In this review, we will be comparing 4369 and Silver 500 7G, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from JBL and Monitor Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of JBL 4369 and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | JBL 4369 | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
|---|
| Brand | JBL
United States · founded 1946 | Monitor Audio
United Kingdom · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 3" Compression Driver | 1" gold dome C-CAM with Uniform Dispersion (UD) Waveguide II |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 3" |
|---|
| Woofer | 15" Pure Pulp | 2 x 8" C-CAM RST II |
|---|
| Frequency response | 28-25k Hz | 27-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 93 dB | 90.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 350 watts | 80-250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 63.50kg / 139.7lbs | 22.53kg / 49.6lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 44-1/8" x 24-13/16" x 18-1/2"
1120.0 x 630.0 x 470.0mm | 42-11/16" x 12-11/16" x 15-7/16"
1085.0 x 323.0 x 393.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the JBL 4369 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* |
JBL 4369 |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Good |
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 4369 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.
JBL 4369Monitor 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 |
JBL 4369 |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
3-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 3-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 15-inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
4369 features a 3" Teonex Compression Driver Tweeter and 1 x 15" Pure Pulp Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 800 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
4369 has a frequency range of 28-25k 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 4369's min frequency of 28Hz.
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
4369 is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the Silver 500 7G which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. 4369 sensitivity is rated at 93 dB and the Silver 500 7G's is rated at 90.5 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the JBL 4369 a more sensitive speaker compared to Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
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.
4369 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 4369.
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 4369 and Silver 500 7G features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or 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 JBL 4369's and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G's external dimensions. JBL 4369 has external dimensions of 1120.0 x 630.0 x 470.0mm (44-1/8 x 24-13/16 x 18-1/2inch) 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).
JBL 4369 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 307mm wider, 35mm taller and 77mm deeper than Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G.
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.
JBL 4369 needs about 133% more floor or shelf area. JBL 4369 is 77mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. JBL 4369 is 35mm 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 JBL 4369 is approximately 2961.0cm2 / 459.0inch2 and base area of the Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is approximately 1269.4cm2 / 196.8inch2. The 4369 requires 133% 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 JBL 4369 weighs 63.50kg / 139.7lbs and the Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G weighs 22.53kg / 49.6lbs. This makes the 4369 182% heavier than the Silver 500 7G.
Here is a comparison of how 4369 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 |
 Sensitivity |
93 dB
vs
91 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
15 inches
vs
8 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
|
Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
27 Hz
vs
28 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
35k Hz
vs
25k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
1085mm
vs
1120mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1269cm2
vs
2961cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
3200USD
vs
23200USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
JBL 4369 |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
| Brand |
JBL |
Monitor Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 350 watts |
80-250 watts |
| Sensitivity |
93 dB |
90.5 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
28-25k Hz |
27-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
15" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Pure Pulp |
C-CAM RST II |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
3" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Compression Driver |
gold dome C-CAM with Uniform Dispersion (UD) Waveguide II |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
3" |
| Crossover Frequency |
800 Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1120.0mm (44.1") |
1085.0mm (42.7") |
| Width |
630.0mm (24.8") |
323.0mm (12.7") |
| Depth |
470.0mm (18.5") |
393.0mm (15.5") |
| Weight |
63.50kg (139.7lbs) |
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 |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - JBL 4369 costs roughly 7.3x 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 | evenly matched | Much the same reach (28Hz vs 27Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | A | JBL 4369 is more sensitive (93dB vs 91dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | A | JBL 4369 takes more power (350W vs 250W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is easier to place; JBL 4369 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | JBL 4369: bi-amping; Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is cheaper - $3,200 against $23,200, about 86% less; arguably a different class. |
A JBL 4369 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?
JBL 4369 is ahead, but only on 1 of the measured areas, and it costs about 7.3x the price. That is a lot of money for a narrow margin on paper - Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G looks like the sensible buy unless something else about the JBL 4369 appeals to you. Match it to your room: we rate JBL 4369 the better fit for a very large room; elsewhere the two are rated the same. In a large or open-plan room, JBL 4369 has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is the easier speaker to get right.
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.