Price: $1,213
With such a quick router from First Test to
2012 Award-winner, it’s hardly a surprise that we’d feature the Monitor Audio
MASS system in this test.
We made quite a big deal of sense of scale
offered by this compact system, and we’re still staggered by the powerful sound
delivered by the small MASS 10 satellites. While we were initially musing over
the look of the five identical speakers, with their contrasting silver-brushed
aluminum end caps and curved cabinets, we’re rather taken with them now.
Underneath the matte black cloth finish,
the tweeter and driver cones are fashioned from Monitor Audio’s trademark C-Cam
(Ceramic-Coated Aluminum/Magnesium) material, which aims for a consistent
dispersion of sound.
And much like the B&W MT-50, you’ll
hardly notice the speakers’ physical presence at all once you put a film on –
you’ll be far too busy enjoying the MASS’s powerful and friendly sound.
Monitor
Audio MASS
A truly involving sound
There’s a reason this Monitor Audio system
knocked the Q Acoustics Q7000 off its perch at the sub-1lac price point at this
year’s Awards. While both offer a crisp and clear sound with great attention to
detail, it’s the MASS’s ability to deliver a much more open and engulfing sound
that gives in the edge. The Thor vs Iron Man vs Captain American fight scene in
Avengers is a chaotic arrangement of loud crashes and wallops interspersed with
snappy one-liner and the MASS system has all the control and speed needed to
deliver each punch and crash with excitement.
The W200 subwoofer deserves a mention – it
may be a hefty accompaniment to such small speakers, but the power and agility
of the two 25cm side-firing drivers are a central part of the MASS’s cohesive
and well-timed sound.
Surround effects are easy to pick out as
well, with Iron Man and the Chitauri whizzing about the room seamlessly via the
wonderfully integrated MASS 10 satellites. We’d say the MASS’s talent are
second only to those of the B&W MT-50 system, the differences being that
the B&W offers more insight, and manages to eke out that last layer of
subtlety when it comes to shifting dynamics. It’s this that makes it distinct
from this Monitor Audio rival
Both the B&W package and this Monitor
Audio score top marks. And there’s no question that they both deserve it.
Nevertheless, there is the price difference to consider. For the moment, let’s
just say that both are superbly talented systems that we’d happily buy in an
instant.
Cohesive design, big sound
We like the almost-hidden-away inlaid back
panel of the MASS’s subwoofer – it mimics the style of the hidden speaker
terminals on the similarly finished M-1 satellites. The comparatively massive
sub comes with three presets: we’d skip both the bass-heavy ‘Impact’ and the
more subtle ‘Music’ modes. And keep it switched to the somewhere in between
‘Movie’ mode to get the best results with film soundtracks.
MASS’s
subwoofer
Rating: 5 stars
For: Exciting and dynamic; impressive scale
and power; strong and agile; good detail; compact and well build; great price
Against: A slight bias towards the
mid-range
Verdict: Small but powerful, the MASS
impresses with a detailed yet substantial sound
Specifications
Monitor Audio Mass
·
Price: $1,213
·
Rating: 5 stars
Satellites
·
Sensitivity: 84db/w/m
·
Power handling: 100W
·
Dimensions (hwd): F/R 22 x 13 x 13cm, center: 13
x 22 x 13cm
Subwoofer
·
Power: 220W
·
Driver: 25cm
·
Type: sealed
·
Inputs: 1
·
Dimensions (hwd): 42 x 38 x 38cm
Q Acoustics Q7000
Price: $1,090
A Acoustics has a great record in producing
musical, confident and affordable speaker, and this Q7000 5.1 home cinema
system is one of the products that helps that reputation. It ran away with a
2011 Product of the Year.
Q
Acoustics Q7000
It’s a tidy system, with five identical
satellites finished in a sleek glossy black (or white) shell, each housing a
pair of 7.5cm coated-paper mid/bass drivers that are placed either side of a
25mm ring radiator tweeter.
