The Article

RADIUS 3 4G FROM MONITOR AUDIO

10th November 2026

Headline Speaker Review

A bit of a Swiss Army knife of a speaker design from Monitor Audio, Paul Rigby listens to this small-stature stand mounts

I’ve reviewed several pairs of speakers of late, more by accident than design, I have to say. But looking back, I wanted to move in a slightly different direction for a change. Especially looking at the larger and more general economic situation at the moment. Prices are on the rise and value is becoming more important.

I wondered if the Radius 3 4G stand-mounted speakers from Monitor Audio might fit that bill.

Priced at £575, these speakers have been positioned by that company to fulfil a range of jobs. Monitor Audio describes them as a, and I quote, “…high-performance mini-monitor delivering precise, high-fidelity sound for TV, film, music, gaming and multi-room applications, including discreet commercial installations.”

We’re talking about a 2-way speakers designed to cover many bases. Question is, do they?

TECH OVERVIEW

In size terms they provide a small footprint and overall size at 255 x 150 x 201mm. They’re not too heavy to move around either at 3.7kg each. Sensitivity isn’t amazing at 84db but, then again, most speakers of this size are not either. Also, they do need a measure of power to get going. You’re looking at an amplifier pushing 40W or more to get the Radius speakers to work correctly.

Featuring a bass port on the rear, these 8 Ohm speakers include a 114mm mid-bass RST III unit while, up top is a gold dome tweeter, a C-CAM unit spanning 25mm and supported by through-bolt driver bracing to reduce resonances.

Finished in high-gloss black or satin white and a new crossover design compared to earlier models, these speakers can be stand or wall mounted.

They can also be desk mounted for near-field use but I’m going to delay that test for another, related, review in the future.

So, the question is this, how do they sound? Well let’s have a listen.

SOUND QUALITY

I began in my listening room, using the Radius as a pure music transducer. Initially, I wanted to compare the Monitor Audio’s with a speaker design of a similar form factor so I reached for the Dali Kupid, cheaper at around £300 a pair.

VS DALI KUPID

I chose an early-generation CD to begin, the Cocteau Twins’ Blue Bell Knoll from 1988 on 4AD and specifically the track Carolyn’s Fingers, featuring guitars, drums, bass and the sublime vocal range of Elizabeth Fraser.

Despite the similar size, what are you paying for when you buy the Monitor Audios? Initially? Clarity. The sense of space and air around the midrange is just lovely from the Radius speakers. Fraser’s voice hovers on a cloud, above the instruments.

Guitar work has more metallic bounce, cymbals are clear and laden with reverb. This track has a shoegaze noise but the Radius speakers help to separate the vocals and instruments into their own space, allowing more detail to come through. Some of that detail was new on the soundstage too.

VS Q ACOUSTICS 3020i

Moving to vinyl now and The Early Tapes jazz/soul funk from Level 42 comprising slap bass, drums, synths and rhythm guitar. I changed the reference speakers to the slightly larger Q Acoustic 3020i speakers.

In play, once again I was impressed by the clarity. The entire soundstage sounded scrubbed and organised while the slap bass and percussion enjoyed an enhanced precision which made the impact from these instruments all the more noticeable and powerful. Bass on the 3020i speakers had a warming and vintage feel while the bass on the Radius speakers was more immediate, impactful and enjoyed more apparent force during the strike.

VS SPENDOR S3/5R2

I then moved to my rather scruffy office AV set up, a 2.0 system featuring a Samsung 4K TV, specialist speaker feet from Stack Audio, Rega Brio-R amplifier and Topping DX II DAC plus Tellurium Q and Atlas cabling.

Running lossy files this time via YouTube music I sat around eight foot away, so this was a nearish-ish field set up. I played It’s All Over Now from Nektar and the album Nektar Recycled.

The track features the classic rock set up of vocals, drums, guitar and bass plus organ. The one difference is the very prog-like and rather gorgeous vocal choir at the end plus piano.

I compared the Radius speakers with a pair of slightly larger, closed boxed, Spendor S3/5R2 stand mounts priced when released, at round £875.

During play, that now familiar clarity moved to the fore, allowing bass impact and detail to rush to the ear but there was also an impressive 3D effect to the soundstage which enhanced imagery. In AV use, these speakers handles low volumes well, ideal for evening play. Sure, listening nearer to those treble units, at high volumes and during crescendos, the music wasn’t quite as balanced when compared to listening-room distances. Playing Barbra Streisand’s orchestral prog outing (oh yes) Superman backed up the effect. Saying that, there was nothing egregious to report here, I just noticed the comparison while normal listening volumes will correct that difference.

CONCLUSION

Until my review, I had known very little about the Radius line of speakers from Monitor Audio but I was surprised at just how good they were and are.

Lead by an impressive clarity and instrumental separation that allows detail to flow easily to the ear, the Radius 3 4G designs are recommended for general music use but also AV and gaming use – I tried them on my PlayStation 5 rig with great success.

If you’re looking for a multi-purpose, all-action, great sounding pair of speakers then span the circle of your entertainment system with a pair of Radius speakers. There you go, one for the maths fans out there.

MONITOR AUDIO RADIUS 3 4G

Prices: £575

Website: www.monitoraudio.com

GOOD: small footprint, clarity, bass precision, instrumental separation

BAD: nothing