Monitor Audio Radius 3 4G Bookshelf Speakers

The mini-monitor that goes down to 44Hz

The Monitor Audio Radius 3 4G is the full-range member of the Radius 4G range, a ported two way with a 4.5 inch RST III bass-mid driver and the 25mm C-CAM Gold Dome tweeter carried over from the eighth generation Silver series. Sold as a pair, it reaches 44Hz in room from a cabinet only 255mm tall. Monitor Audio tuned the port to 53Hz, lower than a cabinet this size would normally allow.

Why You'll Love It

• Bass that does not need a subwoofer. 44Hz in room from a 255mm cabinet is unusual, and it means the Radius 3 can run as a proper stereo pair rather than only as a satellite.
• The Silver series tweeter. The 25mm C-CAM Gold Dome is the same unit Monitor Audio fits to the Silver 8G range, which is not something you normally see at this size.
• Works in three places. Stand mount, desktop with the Radius Desk Pad 4G, or wall mounted on a FIX-M bracket, so the same pair can move around the house as your system changes.

Under the Hood

• Two way ported design with a 4.5 inch RST III bass-mid driver and a 25mm C-CAM Gold Dome tweeter, crossing over at 2.7kHz.
• Port tuned to 53Hz, which Monitor Audio describes as lower than would normally be possible in an enclosure this compact.
• In-room response from 44Hz to 35kHz at -6dB, 107dB maximum peak SPL to AES75, and 75W continuous power handling to CTA 426-B.

CHT Insider Verdict

This is the one in the range to audition if you want a small stereo pair rather than surround speakers. It gives up sensitivity to get its bass, so 84dB means a decent amplifier rather than a cheap one, and the ported cabinet will want a little breathing room behind it. Within those limits it does something genuinely hard, which is sound like a full speaker from a very small box.

Pro Tip: If you are wall mounting these, note the bracket list is shorter than the Radius 1's. Monitor Audio lists the FIX-M for the Radius 3 but not the MASM, so check the bracket before you buy rather than assuming the two models share hardware.