Monitor Audio Studio 89 Bookshelf Speakers - Gloss Black - Pair

A 1980s Name on a Thoroughly Modern Speaker

The Studio 89 borrows its name, and its gloss-black-with-gold-drivers look, from Monitor Audio’s Studio 15 of 1989. Everything else is current. Two 4.25-inch RDT III C-CAM mid-bass drivers flank an MPD III pleated tweeter in a cabinet just 6.2 inches wide and deeper than it is tall.

That layout is called MTM, mid-tweeter-mid, and it is why the cabinet can be this narrow. Two small drivers move about as much air as one 6-inch unit, and placing them above and below the tweeter tightens vertical dispersion. The driver technology comes down from Monitor Audio’s Hyphn flagship.

RDT III: Three Layers, One Very Stiff Cone

Each cone is a sandwich: a ceramic-coated aluminum-magnesium skin over a Nomex honeycomb core, backed with woven carbon fiber. Monitor Audio’s own summary is "super lightweight and very, very strong", and the motor behind each cone uses a magnet larger than the cone itself.

The Numbers, and What They Ask of You

Monitor Audio quotes 48 Hz to 60 kHz in-room at minus 6 dB. Sensitivity is 86 dB. Nominal impedance is 6 ohms, with a minimum of 4.2 ohms, and the recommended amplifier is 50 to 300 watts. The crossover sits at 2.4 kHz and the twin rear slot ports are tuned to 58 Hz.

Hi-Fi News measured sensitivity at 86.0 dB, matching the specification, with a 4.4 ohm minimum at 202 Hz. Each cabinet measures 13.4 by 6.2 by 14.2 inches and weighs 16 pounds 12 ounces. Monitor Audio makes a matching Studio 89 stand, and we stock it in both finishes.

MPD III, the Tweeter That Is Not a Dome

The high frequencies come from a Micro Pleated Diaphragm rather than a dome. Monitor Audio says: "Its super-fast-reacting accordion-like pleats produce a smooth, wide and fast response." The waveguide and grille around it were taken from the Hyphn, and response is quoted out to 60 kHz.

What Reviewers Are Saying

What Hi-Fi? gave them five stars on July 1, 2024: "If we were asked to describe the Studio 89’s sound in three words it would be detailed, agile and polished."

Simon Lucas, also five stars in TechRadar the same day, said few speakers both inform and entertain: "So it’s nice to be able to add the Studio 89 to the list."

Lee Dunkley made them an Editor’s Pick in Audiograde on August 7, 2024, and found "the Studio 89s are one of the least fussy speakers I’ve encountered in terms of placement".

Who Are These Bookshelf Speakers Best For?

• You want a big soundstage from a narrow footprint — Audiograde heard "a high-fidelity sound and scale that’s bigger than its compact dimensions might suggest"
• Your room is awkward — Dunkley found they keep "a lovely sense of stereo soundstage even when plonked awkwardly in the room"
• You value detail over slam — What Hi-Fi? called the presentation "impeccably clean and precise without sounding overly analytical", while TechRadar noted some rivals "have greater bite and assertiveness"
• You want an easy amplifier match — 6 ohms nominal and 86 dB is a friendlier load than most speakers at this level, and Hi-Fi News’ lab called it "relatively painless"
• You care how they look — gloss black or gloss white, both with gold drivers, and a matching stand that completes the design

How Do They Connect to Your System?

Speaker cable runs from your amplifier to a single pair of rhodium-plated binding posts on each cabinet, red to red and black to black, with both runs the same length. These are passive speakers, so there is nothing else to power or configure.

Bolt them to their stands, which puts the tweeter at seated ear height, and leave room behind the two rear ports. What Hi-Fi? settled about 28 inches from the rear wall, angled slightly toward the listening seat.

Pairs Well With

What finishes the setup. These are the categories most Studio 89 owners shop next.

• Studio 89 speaker stands — the matching stand, in black or white, bolts to the cabinet
• Integrated amplifiers — 50 to 300 watts into 6 ohms; reviewers found they scale with better amplification
• Speaker cables — a single run per side to the rhodium-plated posts
• Subwoofers — optional at 48 Hz, but there for film and the lowest octave

Frequently Asked Questions

How much amplifier do I need?

Monitor Audio recommends 50 to 300 watts. At 6 ohms nominal and 86 dB these are not a hard load, but What Hi-Fi? found they "excel when driven by a quality amplifier with a decent amount of grunt".

Will these fit on a bookshelf?

Realistically, no. Each cabinet is 14.2 inches deep with two rear-firing ports, so a shelf blocks the bass. They are designed for stands, and the matching Studio 89 stand bolts to the base.

What does MTM mean?

Mid-tweeter-mid: two identical mid-bass drivers with the tweeter between them. It controls vertical dispersion and lets a narrow cabinet move as much air as a wider one with a single larger driver.

Black or white: is there a sonic difference?

No difference. Both are the same speaker under a different gloss paint, and both keep the gold-colored drivers. Gloss black is the finish that echoes the original Studio 15.

How do they compare with the Gold 100 6G?

The Gold 100 6G is a larger three-way with an 8-inch bass driver and deeper bass; the Studio 89 is narrower, an easier load, and images from a smaller footprint. Both are in our Monitor Audio collection.

Do I need a subwoofer?

Not for most music. What Hi-Fi? advised that "it pays to have realistic expectations in terms of bass reach and punch", and 48 Hz in-room bears that out. For film, a subwoofer adds the bottom octave.

See It in Action

Our own look at the Studio 89:

The Absolute Sound reviews the Studio 89:

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