In this review, we will be comparing Apex A40 and Silver C250 7G, two Passive Center Channel speakers by Monitor Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Monitor Audio Apex A40 and Monitor Audio Silver C250 7G first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Monitor Audio Apex A40 | Monitor Audio Silver C250 7G |
|---|
| Brand | Monitor Audio
United Kingdom · founded 1972 | Monitor Audio
United Kingdom · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" gold dome C-CAM | 1" gold dome C-CAM |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 3" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.5" C-CAM with RST® (Rigid Surface Technology) | 2 x 5.25" C-CAM with Rigid Surface Technology (RST) |
|---|
| Frequency response | 50-35k Hz | 65-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 88.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-200 watts | 80-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 6.91kg / 15.2lbs | 10.63kg / 23.4lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 5-1/2" x 24" x 4-3/4"
140.0 x 610.0 x 121.0mm | 8-1/16" x 18-15/16" x 10-3/4"
205.0 x 482.0 x 274.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Monitor Audio Apex A40 and Monitor Audio Silver C250 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* |
Monitor Audio Apex A40 |
Monitor Audio Silver C250 7G |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Average |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
Average |
| 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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Apex A40 is a 2-way design whereas the Silver C250 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.
Monitor Audio Apex A40Monitor Audio Silver C250 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 |
Monitor Audio Apex A40 |
Monitor Audio Silver C250 7G |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 3-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.5-inch
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
Apex A40 features a 1" gold dome C-CAM Tweeter and 2 x 5.5" C-CAM with RST® (Rigid Surface Technology) Woofer. On the other hand, the Silver C250 7G features a 1" gold dome C-CAM Tweeter, a 3" Midrange and 2 x 5.25" C-CAM with Rigid Surface Technology (RST) Woofer.
Frequency Response
Apex A40 has a frequency range of 50-35k Hz whereas Silver C250 7G has a frequency range of 65-35k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 50Hz, the Apex A40 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Silver C250 7G's min frequency of 65Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Center Channel class in our database.
Low Frequency
Center Channel 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
Apex A40 and Silver C250 7G have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Apex A40 sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the Silver C250 7G's is at 88.5 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Monitor Audio Apex A40 a more sensitive speaker compared to Monitor Audio Silver C250 7G, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Center Channel 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 200 watts RMS, though Apex A40 is rated 50-200 watts and Silver C250 7G 80-200 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 C250 7G
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Apex A40 features Binding post type posts and Silver C250 7G has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Monitor Audio Silver C250 7G's Binding post terminals
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 Monitor Audio Apex A40's and Monitor Audio Silver C250 7G's external dimensions. Monitor Audio Apex A40 has external dimensions of 140.0 x 610.0 x 121.0mm (5-1/2 x 24 x 4-3/4inch) whereas Monitor Audio Silver C250 7G has external dimensions of 205.0 x 482.0 x 274.0mm (8-1/16 x 18-15/16 x 10-3/4inch).
Monitor Audio Apex A40 is 65mm shorter and 153mm less deeper than Monitor Audio Silver C250 7G but it is also 128mm wider.
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 Monitor Audio Apex A40 is approximately 738.1cm2 / 114.4inch2 and base area of the Monitor Audio Silver C250 7G is approximately 1320.7cm2 / 204.7inch2. The Apex A40 requires 44% less surface area than the Silver C250 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 Monitor Audio Apex A40 weighs 6.91kg / 15.2lbs and the Monitor Audio Silver C250 7G weighs 10.63kg / 23.4lbs. This makes the Silver C250 7G 54% heavier than the Apex A40.
Here is a comparison of how Apex A40 and Silver C250 7G's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Center Channel class.
Weight
All Center Channel Speakers
Monitor Audio Silver C250 7G
What's in the Box of Monitor Audio Apex A40?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Apex A40:
- LCR loudspeaker
- Grille
- Bracket (pre-installed)
- 4 Self-adhesive rubber feet
- 2 Rubber inserts
- Hex-key
- Set Up Guide
- Important Safety Instructions
- Important Information
- Mounting Template
What's in the Box of Monitor Audio Silver C250 7G?
Here are the items that come with the Silver C250 7G:
- Center-channel loudspeakers
- Grille
- 2 Jumpers (pre-installed)
- 4 Rubber feet
- Hex-key
- Owners Manual
- Important Safety Instructions
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
5.5 inches
vs
5.25 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
50 Hz
vs
65 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
140mm
vs
205mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
738cm2
vs
1320cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Price per pair* |
1100USD
vs
1125USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Monitor Audio Apex A40 |
Monitor Audio Silver C250 7G |
| Brand |
Monitor Audio |
Monitor Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Center channel speaker |
Center channel speaker |
| Power Range |
50-200 watts |
80-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
88.5 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
50-35k Hz |
65-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5.5" |
5.25" |
| Woofer Composition |
C-CAM with RST® (Rigid Surface Technology) |
C-CAM with Rigid Surface Technology (RST) |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
gold dome C-CAM |
gold dome C-CAM |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
3" |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
140.0mm (5.5") |
205.0mm (8.1") |
| Width |
610.0mm (24") |
482.0mm (19") |
| Depth |
121.0mm (4.8") |
274.0mm (10.8") |
| Weight |
6.91kg (15.2lbs) |
10.63kg (23.4lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Acoustic Suspension |
| Available Colors |
Gloss White |
White |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
A generation apart: Monitor Audio Silver C250 7G is the newer design, against a 2011 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | Monitor Audio Apex A40 digs deeper - 50Hz against 65Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (90dB vs 89dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (200W vs 200W). |
| Size | depends | Monitor Audio Apex A40 is easier to place; Monitor Audio Silver C250 7G is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Cabinet | depends | Ported vs Sealed. Sealed is tighter and happier near a wall; ported digs lower but wants space behind it. |
| Expandability | depends | Neither adds bi-amping, a sub output or height drivers. Monitor Audio Silver C250 7G sits in a wider range (8 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | evenly matched | Much the same money ($1,125 vs $1,100 a pair). |
A Monitor Audio Apex A40 B Monitor Audio Silver C250 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 Apex A40 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 65Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. In a large or open-plan room, Monitor Audio Silver C250 7G has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Monitor Audio Apex A40 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.