In this review, we will be comparing Nostala LB12 and Silver 500 7G, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Emotiva and Monitor Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Emotiva Nostala LB12 and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Emotiva Nostala LB12 | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
|---|
| Brand | Emotiva
United States · founded 2003 | 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 | 5.25" | 3" |
|---|
| Woofer | 12" Paper | 2 x 8" C-CAM RST II |
|---|
| Frequency response | 40-32k Hz | 27-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 91 dB | 90.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 100-350 watts | 80-250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 32.20kg / 70.8lbs | 22.53kg / 49.6lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 30" x 15-1/2" x 14-1/2"
762.0 x 394.0 x 368.0mm | 42-11/16" x 12-11/16" x 15-7/16"
1085.0 x 323.0 x 393.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Emotiva Nostala LB12 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* |
Emotiva Nostala LB12 |
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 Nostala LB12 and Silver 500 7G are 3-way speakers.
Emotiva Nostala LB12Monitor 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 |
Emotiva Nostala LB12 |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.25-inch |
1 x 3-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 12-inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
Nostala LB12 features a 1.1" Silk Soft-Dome Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 1 x 12" Paper Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 200Hz and 2000Hz. 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
Nostala LB12 has a frequency range of 40-32k 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 Nostala LB12's min frequency of 40Hz.
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
Nostala LB12 and Silver 500 7G have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Nostala LB12 sensitivity is rated at 91 dB and the Silver 500 7G's is at 90.5 dB.
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.
Nostala LB12 can handle a max power of 350 watts RMS, whereas Silver 500 7G has a max power handling value of 250 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the Nostala LB12.
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 Nostala LB12 and Silver 500 7G features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Nostala LB12 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 Emotiva Nostala LB12's and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G's external dimensions. Emotiva Nostala LB12 has external dimensions of 762.0 x 394.0 x 368.0mm (30 x 15-1/2 x 14-1/2inch) 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).
Emotiva Nostala LB12 is 323mm shorter and 25mm less deeper than Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G but it is also 71mm 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.
Emotiva Nostala LB12 needs about 14% more floor or shelf area. Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is 25mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is 323mm 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 Emotiva Nostala LB12 is approximately 1449.9cm2 / 224.7inch2 and base area of the Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is approximately 1269.4cm2 / 196.8inch2. The Nostala LB12 requires 14% more surface area than the Silver 500 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 Emotiva Nostala LB12 weighs 32.20kg / 70.8lbs and the Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G weighs 22.53kg / 49.6lbs. This makes the Nostala LB12 43% heavier than the Silver 500 7G.
Here is a comparison of how Nostala LB12 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 |
350 watts
vs
250 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Woofer Size |
12 inches
vs
8 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Height |
762mm
vs
1085mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
|
Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
27 Hz
vs
40 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
35k Hz
vs
32k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Base Surface Area |
1269cm2
vs
1449cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
3200USD
vs
3299USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Emotiva Nostala LB12 |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
| Brand |
Emotiva |
Monitor Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
100-350 watts |
80-250 watts |
| Sensitivity |
91 dB |
90.5 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
40-32k Hz |
27-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
12" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Paper |
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 |
5.25" |
3" |
| Crossover Frequency |
200Hz and 2000Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
762.0mm (30") |
1085.0mm (42.7") |
| Width |
394.0mm (15.5") |
323.0mm (12.7") |
| Depth |
368.0mm (14.5") |
393.0mm (15.5") |
| Weight |
32.20kg (70.8lbs) |
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 |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
A generation apart: Emotiva Nostala LB12 is the newer design, against a 2021 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G digs deeper - 27Hz against 40Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (91dB vs 91dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | A | Emotiva Nostala LB12 takes more power (350W vs 250W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | depends | Emotiva Nostala LB12: bi-amping; 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 | evenly matched | Much the same money ($3,299 vs $3,200 a pair). |
A Emotiva Nostala LB12 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?
Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let the "depends" rows and your own room settle it. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 40Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead.
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.