Monitor Audio was understandably eager to show off its highly ambitious Concept 50 prototype speakers at the High End Munich show last May, in what was the middle of the British company's 50th anniversary year. But it is no doubt even keener to shout about the production version of those very same speakers now that they are finally ready to launch. Say hello to the rather radically-looking and certainly statement-making Monitor Audio Hyphn.
Monitor Audio says its new all-singing-all-dancing flagship loudspeakers are the "most creatively ambitious, technically advanced and powerful" it has ever made. No biggie, then.
As you were undoubtedly wondering, the Hyphn take their name from the architectural use of the term ‘hyphen’, meaning a link connecting two larger structures. You can see where Monitor Audio is coming from here, with this 'hyphen' idea represented by the 'M-Array' down the middle of each tower's two mineral and acrylic stone pillars. This unique driver configuration – developed in-house by the company's engineers – comprises a single tweeter surrounded by six two-inch midrange drivers, with the 11-driver cluster completed by two pairs of eight-inch force-cancelling bass drivers.
That tweeter is the third generation of Monitor Audio's Micro Pleated Diaphragm III design, found also on the high-end Platinum Series 3G floorstanders that arrived last year, while the midrange units feature the RDT III (Rigid Diaphragm Technology) cone that also debuted on the Platinums. This cone promises to be super light yet super strong – it is made from three layers bonded together – to provide the lowest distortion of previous Monitor Audio speakers.
Those precision-milled stone cabinets are naturally rigid but also further strengthened by ribs and bracing, with the walls around the bass drivers up to one-inch thick. Monitor Audio says the cabinet is "almost vibration free", which is about as much as any speaker company can claim a cabinet to be.
You might have guessed by now that the Monitor Audio Hyphn comes with a price tag befitting this out-there design and technological effort – and you'd be right. In your choice of Pure Satin White, Matte Black or Matte Heritage Green, the Hyphn cost a cool £70,000 / $92,500 / AU$135,000.
And if with that knowledge you are still dying to know more, you can read our interview with Monitor Audio's technical director, Michael Hedges, who explains that they are a statement of intent to focus on putting engineering first ahead of “chasing a specific sound.”
MORE:
High End Munich 2023 preview: what to expect from Europe’s high-end hi-fi show
Best speakers 2023: budget to premium stereo speakers
What Hi-Fi? Pick of the Month: Sony’s new AVR and OLED get perfect scores
