In this review, we will be comparing 2.7x and Silver 500 7G, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Magnepan and Monitor Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Magnepan 2.7x and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Magnepan 2.7x | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
|---|
| Design | — | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | — | 1" gold dome C-CAM with Uniform Dispersion (UD) Waveguide II |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 3" |
|---|
| Woofer | — | 2 x 8" C-CAM RST II |
|---|
| Frequency response | 40-30k Hz | 27-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 86 dB | 90.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | — | 80-250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | — | 22.53kg / 49.6lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 71" x 22" x 1.75"
1803.4 x 558.8 x 44.5mm | 42-11/16" x 12-11/16" x 15-7/16"
1085.0 x 323.0 x 393.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Magnepan 2.7x 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* |
Magnepan 2.7x |
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.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that 2.7x is a -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.
| Driver |
Magnepan 2.7x |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
|
Driver Setup
|
-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 3-inch |
|
Woofer
|
x -inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
2.7x features a " Tweeter and x " Woofer. 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
2.7x has a frequency range of 40-30k 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 2.7x'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
2.7x 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 2.7x can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. 2.7x sensitivity is rated at 86 dB and the Silver 500 7G's is rated at 90.5 dB. This 5 dB difference makes the Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G a more sensitive speaker compared to Magnepan 2.7x, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
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
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 Magnepan 2.7x's and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G's external dimensions. Magnepan 2.7x has external dimensions of 1803.4 x 558.8 x 44.5mm (71 x 22 x 1.75inch) 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 235.8mm narrower and 718.4mm shorter than Magnepan 2.7x but it is also 348.5mm deeper.
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 Magnepan 2.7x is approximately 248.7cm2 / 38.5inch2 and base area of the Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is approximately 1269.4cm2 / 196.8inch2. The 2.7x requires 80% less surface area than the Silver 500 7G which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
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