All about the new Monitor Audio Studio 89 speaker system.
The primary definitions for ‘Studio’ are; the working place of a painter, sculptor, or photographer or a place for the study of an art.
It’s 35 years since Monitor Audio first appended this name to a speaker system, hence the ’89’. But I don’t want to invoke the past when looking at a speaker system – so much has changed since then. And the Studio 89 isn’t a rehash of a decades old design – it’s an update on a completely modern speaker, the Monitor Audio Studio that was launched in 2018 and remains my favourite Monitor Audio model.
You may well have read our original review here. What is striking about that review is the progress we’ve made since then in terms of the source and amplification components; With new Lumin and NuPrime options we’re able to throw a vastly better sound in, and so the end result is well beyond my quote at the time; ‘The microscopic precision and detail, almost hallucinogenic sound-staging and purity of purpose cleanse both my forelobes and ears.’
While the Studio was effectively a concept speaker and only ever intended to run for a limited period of time, we made a point of buying and storing the last set in New Zealand for our own use. Having attended the recent introduction of the Monitor Audio Hyphn – a cost no object flagship, prompted me to unbox the Studio’s and it became obvious that they are better than I remembered. Not only did the Hyphn’s raise expectations, but significant developments in streaming and electronics have proven that the Studio was effectively ahead of it’s time.
The Hyphn may be around 30x more costly and far bigger than the Studios but there’s a remarkable amount of common ground in both design and sound. The extra investment in the Hyphn has resulted in advances in driver technology that now manifest in the Studio 89 and it’s this, that justifies the effective relaunch of the model.
Both the pleated ribbon tweeter and pair of small metal coned bass mid drivers have seen subtle but worthwhile improvements. In turn this allows revision and improvement of the crossover network and this results in specification changes, especially in terms of recommended amplifier power (increased from 100 to 300 watts). A more benign minimum impedance, altered crossover point and higher maximum output also feature.
In my conversations with Monitor Audio people its clear that they felt they had undersold the the abilities of the original Studio. In part this was not to detract from the Gold and Platinum series which featured more luxurious cabinet finishes. The Studio was minimalist and plainly finished, with all attention given to the critical parts and end sound quality.
So the Studio 89 does go further with a high gloss finish and a splash of colour for the drivers. These two aspects both tie the Studio into the broader Monitor Audio ranges but also allow it to remain distinct. The key distinguishing features of the Studio remain and are improved upon;
- The MTM driver layout which ensures superb soundstage and imaging with a near “point-source” approach, enhancing sound dispersion and creating a larger, more immersive soundstage.
- A simple slim but deep and well braced cabinet with twin symmetrical rear facing slot ports
- Premium parts – the best available drivers and Rhodium-plated terminals, new RST-III drivers and MPD III high frequency unit
As you can see that the original Studio from 2018 was a concept that was too good to walk away from. It’s now possible to make it sound that much better and the connection to the Hyphn should not be underestimated. As the 2018 Studio proved to be ahead of it’s time, it’s clear that Hyphn and the new Studio 89 are setting the stage for future advances in both source and amplification quality.
The results – I’ve been able to make a good comparison between both the new Studio 89 and the 2018 version; it’s striking how different they are given the outward similarities. The new 89 is considerably more refined and silky, especially in the higher frequencies. The urgency and pace of the earlier version has been tempered in favour of a more balanced tone, more consistent with the sound of the premium Gold and Platinum series. Yet the comparison with Hyphn still stands as the narrow profile and MTM layout produce and exceptional soundstage.
These improvements are reflected in the reviews – and there are a lot of them. It can be hard to reach a conclusion after reading a number of quite different perspectives but one thing to keep in mind is the experience we highlighted at the start of this page; The 2018 version has proved to be ahead of it’s time in that we have really grown to appreciate it’s capabilities with newer and better electronics. It was never a speaker pitched at budget systems – it was serious high end design and deserved to be partnered with systems that could fully exploit the capabilities. As I write this I’ve been listening to the Studios in tandem with a pair of bridged NuPrime AMG-STA SE power amplifiers with a Lumin front end and cables that all cost substantially more than the speakers. There’s no suggestion that the Studios are even close to their limit.
