In this review, we will be comparing QX-3 MKII and Bronze 500, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Mission and Monitor Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Mission QX-3 MKII and Monitor Audio Bronze 500 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Mission QX-3 MKII | Monitor Audio Bronze 500 |
|---|
| Brand | Mission
United Kingdom · founded 1977 | Monitor Audio
United Kingdom · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.5" Ring Dome | 1" gold dome C-CAM with uniform dispersion (UD) waveguide |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5" Composite fibre | 2 x 8" C-CAM |
|---|
| Frequency response | 42-24k Hz | 32-30k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-120 watts | 60-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 20.00kg / 44lbs | 18.05kg / 39.7lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 38-3/16" x 7-11/16" x 12-3/16"
970.0 x 195.0 x 310.0mm | 38-7/16" x 11-9/16" x 14-3/8"
977.0 x 294.0 x 366.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Mission QX-3 MKII and Monitor Audio Bronze 500 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* |
Mission QX-3 MKII |
Monitor Audio Bronze 500 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Poor |
(* 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 QX-3 MKII and Bronze 500 are 2-way speakers.
Mission QX-3 MKIIMonitor Audio Bronze 500
TweeterWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Mission QX-3 MKII |
Monitor Audio Bronze 500 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.5-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5-inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
QX-3 MKII features a 1.5" Textile Ring Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5" Composite fibre Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2.0kHz. On the other hand, the Bronze 500 features a 1" gold dome C-CAM with uniform dispersion (UD) waveguide Tweeter and 2 x 8" C-CAM Woofer.
Frequency Response
QX-3 MKII has a frequency range of 42-24k Hz whereas Bronze 500 has a frequency range of 32-30k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 32Hz, the Bronze 500 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the QX-3 MKII's min frequency of 42Hz.
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
QX-3 MKII is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the Bronze 500 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 QX-3 MKII can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. QX-3 MKII sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the Bronze 500's is rated at 90 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Monitor Audio Bronze 500 a more sensitive speaker compared to Mission QX-3 MKII, 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.
Bronze 500 can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas QX-3 MKII has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 80 watts less than the Bronze 500.
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.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both QX-3 MKII and Bronze 500 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 Mission QX-3 MKII's and Monitor Audio Bronze 500's external dimensions. Mission QX-3 MKII has external dimensions of 970.0 x 195.0 x 310.0mm (38-3/16 x 7-11/16 x 12-3/16inch) whereas Monitor Audio Bronze 500 has external dimensions of 977.0 x 294.0 x 366.0mm (38-7/16 x 11-9/16 x 14-3/8inch).
Monitor Audio Bronze 500 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 99mm wider, 7mm taller and 56mm deeper than Mission QX-3 MKII.
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.
Monitor Audio Bronze 500 needs about 78% more floor or shelf area. Monitor Audio Bronze 500 is 56mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall.
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 Mission QX-3 MKII is approximately 604.5cm2 / 93.7inch2 and base area of the Monitor Audio Bronze 500 is approximately 1076.0cm2 / 166.8inch2. The QX-3 MKII requires 44% less surface area than the Bronze 500 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 Mission QX-3 MKII weighs 20.00kg / 44lbs and the Monitor Audio Bronze 500 weighs 18.05kg / 39.7lbs. This makes the QX-3 MKII 11% heavier than the Bronze 500.
Here is a comparison of how QX-3 MKII and Bronze 500's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of Monitor Audio Bronze 500?
Here are the items that come with the Bronze 500:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Outrigger feet (w/ 4 adjustment dials and locking-nuts)
- 4 Spikes (pre-installed on outrigger feet)
- 4 Rubber feet
- 4 Large course-thread screws
- 4 Small machine screws
- 2 Terminal-jumpers (pre-installed)
- 2 Foam port plugs
- Hex-key
- Quick Start Guide
- Important Safety Instructions
 Height |
970mm
vs
977mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
604cm2
vs
1076cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1099USD
vs
1496USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
200 watts
vs
120 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
32 Hz
vs
42 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
30k Hz
vs
24k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Dolby Atmos Drivers |
Optional
vs
No
|
Dolby Atmos Compatibility |
| General |
Mission QX-3 MKII |
Monitor Audio Bronze 500 |
| Brand |
Mission |
Monitor Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
25-120 watts |
60-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.8 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
42-24k Hz |
32-30k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Composite fibre |
C-CAM |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.5" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Ring Dome |
gold dome C-CAM with uniform dispersion (UD) waveguide |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
2.0kHz |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
970.0mm (38.2") |
977.0mm (38.5") |
| Width |
195.0mm (7.7") |
294.0mm (11.6") |
| Depth |
310.0mm (12.2") |
366.0mm (14.4") |
| Weight |
20.00kg (44lbs) |
18.05kg (39.7lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
n/a |
Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
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 Bronze 500 digs deeper - 32Hz against 42Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Monitor Audio Bronze 500 is more sensitive (90dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | Monitor Audio Bronze 500 is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | B | Monitor Audio Bronze 500 takes more power (200W vs 120W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Mission QX-3 MKII is easier to place; Monitor Audio Bronze 500 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | B | Mission QX-3 MKII: bi-amping; Monitor Audio Bronze 500: bi-amping and Atmos drivers. Monitor Audio Bronze 500 sits in a wider range (11 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | A | Mission QX-3 MKII is cheaper - $1,099 against $1,496, about 27% less. |
A Mission QX-3 MKII B Monitor Audio Bronze 500
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?
The usual trade-off: Monitor Audio Bronze 500 measures better, Mission QX-3 MKII costs about about 36% more% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 42Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Mission QX-3 MKII much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate Mission QX-3 MKII the better fit for a small room, and Monitor Audio Bronze 500 for a large room.
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.