Monitor Audio Platinum 3G Speaker Series Review

The new Monitor Audio Platinum Series 3G lineup brings about new features and performance for the brand’s high-end home theater speakers. This series has always been highly regarded since its inception in 1972. 

With a strong commitment to innovation, meticulous design, and top-notch engineering, Monitor Audio has consistently pushed boundaries to deliver exceptional sound quality. Founded by Mo Iqbal near Cambridge, England, Monitor Audio has been at the forefront of audio technology for more than five decades. They were pioneers in incorporating metal into speaker drivers, which led to thinner, stiffer, and more responsive cones and domes. These new materials allowed for thinner, stiffer drivers while still remaining light with good damping characteristics. 

This revolutionary innovation set them apart from the competition and solidified their reputation as leaders in the hifi industry. Having the technical facilities available to them, Monitor Audio has designed and implemented many new technologies in their lines. From gold, ceramic, and sandwich cone technology to changing the surface of the driver cones themselves, Monitor Audio constantly strives to improve audio performance in their products.

Platinum 3G Packaging, Design, & Build Quality

The Platinum 3G series is a top-of-the-line offering, with only the new Hyphn flagship speaker above it in Monitor Audio’s lineup. The packaging is on par with the products - they were well-protected for shipping and unboxing, demonstrating Monitor Audio is serious about showing top-quality from the start. Unboxing was a simple process and allowed us to quickly set them up for a listen.

The slim profile of the Platinum 3G speakers not only fits seamlessly into any room decor, but also distinguishes them from bulkier alternatives. From the 100 3G stand mount to the floorstanding Platinum 300G, the form factor remains easier to integrate into a variety of room sizes. The Platinum 3G is available in three beautiful finishes—pure satin white, piano ebony, and piano black.

The etched inlays on the cabinets further enhance the speakers' aesthetic appeal and ability to integrate them with fine furniture. The cabinets are crafted using multiple laminated layers of MDF in thicknesses from 18-21mm with a 36 front baffle and feature dual binding posts. The inclusion of high-quality jumpers showcases Monitor Audio's commitment to excellence in every detail.

The binding post options allow for bi-amping or bi-wiring of the speaker, allowing more connection options for better performance. The binding posts themselves are of high quality and easy to use, giving the user an extended sense of quality.  We really liked the fact that Monitor Audio used high-quality jumpers rather than the thin metal jumpers we see more commonly.

Features and Technology

Complementing the flagship tweeter, the Platinum 3G series features an updated top-tier midrange and woofer with Rigid Diaphragm Technology III. This innovative design incorporates three major advancements over past Monitor Audio designs:  

• A new rear layer to the driver featuring 2 uniform layers of carbon fiber to reduce cone breakup
• The cone edge has been optimized to extend the passband of the drivers
• The new drivers also incorporate an optimized rubber surround to reduce cone breakup

All of these improvements give the drivers more usable bandwidth, allowing improvements to be made in the crossover and overall speaker frequency response. The Platinum 3G floor-standing models also have new outrigger feet that have been engineered to form a solid platform and make the plinth more aesthetically pleasing.

Platinum 3G Speaker Performance

Our critical listening sessions took place in our Audio Advice test lab and at Axpona 2023. To assess the capabilities of the Platinum 100 3G speakers, we began with the album, "What Matters Most" by Ben Folds.

This album served as an excellent test for evaluating instrument separation, soundstage, and imaging abilities. The Platinum 100 3G speakers exhibited impressive imaging capabilities, with performers precisely positioned on the stage. While the soundstage was not the widest we have encountered, the speakers delivered a balanced frequency response, tonal accuracy, and exceptional detail without any signs of fatigue or brightness. 

Moving on to the Platinum 200 3G tower speakers, we observed an improvement in bass depth while maintaining the same commendable midrange and treble response.

Next, we turned to Wayne Shorter's timeless jazz album, "Speak No Evil," to test the speaker's merit on acoustic instruments and horns. The Platinum 100 and 200 3G speakers showcased a smooth frequency response, accurately reproducing the intricate details of the music with no real peaks or issues. Treble was presented in a smooth yet detailed fashion and allowed us to hear all the detail in Elvin Jones’s cymbal work. 

While the tweeter was very detailed, the driver integration between the tweeter and midrange was very good and did not call attention to itself like many designs with ribbon or AMT tweeters do. Horns were presented with good tone and balance. Double bass had body and tone and allowed us to hear every plucked string with detail. 

Our only overall criticism was the speakers always seemed like they were holding back from being their best. We kept reaching for the volume to try to mitigate this issue, only to be let down by the results. Thinking they needed more power to “wake” up, we tried them with some very powerful Monoblock amplifiers. While they handled the added power well, they just did not give us the live and emotional connection we were looking for.

Overall Recommendation

The new Platinum 3G speakers from Monitor Audio are an achievement in engineering and aesthetic design. These speakers are built for easy integration into any home. The build quality is first-rate and Monitor Audio spares no expense in using today’s technology to its advantage. Monitor Audio also included the Platinum C250 3G center channel model in the lineup to enable speaker matching for home theater use.  

We enjoyed our time spent with the Monitor Audio Platinum 3G speakers, as they presented very good technical performance and compatibility with different amplifier types. Please contact our knowledgeable staff here at Audio Advice for any questions to see which Platinum 3G model will fit into your system.