In this review, we will be comparing Platinum 300 3G and Elysian 4, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Monitor Audio and Wharfedale.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Monitor Audio Platinum 300 3G and Wharfedale Elysian 4 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Monitor Audio Platinum 300 3G | Wharfedale Elysian 4 |
|---|
| Brand | Monitor Audio
United Kingdom · founded 1972 | Wharfedale
United Kingdom · founded 1932 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" | 27x90mm" AMT (Ribbon) |
|---|
| Midrange | 4" | 6" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8" RDT III | 2 x 8.5" Coated Fiberglass |
|---|
| Frequency response | 17-60k Hz | 30-22k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 400 watts | 15-250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 53.60kg / 117.9lbs | 49.60kg / 109.1lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 44.5" x 16.9" x 20.6"
1131.1 x 429.8 x 525 mm | 46-3/4" x 15-13/16" x 18-3/16"
1188.0 x 402.0 x 462.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Monitor Audio Platinum 300 3G and Wharfedale Elysian 4 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 |
Wharfedale Elysian 4 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
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 300 3G and Elysian 4 are 3-way speakers.
Monitor Audio Platinum 300 3GWharfedale Elysian 4
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 300 3G |
Wharfedale Elysian 4 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
27x90mm-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 4-inch |
1 x 6-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8-inch
|
2 x 8.5-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 Elysian 4 features a 27x90mm" AMT (Ribbon) Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 2 x 8.5" Coated Fiberglass Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 340Hz and 3100Hz.
Frequency Response
Platinum 300 3G has a frequency range of 17-60k Hz whereas Elysian 4 has a frequency range of 30-22k 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 Elysian 4's min frequency of 30Hz.
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 300 3G and Elysian 4 have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Platinum 300 3G sensitivity is rated at 88dB and the Elysian 4's is at 92 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the Wharfedale Elysian 4 a more sensitive speaker compared to Monitor Audio Platinum 300 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 300 3G and the Platinum 300 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 Elysian 4 has a max power handling value of 250 watts RMS, 150 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 300 3G
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both Platinum 300 3G and Elysian 4 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
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Platinum 300 3G has a rear firing port whereas Elysian 4 has a bottom firing ports. Wharfedale Elysian 4's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Monitor Audio Platinum 300 3G with its rear-firing 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 300 3G's and Wharfedale Elysian 4'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 Wharfedale Elysian 4 has external dimensions of 1188.0 x 402.0 x 462.0mm (46-3/4 x 15-13/16 x 18-3/16inch).
Wharfedale Elysian 4 is 28mm narrower and 63mm less deeper than Monitor Audio Platinum 300 3G but it is also 57mm taller.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Monitor Audio Platinum 300 3G and Wharfedale Elysian 4 in scale.
Comparison image of Monitor Audio Platinum 300 3G and Wharfedale Elysian 4 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 Wharfedale Elysian 4 is approximately 1857.2cm2 / 287.9inch2. The Platinum 300 3G requires 22% more surface area than the Elysian 4 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 300 3G weighs 53.60kg / 117.9lbs and the Wharfedale Elysian 4 weighs 49.60kg / 109.1lbs. This makes the Platinum 300 3G 8% heavier than the Elysian 4.
Here is a comparison of how Platinum 300 3G and Elysian 4's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
Monitor Audio Platinum 300 3G
What's in the Box of Wharfedale Elysian 4?
Here are the items that come with the Elysian 4:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 2 Terminal-jumpers (pre-installed)
- 4 Spike feet
- User Manual
 Max Input Power |
400 watts
vs
250 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Low Frequency Response |
17 Hz
vs
30 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
60k Hz
vs
22k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
1131mm
vs
1188mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
|
Woofer Size |
8.5 inches
vs
8 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Base Surface Area |
1857cm2
vs
2257cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
9996USD
vs
17900USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Monitor Audio Platinum 300 3G |
Wharfedale Elysian 4 |
| Brand |
Monitor Audio |
Wharfedale |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 400 watts |
15-250 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88dB |
92 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
17-60k Hz |
30-22k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
8.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
RDT III |
Coated Fiberglass |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Foamed Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
27x90mm" |
| Tweeter Type |
n/a |
AMT (Ribbon) |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
4" |
6" |
| Crossover Frequency |
650 Hz - 3000 Hz |
340Hz and 3100Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
bottom |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1131.0mm (44.5") |
1188.0mm (46.8") |
| Width |
430.0mm (16.9") |
402.0mm (15.8") |
| Depth |
525.0mm (20.7") |
462.0mm (18.2") |
| Weight |
53.60kg (117.9lbs) |
49.60kg (109.1lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Lacquer |
| Available Colors |
Piano Black, Piano Ebony, Satin White |
Piano Black, Piano Walnut,White |
| Grille |
n/a |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - Monitor Audio Platinum 300 3G costs roughly 1.8x what Wharfedale Elysian 4 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 300 3G digs deeper - 17Hz against 30Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Wharfedale Elysian 4 is more sensitive (92dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | A | Monitor Audio Platinum 300 3G takes more power (400W vs 250W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | depends | Monitor Audio Platinum 300 3G: bi-amping; Wharfedale Elysian 4: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | Wharfedale Elysian 4 is cheaper - $9,996 against $17,900, about 44% less; arguably a different class. |
A Monitor Audio Platinum 300 3G B Wharfedale Elysian 4
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?
Monitor Audio Platinum 300 3G is ahead, but only on 1 of the measured areas, and it costs about 79% more. That is a lot of money for a narrow margin on paper - Wharfedale Elysian 4 looks like the sensible buy unless something else about the Monitor Audio Platinum 300 3G appeals to you. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 30Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Wharfedale Elysian 4 much easier to justify. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, Wharfedale Elysian 4 is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best.
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.