LD Systems LDS-MON10AG3W, 10" Powered Coaxial Stage Monitor - White

The LD Systems MON 10 A G3 W (LDS-MON10AG3W) is a 10-inch powered coaxial stage monitor for bands, houses of worship, mobile DJs and production companies. A Class D amplifier drives 300 W RMS / 1200 W peak into a coaxial 10-inch woofer and a titanium-diaphragm HF driver on an integrated 50° x 90° CD horn, producing 118 dB average and 126 dB peak maximum SPL with low-frequency response down to 58 Hz (-10 dB). The cabinet is a fixed 33° wedge, 380 x 426 x 305 mm (15.0 x 16.8 x 12.0 in) and 15.21 kg (33.5 lb), with two handles and a 35 mm stand flange so the same box can be poled up for front-of-house duty. The "W" in MON10AG3W is the white finish; LD Systems builds the identical model in black as the MON 10 A G3.

MON 10 A G3 W vs the MON 8 and MON 12: which size do you need?

Pick by low-frequency reach and weight, not by power, because all four white MON G3 wedges run the same 300 W RMS / 1200 W peak Class D amplifier, the same 50° x 90° coaxial horn and the same 33° cabinet angle. What actually separates them is woofer size, where the crossover lands, maximum SPL and how heavy they are to load in.

	MON 8 A G3 W	MON 10 A G3 W	MON 12 A G3 W	MON 15 A G3 W
Woofer	8"	10"	12"	15"
Max SPL, peak	121 dB	126 dB	127 dB	129 dB
Max SPL, average	116 dB	118 dB	120 dB	122 dB
Frequency response (-10 dB)	59 - 20,000 Hz	58 - 20,000 Hz	55 - 20,000 Hz	48 - 20,000 Hz
Crossover	2,500 Hz	1,700 Hz	1,400 Hz	1,300 Hz
W x D x H	340 x 368 x 278 mm	380 x 426 x 305 mm	425 x 453 x 315 mm	505 x 517 x 340 mm
Weight	13.2 kg / 29.1 lb	15.21 kg / 33.5 lb	17.4 kg / 38.4 lb	23.15 kg / 51.0 lb
Amplifier	300 W RMS / 1200 W peak, Class D, identical across all four
Dispersion and wedge angle	50° x 90°, 33°, identical across all four

Reading that table for a buying decision:

• 5 dB more peak SPL than the MON 8, 1 dB less than the MON 12. The step up from the 8-inch model is audible on a loud stage. The step down from the 12-inch model is not, so choosing between the 10 and the 12 is a low-end and weight decision rather than a headroom one.
• Low-frequency reach is a hair better than the MON 8, and that is all. 58 Hz against 59 Hz at -10 dB. Buying up for low end means the MON 12 at 55 Hz or the MON 15 at 48 Hz; the MON 10 is not where that gain lives.
• Crossover falls from 2,500 Hz to 1,700 Hz. The 10-inch woofer keeps the upper vocal range that the MON 8 hands over to its compression driver. On a vocal wedge that handover point tends to matter more than the SPL rating.
• Roughly 4.4 lb over the MON 8 and 4.8 lb under the MON 12. Any of those three is a single-trip carry. The MON 15 at 51 lb is the one that changes your load-in.

Those low-frequency rows use the -10 dB figures deliberately. LD Systems publishes 68 - 18,000 Hz at -3 dB for both the 8-inch and the 12-inch cabinet, and 72 - 18,000 Hz for this 10-inch one, so the -3 dB column cannot be used to rank the series by low-end extension.

Why does a point-source wedge sound different up close?

Because a coaxial cabinet has no centre-to-centre spacing between its drivers to resolve, so it is already coherent at the short distances a wedge works over. Drivers mounted next to each other need room before their outputs sum properly; a performer stands close enough to a floor monitor to be inside that range, which is where the tonal shift comes from when someone leans in or steps to the side. Nesting the HF driver in the throat of the 10-inch woofer removes the geometry that causes it, so the balance a singer hears stays put as they move across the front of the box.

Does it double as a front-of-house speaker on a pole?

