Monitor Audio Studio 89 review: poised, informative stereo speakers with detail and dynamism in equal measure
Monitor Audio Studio 89: Two minute review Back in the day, ‘Studio’ was Monitor Audio’s most expensive, most aspirational range of loudspeakers. And now the name is back, with an ‘89’ attached for good measure, in a loudspeaker the company reckons is more ‘Formula 1’ than ‘sports car’. It’s a distinctive looker, that’s for sure – whether or not you find the proportions attractive is one thing, but there’s no denying the gloss-black cabinet with its vertical, copper-colored driver array is dramatic. Bolt the speakers to the matching stands (if you don’t mind the extra outlay) and the look is coherent and, to me at least, striking. Using driver and crossover technology originally developed for a loudspeaker that costs $92K / £70K per pair is pretty promising, too – and the way it’s been deployed shows similarly little inclination to compromise. Heck, even the speaker terminals on the rear of the cabinets are rhodium-plated and quite extravagantly shaped. How does this more aff...