CE Pro March 2023 - 69

SPECS
Stone's spacesuit bounce
around the entire soundscape.
At one point as her
visor is removed, the sound
of the swooshing metal and
glass moved from the floor
up to the ceiling, using the
system's two upfiring drivers
to put the listener in the
shoes of the main character
in a novel way.
Dolby Atmos is also
notable when watching
streaming series like HBO's
" His Dark Materials, " which
supports Dolby Atmos audio
via its premium streaming
tier. While watching, the
benefits of Atmos became
clear, as the soundstage felt
much wider than it does
when compared with the
non-Atmos version. Key
environmental audio details
like the burning fuel of
one character's steampunk
hot air balloon or the soft
dripping of icicles melting
around a campfire add a level
of realism to an otherwise
fantasy setting.
Similarly, when listening
to audio via Spotify, the
Monaco 5.1.2 handles a
wide variety of genres with
clarity and quality. Particularly
bombastic tracks from
progressive metal bands
like Moon Tooth's " Through
Ash " sound massive, with
the track's hypnotizing
bassline coming through
clearly via the system's
included subwoofer.
The Monaco's music
performance isn't limited
to heavy genres, however,
as it performed equally well
with jazz classics like Elis
Regina's " Aguas De Marco, "
highlighting the system's
fairly bright highs while also
accentuating its warm midrange
via the track's muted
trumpets and thumping
double bass.
Of course, no product is
The WiSA SoundSend is
the main way the system
connects each speaker
together and bridges
them to the television.
perfect, and the Monaco
5.1.2 system does have a
few small quirks that could
annoy some integrators.
For example, the speaker
grilles are magnetic, which
means they somewhat
easily come off when you
move the speakers around.
However, this does also
make it much easier to
dust and clean the speakers,
so it's a bit of a giveand-take
choice by Platin.
In addition, while the
SoundSend app is functional,
it does lack the premium
feel and experience of other
audio apps from companies
like Apple or Sony. During my
time testing the system, the
SoundSend app encountered
a critical error a few times,
causing me to lose all of my
preset EQs and speaker trim
cepro.com
levels, which could cause
headaches for installers and
their customers.
The only physical issue
I experienced with the
system happened upon delivery
of the speakers. When
I unboxed the subwoofer, I
found that one of the four
legs underneath the subwoofer
was not attached.
There was no easy way to
adhere it to the body of the
subwoofer, so I opted to
lean the system on top of
that unattached leg for the
entirety of my testing and
noticed no ill-effects.
All told, despite some
small issues, the Platin
Monaco 5.1.2 system is a
triumph. It deftly combines
WiSA and Dolby Atmos
technologies to create an
impressive value for money.
The system also stands out
as a meaningful upgrade to
Platin's original Monaco 5.1
system that I've had in my
den for the last 18 months.
When directly compared
to its predecessor, the updated
Monaco boasts a significantly
wider soundstage,
more robust bass response,
and a slightly brighter overall
sound. In addition, the
updated system's improved
WiSA stability helps stifle
connection headaches before
they begin, which has
been a major quality-of-life
improvement versus the
original version.
The Monaco 5.1.2 system
is a solid solution for clients
looking to enter the world of
high-end audio, as it balances
performance, affordability
and convenience.
Platin Monaco
5.1.2 System
System includes five
powered loudspeakers
(center, front, rear)
with fronts featuring an
upfiring driver for Atmos
effects
Low-profile active
subwoofer (5 x 15 x 12.2
inches H x W x D)
WiSA (Wireless Speakers
& Audio Association)
Certified
High-resolution audio
up to 24-bit/48kHz
transmitted by included
WiSA SoundSend
Lip sync latency less
than 5.2ms
Supports Dolby Atmos,
TrueHD, Digital+ &
Digital formats
MSRP is $1,499
platinaudio.us
CE PRO
VERDICT
PROS:
WiSA wireless audio works
nearly flawlessly
Inclusion of two Dolby
Atmos upfiring drivers
adds to home cinema
experience
Easy to set up and
customize
CONS:
SoundSend app can be
glitchy at times
Speaker grilles are
magnetic and not fully
bonded to the speakers.
Subwoofer did not come
fully intact in the review
model but did not impact
performance
March 2023 CE Pro | 69
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CE Pro March 2023

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