Sweet 16-Channel Surround Sound
IT’S BEEN interesting to watch the evolution of Monoprice in the home theater market following the introduction of its Monolith product line. Monolith encompasses a broad range of components, including speakers, subwoofers, and amplifiers, all produced in partnership with big names in A/V product design and development, and all offering impressive performance at a strikingly low cost. The company’s latest market disruptor is the Monolith HTP-1 surround sound processor, a stunning freshman effort that includes features typically seen only on components that cost significantly more than the $3,999 HTP-1.
DESIGN
The HTP-1 is one of the most feature-laden processors I’ve encountered to date. This 16-channel design supports the latest surround formats including Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, and Auro-3D, and features Dirac Live room correction along with the new Dirac Live Bass Control subwoofer integration and equalization. Monolith’s processor is also Roon Tested and is fully software- and hardware-upgradeable.
The HTP-1’s attractive, textured aluminum front panel features a touch-controlled display that can be set to always-on, dimmed to different levels, or switched off entirely. All front-panel operation and setup features can also be accessed from a web browser on a laptop or tablet by navigating to the HTP-1’s IP address. This is the
