Monolith is just one of their high end markers. Sort of how they have monitors and keyboards, but then the Dark Matter monkier which is for gaming. Monolith for all their audio stuff generally means it's the "audiophile" branch. Stage Right is their studio brand.
The issue with all this though is while all their budget stuff punches well above it's weight level, once you start getting into their more bespoke options you run slam into (for audio at least) getting say a set of HiFi Man planar headphones and ifi dac/amp for roughly the same price (granted those companies lower end). I did have great luck with a pair of their powered studio monitors though and I swear by them. They have draw back but for the price and after the 40% of sale they are a great bargain.
Maybe in the MP Ecosystem that has a hint of truth...
Before I continue I want to differentiate and disclose,
1.stuff like Sundara for me is "Hi-FI" I don't financially discriminate and see myself as ye above all; no it's mid-fi swill at best
2. Stuff like Sundara is still, price wise, mid range, and so is basically anything within MP ecosystem, comparing MP to Audeze, Hifiman, and Meze high end is a null game
That said virtually no one is in the market for the LCD-XC, Meze Liric, AND the M1070C in fact I have never heard the M1070C but this diss on it slams me hard because the Liric and to a lesser extent the XC are like.... not good deals, it's hard to find one closed back so I find the comparison disingenuous....
Monoprice's (including Monolith which btw is somewhat separate from Monoprice) is
midrange AT BEST
and I have tested the M1570 vs the entire Audeze lineup to the tippy top on $200-$2000+ source gear....
Why not add comparisons to the M1570, M1570C, and M1070? and go on, harang me all you like for not doing my own comparison, spending my own money, publishing my own content, but you like smosh me into the dirt and this wasn't an option or even a consideration? Look I am just a spectator, but to be fair I HATE Monoprice, products aside that company sucks.... but this comparison is total....
Don't get me wrong everyone should save their money in close back section and either buy the Focal Elegia for $380 or bigbuck the ZMF Verite Closed for $2500+ but calling this bad vs the XC and the Liric is silly af. Put the M1070C against the headphones it actually competes against the qualitative findings of this review are in comparison to items no one looking at a 1070C cares about and as whole to the market qualitatively without proper comparison are misleading and just.... bad.
Surprisingly I have the HE400SE paired with a ifi Zen dac v2 and I am looking for a decently priced closed back planar. Enter 565C, but there aren't many reviews of it and what I've found on Amazon are a mix bag.
That is a killer combo... the Elegia is a hell of a deal, and trust me I am a Planar cultist but it's good enough for consideration.... Heard good about the M1060C but literally nothing I have ever heard besides the XC jumps to mind as half decent, you can find deals on LCD-2C's for like $450 shipped if you know where to look but I have never heard the thing!
