In this review, we will be comparing Platinum 200 3G and VELA FS 409, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Monitor Audio and ELAC.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Monitor Audio Platinum 200 3G and ELAC VELA FS 409 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Monitor Audio Platinum 200 3G | ELAC VELA FS 409 |
|---|
| Brand | Monitor Audio
United Kingdom · founded 1972 | ELAC
Germany · founded 1926 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" | handmade JET 5 folded ribbon |
|---|
| Midrange | 4" | 6" |
|---|
| Woofer | 6" RDT III | 2 x 7" Aluminum/Paper |
|---|
| Frequency response | 23-60k Hz | 28-50k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88dB | 89 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 300 watts | 40-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 35.80kg / 78.8lbs | 32.18kg / 70.8lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 41" x 14.5" x 17.8"
1041.0 x 368.0 x 455.0mm | 52-3/8" x 10-15/16" x 13-9/16"
1331.0 x 278.0 x 345.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Monitor Audio Platinum 200 3G and ELAC VELA FS 409 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 Platinum 200 3G |
ELAC VELA FS 409 |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Good |
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.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
Both Platinum 200 3G and VELA FS 409 are 3-way speakers.
Monitor Audio Platinum 200 3GELAC VELA FS 409
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Monitor Audio Platinum 200 3G |
ELAC VELA FS 409 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 4-inch |
1 x 6-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6-inch
|
2 x 7-inch
|
Platinum 200 3G features a 1" MPD III Tweeter, a 4" Midrange and 1 x 6" RDT III Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 825 Hz - 3000Hz. On the other hand, the VELA FS 409 features a " handmade JET 5 folded ribbon Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 2 x 7" Aluminum/Paper Woofer.
Frequency Response
Platinum 200 3G has a frequency range of 23-60k Hz whereas VELA FS 409 has a frequency range of 28-50k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 23Hz, the Platinum 200 3G can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the VELA FS 409's min frequency of 28Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Platinum 200 3G and VELA FS 409 have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Platinum 200 3G sensitivity is rated at 88dB and the VELA FS 409's is at 89 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the ELAC VELA FS 409 a more sensitive speaker compared to Monitor Audio Platinum 200 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 Platinum 200 3G and the Platinum 200 3G can provide this impedance level.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
Platinum 200 3G can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas VELA FS 409 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the Platinum 200 3G.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier - change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Monitor Audio Platinum 200 3G
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both Platinum 200 3G and VELA FS 409 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Monitor Audio Platinum 200 3G's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Monitor Audio Platinum 200 3G Port
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be 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 Platinum 200 3G's and ELAC VELA FS 409's external dimensions. Monitor Audio Platinum 200 3G has external dimensions of 1041.0 x 368.0 x 455.0mm (41 x 14.5 x 17.8-inch) whereas ELAC VELA FS 409 has external dimensions of 1331.0 x 278.0 x 345.0mm (52-3/8 x 10-15/16 x 13-9/16inch).
ELAC VELA FS 409 is 90mm narrower and 110mm less deeper than Monitor Audio Platinum 200 3G but it is also 290mm taller.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Monitor Audio Platinum 200 3G and ELAC VELA FS 409 in scale.
Comparison image of Monitor Audio Platinum 200 3G and ELAC VELA FS 409 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 Platinum 200 3G is approximately 1674.4cm2 / 259.5inch2 and base area of the ELAC VELA FS 409 is approximately 959.1cm2 / 148.7inch2. The Platinum 200 3G requires 75% more surface area than the VELA FS 409 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The Monitor Audio Platinum 200 3G weighs 35.80kg / 78.8lbs and the ELAC VELA FS 409 weighs 32.18kg / 70.8lbs. This makes the Platinum 200 3G 11% heavier than the VELA FS 409.
Here is a comparison of how Platinum 200 3G and VELA FS 409's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
Monitor Audio Platinum 200 3G
What's in the Box of ELAC VELA FS 409?
Here are the items that come with the VELA FS 409:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Base plate
- 2 Jumper straps (pre-installed)
- 4 Spikes
- 4 Pucks
- 4 Rubber pads
- 4 Machine screws
- 4 Washers
- Hex-key
- Operating And Safety Instructions
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Low Frequency Response |
23 Hz
vs
28 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
60k Hz
vs
50k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
1041mm
vs
1331mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Sensitivity |
89 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
|
Woofer Size |
7 inches
vs
6 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
 Base Surface Area |
959cm2
vs
1674cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
7400USD
vs
13900USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Monitor Audio Platinum 200 3G |
ELAC VELA FS 409 |
| Brand |
Monitor Audio |
ELAC |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 300 watts |
40-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88dB |
89 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
23-60k Hz |
28-50k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6" |
7" |
| Woofer Composition |
RDT III |
Aluminum/Paper |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
- |
| Tweeter Type |
n/a |
handmade JET 5 folded ribbon |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
4" |
6" |
| Crossover Frequency |
825 Hz - 3000Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1041.0mm (41") |
1331.0mm (52.4") |
| Width |
368.0mm (14.5") |
278.0mm (10.9") |
| Depth |
455.0mm (17.9") |
345.0mm (13.6") |
| Weight |
35.80kg (78.8lbs) |
32.18kg (70.8lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Aluminum |
| Available Colors |
Piano Black, Piano Ebony, Satin White |
Gloss Black |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
3 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
3 Years |
These sit in different price classes - Monitor Audio Platinum 200 3G costs roughly 1.9x what ELAC VELA FS 409 does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | Monitor Audio Platinum 200 3G digs deeper - 23Hz against 28Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (88dB vs 89dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | A | Monitor Audio Platinum 200 3G takes more power (300W vs 200W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | ELAC VELA FS 409 is easier to place; Monitor Audio Platinum 200 3G is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Monitor Audio Platinum 200 3G: bi-amping; ELAC VELA FS 409: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | ELAC VELA FS 409 is cheaper - $7,400 against $13,900, about 47% less; arguably a different class. |
A Monitor Audio Platinum 200 3G B ELAC VELA FS 409
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
The usual trade-off: Monitor Audio Platinum 200 3G measures better, ELAC VELA FS 409 costs about about 88% more% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 28Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper ELAC VELA FS 409 much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate Monitor Audio Platinum 200 3G the better fit for a very large room, and ELAC VELA FS 409 for a mid-size room.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.