In this review, we will be comparing L150 Classic 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 L150 Classic and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | JBL L150 Classic | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
|---|
| Brand | JBL
United States · founded 1946 | Monitor Audio
United Kingdom · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Dome | 1" gold dome C-CAM with Uniform Dispersion (UD) Waveguide II |
|---|
| Midrange | 6.5" | 3" |
|---|
| Woofer | 15" Pure Pulp | 2 x 8" C-CAM RST II |
|---|
| Frequency response | 32-22k Hz | 27-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 90.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 250 watts | 80-250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 58.50kg / 128.7lbs | 22.53kg / 49.6lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 36.8" x 18.5" x 21.3"
935.0 x 470.0 x 540.0mm | 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 L150 Classic 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 L150 Classic |
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 L150 Classic and Silver 500 7G are 3-way speakers.
JBL L150 ClassicMonitor 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 L150 Classic |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6.5-inch |
1 x 3-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 15-inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
L150 Classic features a 1" Titanium Dome Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 1 x 15" Pure Pulp Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 300Hz and 1800Hz. 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
L150 Classic has a frequency range of 32-22k 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 L150 Classic's min frequency of 32Hz.
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
L150 Classic 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 L150 Classic can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. L150 Classic sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the Silver 500 7G's is rated at 90.5 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G a more sensitive speaker compared to JBL L150 Classic, 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.
Both handle the same maximum of 250 watts RMS, though L150 Classic is rated up to 250 watts and Silver 500 7G 80-250 watts.
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 L150 Classic and Silver 500 7G features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
L150 Classic has a front firing port whereas Silver 500 7G has a rear firing ports. JBL L150 Classic's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G with its rear-firing port.
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 L150 Classic's and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G's external dimensions. JBL L150 Classic has external dimensions of 935.0 x 470.0 x 540.0mm (36.8 x 18.5 x 21.3inch) 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 147mm narrower and 147mm less deeper than JBL L150 Classic but it is also 150mm taller.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of JBL L150 Classic and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G in scale.
Comparison image of JBL L150 Classic and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G Size and External Dimensions
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 L150 Classic is approximately 2538.0cm2 / 393.4inch2 and base area of the Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is approximately 1269.4cm2 / 196.8inch2. The L150 Classic requires 100% 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 L150 Classic weighs 58.50kg / 128.7lbs and the Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G weighs 22.53kg / 49.6lbs. This makes the L150 Classic 160% heavier than the Silver 500 7G.
Here is a comparison of how L150 Classic 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 JBL L150 Classic?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of L150 Classic:
- 1 x L150 Classic loudspeaker
- 1 x magnetic Quadrex grille
- 4 x spike feet
- Quick Start Guide
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
 Woofer Size |
15 inches
vs
8 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Port Position |
Front
vs
Rear
|
Gives more flexibility placing close to walls |
 Height |
935mm
vs
1085mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Sensitivity |
91 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
|
Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
27 Hz
vs
32 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
35k Hz
vs
22k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Base Surface Area |
1269cm2
vs
2538cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
3200USD
vs
9999USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
JBL L150 Classic |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
| Brand |
JBL |
Monitor Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 250 watts |
80-250 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
90.5 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
32-22k 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 |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Dome |
gold dome C-CAM with Uniform Dispersion (UD) Waveguide II |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6.5" |
3" |
| Crossover Frequency |
300Hz and 1800Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
front |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
935.0mm (36.8") |
1085.0mm (42.7") |
| Width |
470.0mm (18.5") |
323.0mm (12.7") |
| Depth |
540.0mm (21.3") |
393.0mm (15.5") |
| Weight |
58.50kg (128.7lbs) |
22.53kg (49.6lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
Natural walnut veneer |
MDF/Wood veneer |
| Available Colors |
Walnut |
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 L150 Classic 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 32Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is more sensitive (91dB vs 88dB), 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 | evenly matched | Similar power handling (250W vs 250W). |
| Size | depends | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is easier to place; JBL L150 Classic is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | JBL L150 Classic: bi-amping; 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 JBL L150 Classic 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 JBL L150 Classic 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 32Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. In a large or open-plan room, JBL L150 Classic 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.