In this review, we will be comparing Grandis GR8T 8" 3-Way High Fidelity Tower Speaker (SINGLE) and Silver 500 7G, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Aperion and Monitor Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Aperion Grandis GR8T 8" 3-Way High Fidelity Tower Speaker (SINGLE) and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Aperion Grandis GR8T 8" 3-Way High Fidelity Tower Speaker (SINGLE) | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.1" | 1" gold dome C-CAM with Uniform Dispersion (UD) Waveguide II |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 3" |
|---|
| Woofer | — | 2 x 8" C-CAM RST II |
|---|
| Frequency response | 28-42k Hz | 27-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 dB | 90.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-300 Watts watts | 80-250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 48.99kg / 107.8lbs | 22.53kg / 49.6lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 49.6" x 13.1" x 13.8"
1259.8 x 332.7 x 350.5mm | 42-11/16" x 12-11/16" x 15-7/16"
1085.0 x 323.0 x 393.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Aperion Grandis GR8T 8" 3-Way High Fidelity Tower Speaker (SINGLE) and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
Aperion Grandis GR8T 8" 3-Way High Fidelity Tower Speaker (SINGLE) |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
Average |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
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through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Grandis GR8T 8" 3-Way High Fidelity Tower Speaker (SINGLE) is a 2-way design whereas the Silver 500 7G is a 3-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
Aperion Grandis GR8T 8" 3-Way High Fidelity Tower Speaker (SINGLE)Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Aperion Grandis GR8T 8" 3-Way High Fidelity Tower Speaker (SINGLE) |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 3-inch |
|
Woofer
|
x -inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
Grandis GR8T 8" 3-Way High Fidelity Tower Speaker (SINGLE) features a 1.1" Tweeter and x " Woofer. On the other hand, the Silver 500 7G features a 1" gold dome C-CAM with Uniform Dispersion (UD) Waveguide II Tweeter, a 3" Midrange and 2 x 8" C-CAM RST II Woofer.
Frequency Response
Grandis GR8T 8" 3-Way High Fidelity Tower Speaker (SINGLE) has a frequency range of 28-42k Hz whereas Silver 500 7G has a frequency range of 27-35k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 27Hz, the Silver 500 7G can go slightly deeper then the Grandis GR8T 8" 3-Way High Fidelity Tower Speaker (SINGLE)'s min frequency of 28Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Grandis GR8T 8" 3-Way High Fidelity Tower Speaker (SINGLE)
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Grandis GR8T 8" 3-Way High Fidelity Tower Speaker (SINGLE) is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the Silver 500 7G which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms. Lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit especially when played at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Grandis GR8T 8" 3-Way High Fidelity Tower Speaker (SINGLE) can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Grandis GR8T 8" 3-Way High Fidelity Tower Speaker (SINGLE) sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the Silver 500 7G's is rated at 90.5 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G a more sensitive speaker compared to Aperion Grandis GR8T 8" 3-Way High Fidelity Tower Speaker (SINGLE), hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Grandis GR8T 8" 3-Way High Fidelity Tower Speaker (SINGLE)
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
Grandis GR8T 8" 3-Way High Fidelity Tower Speaker (SINGLE) can handle a max power of 600 watts RMS, whereas Silver 500 7G has a max power handling value of 250 watts RMS, 350 watts less than the Grandis GR8T 8" 3-Way High Fidelity Tower Speaker (SINGLE).
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier — change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Aperion Grandis GR8T 8" 3-Way High Fidelity Tower Speaker (SINGLE)
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Silver 500 7G features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Grandis GR8T 8" 3-Way High Fidelity Tower Speaker (SINGLE) has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Aperion Grandis GR8T 8" 3-Way High Fidelity Tower Speaker (SINGLE)'s and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G's external dimensions. Aperion Grandis GR8T 8" 3-Way High Fidelity Tower Speaker (SINGLE) has external dimensions of 1259.8 x 332.7 x 350.5mm (49.6 x 13.1 x 13.8inch) whereas Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G has external dimensions of 1085.0 x 323.0 x 393.0mm (42-11/16 x 12-11/16 x 15-7/16inch).
