Monoprice Encore B5 coming in April, poor mans Arendal 1961? Also the T5

[ROOSKIE]

Monolith by Monoprice Encore B5 Bookshelf Speakers (Each) - Monoprice.com

Monolith™ by Monoprice™Encore B5 Bookshelf SpeakerThe Monolith™ Encore series of speakers brings astounding audio performance to any room! Featuring a silk dome tweeter with distinct

www.monoprice.com

$150 USD each
The design philosophy and similarity to some of the Arendal speakers is again present.
This set reminds of the 1961 with the sealed design and overall design strategy.

I wonder if these sound good?
Time will tell.

Also a smaller tower in line is coming the T5
$330 USD each

Monolith by Monoprice Encore T5 Tower Speakers (Each) - Monoprice.com

Monolith™ by Monoprice™Encore T5 Tower SpeakerThe Monolith™ Encore series of speakers brings astounding audio performance to any room! Featuring a silk dome tweeter with distinctive

www.monoprice.com

No specification posted yet for either.

 

[Doctors11]

I thought I read somewhere that the designer of the 1961 was involved with this speaker development.

 

[steno]

I have purchased a pair of the Encore B5s, and in honor of the queen's passing, have auditioned the speakers with Pink Floyd's Pulse. The limey old guys sound good, though my hearing is not. Hopefully we will be graced with a full evaluation of these speakers.

The marketing material on the Monoprice site is not completely accurate. Here are some clarifications:

• The cabinets are sealed as one would expect from the images. However, the enclosure is described as "vented" in the specifications.
• Some images show (rendered) plastic parts on the binding posts. These are actually metal with approximately M8 stud diameter.

Other notes:

• Grilles are secured by plastic ball and socket at the corners. Seems sturdy enough. The grilles have a usual thin material stretched over a plastic frame. There are no obstructions in front of the drivers. Adhesive feet are included.
• Overall the packaging is standard for the Monolith brand as I understand it with foam end pieces and a cloth bag for the speaker.

I thought I read somewhere that the designer of the 1961 was involved with this speaker development.

Is this in fact true? Both speaker models weigh the same, with the B5 being larger in size.