In this review, we will be comparing HTM6 S3 and Silver C250 7G, two Passive Center Channel speakers from Bowers Wilkins and Monitor Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of BW HTM6 S3 and Monitor Audio Silver C250 7G first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | BW HTM6 S3 | Monitor Audio Silver C250 7G |
|---|
| Brand | Bowers Wilkins
United Kingdom · founded 1966 | Monitor Audio
United Kingdom · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Decoupled Double Dome | 1" gold dome C-CAM |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 3" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5" Continuum | 2 x 5.25" C-CAM with Rigid Surface Technology (RST) |
|---|
| Frequency response | 72-28k Hz | 65-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 88.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30-120 watts | 80-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 7.70kg / 16.9lbs | 10.63kg / 23.4lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 6.3" x 18.9" x 11.2"
160.0 x 480.0 x 283.0mm | 8-1/16" x 18-15/16" x 10-3/4"
205.0 x 482.0 x 274.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the BW HTM6 S3 and Monitor Audio Silver C250 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* |
BW HTM6 S3 |
Monitor Audio Silver C250 7G |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Average |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Poor |
(* 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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that HTM6 S3 is a 2-way design whereas the Silver C250 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.
BW HTM6 S3 Monitor Audio Silver C250 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 |
BW HTM6 S3 |
Monitor Audio Silver C250 7G |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 3-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5-inch
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
HTM6 S3 features a 1" Titanium Decoupled Double Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5" Continuum Woofer. On the other hand, the Silver C250 7G features a 1" gold dome C-CAM Tweeter, a 3" Midrange and 2 x 5.25" C-CAM with Rigid Surface Technology (RST) Woofer.
Frequency Response
HTM6 S3 has a frequency range of 72-28k Hz whereas Silver C250 7G has a frequency range of 65-35k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 65Hz, the Silver C250 7G can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the HTM6 S3's min frequency of 72Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Center Channel class in our database.
Low Frequency
Center Channel 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
HTM6 S3 and Silver C250 7G have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. HTM6 S3 sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the Silver C250 7G's is at 88.5 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Monitor Audio Silver C250 7G a more sensitive speaker compared to BW HTM6 S3 , hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Center Channel 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 C250 7G can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas HTM6 S3 has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 80 watts less than the Silver C250 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 C250 7G
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
HTM6 S3 features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Silver C250 7G has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
BW HTM6 S3 's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Monitor Audio Silver C250 7G's Binding post terminals
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 BW HTM6 S3 's and Monitor Audio Silver C250 7G's external dimensions. BW HTM6 S3 has external dimensions of 160.0 x 480.0 x 283.0mm (6.3 x 18.9 x 11.2inch) whereas Monitor Audio Silver C250 7G has external dimensions of 205.0 x 482.0 x 274.0mm (8-1/16 x 18-15/16 x 10-3/4inch).
BW HTM6 S3 is 2mm narrower and 45mm shorter than Monitor Audio Silver C250 7G but it is also 9mm 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 BW HTM6 S3 is approximately 1358.4cm2 / 210.6inch2 and base area of the Monitor Audio Silver C250 7G is approximately 1320.7cm2 / 204.7inch2. The HTM6 S3 requires 3% more surface area than the Silver C250 7G which gives it a small disadvantage 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 BW HTM6 S3 weighs 7.70kg / 16.9lbs and the Monitor Audio Silver C250 7G weighs 10.63kg / 23.4lbs. This makes the Silver C250 7G 38% heavier than the HTM6 S3.
Here is a comparison of how HTM6 S3 and Silver C250 7G's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Center Channel class.
Weight
All Center Channel Speakers
Monitor Audio Silver C250 7G
What's in the Box of BW HTM6 S3 ?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of HTM6 S3:
- Center-channel loudspeaker
- Grille (pre-installed)
- Two-piece foam plug
- 4 Self-adhesive rubber feet
- 2 Jumper-straps (pre-installed)
- Manual
- Warranty Information
- Bowers Wilkins brochure
What's in the Box of Monitor Audio Silver C250 7G?
Here are the items that come with the Silver C250 7G:
- Center-channel loudspeakers
- Grille
- 2 Jumpers (pre-installed)
- 4 Rubber feet
- Hex-key
- Owners Manual
- Important Safety Instructions
 Height |
160mm
vs
205mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
899USD
vs
1100USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
200 watts
vs
120 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
89 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
5.25 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
65 Hz
vs
72 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
35k Hz
vs
28k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Base Surface Area |
1320cm2
vs
1358cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
Bowers & Wilkins HTM6 S3 |
Monitor Audio Silver C250 7G |
| Brand |
Bowers Wilkins |
Monitor Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Center channel speaker |
Center channel speaker |
| Power Range |
30-120 watts |
80-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
87 dB |
88.5 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
4.3 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
72-28k Hz |
65-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5" |
5.25" |
| Woofer Composition |
Continuum |
C-CAM with Rigid Surface Technology (RST) |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
n/a |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Decoupled Double Dome |
gold dome C-CAM |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
3" |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
160.0mm (6.3") |
205.0mm (8.1") |
| Width |
480.0mm (18.9") |
482.0mm (19") |
| Depth |
283.0mm (11.1") |
274.0mm (10.8") |
| Weight |
7.70kg (16.9lbs) |
10.63kg (23.4lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Acoustic Suspension |
| Available Colors |
Black, White, Oak |
White |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
n/a |
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 C250 7G digs deeper - 65Hz against 72Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Monitor Audio Silver C250 7G is more sensitive (89dB vs 87dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | B | Monitor Audio Silver C250 7G takes more power (200W vs 120W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Cabinet | depends | Ported vs Sealed. Sealed is tighter and happier near a wall; ported digs lower but wants space behind it. |
| Expandability | depends | BW HTM6 S3 : bi-amping. Monitor Audio Silver C250 7G sits in a wider range (8 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | A | BW HTM6 S3 is cheaper - $899 against $1,100, about 18% less. |
A BW HTM6 S3 B Monitor Audio Silver C250 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 C250 7G leads across most of the measured areas for a fairly modest premium, which makes it the easier pick if the budget stretches. BW HTM6 S3 is the one to take if it does not. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 72Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper BW HTM6 S3 much easier to justify. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, Monitor Audio Silver C250 7G is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best.
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.