In this review, we will be comparing Confidence 50 and Silver 500 7G, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Dynaudio and Monitor Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Dynaudio Confidence 50 and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Dynaudio Confidence 50 | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
|---|
| Brand | Dynaudio
Denmark · founded 1977 | Monitor Audio
United Kingdom · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.1" Soft-Dome | 1" gold dome C-CAM with Uniform Dispersion (UD) Waveguide II |
|---|
| Midrange | 2 x 6" | 3" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 7" MSP | 2 x 8" C-CAM RST II |
|---|
| Frequency response | 35-22k Hz | 27-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 90.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | — | 80-250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 49.60kg / 109.1lbs | 22.53kg / 49.6lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 59-1/2" x 8-9/16" x 15-11/16"
1512.0 x 218.0 x 399.0mm | 42-11/16" x 12-11/16" x 15-7/16"
1085.0 x 323.0 x 393.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Dynaudio Confidence 50 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* |
Dynaudio Confidence 50 |
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.
Drivers
Both Confidence 50 and Silver 500 7G are 3-way speakers.
Dynaudio Confidence 50Monitor 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 |
Dynaudio Confidence 50 |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
2 x 6-inch |
1 x 3-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 7-inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
Confidence 50 features a 1.1" Esotar 3 Soft-Dome Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 2 x 7" MSP Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 200/2860 Hz. 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
Confidence 50 has a frequency range of 35-22k 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 Confidence 50's min frequency of 35Hz.
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
Confidence 50 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 Confidence 50 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Confidence 50 sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the Silver 500 7G's is rated at 90.5 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G a more sensitive speaker compared to Dynaudio Confidence 50, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
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
Silver 500 7G features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Confidence 50 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Confidence 50 has a down firing port whereas Silver 500 7G has a rear firing ports.
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 Dynaudio Confidence 50's and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G's external dimensions. Dynaudio Confidence 50 has external dimensions of 1512.0 x 218.0 x 399.0mm (59-1/2 x 8-9/16 x 15-11/16inch) 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 427mm shorter and 6mm less deeper than Dynaudio Confidence 50 but it is also 105mm wider.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G needs about 46% more floor or shelf area. Dynaudio Confidence 50 is 427mm taller.
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 Dynaudio Confidence 50 is approximately 869.8cm2 / 134.8inch2 and base area of the Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is approximately 1269.4cm2 / 196.8inch2. The Confidence 50 requires 31% 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 Dynaudio Confidence 50 weighs 49.60kg / 109.1lbs and the Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G weighs 22.53kg / 49.6lbs. This makes the Confidence 50 120% heavier than the Silver 500 7G.
Here is a comparison of how Confidence 50 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 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 |
400 watts
vs
250 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Base Surface Area |
869cm2
vs
1269cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Sensitivity |
91 dB
vs
87 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
7 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
27 Hz
vs
35 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
35k Hz
vs
22k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Height |
1085mm
vs
1512mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
3200USD
vs
33500USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Dynaudio Confidence 50 |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
| Brand |
Dynaudio |
Monitor Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Sensitivity |
87 dB |
90.5 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
35-22k Hz |
27-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
7" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
MSP |
C-CAM RST II |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-Dome |
gold dome C-CAM with Uniform Dispersion (UD) Waveguide II |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6" |
3" |
| Crossover Frequency |
200/2860 Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
down |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1512.0mm (59.5") |
1085.0mm (42.7") |
| Width |
218.0mm (8.6") |
323.0mm (12.7") |
| Depth |
399.0mm (15.7") |
393.0mm (15.5") |
| Weight |
49.60kg (109.1lbs) |
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 |
No |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - Dynaudio Confidence 50 costs roughly 10.5x 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 | B | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G digs deeper - 27Hz against 35Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is more sensitive (91dB vs 87dB), 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 | Dynaudio Confidence 50 takes more power (400W 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. Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G sits in a wider range (8 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | B | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is cheaper - $3,200 against $33,500, about 90% less; arguably a different class. |
A Dynaudio Confidence 50 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 Dynaudio Confidence 50 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 35Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. 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.
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.