126 MACWORLD DECEMBER 2019
PLAY LIST REVIEW: MONOPRICE MONOLITH DESKTOP BALANCED HEADPHONE AMPLIFER(1960mW balanced), and
73mW into 600 ohms
(290mW balanced).
INPUTS AND
OPTIONS
At this price, the
Monolith has an
impressive array of input
options that will meet
the needs of the most
demanding audiophiles.
There’s USB, Toslink optical, S/PDIF, and
AES/EBU digital inputs, plus a set of
analog RCA and balanced inputs. The USB
input is the only input that can reach the
DAC’s full performance capabilities. The
Toslink optical input is limited to
24-bit/96kHz sampling, and the coax S/
PDIF and AES3 input will support a
maximum of 24-bit/192kHz sampling. I
should note that many would argue that
you won’t hear any difference with files
encoded at resolutions
higher than
24-bit/96kHz. The
Monolith will only
accept stereo PCM
signals, it cannot
decode multichannel
Dolby or DTS audio.
The Monolith’s USB
connection is driverless
for Mac users. I had no
problem connecting the Monolith to a Mac
Mini or Macbook Pro. For Windows users,
Monoprice offers a driver download on the
product webpage.
The Monolith can function as both a DAC
and a preamp for additional flexibility. Simply
plug the RCA outputs to a power amplifier or
pair of powered speakers and you’ll have
yourself an ultra-compact, high performance
audio setup that’s perfect for small spaces. I
did not, however, evaluate such aA view of the Monolith’s rear panel.The Monolith has an impressive array of digital inputs.