Monitor Audio SoundFrame SF2 (White) is rated
out of
5 by
3.
Monitor Audio SoundFrame SF2 (White)
Single Wall Speaker
£545
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Ts&Cs apply - see our delivery page.
For delivery of in-store only deals, please contact your local store for more details.
Ts&Cs apply - see our delivery page.
Disabled assistance
All products that are available to purchase on the Richer Sounds website can be delivered free to blind, partially sighted or those with a disability. Find out more
Please contact web after sales for more info.
For delivery of in-store only deals, please contact your local store for more details.
Ts&Cs apply - see our delivery page.
For delivery of in-store only deals, please contact your local store for more details.
Ts&Cs apply - see our delivery page.
Picture this. The Monitor Audio Soundframe SF2 In Wall is a speaker that looks like a picture!
The speaker that looks like a picture
Thanks to its slim depth and in-wall fixing, the SF2 looks just like a super-slim picture hanging on your wall. With a choice of black or white frames it’s easy to get an exact match or brilliant contrast with your decor. What really makes these speakers special, though, is the optionally available range of clip-in grilles. With a wide choice of photo or unique artwork, the picture effect is complete.
Top quality Monitor Audio dual concentric drive units
Featuring a C-CAM gold dome tweeter and IDC mid-range woofer in dual concentric configuration, the SF2 offers a wide and cohesive sound quality. By placing the tweeter in the centre of the woofer, the dual concentric configuration gives a single axis of sound. It’s this that makes the sound consistent and expansive.
Three-way design for full-range sound
Being a three-way speaker, the Monitor Audio SF2 has an additional bass driver. The 6.5 inch C-CAM woofer is dedicated to lower frequencies for a punchy bass response.
Ideal for surround sound systems
The unobtrusive design of the SF2 speaker makes it ideal for use in surround sound speaker systems. As they come in single units, you can buy any number – odd or even – to make up 5.1, 7.1, 9.1 systems, or your own unique combination.
For a less obtrusive design of speaker, put sound in the frame with the Monitor Audio Soundframe SF2 In Wall.
The speaker that looks like a picture
Thanks to its slim depth and in-wall fixing, the SF2 looks just like a super-slim picture hanging on your wall. With a choice of black or white frames it’s easy to get an exact match or brilliant contrast with your decor. What really makes these speakers special, though, is the optionally available range of clip-in grilles. With a wide choice of photo or unique artwork, the picture effect is complete.
Top quality Monitor Audio dual concentric drive units
Featuring a C-CAM gold dome tweeter and IDC mid-range woofer in dual concentric configuration, the SF2 offers a wide and cohesive sound quality. By placing the tweeter in the centre of the woofer, the dual concentric configuration gives a single axis of sound. It’s this that makes the sound consistent and expansive.
Three-way design for full-range sound
Being a three-way speaker, the Monitor Audio SF2 has an additional bass driver. The 6.5 inch C-CAM woofer is dedicated to lower frequencies for a punchy bass response.
Ideal for surround sound systems
The unobtrusive design of the SF2 speaker makes it ideal for use in surround sound speaker systems. As they come in single units, you can buy any number – odd or even – to make up 5.1, 7.1, 9.1 systems, or your own unique combination.
For a less obtrusive design of speaker, put sound in the frame with the Monitor Audio Soundframe SF2 In Wall.
Overview
Speaker Type
Wall Speaker
General
Manufacturer's Warranty
5 years
Audio
Frequency Response (Hz)
55 - 35,000
Impedance (ohms)
8
Power Rating (Watts)
100
Sensitivity (dB)
86
Dimensions
Diameter
240 x 790
Weight
Weight (KG)
7
CUSTOM INSTALL - To get the most out of this product we recommend our design and install service.
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Rated 5 out of
5
by
SethP from
Perfect for my kitchen/dining room
These speakers sound amazing and I wish I bought them years ago. I installed them in my kitchen/dining room and the wife even approves! I think she loves them! They are beautiful in white.
I'm using the SF2s with a Parasound zamp v3 rev2 power amplifier, a Benchmark DAC1USB and a Pro-Ject preamp. Some reviewers say that the SF2s are inferior to the Bronze series, but I believe this is because the SF2s are good enough to allow you to hear the limitations of your stereo kit. At first I was using an Arcam irDACII, but I decided to use the Benchmark from my main system since I now use the SF2s more often. The higher the quality signal you feed these SF2s, the better they will sound.
The bass is actually fairly deep, which surprised me. They definitely get well below 80hz. The specs say the bottom end is 55hz and I'm guessing that they reach 55hz at -6db. At -3db they probably hit the mid 60hz range. But the bass that's there is solid and tight, not boomy. You can easily hear individual notes from bass guitars and synth basses and I think this is because they were designed to be wall mounted and not sit on a stand. The amount of bass is perfect for the kitchen in my modern build mid terraced house- the neighbors can't hear it.
You can aim the midrange/tweeter at your listening area (this isn't necessary for woofers as lower notes are much less directional). What other speaker has this feature?! The dents on the midrange/tweeter are actually spaces for your thumb to press for aiming the midrange/tweeter. There's even a toggle switch to adjust the tweeter to -3, 0 and +3db. I switched mine to -3db as my kitchen has a lot of reflective surfaces.
The cabinet is made out of MDF and I can assure you that they are solid and well painted. I'm very pleased that the cabinets are not made of aluminium.
