In this review, we will be comparing Vintage Classic Gold VIII SP and Silver 500 7G, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Fyne Audio and Monitor Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Fyne Audio Vintage Classic Gold VIII SP and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Fyne Audio Vintage Classic Gold VIII SP | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
|---|
| Brand | Fyne Audio
United Kingdom · founded 2017 | Monitor Audio
United Kingdom · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | — | 1" gold dome C-CAM with Uniform Dispersion (UD) Waveguide II |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 3" |
|---|
| Woofer | 8" | 2 x 8" C-CAM RST II |
|---|
| Frequency response | 30-34k Hz | 27-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 91 dB | 90.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30 - 200 W watts | 80-250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 26.31kg / 57.9lbs | 22.53kg / 49.6lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 34.4" x 15" x 11.8"
873.8 x 381.0 x 299.7mm | 42-11/16" x 12-11/16" x 15-7/16"
1085.0 x 323.0 x 393.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Fyne Audio Vintage Classic Gold VIII SP 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* |
Fyne Audio Vintage Classic Gold VIII SP |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Average |
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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Vintage Classic Gold VIII SP 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.
Fyne Audio Vintage Classic Gold VIII SPMonitor 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 |
Fyne Audio Vintage Classic Gold VIII SP |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 3-inch |
|
Woofer
|
x 8-inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
Vintage Classic Gold VIII SP features a " Tweeter and x 8" Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 1800 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
Vintage Classic Gold VIII SP has a frequency range of 30-34k 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 Vintage Classic Gold VIII SP's min frequency of 30Hz.
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
Vintage Classic Gold VIII SP
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
Vintage Classic Gold VIII SP and Silver 500 7G have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Vintage Classic Gold VIII SP sensitivity is rated at 91 dB and the Silver 500 7G's is at 90.5 dB.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Vintage Classic Gold VIII SP
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 Vintage Classic Gold VIII SP has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 50 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.
Fyne Audio Vintage Classic Gold VIII SP
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. Vintage Classic Gold VIII SP 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 Fyne Audio Vintage Classic Gold VIII SP's and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G's external dimensions. Fyne Audio Vintage Classic Gold VIII SP has external dimensions of 873.8 x 381.0 x 299.7mm (34.4 x 15 x 11.8inch) 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).
Fyne Audio Vintage Classic Gold VIII SP is 211.2mm shorter and 93.3mm less deeper than Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G but it is also 58mm 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 11% more floor or shelf area. Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is 93mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is 211mm 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 Fyne Audio Vintage Classic Gold VIII SP is approximately 1141.9cm2 / 177.0inch2 and base area of the Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is approximately 1269.4cm2 / 196.8inch2. The Vintage Classic Gold VIII SP requires 10% 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 Fyne Audio Vintage Classic Gold VIII SP weighs 26.31kg / 57.9lbs and the Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G weighs 22.53kg / 49.6lbs. This makes the Vintage Classic Gold VIII SP 17% heavier than the Silver 500 7G.
Here is a comparison of how Vintage Classic Gold VIII SP and Silver 500 7G's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
Fyne Audio Vintage Classic Gold VIII SP
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
 Height |
873mm
vs
1085mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1141cm2
vs
1269cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Max Input Power |
250 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Low Frequency Response |
27 Hz
vs
30 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
35k Hz
vs
34k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Price per pair* |
3200USD
vs
9999USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Fyne Audio Vintage Classic Gold VIII SP |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
| Brand |
Fyne Audio |
Monitor Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
30 - 200 W watts |
80-250 watts |
| Sensitivity |
91 dB |
90.5 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
30-34k Hz |
27-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
|
2 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
|
C-CAM RST II |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
n/a |
gold dome C-CAM with Uniform Dispersion (UD) Waveguide II |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
3" |
| Crossover Frequency |
1800 Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
873.8mm (34.4") |
1085.0mm (42.7") |
| Width |
381.0mm (15") |
323.0mm (12.7") |
| Depth |
299.7mm (11.8") |
393.0mm (15.5") |
| Weight |
26.31kg (57.9lbs) |
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 - Fyne Audio Vintage Classic Gold VIII SP costs roughly 3.1x 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 30Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (91dB vs 91dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | B | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G takes more power (250W vs 200W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Fyne Audio Vintage Classic Gold VIII SP is easier to place; Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | B | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is cheaper - $3,200 against $9,999, about 68% less; arguably a different class. |
A Fyne Audio Vintage Classic Gold VIII SP 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 Fyne Audio Vintage Classic Gold VIII SP if its size, looks or fit in your room suit you better. Match it to your room: we rate Fyne Audio Vintage Classic Gold VIII SP the better fit for a small room and a mid-size room, and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G for a large room and a very large room. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $6,799 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.