BK Monolith/XLS300/XLS200

[admin_exported]

Guys,

I've been wanting to add a subwoofer to my current system which is utilised for playing music about 90% of the time. The idea was to get something with lots of controlled power, that was fast and of course musical.

Reading around and suggestions on this forum have lead me in the direction of the BK subwoofers, as they appear to be what I am looking for, and most importantly, within my budget.

As you will probably know if you're reading this thread, BK do the top of the range Monolith, the smaller XLS200 and the XLS300 designed to sit in between the two.

The sub will sit in a room of around 8m long by 3.5m wide, which is quite open with no heavy furnishings. The floor is suspended with exposed wooden floorboards.

XLS200: I hear nothing but excellent reviews for this machine and it looks very neat and refined. However, my concern is that it may be a bit diluted, considering the size of the room?

Monolith: Obviously sitting (very largely) at the other end of the scale is this beast. I can probably find make room for it and it's likely to satisfy any of my bass requirements for years to come, in both music and movies. However, I'm worried that the bass would actually go too deep, if I dare say that. I'm thiking, especially with a DF, that the suspended floor would just resonate all over the place. There is absolutely no carpet anywhere to dampen the energy into the floor and I think it could sound awful. Due to the shear size, I can only position it in certain places. With the smaller subs, I am able to place them on a disused concrete hearth.

XLS300: Of course, the one designed to fill the gap for people like me who are reduced to a quivering wreck by the site of the mono. However, from what I can understand about the physics of a PR system, how musical is this subwoofer? I'm thinking it could be a little slow for high tempo music with heavy and demanding bass. Is this a little more suited to the DVDs?

Any thoughts?

 

[Anonymous]

Just ordered an XLS300 DF in gloss black myself - waiting time 3-4 weeks.

I have read A LOT! on subwoofers all over the internet, my rooms is 2.5 by 3.5 but I'll be moving in the next year, but will still be for a bedroom setup. My advice is don't worry about other manufacturers being better for the price - they won't be. My second bit of advice is get the Monolith - that a big room. Unless you want a more discreet sound whereas get the XLS. Both are very powerful, it's just the scale of the sound that will differ IMO.

If you have troubles with tones booming, download some bass test tones and adjust your eq on your source accordingly, (ie iTunes), or consider the subwoofer equalizer from BK, which I'm considering myself if I have problems but I would like to be able to auto eq my whole system to my room in the end so still researching possibilities!

EDIT: My mistake, I ordered the XLS200, plenty powerful enough. Didn't consider the 300, don't like the look, I'd skip the XLS 300 and take the plunge for the mono IMO, if you're gonna do it, DO IT BIG!

 

[Anonymous]

Good point there. The monolith is only £35 more, so it would be silly not to. One thing about the monolith is the size of the driver. I'm wondering how effective something like that could be at low volumes. Obviously, I'd like to enjoy the sound at reasonable levels, should the neighbours be in.

Luckily, my 685s are excellent at low levels.

The room was originally 4.5 x 3.5 but I knocked through to the next room. There is an arch that divides them, but I guess I should treat it, sonically, as one large room.

It would be nice to be able to try them out at home before having to shell out.

 

[Anonymous]

Ah we have the same speakers good question about low volumes, I haven't actually read anything on that yet...

The thing I like about having a sub is that you can turn it of if you like, unlike massive floorstanders.

There are some people on the forum who own a Monolith, I think basshound has one?

 

[lordmortlock]

I have the xls200 with kef 1005's in my AV setup. My rooms about 7m x 3.5m with crazy high 12' ceilings (its in a georgian building) and that sub does a great job with films and music on tv, although I haven't run it with my HI fi set up. If you go big make sure the subs quick enough to keep up with the music - a smaller sub will respond better. Oh and the cherry wood finish looks a bit... orange!

 

[basshead]

i have the DF monolith currently, cant reccommend it enough! i use it 95% for music, most of which is very fast-paced and quite demanding and the sub copes very well indeed!

it was a bit sluggish out of the box to be honest, but as it runs in it gets better and better! i've had it running for 4 weeks now and it's spot on.

it is a big beast, there's no way of hiding it! however, it is stupidly well made for the money and looks very good. mine is being doubled up as a coffee table at the mo with a few photos placed on top of it!

despite its size it integrates well with music, at lower volumes you may not realise it is on and doing anything, but it is on and doing its job well. turn up the volume and you get some serious bass, which hits very very low.

before i took the plunge for the monolith i auditioned the B&W asw610, which is a similar price. i'd say the b&w has the edge on speed, but the monolith can do things the B&W just cant, and that is hit low with power, and make music fun.

The (only) problem with the monolith is that you cant audition as it's direct internet sales only, but on the plus-side it is very cheap because of it. if it were sold through noral distribution methods it would prob be double the price, and even then may still be best in that price range.

i really cant stress how much i love this sub, for the musical enjoyability factor you really wont find anything that comes close for the money.

 

[Anonymous]

I assume that sealed subs are faster, as per the XLS200? The mono is vented and the XLS300 I suppose will work like a vented with the PR system.

I really need to demo the mono against the XLS200 and see how it responds to quick tempo music, but that is proving difficult.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your reply, basshead. I was afraid you were going to tell me the monolith was good haha!

If I end up getting it, I can do what you have suggested and disguise it as a short table. From the pictures, the finish looks good enough to quite easily pull this off, but let's see if the girlfriend buys that for an excuse!

The problem I have is getting the cable to it from the amp which in on the other side of the room! What type of floor do you have, and have you got the DF or FF version?

 

[lordmortlock]

The guys at BK were super helpful. Why not go and see them if its not too far?

 

[Anonymous]

I'm up in Manchester, so a bit too far for me I'm afraid.

 

[Anonymous]

Sorry for resurrecting an old thread, but I thought this better than starting fresh, so here goes.

I'm still considering buying one of these subs, and can't decide between the Monolith and the XXLS400. I want to try the sub with both my hifi setup, and my home cinema setup. People keep telling me to get the monolith, but if I decide to keep it with my hifi setup, I'm concerned that the monolith might not be able to keep up with some of the faster paced music (I do a little djing so tight bass is a big plus). Should I stop being a pansy and just get the Monolith, or is my concern justified?