Bookshelf Speakers — Monitor Audio Studio 89

The Studio 89 is a compact bookshelf loudspeaker from Monitor Audio built around an MTM driver array, with two bass-mid units placed above and below the tweeter. It is a two-channel stereo design with an extremely narrow internally braced cabinet. The US price is USD 2,749, and a matching Studio 89 Stand is sold separately.

Key specs that matter

Fitted drivers are one MPD III high-frequency transducer and two 4.25 inch RDT III bass-mid drivers with C-CAM skins, in a two-way configuration. Monitor Audio gives an in-room frequency response of 48 Hz to 60 kHz at -6 dB. Sensitivity is 86 dB. Nominal impedance is 6 ohm, and the minimum is 4.2 ohm. The cabinet measures 340 x 157 x 361 mm, so it is far deeper than it is wide.

Engineering and use context

The MTM arrangement gives vertical symmetry around the tweeter and, compared with a single bass-mid unit, adds cone area and voice coil capacity for the lower frequencies, which the company links to greater dynamic capability and better interaction with the listening room. Each RDT III cone is a sandwich of three ultra-thin composite layers. Its face layer is C-CAM, while the central core is Nomex honeycomb, and the underside skin is woven carbon fibre. Monitor Audio describes the result as very light and very strong. In the MPD III high-frequency unit, accordion-like pleats form the diaphragm and give a wide bandwidth. In the crossover the company uses custom polypropylene and polyester capacitors together with air-core and low-loss laminated steel-core inductors, chosen for maximum signal transfer and reduced distortion. The cabinet is internally braced for structural rigidity, and its narrow front baffle was chosen by Monitor Audio as a deliberate acoustic feature, not only for appearance. The drivers are gold-coloured against a deep high-gloss black finish.

Pairing

Recommended amplifier power is 50 to 300 W RMS. Both the nominal and minimum impedance fall within the range that most solid-state integrated amplifiers are specified for, while a power window spanning a factor of six accepts both moderate and high-powered designs. The dedicated Studio 89 Stand is the companion support listed by Monitor Audio for the Studio 89, adding USD 819 to the price of the speakers.

Alternatives

The Monitor Audio Gold 100 6G is a three-way bookshelf model of the brand, using an 8 inch HDT C-CAM bass driver, a 3 inch midrange and an MPD III tweeter.