CEDIA 2007: Monitor Audio’s Platinum-series PL300 loudspeaker
September 14th, 2007 — By Charlie Robb
September 14 - Following my recent review of the affordable Monitor Audio Bronze Reference-series home theater speaker system in The Perfect Vision, I was eager to hear the company’s new flagship Platinum-series PL300 speakers, which sell for $8995/pair and feature outstanding hand-built craftsmanship.
Each 43-inch-tall enclosure is tapered to prevent standing waves and internal resonances and heavily braced with four long steel bolts tying the front baffle to the back panel; the interior of the cabinet is also heavily damped.
The PL300 has two 8-inch woofers, a 4-inch midrange, and a single ribbon tweeter. The bass and midrange drivers have a core of Nomex honeycomb material sandwiched between an ultra-thin coating of C-CAM alloy (Ceramic-Coated Aluminum Magnesium) for light weight and structural rigidity.
The ribbon tweeter is also C-CAM-coated and has an ultra-wide bandwidth (out to 100k) to capture subtle musical harmonics. Featuring platinum bi-wire speaker connectors and spiked feet, the PL300 is available in a highly polished Santos Rosewood or Ebony lacquer finish and has a luxurious leather baffle.
During an after-hours audition, I was treated to a front row seat at a Boz Scaggs concert, courtesy of Monitor Audio’s PL300s, a PL350C center channel ($4295), a pair of bipolar surround speakers, and a PLW-15 subwoofer.
A good speaker system peels away the veneer of sound reproduction and transports you to the venue where the recording was made. And there I was, in the concert hall with the tight feel of the kick drum, the detailed sounds of fingers on guitar strings, and the in-room presence of Boz’s unmistakable voice.
Monitor Audio’s Platinum-series speakers take craftsmanship and audio performance to a very high level of excellence.—Gary Altunian
