In this review, we will be comparing Platinum 200 3G and Platinum 300 3G, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Monitor Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Monitor Audio Platinum 200 3G and Monitor Audio Platinum 300 3G first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Monitor Audio Platinum 200 3G | Monitor Audio Platinum 300 3G |
|---|
| Brand | Monitor Audio
United Kingdom · founded 1972 | Monitor Audio
United Kingdom · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | 4" | 4" |
|---|
| Woofer | 6" RDT III | 2 x 8" RDT III |
|---|
| Frequency response | 23-60k Hz | 17-60k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88dB | 88dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 300 watts | up to 400 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 35.80kg / 78.8lbs | 53.60kg / 117.9lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 41" x 14.5" x 17.8"
1041.0 x 368.0 x 455.0mm | 44.5" x 16.9" x 20.6"
1131.1 x 429.8 x 525 mm |
|---|
Platinum 200 3G and Platinum 300 3G are members of Monitor Audio's Platinum 3G series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Monitor Audio Platinum 3G Series
History
What size room are the Monitor Audio Platinum 200 3G and Monitor Audio Platinum 300 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 Platinum 200 3G |
Monitor Audio Platinum 300 3G |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Good |
Average |
(* 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 Platinum 300 3G are 3-way speakers.
Monitor Audio Platinum 200 3GMonitor Audio Platinum 300 3G
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 |
Monitor Audio Platinum 300 3G |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 4-inch |
1 x 4-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6-inch
|
2 x 8-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 Platinum 300 3G features a 1" MPD III Tweeter, a 4" Midrange and 2 x 8" RDT III Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 650 Hz - 3000 Hz.
Frequency Response
Platinum 200 3G has a frequency range of 23-60k Hz whereas Platinum 300 3G has a frequency range of 17-60k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 17Hz, the Platinum 300 3G can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Platinum 200 3G's min frequency of 23Hz.
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
Impedance and Sensitivity
Platinum 200 3G and Platinum 300 3G have the same Impedance of 4 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 88 dB.
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 300 3G can handle a max power of 400 watts RMS, whereas Platinum 200 3G has a max power handling value of 300 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the Platinum 300 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
Monitor Audio Platinum 300 3G
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both Platinum 200 3G and Platinum 300 3G 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 300 3G's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Platinum 200 3G and Platinum 300 3G have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generally need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing the speakers too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.
If you are limited in space and can't get the speakers away from the backwall, check our Speakers with Front Firing Ports page.
Monitor Audio Platinum 200 3G Port
Monitor Audio Platinum 300 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 Monitor Audio Platinum 300 3G'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 Monitor Audio Platinum 300 3G has external dimensions of 1131.1 x 429.8 x 525 mm (44.5 x 16.9 x 20.6-inch).
Monitor Audio Platinum 300 3G is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 62mm wider, 90mm taller and 70mm deeper than Monitor Audio Platinum 200 3G.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Monitor Audio Platinum 200 3G and Monitor Audio Platinum 300 3G in scale.
Comparison image of Monitor Audio Platinum 200 3G and Monitor Audio Platinum 300 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 Platinum 200 3G is approximately 1674.4cm2 / 259.5inch2 and base area of the Monitor Audio Platinum 300 3G is approximately 2257.5cm2 / 349.9inch2. The Platinum 200 3G requires 26% less surface area than the Platinum 300 3G which gives it a small advantage 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 Monitor Audio Platinum 300 3G weighs 53.60kg / 117.9lbs. This makes the Platinum 300 3G 50% heavier than the Platinum 200 3G.
Here is a comparison of how Platinum 200 3G and Platinum 300 3G'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
Monitor Audio Platinum 300 3G
 Height |
1041mm
vs
1131mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1674cm2
vs
2257cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
13900USD
vs
17900USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
400 watts
vs
300 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
6 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
17 Hz
vs
23 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
| General |
Monitor Audio Platinum 200 3G |
Monitor Audio Platinum 300 3G |
| Brand |
Monitor Audio |
Monitor Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 300 watts |
up to 400 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88dB |
88dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
23-60k Hz |
17-60k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
RDT III |
RDT III |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
4" |
4" |
| Crossover Frequency |
825 Hz - 3000Hz |
650 Hz - 3000 Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1041.0mm (41") |
1131.0mm (44.5") |
| Width |
368.0mm (14.5") |
430.0mm (16.9") |
| Depth |
455.0mm (17.9") |
525.0mm (20.7") |
| Weight |
35.80kg (78.8lbs) |
53.60kg (117.9lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Available Colors |
Piano Black, Piano Ebony, Satin White |
Piano Black, Piano Ebony, Satin White |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
Siblings in Monitor Audio's Platinum 3G series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | Monitor Audio Platinum 300 3G digs deeper - 17Hz against 23Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (88dB vs 88dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | B | Monitor Audio Platinum 300 3G takes more power (400W vs 300W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Monitor Audio Platinum 200 3G is easier to place; Monitor Audio Platinum 300 3G is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Monitor Audio Platinum 200 3G: bi-amping; Monitor Audio Platinum 300 3G: bi-amping. |
| Price | A | Monitor Audio Platinum 200 3G is cheaper - $13,900 against $17,900, about 22% less. |
A Monitor Audio Platinum 200 3G B Monitor Audio Platinum 300 3G
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 300 3G measures better, Monitor Audio Platinum 200 3G costs about about 29% 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 23Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Monitor Audio Platinum 200 3G much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate Monitor Audio Platinum 200 3G the better fit for a very large room; elsewhere the two are rated the same.
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.