Monitor Audio ASB-2 & Radius One Soundbars Preview

Monitor Audio showed up to CEDIA 2013 with a number of new products on display, including the PROIC65 and PROIC180 in-ceiling speakers, Radius 380 & 390 subwoofers, Radius One passive soundbar, and ASB-2 active soundbar. In this article, however, we're talking about the ASB-2 and Radius One.

ASB-2 Soundbar

With one glance at the Monitor Audio ASB-2 you know it’s a serious piece of gear, and it should be with an MSRP of $1649. The ASB-2 is pitched as more than just a soundbar, but rather the “ultimate audio hub for the home”. That might be a tad generous of a description, but it does have the potential to be the central speaker for music and movie listening in a home.

On the music side of things, the ASB-2 is Apple AirPlay, DLNA and UPnP enabled. It lacks Bluetooth, but few products support both AirPlay and Bluetooth. On the rear are 3 HDMI inputs and 1 output with HDMI-ARC support and an OSD. Digital coax, optical, stereo analog and 3.5mm round out the input section of the ASB-2, offering a plethora of input options. Somewhere among the physical inputs and wireless protocols, most anything should hook up to the ASB-2.

ASB-2

On the front is an impressive array of drivers, including two 5.5” bass drivers, two 4” C-CAM midrange drivers, and two 1” C-CAM tweeters. Five discrete amps pump out 160 watts of power to the six drivers. Monitor Audio rates the ASB-2 at 40Hz – 20kHZ (no tolerance provided), and I have no problem believing it. Based off of what we have heard and measured from other soundbars designed to run sans a subwoofer, 40Hz at a respectable volume level is believable. However, for those who want additional bass, which is us, the ASB-2 has a subwoofer output. Control is facilitated via buttons on the top of the unit or your TV remote.

ASB-2 Buttons

Radius One

Active soundbars are great for consumers who want as little clutter as possible, but for those who want a little more flexibility and are okay with an AV receiver taking up some space in the room, passive soundbars offer a number of advantages. For example, you can still use surround speakers and any AVR you want.

Radius One

The Radius One is the replacement for the original Radius soundbar. It incorporates a string of C-CAM drivers arranged in three sets of 4” bass driver/1” tweeter pairings, each with its own dedicated reflex-ported chamber. Still, it manages to be 40% thinner than the original Radius at 6 7/8” H x 38 9/16” W x 3 1/8” D. It’s rated down to a believable 90Hz with an 87dB sensitivity.

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Unless otherwise indicated, this is a preview article for the featured product. A formal review may or may not follow in the future.