In this review, we will be comparing BRX and Bronze 100, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from GoldenEar and Monitor Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of GoldenEar BRX and Monitor Audio Bronze 100 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
GoldenEar BRX Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- " Folded Ribbon Tweeter
- 6" Polypropylene Woofer
- 40-35k Hz Frequency Response
- 90 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:20-250watts
- Weight:5.45kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 308.0" x 8-1/8" x 12-5/16"( 308.0 x 207.0 x 313.0mm )
Monitor Audio Bronze 100 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter
- 8" C-CAM Woofer
- 37-30k Hz Frequency Response
- 87 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:30-100watts
- Weight:7.80kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 376.0" x 9.0" x 12.7"( 376.0 x 231.0 x 325.0mm )
What size room are the GoldenEar BRX and Monitor Audio Bronze 100 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* |
GoldenEar BRX |
Monitor Audio Bronze 100 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Average |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
Bad |
(* 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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the GoldenEar BRX and Monitor Audio Bronze 100 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
Both BRX and Bronze 100 are 2-way speakers.
| Driver |
GoldenEar BRX |
Monitor Audio Bronze 100 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6-inch
|
1 x 8-inch
|
BRX features a " Folded Ribbon Tweeter and 1 x 6" Polypropylene Woofer . On the other hand, the Bronze 100 features a 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 8" C-CAM Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2200Hz.
Frequency Response
BRX has a frequency range of 40-35k Hz whereas Bronze 100 has a frequency range of 37-30k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 37Hz, the Bronze 100 can go slightly deeper then the BRX's min frequency of 40Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
High Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
BRX and Bronze 100 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. BRX sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the Bronze 100's is at 87 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the GoldenEar BRX a more sensitive speaker compared to Monitor Audio Bronze 100, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. While using
an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the
max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.
BRX can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Bronze 100 has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 150 watts less than the BRX.
Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker
compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters
such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Bronze 100 features Post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. BRX has a 5-way post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
GoldenEar BRX's 5-way post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both BRX and Bronze 100 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
Size of a speaker can sometimes become an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare GoldenEar BRX's and Monitor Audio Bronze 100's external dimensions. GoldenEar BRX has external dimensions of 308.0 x 207.0 x 313.0mm ( 12-1/8 x 8-1/8 x 12-5/16inch) whereas Monitor Audio Bronze 100 has external dimensions of 376.0 x 231.0 x 325.0mm ( 14.8 x 9.0 x 12.7inch) .
Monitor Audio Bronze 100 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 24mm wider, 68mm taller and 12mm deeper than GoldenEar BRX.
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 GoldenEar BRX is approximately 647.9cm2 / 100.4inch2 and base area of the Monitor Audio Bronze 100 is approximately 750.8cm2 / 116.4inch2. The BRX requires 14% less surface area than the Bronze 100 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.