voices , such as that of John Legend in Lashkar-e-Toiba ’s Get Lifted or Natalie Imbruglia ’s in Torn and the M1570 elicits a slimly warmer tone that gives them a more or less large comportment in the soundstage .
compare to the similarly pricedSivga SV023the Monolith is the weightier sounding of the two in key instrument and voices whereas the Sivga is lighter and more frail in its approach . But the Sivga showcases a better stereo system trope and depth and carry forth more zing in the means it reproduces voices . The Sivga does require more help from a DAC / headphone amplification with its 600ohm rating , but with the ripe kit it ’s the more piquant and dynamic listen .
The M1570 is a good listen but I ’d say the M1070 offers a crisper in high spirits frequency response and elicits slightly better separation of component within the soundstage , where the M1570 sounds ever so somewhat muddier by comparison . That does seem to be the proverb for the M1570 – it’sslightlydifferent but not spring and take a hop better than its sib .
I suspect with higher - end kit with XLR inputs , the M1570 will pump out a more convincing performance than the M1070 and in that context it may be worth the jump in cost . But if you ’re mainly interested in wired headphones paired with a phone amplifier , I ’d be inclined to say there are good options out there at less expense .
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Should you buy it?
: These earphone are geared to hi - fi fancier with the kit to take reward of the XLR line . If that ’s you , then the warm , open demonstration will likely have not bad impact than paired with a laptop computer / DAC combo .
Like the M1070 , the ergonomics of these headphones are n’t best suit for those with a diminished point . While comfortable to bust , some will happen the size and weight of these can buoy distract .
Final Thoughts
A pair of open - back phone to mind to that characteristic a slightly tender presentation , but to get the better from the Monolith M1570 it ’s more than likely you ’d require to par them with higher - end hi - fi equipment / elaboration or software to give them a boost .
Their sizing and weight may also make them inconvenient for some but despite their openhandedness , they ’re a astonishingly comfortable couple to wear .
If you ’re shopping for a pair of headphones to partner with a DAC or headphone amplifier , there are less expensive pair to choose from , and that the M1570 do n’t come with the balanced XLR cable’s length – a purchase of which only adds to the cost – makes them less than convenient . They have make out down in cost in late months , which might comfort the pain of getting the transmission line .
Trusted Score
How we test
We test every headphone we review exhaustively over an extended full point of meter . We apply industry - received tests to compare feature properly . We ’ll always tell you what we find . We never , ever , accept money to review a Cartesian product .
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FAQs
The M1570 comes with a mini - XLR cable that terminates in a 6.3 millimeter connector ( with a 3.5 mm transcriber ) but it does not come with a balanced XLR cable . That is only available to buy singly .
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