Monolith by Monoprice 116050

The Monolith by Monoprice M1060 is a budget open-back planar magnetic headphone that delivers shockingly detailed sound for the price. The build quality is iffy and the treble can be harsh, but the wide soundstage and fast bass make it a fun entry point for curious audiophiles. Just don't expect to use the mic for anything, ever.

The M1060's 106mm planar drivers are the whole reason this headphone exists. In practice, they deliver a sound that's quick and resolving. Bass notes have a satisfying snap and decay that feels more physical than what you get from dynamic drivers. The open-back design gives the soundstage a wide, airy presentation that's great for live recordings and acoustic music. But our database puts the overall sound score in the 25th percentile, which tells you this isn't a perfectly tuned headphone out of the box. There's a peakiness in the treble that some listeners find fatiguing, and the midrange can feel a bit recessed compared to more balanced competitors.

Comfort is a bright spot, landing in the 74th percentile. Those big faux leather pads do a solid job for extended listening, though they can get a little warm after a couple hours. The build quality is where the budget roots show, sitting in the 37th percentile. The materials feel a bit plasticky, and the headband adjustment mechanism has been known to develop cracks over time. It's a headphone you'll want to treat with care, not toss in a bag. And forget about taking calls with these. The mic score is a dismal 7.4 out of 100, which is one of the worst we've seen. These are strictly for music, not meetings.

Stacked against the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4, the M1060 is a completely different animal. The Sennheisers are wireless, closed-back, and packed with features like ANC and a great mic. They're a modern daily driver. The M1060 is a wired, open-back relic that demands a quiet room and a headphone amp. If you need something for your commute, the Sony ULT WEAR is a far more practical choice with its bass-heavy tuning and noise cancelling. The M1060 is for the person who already has a pair of wireless cans and wants a dedicated listening setup at their desk.

Against the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2, the comparison gets almost silly. The Px8 S2 is a luxury product with premium materials and a refined, polished sound. The M1060 is a budget science project that sounds surprisingly good but feels like it might fall apart if you look at it wrong. The Apple AirPods Max are in a different universe entirely, with seamless integration and spatial audio tricks. The M1060's only real competitor in spirit is something like the Hifiman Sundara, another affordable planar magnetic that generally has better build quality and a more refined tuning. If you can stretch your budget, the Sundara is the safer bet.

Value is where the M1060 makes its strangest argument. The price range across vendors is absolutely wild, from $267 all the way up to $52,186. Obviously, that high end is some kind of algorithmic glitch or a joke listing. At the real-world price of around $270, you're getting planar magnetic technology at a price that undercuts almost everything else on the market. For someone who wants to dip their toes into audiophile sound without spending Sennheiser HD 800S money, this is a compelling, if flawed, ticket in. Just make sure you're buying from a vendor with a sane price and a good return policy in case you get a unit with build quality issues.

The Monolith by Monoprice M1060 is one of those headphones that makes you do a double take. A pair of open-back planar magnetic cans for under $300? That's a spec sheet that usually costs double or triple the price. The 106mm planar drivers are the star of the show here, promising lower distortion and better bass than your typical dynamic driver headphone. If you've been curious about planar magnetic sound but didn't want to sell a kidney to try it, the M1060 is basically the gateway drug.

But let's be real about what you're getting into. These are big, wired, open-back headphones that leak sound like a screen door. They're designed for a quiet room, a good amp, and a listening session where you want to pick apart your favorite albums. The faux leather pads and padded headband are comfortable enough for long sessions, though at 118 grams they're not exactly featherweights. The build quality is a bit of a mixed bag, which is where that budget price starts to show its seams.

For the price, the sound is the main event. The planar drivers deliver that fast, detailed presentation that fans of the technology love. Imaging is precise, and the bass has a texture you just don't get from most headphones in this bracket. But the tuning isn't for everyone, and the overall sound score in our database lands in the 25th percentile. That means it's a specific flavor, not a crowd-pleaser. If you're after a neutral reference sound, you might need to do some EQ tweaking.

Skip the M1060 if you need a headphone for commuting, travel, or office use. The open-back design leaks sound like crazy and provides zero isolation from the outside world. If you take a lot of calls, the mic is one of the worst we've tested, so look at something like the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 instead. And if you're not willing to mess with EQ or risk a potential build quality issue down the line, save up a bit more for the Hifiman Sundara, which delivers a similar planar experience with much better refinement and durability.

The Monolith M1060 is a headphone for tinkerers and curious audiophiles on a budget. If you've never heard planar magnetic drivers and you have a decent amp sitting on your desk, the sound you get for under $300 is genuinely impressive. The wide soundstage and detailed bass are addictive with the right recordings. But you have to be willing to put up with some serious compromises. The build quality is suspect, the treble can be a icepick without EQ, and the mic is laughably bad.

Should you buy this? Only if you know exactly what you're signing up for. This is not a headphone for casual listening, podcasts, or gaming with friends. It's a dedicated music headphone for a quiet room. If you're the type who enjoys tweaking an EQ profile and doesn't mind a headphone that feels a bit like a DIY project, the M1060 is a fun, rewarding listen. If you just want something that works perfectly out of the box, look elsewhere.