July 7, 2009
MONITOR AUDIO LAUNCHES PLC150, A SECOND CENTER CHANNEL SPEAKER FOR THE PLATINUM RANGE



By Gary Reber


The Platinum PLC150 center channel speaker further expands the versatility of Monitor Audio’s flagship Platinum range by offering a compact alternative to the
PLC350 center channel speaker for Platinum theater systems. The PLC150 is fashioned from the same radical materials, processes, and techniques as all other Platinum loudspeakers. Supremely esoteric in nature, it sets new standards of aesthetic quality and performance in its class.
 
The PLC150 is a compact two-way, three-driver center channel speaker featuring dual 6.5-inch RDT® bass/midrange drivers and a C-CAM® high frequency ribbon transducer. Endowed with a neutral tonal balance and an accurate, dynamic sound, the PLC150’s performance characteristics are matched with those of the PL100 and PL300 full-range speakers to create a seamless front sound stage for very high quality multi-channel audio/video systems. The optional PLC Stand is available for the PLC150 to provide straight or tilted positioning for optimized set-up.
 
The PLC150’s shaped and heavily braced cabinet is finished in Black or hand-selected Santos Rosewood or Ebony natural wood veneer. Finally, each veneer is coated with eleven
layers of clear gloss piano lacquer for a beautiful, “liquid” appearance. The front baffle is hand-upholstered in Strathspey leather and an open-pore shaped magnetic metal grille is included.
 
Technologies
 
All driver surfaces are Ceramic Coated Aluminum/Magnesium (C-CAM), an innovative alloy material, which is extremely rigid and light for ultra-low distortion and high efficiency. Bass/midrange driver cones employ Rigid Diaphragm Technology (RDT), designed to reduce mass and increase cone stiffness. A core of honeycomb Nomex material is sandwiched by ultra-thin skins of C-CAM, creating a structure that is extremely light but more rigid than a steel plate when formed as a laminate type construction. The new concave cone geometry has been refined by FEA analysis to provide a smooth frequency response and eradicate break-up. The PLC150’s front baffle is cast from Anti-Resonance Composite (ARC®) material. This is a cast thermo-set polymer loaded with minerals to provide very inert, optimally damped components. HiVe®II port technology provides a straight rifled
port design that accelerates airflow and reduces turbulence.
 
Drive units

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C-CAM high-frequency ribbon transducer
A departure from Monitor Audio’s traditional C-CAM tweeter domes, the ribbon
design developed for the Platinum range uses an ultra-thin sandwich of C-CAM
alloy suspended in a powerful transverse magnetic field of high-energy NeFeB
rare-earth magnets. The ribbon serves as both voice coil and radiating diaphragm, with every part of the ribbon driven directly and simultaneously without energy storage. With a mass of just 18mg, the ribbon diaphragm has a very fast transient response and exhibits extremely low inter-modulation and harmonic distortion. These characteristics coupled with a useable frequency range to 100 kHz allow the transducer to capture the leading edge and natural decay of the most complex musical sounds and their harmonics.
 
RDT Bass/midrange drivers
The new die-cast alloy driver chassis features a vented rear section with an
increased open area for low reflection. Using FEA, Monitor Audio has developed
motor systems in which a focused magnetic gap and copper eddy rings work
together to produce a higher level of linearity and lower distortion than was
previously
possible. Magnet plates and poles are CNC machined to very precise
standards in order to provide ultimate consistency.
 
Crossovers
 
All components are arranged to provide the shortest signal path and selected for the best possible sound quality after many hours of listening and evaluation by our engineers. Capacitors are metallized polypropylene film types, specially made by ICW ClarityCap. High power, low tolerance film resistors are used because they have no residual inductive effect. Special flat copper foil air-core inductors are selected to provide low internal resistance and add no discernable distortion to the input signal.
 
Cabinet Design
 
The cabinet comprises multiple laminations of wood veneer in a rigid plywood construction shaped to form a one-piece shell. Internally, the sides are non-regular, preventing the formation of standing waves. Monitor Audio has developed a unique ‘pin-hole’ internal bracing structure for the Platinum range, positioned to provide rigidity and integrity. Steel bolts that tie the front and back panels to the ‘pin-hole’ brace and are tightened to a specific torque further enhance cabinet bracing in order to tune out undesirable resonances. Bitumastic internal damping material is applied to all internal cabinet walls to provide a further level of resonance damping.
 
Speaker Terminals and Feet
 
WBT Platinum signature terminals are considered to be of the highest quality available. Precision-machined and plated with pure platinum, they provide very low contact resistance and the best possible contact reliability. They feature accurate fine-pitch adjustment and are suitable for heavy-duty cables with spade, 4mm plug or bare wire connection.
 
Adjustable spiked feet are used on the PLC150 floor stand. Machined to the finest tolerances from high-grade alloy and anodized to the most exacting standards, the feet accept ‘bullet’ spikes of high-tensile steel, chrome-plated to a mirror finish. For hard or solid wood flooring, a non-slip rubber pad is integrated with the foot design.
   
MSRP and Availability: Available Now
 
Monitor Audio Platinum PLC150 center-channel loudspeaker: $3,400 each
PLC Floor Stand: $550 each
 
To find out more about Monitor Audio loudspeakers, go to: www.monitoraudiousa.com



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