In this review, we will be comparing Gold 100 6G and Platinum 100 3G, two Passive Bookshelf speakers by Monitor Audio
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Monitor Audio Gold 100 6G and Monitor Audio Platinum 100 3G first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Monitor Audio Gold 100 6G Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" Tweeter
- 3" Midrange
- 8" HDT C-CAM Woofer
- 49 Hz - 60 kHz Frequency Response
- 86.5 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:up to 1250watts
- Weight:14.05kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 448.0" x 9-1/16" x 14-1/16"( 231.0 x 448.0 x 358.0mm )
Monitor Audio Platinum 100 3G Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Tweeter
- 6" RDT III Woofer
- 28-60k Hz Frequency Response
- 85dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:up to 150watts
- Weight:15.20kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 398.0" x 8.8" x 12.8"( 398 x 225 x 325.6 mm )
What size room are the Monitor Audio Gold 100 6G and Monitor Audio Platinum 100 3G speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
Monitor Audio Gold 100 6G |
Monitor Audio Platinum 100 3G |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
Poor |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Monitor Audio Gold 100 6G and Monitor Audio Platinum 100 3G compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Gold 100 6G is a 3-way design whereas the Platinum 100 3G is a 2-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
| Driver |
Monitor Audio Gold 100 6G |
Monitor Audio Platinum 100 3G |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 3-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 8-inch
|
1 x 6-inch
|
Gold 100 6G features a 1" MPD III Tweeter , a 3" Midrange and 1 x 8" HDT C-CAM Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 700 Hz - 2600 Hz. On the other hand, the Platinum 100 3G features a 1" MPD III Tweeter and 1 x 6" RDT III Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2850 Hz.
Frequency Response
Gold 100 6G has a frequency range of 49 Hz - 60 kHz whereas Platinum 100 3G has a frequency range of 28-60k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 28Hz, the Platinum 100 3G can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Gold 100 6G's min frequency of 49Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
High Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
Monitor Audio Gold 100 6G
Monitor Audio Platinum 100 3G
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Gold 100 6G and Platinum 100 3G have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Gold 100 6G sensitivity is rated at 86.5 dB and the Platinum 100 3G's is at 85dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Monitor Audio Gold 100 6G a more sensitive speaker compared to Monitor Audio Platinum 100 3G, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
One thing to keep in mind that the lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit comared to higher impedance speakers especially at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Gold 100 6G and the Gold 100 6G can provide this impedance level.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. While using
an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the
max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.
Gold 100 6G can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Platinum 100 3G has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the Gold 100 6G.
Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker
compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters
such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both Gold 100 6G and Platinum 100 3G features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Monitor Audio Gold 100 6G's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Monitor Audio Platinum 100 3G's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Monitor Audio Platinum 100 3G Port
Physical Specs
Size of a speaker can sometimes become an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Monitor Audio Gold 100 6G's and Monitor Audio Platinum 100 3G's external dimensions. Monitor Audio Gold 100 6G has external dimensions of 231.0 x 448.0 x 358.0mm ( 9-1/16 x 17-5/8 x 14-1/16) whereas Monitor Audio Platinum 100 3G has external dimensions of 398 x 225 x 325.6 mm ( 15.6 x 8.8 x 12.8-inch) .
Monitor Audio Gold 100 6G is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 6mm wider, 50mm taller and 33mm deeper than Monitor Audio Platinum 100 3G.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Monitor Audio Gold 100 6G and Monitor Audio Platinum 100 3G in scale.
Comparison image of Monitor Audio Gold 100 6G and Monitor Audio Platinum 100 3G Size and External Dimensions
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the Monitor Audio Gold 100 6G is approximately 1603.8cm2 / 248.6inch2 and base area of the Monitor Audio Platinum 100 3G is approximately 731.3cm2 / 113.4inch2. The Gold 100 6G requires 119% more surface area than the Platinum 100 3G which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.