Standing at over a metre tall the 300 is a majestic three-way floor-standing loudspeaker comprising twin 6.5″ bass drivers, a single 4″ mid-range driver and a high frequency ribbon transducer. With such an impressive complement of drivers, the 300 has the power delivery and scale required to fill the largest rooms with jaw-dropping dynamics as well as the finest musical detail. Extending from below 30Hz to over 60kHz, its frequency range is among the widest available from any speaker, regardless of price. MSRP (Standard Finish): $7,195 /pr. MSRP (Piano Ebony Finish): $8,595 /pr.
The Gold series ribbon is derived from the acclaimed Platinum C-CAM ribbon transducer. Mechanically it’s identical to the GX ribbon but by improving production tolerances even further, Monitor Audio has discovered that the new model offers a consistently more open and transparent sound. In part, the sense of greater detail and enhanced imaging may be attributed to the closer matching of tweeter pairs in each stereo system. The ribbon’s fabulously efficient wideband design reproduces the authentic tonal character of frequencies beyond 60kHz, as well as the inherent nature of the mid-band vocal region to which the ear is most sensitive.
LATEST GENERATION RST BASS DRIVERS
Further tuned by FEA tools, the Gold series bass units utilize an evolved version of the dimpled RST cone surface introduced on the Gold GR and GS ranges. It takes the form of a continuous radiating dish devoid of the central voice-coil aperture. Instead, a longer voice coil and larger motor sit behind the cone in a more efficient drive assembly, which offers greater drive force, longer excursions and lower distortion, producing cleaner, more extended and accurate bass definition. Although the motor design is unchanged from GX, back-to-back listening tests have demonstrated that across all four stereo models new Gold sounds more open and dynamic, with a soundstage that is both taller and wider.
NEW GRILLE DESIGN
Gold’s new magnetically-fixed ‘floating’ cloth grille replaces the full-length metal grille of its Gold GX predecessor. The design chosen for the latest Gold range offers a classier, more discreet look, enhanced by a brushed aluminium badge. On floor standing models, the grille is no longer full length, exposing more of each cabinet’s luxurious grain-matched depth of finish.
BOLT-THROUGH DRIVER FIXINGS
Continuing from GX, single bolt-through driver fixings have the dual effect of improving cabinet rigidity while further reducing vibration at the driver/cabinet interface. By this innovative method, drivers are mounted on a single tensioned through-bolt, which is secured to the back of the cabinet. The bolt not only acts as a rigid cabinet brace to reduce box colouration, it removes the need for conventional driver fixing as well, effectively decoupling the driver and front baffle to eliminate a further source of unwanted resonance.
CROSSOVERS
Comprising high quality polypropylene film capacitors, air core and laminated steel core inductors, individual driver crossovers are mounted on a dedicated panel accessible from the underside of each speaker. The adjacent speaker terminals are gold plated to maintain signal integrity and contact reliability. All Gold speakers are wired internally with Pureflow Silver cable.
ENCLOSURE
Each enclosure is rigid and curved in nature. The cabinet is further aided by radial bracing and bolt-through driver fixings, which eliminate unwanted vibrations and internal standing waves. New Gold’s HiVeII reflex port is shaped to have the same effect on airflow as a gun barrel on a bullet. Rifled grooves inside the port help to accelerate the flow and reduce turbulence, so air moves in and out of the port more efficiently for a faster more dynamic bass response.
For added stability the die-cast alloy base plinths of the floor-standing models and the dedicated ‘Gold’ speaker stand provide a solid foundation for superior acoustics, enhanced by hand-milled spikes. Non-slip rubber pads are supplied to protect wood floors.
MAIN DESIGN FEATURES
Close tolerance C-CAM ribbon transducer design providing improved pair matching and extension to a class leading 60kHz / Bass drivers with dimpled RST profile C-CAM cone / New, more discreet floating cloth grille / HiVeII port technology for better transient response and tighter bass / Single bolt through driver fixings for improved bracing, rigidity and driver/baffle de-coupling / Die-cast alloy terminal panel arrangement with high quality bi-wire terminals and high end spade type link cables / Pureflow Silver internal cabling / High quality crossovers with premium grade polypropylene film capacitors used throughout / Large radius cabinet edges provide low diffraction and smoother overall frequency response / Curved cabinet profile for increased rigidity and reduced internal standing waves / Selected premium quality wood veneers or high gloss piano finishes / Rigid 20mm MDF construction throughout, employing radial and cross-bracing techniques for high rigidity resulting in low cabinet colouration.
Availability: Mid February, 2015