In this review, we will be comparing 704 S3 and Silver 500 7G, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Bowers Wilkins and Monitor Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of B&W 704 S3 and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | B&W 704 S3 | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
|---|
| Brand | Bowers Wilkins
United Kingdom · founded 1966 | Monitor Audio
United Kingdom · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" | 1" gold dome C-CAM with Uniform Dispersion (UD) Waveguide II |
|---|
| Midrange | 5" | 3" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5" Aerofoil | 2 x 8" C-CAM RST II |
|---|
| Frequency response | 46-28k Hz | 27-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 90.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30-150 watts | 80-250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 20.53kg / 45.2lbs | 22.53kg / 49.6lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 38" x 6.5" x 11.8"
964.0 x 165.0 x 300.0mm | 42-11/16" x 12-11/16" x 15-7/16"
1085.0 x 323.0 x 393.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the B&W 704 S3 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* |
B&W 704 S3 |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
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.
Drivers
Both 704 S3 and Silver 500 7G are 3-way speakers.
B&W 704 S3Monitor 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 |
B&W 704 S3 |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5-inch |
1 x 3-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5-inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
704 S3 features a 1" Tweeter, a 5" Midrange and 2 x 5" Aerofoil 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
704 S3 has a frequency range of 46-28k 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 significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the 704 S3's min frequency of 46Hz.
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
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
704 S3 and Silver 500 7G have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. 704 S3 sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the Silver 500 7G's is at 90.5 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G a more sensitive speaker compared to B&W 704 S3, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
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.
Silver 500 7G can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS, whereas 704 S3 has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the Silver 500 7G.
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.
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both 704 S3 and Silver 500 7G features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
B&W 704 S3's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both 704 S3 and Silver 500 7G have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generally need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing the speakers too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.
If you are limited in space and can't get the speakers away from the backwall, check our Speakers with Front Firing Ports page.
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 B&W 704 S3's and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G's external dimensions. B&W 704 S3 has external dimensions of 964.0 x 165.0 x 300.0mm (38-inch x 6.5-inch x 11.8-inch) 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 clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 158mm wider, 121mm taller and 93mm deeper than B&W 704 S3.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of B&W 704 S3 and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G in scale.
Comparison image of B&W 704 S3 and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G Size and External Dimensions
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 B&W 704 S3 is approximately 495.0cm2 / 76.7inch2 and base area of the Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is approximately 1269.4cm2 / 196.8inch2. The 704 S3 requires 61% 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 B&W 704 S3 weighs 20.53kg / 45.2lbs and the Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G weighs 22.53kg / 49.6lbs. This makes the Silver 500 7G 10% heavier than the 704 S3.
Here is a comparison of how 704 S3 and Silver 500 7G's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G
What's in the Box of B&W 704 S3?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of 704 S3:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- Plinth (base)
- 2 Jumper-straps (pre-installed)
- Two-piece foam port plug
- 4 Rubber feet
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Lock-nuts
- 4 Screws
- 4 Washers
- 4 Lock washers
- Hex-key
- Manual
- Bowers & Wilkins brochure
- Warranty Information
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
 Height |
964mm
vs
1085mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
495cm2
vs
1269cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Max Input Power |
250 watts
vs
150 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
91 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
27 Hz
vs
46 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
35k Hz
vs
28k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Price per pair* |
3200USD
vs
3998USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Bowers & Wilkins 704 S3 |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
| Brand |
Bowers Wilkins |
Monitor Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
30-150 watts |
80-250 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
90.5 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.1 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
46-28k Hz |
27-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aerofoil |
C-CAM RST II |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
n/a |
gold dome C-CAM with Uniform Dispersion (UD) Waveguide II |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5" |
3" |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
964.0mm (38") |
1085.0mm (42.7") |
| Width |
165.0mm (6.5") |
323.0mm (12.7") |
| Depth |
300.0mm (11.8") |
393.0mm (15.5") |
| Weight |
20.53kg (45.2lbs) |
22.53kg (49.6lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Lacquer |
MDF/Wood veneer |
| Available Colors |
Gloss Black,Satin White,Mocha,Rosenut |
Oak |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G digs deeper - 27Hz against 46Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is more sensitive (91dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | B | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G takes more power (250W vs 150W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | B&W 704 S3 is easier to place; Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | B&W 704 S3: bi-amping; Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is cheaper - $3,200 against $3,998, about 20% less. |
A B&W 704 S3 B Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system 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 B&W 704 S3 if its size, looks or fit in your room suit you better. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 46Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate B&W 704 S3 the better fit for a mid-size room, and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G for a very large room.
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.