Monitor Audio Studio 89 Loudspeakers

A legendary speaker series. Born in the 1980s, it brought studio monitor-quality sound to the home.

“In a nutshell, the Studio 15 can be summed up as an almost completely open window on the music being played. It is one of the most neutral and transparent designs ever to come my way”

Audiophile Magazine - 1990 

Studio 89. Conceived in the 1980s. Reimagined for today.

Born of a decade fuelled by cultural change-makers. 

The iconic Studio Series. A legendary speaker range born when music, television, and video tape ruled. An era of bold styles, vibrant colours, early computer gaming and breathtakingly rapid technological innovation that fuelled an unrivalled explosion of popular culture and laid the foundation for today’s digital era.  Glam metal, new wave, synth pop ruled the airwaves, and the birth of the music video revolutionised how artists connected with their audiences. Consumption, individuality and self-expression defined the times. Studio 89 takes inspiration from this culturally explosive decade but is a thoroughly modern loudspeaker. Inspired by individual expression and the culture that shapes it, Studio 89 is the loudspeaker for the new change-makers. 

Designed to be different.

Studio 89’s radical design is inspired by the individuality and self-expression that made the 1980s such a culturally significant decade. The implementation of Monitor Audio’s latest cutting-edge acoustic technologies and a beautifully detailed design connect Studio 89 to the artists of today – bringing the sound of the original recording home with more lifelike realism than ever before. In a nod to the original Studio 15, Studio 89 is resplendent in high-gloss black, with our most technologically advanced metal cone drivers finished in gold. It’s the only model Monitor Audio makes that is available in this luxurious finish. Studio 89 is fearlessly unconventional. Just like the 1980s. Listen Again. 

Articulate, powerful,  and controlled bass.

Studio 89 is compact for good reason. We know space is at a premium within the home, while large room-filling sound is a must. Advances in metal driver cone technology and powerful motor systems mean that the two things aren’t mutually exclusive. Studio 89 utilises twin 4 ¼” bass-mid drivers. These have been specially designed to ensure the three ultra-thin layers of C-CAM, Nomex honeycomb core and carbon weave act pistonically when they are driven by the powerful motor systems, which boast large 85mm diameter magnet structures (the magnet is larger than the cone!) This high-strength magnetic field provides exceptional control over cone motion for pristine performance. 25mm overhung voice coils and a linear cone excursion of 4.5mm allow the drive units to react to even the most dynamic passages with ease, producing an exceptionally large soundstage and presentation into the room.

An effective ‘point-source’ Studio 89 is a diminutive speaker. Yet its topology ensures that even in large rooms, the soundstage, imaging and detail levels are completely enveloping and remain true to the ethos of bringing ‘studio monitoring quality’ into the home. This is in no small part down to to the ’Point source’ MTM (Mid-Tweeter-Mid) driver Array. Positioning the MPD III high-frequency transducer between the twin 4 ¼” bassmid drivers, and with a carefully-built third-order crossover to ensure the perfect frequency response across each drive unit for total symmetry, helps control sound dispersion. This complex array of drivers delivers on Monitor Audio’s Transparent Design Philosophy, ensuring that the sum of all Studio 89’s parts are built around total performance. The resulting high-fidelity sound is of a scale and quality that belies Studio 89’s diminutive size.

Precise, lightning-fast accuracy.

Studio 89’s ability to transport the artist’s vision from the studio into your home is the result of Monitor Audio’s Transparent Design Philosophy. An important element in this ability is the advanced acoustic engineering and design of the Micro Pleated Diaphragm (MPD) III high-frequency transducer. MPD III works with lighting speed and accuracy; its lightweight, pleated design acts like an accordion, producing a wide linear HF presentation into the listening area. Lifelike realism, precision and clarity are produced with ease – from a delicate whisper or note to a growl or shout, every single detail is delivered as the artist intended, in truly spine-tingling high fidelity.

Simplicity personified. 

An important element of Studio 89 is the delivery of signals to the innovative drive units. Every drive unit must work in harmony with the others, and the frequency transition between each needs to be seamless. Studio 89 is built around a purity of design, and simplicity, that neither adds nor subtracts anything to the recording. Therefore, the crossovers have undergone hours of listening and part selection, using only the very best bespoke polypropylene and polyester capacitors, air-core and lowloss laminated steel-core inductors to provide maximum signal transfer and reduced distortion for optimum sound delivery.

Isolated aluminium front baffle

The front of Studio 89 features a unique aluminium baffle that houses the powerful twin RDT III 4 1/4” bass-mid drivers and MPD III high-frequency transducer. The acoustic intention and engineering of the baffle is that both itself, and the drivers that fix to it, have less physical interaction with the main body of the cabinet. This is achieved by employing a layer of dense foam suspension, which sits between the baffle and the cabinet as well as between the face of each drive unit. Each part is perfectly isolated, yet all are connected for strength and ultimate performance. The baffle housing and drive unit are then secured in place via through-bolt technology, which runs from the rear of the drive units through to the rear of the speaker cabinet. It is then tightened up to a highly specific gauged torque to achieve both optimum force and the most secure fixing. The result is an extremely rigid cabinet structure with little interference to the drivers themselves. They’re left to operate in complete sonic isolation for a cleaner, larger high-fidelity sound presentation.

Small, yet perfectly formed.

Studio 89 benefits from an extremely strong and rigid cabinet structure. Its compact proportions include an 18mm front baffle with rigid 15mm side walls. Precisely calculated and positioned internal walls provide additional strength and bracing; their clever configuration allows airflow to funnel via the top and bottom of the cabinet through the high-velocity HiVe II slot ports, reducing potential turbulence and air noise. The cabinet design works in perfect harmony with the drive units and crossover – a total system, delivering on Monitor Audio’s Transparent Design Philosophy. The exterior of the cabinet is finished in a deep high-gloss black paint with goldcoloured drive units. This is a reference to the iconic Studio 15, which was the only model within the original Studio Series that was available in this stylish combination. Studio 89 delivers a breathtakingly big sound, from a beautifully finished compact box. 

Standing proud, whatever the environment

The Studio 89 is engineered to be partnered with its bespoke floor stand.  Designed to extend the placement versatility of the speaker, the Studio 89 Stand also improves its sonic qualities by allowing the extruded aluminium central column to be mineral-filled for enhanced acoustic performance and presentation into the listening area. The Studio 89 Stand also benefits from an elegant cable management system, which ensures speaker cables are hidden out of sight. Integrated spikes and rubber feet ensure that whatever the surface, the Studio 89 Stand will be anchored perfectly