With the new Studio 89 there is even more potential. The greater power handling and resolution will take you even further. The effective ‘re-voicing’ by way of revision of the crossover point, slightly larger and improved bass drivers, does give the impression of a significantly added depth and warmth of tone relative to the 2018 model while still retaining the agility inherent in two smaller drivers over a single larger slower unit. As with every generation of the Monitor Audio ribbons (or more correctly pleated diaphrams) the clarity and accuracy in the high frequencies is improved by stripping away distortions that we can now only recognise in hindsight. And that leaves more room for music.
In fact just think of new the Studio 89 as an easily affordable mini-Hyphn. It’s a safe assumption that the resolution, especially in the high frequencies is comparable given the use of the same pleated ribbon transducer. And rather than multiple smaller midranges in a radial pattern, the two, above and below fulfil many of the same design requirements. Being a more benign load than either Hyphn or the previous Studio, you’ll get more from existing systems.
The Studio 89 is engineered to be either shelf mounted or partnered with its bespoke floor stand in open space. Designed to extend the placement versatility of the speaker, the Studio 89 Stand also improves its sonic qualities by allowing the extruded aluminium central column to be sand-filled for enhanced acoustic performance and presentation into the listening area.
- Studio 89 NZ$3800 the pair including GST and delivery
- Studio 89 matching gloss black stands $1000 the pair.
There’s another important development from Monitor Audio that greatly expands on the capabilities of the Studio 89 – the new ‘Anthra’ series of subwoofers.
While we have touched on the already improved bass performance of the Studios, they are a relatively small speaker. And while many people do select larger floor standing models, bigger is not always better. It’s hard to match the precision and aesthetics of the Studio 89. Rather than two big boxes, why not consider 3 smaller units?
Anthra was launched last year at around the same time as the Hyphn. In the past, Monitor Audio designed subwoofers to match their ranges in both aesthetic and performance – ie Bronze, Silver and Gold. Anthra is designed from the ground up with maximum performance being the priority for both music and cinema.
Monitor Audio are able to bring their full suite of talents to the table – not only do they have the experience gained in 50 years of loudspeaker design and manufacture, the recent acquisition of Roksan has greatly improved their electronics expertise.
With subwoofers, performance is often equated to bass extension. Antha re-writes this equation. All 3 models have very similar extension – even the 10 (denoting the 10 inch bass driver) goes down to a seismic 17 Hz. What differentiates them is size and power. In short, the bigger you go, the more powerful they become. All the Antha subwoofers share Monitor Audio’s expertise in metal cone drivers. As you move up in physical size the built in amplifier power steps from 500 to 1000 to a mind bending 1500 watts.
In the context of the Studio 89 this means you are now able to combine all the advantages of a small speaker with the full range performance that only a select few large and costly floor-standing models can deliver. Because the Anthra subwoofers have their own amplifiers built in, you don’t have to go as far as you might with amplification for the Studios.
In the past, subwoofer tuning was a black art. Now using the in-house-designed MaestroUnite setup app, users can easily and optimally configure any Anthra subwoofer to their individual tastes and system requirements.
Studio 89 + Anthra W10 delivers a full seamless response from 17 Hz to 60,000 Hz. I know of no similarly priced (under NZ$8000) conventional speaker system that delivers this level of performance and quality (and adds 500 watts of amplification). There are aspects of the Studio 89’s performance – precision, imaging and speed that leave many more costly speakers sounding wrong footed and the addition of Anthra only emphasises this while adding a sense of scale and impact that makes for an unmatched experience.
While we initially concentrated on the Studio’s musical performance, the design and abilities of both the 2018 and new ’89’ version make for an amazing home cinema experience. The imaging and precision with sound tracks is literally larger than life. The clarity bought to voice adds to the enhanced picture quality of the best big screens. And now with Anthra you can immerse yourself in the low frequency effects.
You have a really big room and want to go even further with sound levels? Just step up to either the Anthra W12 or W15. Or add a second identical Anthra which doubles output and smooths the room response. All 3 models are in stock in the same flawless gloss black of the Studio 89.
- Anthra W10 – 25 cm driver, 500 watt Class D amplifier onboard – NZ$3900 including GST
- Anthra W12 – 30 cm driver, 1000 watt Class D amplifier onboard – NZ$4500 including GST
- Anthra W15 – 38 cm driver, 1500watt Class D amplifier onboard – NZ$6000 including GST
Both the Studio 89 and the Anthra subwoofers are unique high performance components in their own right and will work brilliantly in many systems. Combine them and you literally get the best of all worlds. With both the tuning abilities built in to Anthra and the choice of multiple configurations, Monitor Audio have delivered an entire range of high value options that re-write how to build a stunning system.
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