In this review, we will be comparing Motion F20 and Silver 500 7G, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from MartinLogan and Monitor Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of MartinLogan Motion F20 and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | MartinLogan Motion F20 | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.0 x 1.4" Folded Motion Ribbon | 1" gold dome C-CAM with Uniform Dispersion (UD) Waveguide II |
|---|
| Midrange | 5.5" | 3" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.5" Aluminum | 2 x 8" C-CAM RST II |
|---|
| Frequency response | 35-25k Hz | 27-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 92 dB | 90.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-300 watts | 80-250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 27.20kg / 59.8lbs | 22.53kg / 49.6lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 44-3/4" x 11-3/4" x 14-1/4"
1127 x 298 x 362mm | 42-11/16" x 12-11/16" x 15-7/16"
1085.0 x 323.0 x 393.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the MartinLogan Motion F20 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* |
MartinLogan Motion F20 |
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
Both Motion F20 and Silver 500 7G are 3-way speakers.
MartinLogan Motion F20Monitor 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 |
MartinLogan Motion F20 |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.0 x 1.4-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.5-inch |
1 x 3-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.5-inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
Motion F20 features a 1.0 x 1.4" Folded Motion Ribbon Tweeter, a 5.5" Midrange and 2 x 5.5" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 230Hz and 2600Hz. 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
Motion F20 has a frequency range of 35-25k 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 significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Motion F20's min frequency of 35Hz.
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
Motion F20 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 Motion F20 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Motion F20 sensitivity is rated at 92 dB and the Silver 500 7G's is rated at 90.5 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the MartinLogan Motion F20 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.
Motion F20 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas Silver 500 7G has a max power handling value of 250 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the Motion F20.
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 Motion F20 and Silver 500 7G features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
MartinLogan Motion F20's Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Motion F20 has a bottom firing port whereas Silver 500 7G has a rear firing ports. MartinLogan Motion F20's bottom-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.
New
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 MartinLogan Motion F20's and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G's external dimensions. MartinLogan Motion F20 has external dimensions of 1127 x 298 x 362mm (44-3/4inch x 11-3/4inch x 14-1/4inch) 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).
MartinLogan Motion F20 is 25mm narrower and 31mm less deeper than Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G but it is also 42mm taller.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of MartinLogan Motion F20 and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G in scale.
Comparison image of MartinLogan Motion F20 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 MartinLogan Motion F20 is approximately 1078.8cm2 / 167.2inch2 and base area of the Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is approximately 1269.4cm2 / 196.8inch2. The Motion F20 requires 15% 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 MartinLogan Motion F20 weighs 27.20kg / 59.8lbs and the Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G weighs 22.53kg / 49.6lbs. This makes the Motion F20 21% heavier than the Silver 500 7G.
Here is a comparison of how Motion F20 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 |
300 watts
vs
250 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
91 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Base Surface Area |
1078cm2
vs
1269cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
5.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
27 Hz
vs
35 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
35k Hz
vs
25k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
1085mm
vs
1127mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
3200USD
vs
3498USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
MartinLogan Motion F20 |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
| Brand |
MartinLogan |
Monitor Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-300 watts |
80-250 watts |
| Sensitivity |
92 dB |
90.5 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
35-25k Hz |
27-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5.5" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aluminum |
C-CAM RST II |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.0 x 1.4" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Folded Motion Ribbon |
gold dome C-CAM with Uniform Dispersion (UD) Waveguide II |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5.5" |
3" |
| Crossover Frequency |
230Hz and 2600Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
bottom |
rear |
| Suggested Break-in Period |
Allow 72 hours of break-in |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1127.0mm (44.4") |
1085.0mm (42.7") |
| Width |
298.0mm (11.7") |
323.0mm (12.7") |
| Depth |
362.0mm (14.3") |
393.0mm (15.5") |
| Weight |
27.20kg (59.8lbs) |
22.53kg (49.6lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Wood veneer |
| Available Colors |
Gloss Black, Walnut, and Satin White |
Oak |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass |
B |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G digs deeper - 27Hz against 35Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs |
evenly matched |
Similar sensitivity (92dB vs 91dB) - both want much the same power. |
| 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 (300W vs 250W). |
| Size |
depends |
Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability |
depends |
MartinLogan Motion F20: bi-amping; Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G: bi-amping. Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G sits in a wider range (8 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price |
evenly matched |
Much the same money ($3,498 vs $3,200 a pair). |
A MartinLogan Motion F20
B Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, placement 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 has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 35Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best.
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.