So here's what I don't like about them:
To be completely honest, voices produced by the SF2s are not quite as rich (deep) as they should be (it doesn't match my Focal Aria 906 bookshelf speakers). But I think that's the limitation of the shallow cabinet and a 4 inch midrange. If you use a receiver with a 'midrange suckout', then the SF2s may have an exaggerated U shaped sound.
Installation is the other thing I didn't like. It's great that MA included a template to drill the holes, but if you drill one hole that is just 1mm off from the other then your SF2s will be very crooked as their long length will exaggerate the uneven wall fixings. MA should have used an adjustable mounting bracket rather than 2 recessed mounting holes with zero adjustment.
Also, there's no channel in the back to hide speaker cable. Since the walls in my house are made out of concrete blocks I wasn't able to recess the speaker cable, and since there is no groove on the back of the SF2s for the cable, the speakers are resting on the cables, which isn't ideal. I used QED Micro Speaker Cable and they still push out the SF2s a bit as they travel under the speakers.
But these are amazing speakers and these are one of the best things I've ever purchased. I use them for a few hours each day and enjoy them every time I listen to them. Highly recommended.
Date published: 2022-11-17
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Anonymous from
As a replacement a definite win.
Replaced a couple of old but good quality speakers because they were too big. I wasn’t expecting any improvement in sound quality from the replacement SoundFrames.
I had thought because the Marantz that drives them uses a microphone to analyse speaker responses/balance it would eliminate any issues or differences.
However, having let the Marantz do its thing I played a movie and what a surprise, instantly it sounded better, more balanced, more accurate somehow; not just a little bit either.
I can honestly say I cannot remember the last time changing a bit of audio kit surprised me so much.
Date published: 2022-07-04
Rated 3 out of
5
by
Audiophile Man from
Great looks...No Form - Disappointing Sound
The Good:
• Modern look will blend into most homes
• Cabinets are well made - They look the part
• Easy fitting via the wall template
The Bad:
• Expensive - You can get better for a lot less
• Sound Stage is lacking, very disappointing
• The SF2's are big long speakers
• £170 for a custom print is extortionate
I make no exceptions or apologies for this review, as an Audiophile I am very disappointed with the SF2's. At £450 a speaker they do not perform to the level they should. Monitor Audio's very own Bronze Centre absolutely destroys the SF2's for Clarity, Presence, and outright Sonic Capability. It's bewildering to acknowledge how a £150 speaker from the same manufacturer can outperform a £450 speaker by such a margin.
Monitor Audio are sadly wide of the mark and have missed an opportunity to further enhance their portfolio.
My set-up & the detail....
I wanted to debunk the man cave and give our new home a modern clean look, and provide a welcome visual relief for my long suffering Wife.
I'm running a 9.2 Yamaha Aventage RX-A2060 with Monitor Audio Bronze 5's for left and right channels, Bronze Centre, Q Accoustics 7000i for the Presence and Surrounds, and an SVS SB2000 Pro Subwoofer.
The idea was to swop out the Bronze 5's and Bronze Centre and replace them with wall mounted SF2's for a modern clean look.
I never expected the SF2'S to equal or outperform the Bronze 5's, that would be nonsensical given the physical dimensions of the cabinets. I did expect the SF2's to be of comparable performance to the Bronze Centre. Afterall, the speaker technology employed is comparable on both offerings.
The Test...
It's clearly recognised the Centre Channel is the powerhouse of any AV system, handling the majority of the dialogue and action. To test the new speakers I played the famous O-Ren Ishii manga scene from Kill Bill Vol One, where Boss Tanaka slaughters the child's mother.
The SF2'S reproduction of this highly charged scene is quite frankly pitiful. There was no thud, slam or attack. The dynamics I'd come to expect from the Bronze set up was simply not there. I disconnected the Left and Right Channels and replayed the scene over and over again, changing the setup between 1x SF2 Centre and a Bronze Centre only.
The Bronze Centre had a scale of authority and outright attack of thudding bass and glass shattering highs the SF2'S could only dream about. The SF2's are quite frankly woeful when compared to a Bronze Centre. A £450 speaker should knock a £150 speaker out of the park. Period.
I spoke with Monitor Audio directly regarding my findings and comparisons on the performance differences between the two speakers from their portfolio. Allegedly, the price uplift is due to the construction of the dual concentric drive unit and the high gloss cabinet. Yes the SF2's looks good, yes I can accept it costs a bit more to manufacture both speaker and cabinet. But let's be honest it's spray painted MDF, with speaker manufacture in countries with very low labour rates. These two elements do not justify the outlandish cost of an under performing speaker.
The Outcome...
My Wife really liked the clean look in the living room of the wall mounted speakers, but I was miserable with the performance and almost suicidal.
What to do? ...
I spoke with Richer Sounds Customer Services and as always they were absolutely amazing.
They suggested I try Monitor Audio's CP-IW260X Controlled Performance for the Centre Channel duties, and allowed me to return the SF2'S. I opted to exchange the Centre SF2 for a CP-IW260X and pay the difference. Afterall, aesthetically the SF2's do look good and you have to keep the Wife happy.
As soon as I plugged in the CP-IW260X I knew the recommendation from Richer Sounds was spot on. WOW! What a speaker. Incredible performance. Balance now restored.
In summary, if you're happy to accept a speaker that looks good, with performance that is somewhat noticeably below the Bronze Series, then try the SF2's.
If you're an Audiophile and want a modern clean look to your Surround Sound System, and require the performance to match, do not try the SF2's. Take a listen of Monitor Audio's Controlled Performance series, you won't be disappointed.
I hope you liked the review, I've been open and honest and I do not work for either company.
Good luck with your future purchases.
Date published: 2021-03-28
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