Monitor Audio RX8 - Conclusion

CONCLUSION
The RX8 offers a larger than life performance from just a few Watts, a trick only a good floorstander can pull off. As affordable floorstanders go it has to be amongst the best in its price class, even though I have to say it is very distinctive in what it does and may just be a little too Wembley Stadium for listeners who like a gentle delivery. There’s no getting away from the fact that their razor sharp timing, basic accuracy and energetic bass will be the stuff of dreams for many and I can vouch that it’s one very enjoyable listen.

At the price this is one very accomplished, high energy floorstanding loudspeaker that infuses music with life. Whether you like Rock or Classical it's a fun listen that shouts "high fidelity", whilst at the same time staying carefully within the bounds of accuracy. That makes Monitor Audio's Silver RX8 a great loudspeaker at the price.

Entertaining floorstander that brings light, pace and timing to all forms of music, making listening fun.
Superb at the price.

MONITOR AUDIO RX8    £999
+44 (0)1268 740580
www.monitoraudio.co.uk

FOR
- light, bright presentation
- good bass
- superb finish

AGAINST
- zingy
- edgy at times
- lack subtlety

MEASURED PERFORMANCE

Frequency response of the Monitor Audio Silver RX8 is a lesson in accuracy, our analysis shows. Little attempt has been made to enhance or ‘voice’ the loudspeaker distinctively; the Silver RX8 is close to tonally neutral and should sound detailed without being brash or shouty like so many modern designs. A small amount of lift around 12kHz will ensure treble is clearly present, but not excessive. There is a small dip below 300Hz that is related to an internal cabinet mode, peaks in our port output analyses show and bass rises quite substantially around 80Hz, an underdamped response that will ensure the RX8 has lively bass. The ports peak at 55Hz, a high value, and with output from both 6dB up on forward output at 80Hz they contribute substantially to bass energy in the room. Absence of low bass means the RX8, much like B&W equivalents, swaps subsonics for bass speed. Bass distortion measured a low 3% at 40Hz and the ports were linear too, delivering 6% at 40Hz.

Sensitivity was very high, with 90dB sound pressure level produced from one nominal watt (2.8V). With impedance minima of 4 Ohms and an overall measured value of 5.3 Ohms this is a 4 Ohm loudspeaker but it’s largely a resistive load that will be easily driven by modern amplifier, returning little energy to them. Our 200mS spectral decay analysis shows the RX8 also enjoys very low levels of  colouration across midband and treble, close to electrostatics, although it is inevitably ‘hot’ in the bass.

The Silver RX8 is a very neat and directed piece of loudspeaker engineering. With plentiful bass, obvious but not accentuated treble and a clear, smooth midrange it should offer excellent clarity and accuracy with a sense of dynamic liveliness. NK

FREQUENCY RESPONSE (what it means)

Green - drive unit;  Red - front port; Yellow - rear port

IMPEDANCE (what it means)

DECAY SPECTRUM 200mS (what it means)

DECAY MAP 200mS (what it means)

DISTORTION (what it means)

BASS DISTORTION (what it means)