Review: Monoprice Model 10533 Premium 4 inch 2 way bookshelf speakers

Budget Esoterica Review Magazine
April 2017 Issue

The Monoprice virus bug is catching

Monoprice has a small pair of speakers listed on their website that i really like. The model 10533 premium 4 inch 2 way speakers were very well engineered. I think one of the reasons they sound so good in the bass department is because they used a small woofer in a larger cabinet than usual. The port in the rear is also pretty big. Audiophiles are going to have to leave their preconceptions and biases behind and listen to what these budget marvels are capable of. I will go out on a limb and state that the Monoprice speakers are going to be the budget leader in the under $50 speaker category. 

I love the way they look also. They almost have a bit of an "European" style to them. The cabinet finish is a little plain looking, but other than that i think they have a rather designer boutique look to them. This is one speaker that gives you both performance and looks. The cabinet measures 12.6" by 6.7" by 8.1" deep. The frequency response is 60 Hz-20 khz. Judging by the way the bass sounds i bet they didn't fudge on the ratings. Maximum power rating is 80 watts. So how do they sound? In one word, splendiferous. In three words, neutral, lively and just plain fun. 

Reference Discs

1. Van Morrison, Moondance, Track 2, "Moondance".
2. John Coltrane , The Believer , Track 2, "Nakatini Serenade".
3. Sonny Rollins, Our Man In Jazz, Track 1, "Oleo".

Van Morrison's cd titled Moondance is a very nicely recorded masterpiece. Listening to this cd it sounded just as fresh and clean as my well recorded modern recordings. The title track, "Moondance", showed me just how neutral and clean the Monoprice speakers are. The vocals were smooth and very accurate. The guitar strumming was clean, accurate and elastic, but it was the saxophone playing that really made me take notice. Instead of sounding brassy it had a rather silvery tone that was liquid and had good "bite" to it. Rhythm and timing was excellent also. 

The song, "Nakatini Serenade", from the John Coltrane cd, came across as speedy and lively. One way to get the illusion of live music is to have speakers that are well extended and detailed in the high frequency region. The Monoprice speakers do not disappoint in that regard. I simply felt there was more "headroom" in the treble region with the Magnum integrated amp / Monoprice combination than what i usually hear. Well done! Applause, applause. The trumpet reproduction on this track was also handled nicely. The cymbal work at the beginning of the song and at the end was thick and meaty sounding with a silver / chromium sheen. Piano was accurate and had pretty good weight. 

"Oleo" from the Sonny Rollins Disc has excellent musicianship going on. The interplay between the bass player and the sax and cornet player is stunning. The speakers disappeared quite well on this track. The timing of the instruments was simply superb! I felt like i was watching synchronized swimming. The upright bass solo had very nice detail. If you listen closely you can hear glasses clinking in the left channel. The drum solo was very accurate and the succeeding percussion work was clean and fairly crisp. 

The Monoprice speakers are excellent transducers. If you love jazz and vocals you need to buy a pair! Based on the build quality and the sound, i think they reach audiophile quality. I would be very surprised if the Monoprice speakers do not show up on the front cover of Stereophile magazine. Highly recommended and i demand that you buy a pair.

Associated equipment

Magnum integrated amp
Tara Labs Prism Reference power cord
Rca Noisestoppers
Sony Playstation SCPH-1001 cd player
Original Hirakawa c7 power cord
Furutech Alpha 2.1 stereo interconnects
Qed speaker cables
Mission FS-50 Speaker stands