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is 9.7mm narrower and 174.8mm shorter than Aperion Grandis GR8T 8" 3-Way High Fidelity Tower Speaker (SINGLE) but it is also 42.5mm deeper.
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the Aperion Grandis GR8T 8" 3-Way High Fidelity Tower Speaker (SINGLE) is approximately 1166.1cm2 / 180.7inch2 and base area of the Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is approximately 1269.4cm2 / 196.8inch2. The Grandis GR8T 8" 3-Way High Fidelity Tower Speaker (SINGLE) requires 8% less surface area than the Silver 500 7G which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The Aperion Grandis GR8T 8" 3-Way High Fidelity Tower Speaker (SINGLE) weighs 48.99kg / 107.8lbs and the Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G weighs 22.53kg / 49.6lbs. This makes the Grandis GR8T 8" 3-Way High Fidelity Tower Speaker (SINGLE) 117% heavier than the Silver 500 7G.
Here is a comparison of how Grandis GR8T 8" 3-Way High Fidelity Tower Speaker (SINGLE) and Silver 500 7G's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
Aperion Grandis GR8T 8" 3-Way High Fidelity Tower Speaker (SINGLE)
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G
What's in the Box of Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G?
Here are the items that come with the Silver 500 7G:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Outrigger feet
- 4 Rubber feet (pre-installed on outrigger feet)
- 4 Spikes
- 4 Bolts
- 4 Machine screws
- 2 Foam port plugs
- 2 Hex-keys
- Owners Manual
- Important Safety Instructions
 Max Input Power |
600 watts
vs
250 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 High Frequency Response |
42k Hz
vs
35k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Base Surface Area |
1166cm2
vs
1269cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
91 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
27 Hz
vs
28 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
1085mm
vs
1259mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
3200USD
vs
10998USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Aperion Grandis GR8T 8" 3-Way High Fidelity Tower Speaker (SINGLE) |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
| Brand |
Aperion |
Monitor Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-300 Watts watts |
80-250 watts |
| Sensitivity |
89 dB |
90.5 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
28-42k Hz |
27-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
|
2 |
| Woofer Size |
" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
|
C-CAM RST II |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
n/a |
gold dome C-CAM with Uniform Dispersion (UD) Waveguide II |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
3" |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1259.8mm (49.6") |
1085.0mm (42.7") |
| Width |
332.7mm (13.1") |
323.0mm (12.7") |
| Depth |
350.5mm (13.8") |
393.0mm (15.5") |
| Weight |
48.99kg (107.8lbs) |
22.53kg (49.6lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Wood veneer |
| Available Colors |
n/a |
Oak |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
n/a |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - Aperion Grandis GR8T 8" 3-Way High Fidelity Tower Speaker (SINGLE) costs roughly 3.4x what Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass |
evenly matched |
Much the same reach (28Hz vs 27Hz). |
| Amplifier needs |
B |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is more sensitive (91dB vs 89dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match |
B |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom |
A |
Aperion Grandis GR8T 8" 3-Way High Fidelity Tower Speaker (SINGLE) takes more power (600W vs 250W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size |
depends |
Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability |
B |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G: bi-amping. |
| Price |
B |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is cheaper - $3,200 against $10,998, about 71% less; arguably a different class. |
A Aperion Grandis GR8T 8" 3-Way High Fidelity Tower Speaker (SINGLE)
B Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, placement or how you will use them.
Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take Aperion Grandis GR8T 8" 3-Way High Fidelity Tower Speaker (SINGLE) if its size, looks or fit in your room suit you better. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $7,798 saved by taking the cheaper pair would buy a subwoofer or a better amplifier, and either usually does more for the sound than the difference between these two.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.