Page 56 - 2022-08-01 Sound & Vision

test report

MONOLITH BY MONOPRICE BELT DRIVE TURNTABLE

user adjustment for speed so I clarity of turntables that aim a bit
TYPE: Belt drive
cheated and removed the cover higher, but the overall impression PLAYBACK SPEEDS: 33 / 3 , 45 RPM
1
over the motor where I found two was engaging and enjoyable. Specs WOW AND FLUTTER: < 0.15%
adjustment screws in the base of To explore this impression
RUMBLE: –55dB
the motor—one for 33 1/3 and one further, I played Depeche Mode’s EFFECTIVE TONEARM LENGTH: 218.5mm
for 45. With these, I was able to Violator album (Mute Stumm 64), a
TONEARM OVERHANG: 18.5mm
correct the speed but it’s not clear much denser sounding recording.
ANALOG AUDIO OUTPUT: Phono- and line-level RCA
if making this unofficial tweak will The Monolith did a pre y cred- DIGITAL AUDIO OUTPUT: USB, Bluetooth
void the warranty. The good news ible job of unraveling this thicker
DIMENSIONS (WxHxD, inches): 16.5 x 4.9 x 14.2
is that the turntable is powered production, spreading out the WEIGHT (pounds): 9.7
by a 12-volt DC power supply, layers of sound in an easy to follow
which means you're unlikely to get way. The synth bass was able to dig
zapped in the process. pre y deep while remaining tuneful
The Monolith is supported by and tight, adding to an overall
three footers which is great for sound I would describe as slightly
stability, but they aren’t adjustable, so and warm.
so you’ll need to make sure your Pitch stability can be a difficult
shelf is level, or stick a beer coaster area for budget turntables, so I put
or two under the feet if things aren’t on a recording of Willhelm Kempff
perfectly plumb. The final step is playing Beethoven’s “Moon-
to slide the nice quality dust cover light” piano sonata (Deutsche
onto the hinges a ached to the rear Grammophon 136 227). Here the
of the plinth. shortcomings of the Monolith’s
For most of my listening I low-mass pla er and humble drive
connected the analog RCA outputs system became more evident, not
to my Denon AVR-X8500H A/V so much as a clearly identifiable
receiver, switching between the loss of pitch stability, but more as a
phono preamp in the turntable and loss of the solidity and power you
the one built into the receiver. Curi- hear behind each note with more
ously, Monoprice includes a USB ambitious turntable designs. This a $4,000 flagship receiver. In the and never harsh or rough. It brings
cable for the computer hookup but is a very dynamic recording, and context of keeping cost down, you a somewhat downsized but
no RCA cables for making this far while the turntable may not have it probably doesn’t make a lot of clear window on why people like
more common connection. While been able to muster that all of that sense to worry about switching to records, and is a perfect gateway
most of us will have a suitable cable power and stability, the Monolith/ an outboard phono preamp, but if into the world of vinyl. If Monoprice
stuck away in a drawer somewhere, AT-VM95E combo never had any the one in the amp or receiver you can sort out the issues I expe-
keep in mind that you’ll also need trouble following Mr. Kempff’s plan to use sounds be er, great. rienced with the factory speed
to come up with a ground wire if hammering on the keyboard and se ing and arm height, it would
you plan to use an outboard phono did so without so much as a whiff CONCLUSION become an even greater value.
preamp. Hey Monoprice, you’re the of the dreaded mistracking or inner
low-cost cable people. How hard groove distortion. No $250 turntable is going to be
would it be to include a set of RCA In the final analysis, the perfect, but it’s generally prefer- The Verdict
cables that 95% of users are going Monolith’s built-in phono preamp able if a product’s limitations are
to need? performed reasonably well, though in its ability to give you the whole While it is possible to spend less, the
it was outshined by the Denon’s picture, rather than by adding some Monoprice Monolith turntable marks
LISTENING onboard phono preamp in terms of distortions or color of its own. The a perfect entry point for a turntable
image scale, focus, and dynamic Monolith turntable stays on the that sounds good, offers a host of
I kicked off my listening with the punch, which is not surprising right side of this equation, always hookup options, and has a clear
song “Laura” from The Poll Winners considering the AVR-X8500H is sounding enjoyable and engaging upgrade path.
album Straight Ahead (Contem-
porary S-7635). I normally expect
budget turntables to sound a bit
thin and wimpy with music like
this, but on the Monolith the sound
was surprisingly full-bodied, with
a nice rich tone from Ray Brown’s
acoustic bass and a clean yet
vibrant tone from Barney Kessel’s
electric guitar. The general sonic
balance leaned a bit toward the
warm and so side of neutral,
lacking some of the crystalline

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56 August September 2022 soundandvision.com