35142 - MONOLITH BY MONOPRICE M12-S 12" THX

The Monolith™ THX® Certified Sealed Subwoofer series sets the standard for bass output, low distortion, and affordability. With chest thumping bass that plays down to well under 20Hz, the Monolith subwoofer unleashes cinema level volume, with the ability to convey and articulate the subtle nuances of music. THX Certified Select: THX® engineers completed hundreds of different scientific tests to ensure the highest level of audio performance. The tests ensure the speaker can reach the high volumes necessary to achieve THX Reference Level without creating audible distortion or artifacts. THX Certified Select products are for medium sized rooms, up to 2,000 cubic feet in size, with a 10-12 foot viewing distance from the screen. Two subwoofers are needed to meet THX Select certification. 12" Driver: The Monolith™ 12" Driver was developed from the ground up with a design focus on achieving output, accuracy, dynamics, and linearity, while minimizing distortion. The driver is enclosed in a cabinet made from HDF material with massive internal bracing. 500-Watt Amplifier: The 500-watt RMS amplifier is built around a Texas Instruments™ 48-bit data path (with 28-bit filter coefficients) and DSP engine. Each amplifier's transfer function, power output limiting, and thermal protection are monitored to the millisecond and are customized for each individual driver. The high efficiency Class D amplifier modules are based on a proven topology that has been continuously refined over the past 4 years. The amplifier has vast reserves of power for highly accurate, deep bass for your home theater or music system. Anatomy of a Subwoofer Cabinet and Internal Bracing The cabinet is constructed of HDF (High Density Fiberboard), not MDF, resulting in a sonically inert cabinet. Internal bracing has been strategically placed to increase overall strength and limit unwanted panel vibrations that would cause discoloration and distortion. The strong cabinet and bracing combine to ensure you hear massive amounts of bass, not cabinet resonances. Removable Grille The "floating" grille is made from non-resonant MDF to provide rigidity, while the entire structure is offset from the cabinet to maximize air flow of the woofer and ports. 12-inch Driver Every part of this driver has been developed from the ground up and customized to deliver high output, low distortion, and accurate bass. Our unique hybrid cone combines long fiber pulp and fiberglass, taking advantage of the pulp's superior stiffness, with the additional rigidity and lightweight properties of fiberglass to deliver a driver of massive durability and excursion. The result is a cone that achieves optimal motion at all frequencies it is asked to produce and beyond. 1. Lower Suspension FEA (Finite Element Analysis) modeling and Klippel laser based optimizations were used to design a cone that is capable of an astounding >90mm peak-to-peak excursions. The lower and upper suspensions are designed together with the motor structure. The lower suspension is critical for maintaining very low levels of distortion at high excursions, which are required for high SPL at low frequencies. 2. Spider and Cone Venting The spider is made from multiple layers of Nomex® with integrated tinsel leads hand stitched in place for low mass with high strength and durability. The purpose of these vents are twofold -- first they allow convective air flow to cool the voice coil, and second they reduce asymmetrical compliance due to air compression under the cone/spider, which would appear as unwanted distortions. 3. Woofer Surround FEA (Finite Element Analysis) modeling and Klippel laser based optimization were utilized to create this durable, high profile surround that's made from a unique formulation of NBR (Nitrile Butadiene Rubber copolymer). This formulation was developed after months of modeling and prototyping to ensure the highest levels of excursion, without sacrificing linearity or distortion. 4. Motor Structure The motor is made of CNC milled low carbon steel in the modified undercut "T" pole assembly to focus the magnetic flux. Dual aluminum shorting rings are used to cancel eddy currents, further stabilizing the magnetic flux and significantly lowering distortion. The precision wound, high temperature, all aluminum bobbin (which has a lower thermal compression than copper) enables the voice coil to remain cool. The motor and suspension design is extremely critical for maintaining control of the driver’s displacement over a very wide range of input signals, allowing the subwoofer to reach maximum performance and output levels, while keeping distortion to a minimum. All Amp'd Up This Monolith™ subwoofer amplifier has an extraordinarily high power output of 500 watts RMS (900 watts peak), which can deliver massive amounts of power when needed. Each Class D amplifier is built around a Texas Instruments™ 48-bit data path (with 28-bit filter coefficients) DSP engine, allowing virtually unlimited design flexibility with the assurance of no signal degradation. Each amplifier's transfer function, power output limiting, and thermal protection are monitored to the millisecond and are customized for each individual woofer and cabinet air volume combination. This state-of-the-art Class D amplifier technology ensures maximum headroom capability, excellent transient response, high output, and very low distortion when driving the Monolith™ 12-inch THX® Certified Select subwoofer.