Monitor Audio Loudspeaker Platinum User Manual

“In developing Platinum we’ve created the definitive

Monitor Audio loudspeaker. There is no finer

expression of the dedication to sound quality, design

and engineering that has driven our adventure and

innovation for over three decades. We’ve proved once

again that there is no preconception that cannot be

challenged, no rule beyond question. By refining new

materials and technologies, we’re getting closer to

perfection.”

Dean Hartley
Technical Director

T e c h n i c a l E x p e r t i s e

I n n o v a t i o n

S u p e r i o r D e s i g n

P e r f o r m a n c e

P r i d e o f O w n e r s h i p

S P R E Z Z A T U R A

Famous for his ‘Il Libro Del Cortegiano’ (The Book of

the Courtier, 1528), Renaissance humanist Baldesar

Castiglione coined the word ‘sprezzatura’ to describe

the ideal for courtly behaviour. He insisted that in

order to be worthy, exceptional virtuosity should be

conveyed with an unaffected, effortless dignity. In

essence, sprezzatura is the art of making something

difficult look easy.

Created from the finest materials and complex

technologies, our superlative Platinum loudspeakers

are a sophisticated blend of craftsmanship and

science, but make music so gracefully that it sounds

naturally effortless.

A U D I T I O N

Introducing genuinely esoteric yet affordable

performance and quality, Monitor Audio’s Platinum

loudspeakers are engineered to achieve the most

natural sound possible. In our quest for true

fidelity, we’ve harnessed new materials, developed

innovative new technologies, tested, refined and

optimised every last design detail, and verified the

science with plenty of good old-fashioned listening.

Every component part is produced to exacting

standards and each speaker is carefully hand-built

by our small team of technicians. The new Platinum

Series represents the epitome of British design and

quality, demonstrating Monitor Audio’s devotion

to music and film sound reproduction.

C r a f t s m a n s h i p

a n d Q u a l i t y

Each pair of Platinum loudspeakers is an original

work of art. Monitor Audio’s cabinet makers hand

select uniquely matching sets of exotic natural wood

veneer in Santos Rosewood or Ebony for every pair.

The veneers are applied by hand after the cabinet

is made to ensure that the grain match is precise

and that no joints are visible. After meticulous

inspection, no fewer than eleven layers of clear gloss

piano lacquer are applied to enhance the exquisite

grain definition and rich variety of colour within each

veneer.

The front baffles are hand-upholstered using

Strathspey leather supplied by Andrew Muirhead.

Strathspey’s natural leather is of the very highest

quality and is associated with many respected

British brands from the furniture, automotive and

marine industries. It conveys a tactile sense of luxury

which blends with the lustrous beauty of Platinum’s

lacquered veneer finishes to impart an immediate

impression of excellence in any room, however lavish

its décor.

Platinum promises a depth of beauty, quality and

performance that will inspire an intense pride of

ownership in lovers of music and design.

T e c h n o l o g i e s

Ceramic-Coated Aluminium/Magnesium (C-CAM®)

Since 1972, Monitor Audio’s near fanatical

commitment to excellence and innovation has

received global recognition and acclaim. When

we launched our R352MD loudspeaker - the first

model to incorporate a metal dome tweeter - it caused

quite a stir. Until that time, most metal domes were

single-metal types made from copper or titanium and

virtually all sounded unconvincing. The R352 used

an aluminium/magnesium alloy dome and sounded

significantly better and smoother than all of its

single-metal rivals. This radical design formed the

blueprint for successive generations of our C-CAM

metal domes.

All the radiating surfaces of the Platinum drivers are

formed from C-CAM, a material originally developed

by the aerospace industry for jet engine components.

Its properties are ideal for loudspeaker cones:

extremely rigid, yet light enough to yield high overall

efficiency. In manufacture, aluminium/magnesium

alloy undergoes stress-relieving processes to

remove surface deformation and molecular weakness.

Once formed, the alloy cone is subjected to a high

temperature anodic coating process, in which a

layer of pure ceramic alumina is depleted onto its

surfaces to give a completely rigid exterior.

Conventional cone materials are liable to flex or

twist in operation, producing a significant level of

audible distortion. C-CAM cones have a much higher

resistance to bending stress and therefore exhibit

much greater fidelity.