The Q7000 is a refined-sounding package,
and it seems to take particular care with dialogue. Take the scene when we’re
first introduced to Black Widow in Avengers, and you’ll find the voices clear
and full of character. There’s also a smooth elegance to the surround sound
even in quitter scenes.
Integration and timing
As the scene continues, the Q7000 proves
itself to be a well-integrated system, with the punchy and well-paced subwoofer
comfortably keeping in time with the rest of the system.
Compared with the Canton Movie 1050, the
Q7000 appears noticeably more organized and controlled: the separation and
clarity of all the elements clearly mark the Q Acoustics as offering a much
more desirable package.
That said, the Q7000 doesn’t quite convey
the feeling of space and openness as well as either the B&W MT-50 or the
Monitor Audio MASS. Extended and varied listening reveals that it’s not quite
as far reaching in terms of scale and power.
It might be more expensive than the Q7000,
but the MASS system is a clear step above in outright power and performance.
Surround effects are handled with more authority and confidence, while the
Q7000 feels dainty in comparison. There’s steady progression of dynamic shifts,
but the Q Acoustics system does start to strain at higher volumes: the top end
begins to run out of breathing space and becomes a bit too aggressive as a
results.
Even after a year we still have a soft spot
for the Q7000, which provides a much more interesting and engulfing sound than
the Canton package. However, the MASS is a far more exciting listen and the
Q7000 ultimately loses a star in this battle.
Let’s not forget that this package won our
Product of the Year Award in 2011, and there are still plenty of good reasons
to buy it – not least its design and build quality. It’s just that, with the
appearance of the MASS and MT-50, the Q7000 has been overtaken. It remains a
good, if not the best, style speaker package at this price point.
Easy positioning
The subwoofer has an interesting design:
the speaker terminals and the 25cm paper cone driver are both hidden behind the
side panel, which is held in position by a single bold. This is primarily for
aesthetic reasons – it gives the box a smart, clean look that’s in keeping with
that of the satellites but it also means the unit is less fussy about where it
is positioned in a room. Another bonus is that helps keep the wiring tucked
away.
The
subwoofer has an interesting design
Rating: 4 stars
For: refined and elegant; focused,
attacking sound; build and finish; price
Against: The best of its rivals are
stronger in terms of outright scale and atmosphere
Verdict: The Q7000 is still an attractive
buy, but falls slightly short on power and detail
Specifications
Q Acoustics Q7000
·
Price: $1,090
·
Rating: 4 stars
Satellites
·
Sensitivity: 85db/w/m
·
Power handling: 100W
·
Dimensions (hwd): F/R 24 x 10 x 16cm, center: 10
x 24 x 16cm
Subwoofer
·
Power: 250W
·
Driver: 25cm
·
Type: sealed
·
Inputs: 2
·
Dimensions (hwd): 37 x 51 x 22cm
Test verdict
The winner: B&W MT-50…
Our four contenders show that competition
is particularly fierce towards the upper end of the style speaker market. That
makes the achievement of the excellent B&W MT-50 package all the more
impressive
All four style speaker package in this test
stay true to their billing: they are well-designed, great-looking compact
systems that wouldn’t look out of place in any room. And if you’re setting up
your very first home cinema system or even upgrading your existing one – this
is a highly competitive and attractive price point to set your sights on.
The Monitor Audio MASS system has already
piped the Q Acoustics Q7000 5.1 package to grab the Best Buy Award at the
sub-1las price mark. And although you can find the Q7000 for a bit less if you
shop around, the MASS system is a much more exciting experience.
The Canton Movie 1050 threw an unknown
quantity into the mix – it seemed as if it could give the other three systems a
run for their money, but if falters due to the limitations in its sonic
composure.
And then there were two
So it ultimately came down to a battle
between the Monitor Audio MASS and the B&W MT-50. We’ve hailed both systems
for their power, superb surround sound and dynamic range, so surely the $1700
price difference seals it? No. While the MASS is a great package for its price,
it just can’t match the MT-50. The B&W set-up really is sublime in its
integration, detail and ability to place you right in the middle of the action.
In fact, its performance is miles ahead of its asking price. It’s a
captivating, stunning product.
