Review: Monitor Audio PL100 Speaker

Monitor Audio has dedicated a lot of its resources the past few years towards developing affordable, high-performance architectural speakers.

Flying under the radar was the development of the Platinum Series, a flagship line of high-performance speakers that use Monitor's new ribbon tweeter, RDT drivers, and HiVE II bass enhancement design.

I had a chance to review the PL100, the smallest speaker in the Platinum Series.

Features

This medium-sized monitor is a 4-ohm speaker with a rated sensitivity of 88dB and frequency response of 42Hz-100kHz. Monitor recommends using amps rated to deliver anywhere from 50-120 watts.

This two-way model features a ported enclosure that houses a 6.5-inch RDT bass/midrange driver that crosses over to a C-CAM ribbon tweeter at 2.8kHz.

Setup

During my review, I used electronics from Anthem, Krell, Bryston, NAD and Neuhaus Labs, and found an extended top-end resolution, image clarity and a surprising amount of low-end information.

Listening to CDs from Slash, Supertramp, Orianthi and Incubus, as well as music from Stevie Ray Vaughn, Dave Matthews and Lisa Loeb on an iPod, I found the PL100s' soundstage to be wide enough to fill a good amount of space and the speakers imaging qualities to be focused.

Performance

I loved these speakers with the Bryston and Krell gear, but what really surprised me was how good they sounded with the less-expensive NAD and Neuhaus integrated amps. The speakers provide so much detail and precise imaging that they can make up for some of the performance characteristics between a mid-level and high-performance amp.

I also liked the speakers with the NAD and Neuhaus amps because they are a bit warmer sounding than the gear from Bryston and Krell. The tube-based Neuhaus T2 was especially good at capturing the musicality of the speakers despite the lack of bottom-end control it sacrificed. With the NAD, I found the amp to have enough control over the bass line in Slash's "I Hold on" to flesh it out without sounding tubby, while maintaining some warmth in the upper midrange and lower treble areas.

With the NAD amp, the speakers also imaged well enough to let this bass line stand on its own within the sound stage, while giving Slash's Les Paul enough room to breathe freely. This layered image placed the bass in front of the drum kit and behind Kid Rock's vocals. This made for a fun and enjoyable audiophile experience, with a somewhat compressed sounding rock track.

The PL100s had a slight emphasis in the upper midrange and lower treble regions. This trait increased or decreased depending on the amp and cables I used, and it was also more noticeable on some lower resolution iPod files I listened to through the Krell.

Conclusion

As a theater speaker, the PL100 doesn't let on that it's a limited range speaker missing a couple of bottom octaves. It sounded detailed enough to reveal subtle foley effects and dynamic enough to smoothly reproduce more dramatic, impactful movie soundtrack noises.

The PL100s could be used with just about any high-current amp on the market. But if I had my choice, I would lean towards a solid-state product from a company like Halcro or NAD. If I were to go the tube route, perhaps something from McIntosh, Cary Audio or Audio Research.

Keep in mind, hair-splitting statements like my amplifier-matching observation are the stuff of audiophile neurosis and is minutiae in the grand scheme of things. The PL100 and the rest of the Platinum line are no-brainers for anyone who wants the best products our industry has to offer.