In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by Monitor Audio. Monitor Audio Bronze 100 is a Bookshelf speaker whereas the Bronze 500 is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Monitor Audio Bronze 100 and Monitor Audio Bronze 500 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Monitor Audio Bronze 100 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter
- 8" C-CAM Woofer
- 37-30k Hz Frequency Response
- 87 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:30-100watts
- Weight:7.80kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 376.0" x 9.0" x 12.7"( 376.0 x 231.0 x 325.0mm )
Monitor Audio Bronze 500 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" gold dome C-CAM with uniform dispersion (UD) waveguide Tweeter
- 2 x 8" C-CAM Woofer
- 32-30k Hz Frequency Response
- 90 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:60-200watts
- Weight:18.05kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 977.0" x 11-9/16" x 14-3/8"( 977.0 x 294.0 x 366.0mm )
Bronze 100 and Bronze 500 are members of Monitor Audio's Bronze series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Monitor Audio Bronze Series History
What size room are the Monitor Audio Bronze 100 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* |
Monitor Audio Bronze 100 |
Monitor Audio Bronze 500 |
| Near-field |
Average |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Good |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Bad |
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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Monitor Audio Bronze 100 and Monitor Audio Bronze 500 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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Drivers
Both Bronze 100 and Bronze 500 are 2-way speakers.
| Driver |
Monitor Audio Bronze 100 |
Monitor Audio Bronze 500 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 8-inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
Bronze 100 features a 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 8" C-CAM Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2200Hz. 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
Bronze 100 has a frequency range of 37-30k 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 Bronze 100's min frequency of 37Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
High Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Bronze 100 and Bronze 500 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Bronze 100 sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the Bronze 500's is at 90 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Monitor Audio Bronze 500 a more sensitive speaker compared to Monitor Audio Bronze 100, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. While using an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.
Bronze 100 can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Bronze 100 has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS , 100 watts less than the Bronze 500.
Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker
compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters
such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both Bronze 100 and Bronze 500 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Physical Specs
Size of a speaker can sometimes become 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 Bronze 100's and Monitor Audio Bronze 500's external dimensions. Monitor Audio Bronze 100 has external dimensions of 376.0 x 231.0 x 325.0mm ( 14.8 x 9.0 x 12.7inch) 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 63mm wider, 601mm taller and 41mm deeper than Monitor Audio Bronze 100.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Monitor Audio Bronze 100 and Monitor Audio Bronze 500 in scale.
Comparison image of Monitor Audio Bronze 100 and Monitor Audio Bronze 500 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 Monitor Audio Bronze 100 is approximately 750.8cm2 / 116.4inch2 and base area of the Monitor Audio Bronze 500 is approximately 1076.0cm2 / 166.8inch2. The Bronze 100 requires 30% less surface area than the Bronze 500 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of Monitor Audio Bronze 100?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Bronze 100:
2 Bookshelf loudspeakers 2 Grilles 4 Terminal-jumpers (pre-installed) 2 Foam port plugs 8 Self-adhesive rubber feet Hex-key Quick Start Guide Important Safety Instructions
What's in the Box of Monitor Audio Bronze 500?
Here are the items that come with the Bronze 500:
Floorstanding loudspeakerGrille4 Outrigger feet (w/ 4 adjustment dials and locking-nuts)4 Spikes (pre-installed on outrigger feet)4 Rubber feet4 Large course-thread screws4 Small machine screws2 Terminal-jumpers (pre-installed)2 Foam port plugsHex-keyQuick Start GuideImportant Safety Instructions
Height 
Base Surface Area 
Price per pair* 
Max Input Power 
Sensitivity 
Number of Woofers 
Dolby Atmos Drivers