Yes, there is a 35 mm stand flange on the cabinet for exactly that. Rotating the box out of its wedge position also rotates the horn, so the 50° horizontal by 90° vertical pattern becomes 90° horizontal by 50° vertical, which is the shape you want thrown across an audience rather than at one performer. Venues buy these to cover two jobs with one inventory: wedges on the deck for the band, the spares up on poles as fills or a small front system. Compare the rest of the range in stage monitors.

What can you fix from the rear panel during soundcheck?

Feedback, tonal balance and timing, without a laptop or a system tech. The panel carries four application presets to get the cabinet close for the job at hand, a 3-band EQ over high, mid and low to trim from there, and a sweepable notch filter for killing one ringing frequency rather than pulling a whole band down. A delay line is built in for time-aligning the box when it is working as a fill instead of a wedge, and LD Systems' DynX DSP (Gen.2) handles limiting so the amplifier stays clean at full output.

How much cabling does a four-wedge monitor line need?

One feed from the console and one drop from the distro, then short jumps between cabinets. Signal and mains both pass through the speaker: the audio connection loops out to the next box and the PowerCON-compatible mains connection does the same, so a row of wedges is linked cabinet to cabinet rather than each one being run separately from the stage edge. Two line inputs also let you sum a second source into one monitor. The limit on how many you can chain is the breaker you are plugged into, not the speakers, so count your circuit before you build the run.

Is 33.5 lb a one-person load-in?

Yes. At 15.21 kg (33.5 lb) with two handles, one person moves it without a cart, and at 380 x 426 x 305 mm (15.0 x 16.8 x 12.0 in) a pair fits in a hatchback or across a back seat. That combination is usually why a mobile rig settles on the 10-inch rather than moving up to the 12-inch or 15-inch cabinet.

Specifications

Type	Powered coaxial stage monitor, white
System output (RMS)	300 W
System output (peak)	1200 W
Amplifier	Class D
Max SPL, average	118 dB (100 Hz - 12 kHz, fullspace @ 1 m, 10% THD)
Max SPL, peak	126 dB (sine burst, fullspace @ 1 m, 10% THD)
Frequency response (-3 dB)	72 - 18,000 Hz
Frequency response (-10 dB)	58 - 20,000 Hz
Crossover frequency	1,700 Hz
Dispersion (H x V)	50° x 90°, integrated CD horn
Monitor angle	33°
Woofer	10" coaxial, 2.5" voice coil, ferrite magnet
HF driver	Titanium diaphragm, 1.75" voice coil, ferrite magnet
DSP	DynX DSP (Gen.2); 3-band EQ (high, mid, low), 4 application presets, delay line, notch filter
Line inputs	2
Signal and power	Both loop through to the next cabinet; power connection is PowerCON compatible
Power supply	Switch-mode (SMPS)
Operating voltage	100 - 230 V AC, 50 - 60 Hz
Cabinet material	Birch multiplex and MDF
Stand mount	35 mm speaker stand flange, for FOH use
Handles	2
Width x depth x height	380 x 426 x 305 mm (15.0 x 16.8 x 12.0 in)
Weight	15.21 kg (33.5 lb)
MPN	LDS-MON10AG3W(US)

Common questions

Is the MON 10 A G3 the same speaker as this one?
Yes, apart from the finish. The MON 10 A G3 is the black cabinet; the MON 10 A G3 W on this page is the white one.

Should I buy this or the MON 12 A G3 W?
Take the 10-inch if stage footprint and weight matter, the MON 12 A G3 W if low end does. Peak SPL differs by 1 dB, but the 12 reaches 55 Hz against 58 Hz at -10 dB and costs you about 4.8 lb per cabinet.

Do I need a subwoofer with it?
For monitor duty on most stages, no. A wedge exists to give a performer their own mix, not full-range low end. If you are poling up a pair for music playback, add a sub, or move to the MON 15 A G3 W, which LD Systems positions as a stand-alone compact front PA.

Does it come with a warranty?
This unit is listed with Hollywood DJ's Free 2 Year Warranty. Condition units are covered on different terms, so read the individual listing before buying one of those.

Is there a cheaper version of this monitor?
Sometimes. Open Box and B-Stock cabinets of this model appear and sell out, so it is worth a look at B-Stock DJ equipment deals before ordering new. The full LD Systems range is here too.

Still deciding between 8, 10 and 12 inches? Send us the size of the room, what is going through the wedges and how many you are buying, and we will give you a straight answer rather than upselling you a cabinet size. Get in touch.