Monitor Audio Radius One: A soundbar made for audiophiles

The newRadius speakers are very interesting in technological terms, in particular, they use speakers with C-CAM diffusers (made of magnesium-aluminum alloy with ceramic coating). Many audiophiles who are familiar with Monitor Audio products will immediately ask the question: “Excuse me, but we’ve already been through this… The model range was called Radius HD. It received many positive reviews, both among audiophiles and in the audio press. And what new can engineers offer to a time-tested design? However, skeptics will have to calm down, since the company’s designers made significant changes to the design of the speakers, which made them sound even better. So…

Compact Monitor Audio Radius models are aimed at small but serious installations, in which the design of the equipment plays an important role. Based on this, the manufacturer offers a wide range of cabinet finishes, including various enamels and natural wood veneers. However, the choice of speakers themselves is much more impressive: the line includes two subwoofers – R380 and R390, miniature satellite cubes R45 with an unusual rear tweeter placement and the R one soundbar – an impressive design that combines the speakers of the central and two front channels. From an aesthetic point of view, this is a great neighbor for a flat-panel TV suspended from the wall. As for the remaining five models of the classic layout, they differ from each other only in the size of the case and the number of speakers (their heads are identical: a 10-centimeter main one and a tweeter with a diameter of 2.5 cm). There are both shelf and floor-standing speakers. With so many options, it is easy to choose a set of speakers that will exactly match the features of the room and interior requirements.

The Monitor Audio Radius One soundbar is equipped with branded high-quality emitters placed in a specially designed case with deep damping. This speaker system is designed to sound three front channels of the surround sound system and combines three identical sets of speakers in isolated boxes.

Each of them uses one 100 mm low-frequency speaker with a C-CAM diffuser and a tweeter with a gold-plated C-CAM dome. The special design of the speakers allowed to reduce the depth of the speaker body by 40 percent, due to which the Monitor Audio Radius One looks good next to modern flat-panel TVs. The low-frequency speakers have enlarged magnetic systems, and during their development, computer modeling of the entire structure was used in order to achieve maximum efficiency. The original fastening of the low-frequency speakers with the help of metal bolts working “on the thrust” between their magnets and the rear panel also acts as intra-case elements to increase its rigidity. The bass speakers are loaded on phase inverters, which allowed to expand the range of reproduced frequencies. The output port of the phase inverters is made using HiVe II technology, which allowed to significantly reduce the level of acoustic noise. The emitters are connected to a crossover filter made of high-quality components.

Each of the three speakers included in the soundbar has a sensitivity of 87 dB and an impedance of 6 ohms, and to obtain good sound saturation they do not require very high power supplied by the amplifier. The bass level of the Monitor Audio Radius One is sufficient for listening to TV programs and playing background music, but when used in a home theater, the soundbar must be supplemented with a subwoofer. The soundbar has a high-quality exterior finish and will look good in a modern interior. Monitor Audio Radius One is equipped with a special bracket for wall mounting.

Monitor Audio Radius One Specifications

Number of Speakers 6
Enclosure Type Bass-Reflex, HiVe II Port on the Rear Panel
Wall Mounting, Shelf Mounting
Tweeter Diameter and Type 3x25mm, Gold-Plated C-CAM Dome
Diameter and Type LF Emitter 3x100mm, C-CAM Diffuser
Frequency Range 90Hz – 35,000Hz (+/- 3dB)
Sensitivity 87dB (1W/1m)
Nominal Impedance 6 Ohm
Maximum Sound Pressure Level 106dB
Recommended Amplifier Power 30 – 100W
Input Connectors One Pair of Terminals for Each Channel
Removable Grille
Dimensions (WxHxD) 980 x 175 x 79mm
Weight 7.4kg