In this review, we will be comparing Platinum 300 3G and XR100, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Monitor Audio and McIntosh.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Monitor Audio Platinum 300 3G and McIntosh XR100 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Monitor Audio Platinum 300 3G Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" Tweeter
- 4" Midrange
- 2 x 8" RDT III Woofer
- 17-60k Hz Frequency Response
- 88dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:up to 400watts
- Weight:53.60kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1131.0" x 16.9" x 20.6"( 1131.1 x 429.8 x 525 mm )
McIntosh XR100 Key Specs
- 4-way Design
- 2" dome (x2) Tweeter
- 0.75" Super Tweeter
- 2.0" Midrange
- 4 x 6.0" Polypropylene Woofer
- 2.0" Midrange
- 30-45k Hz Frequency Response
- 87 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:75-600watts
- Weight:31.14kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1266.0" x 11-5/8" x 17"( 1266.0 x 296.0 x 432.0mm )
What size room are the Monitor Audio Platinum 300 3G and McIntosh XR100 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 300 3G |
McIntosh XR100 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Are you nuts? |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
Good |
(* 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 Platinum 300 3G and McIntosh XR100 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
**This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking
through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Platinum 300 3G is a 3-way design whereas the XR100 is a 4-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 Platinum 300 3G |
McIntosh XR100 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
4-way
|
|
Super Tweeter
|
- |
0.75-inch |
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
2-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 4-inch |
8 x 2.0-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8-inch
|
4 x 6.0-inch
|
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. On the other hand, the XR100 features a 2" titanium tweeter with neodymium-iron-boron alloy magnet dome (x2) Tweeter , a 0.75" Supertweeter , a 2.0" Midrange and 4 x 6.0" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 300Hz, 2000kHZ and 8000kHZ.
Frequency Response
Platinum 300 3G has a frequency range of 17-60k Hz whereas XR100 has a frequency range of 30-45k 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 XR100's min frequency of 30Hz.
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 Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
High Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Monitor Audio Platinum 300 3G
Impedance and Sensitivity
Platinum 300 3G is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the XR100 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms. Lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit especially when played at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Platinum 300 3G can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Platinum 300 3G sensitivity is rated at 88dB and the XR100's is rated at 87 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Monitor Audio Platinum 300 3G a more sensitive speaker compared to McIntosh XR100, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing 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.
Platinum 300 3G can handle a max power of 600 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Platinum 300 3G has a max power handling value of 400 watts RMS , 200 watts less than the XR100.
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 Platinum 300 3G and XR100 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Monitor Audio Platinum 300 3G's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
McIntosh XR100's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Platinum 300 3G and XR100 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 300 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 Platinum 300 3G's and McIntosh XR100's external dimensions. 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) whereas McIntosh XR100 has external dimensions of 1266.0 x 296.0 x 432.0mm ( 49-13/16 x 11-5/8 x 17inch) .
McIntosh XR100 is 134mm narrower and 93mm less deeper than Monitor Audio Platinum 300 3G but it is also 135mm taller.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Monitor Audio Platinum 300 3G and McIntosh XR100 in scale.
Comparison image of Monitor Audio Platinum 300 3G and McIntosh XR100 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 300 3G is approximately 2257.5cm2 / 349.9inch2 and base area of the McIntosh XR100 is approximately 1278.7cm2 / 198.2inch2. The Platinum 300 3G requires 77% more surface area than the XR100 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.