In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Monitor Audio. Monitor Audio Bronze 500 is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the Bronze 1 is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Monitor Audio Bronze 500 and Monitor Audio Bronze 1 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Monitor Audio Bronze 500 | Monitor Audio Bronze 1 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" gold dome C-CAM with uniform dispersion (UD) waveguide | 1" Dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8" C-CAM | 5.5" C-CAM |
|---|
| Frequency response | 32-30k Hz | 55-30k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 60-200 watts | 20-70 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 18.05kg / 39.7lbs | 3.50kg / 7.7lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 38-7/16" x 11-9/16" x 14-3/8"
977.0 x 294.0 x 366.0mm | 10.2" x 6.4" x 8.0"
260.0 x 165.0 x 205.0mm |
|---|
Bronze 500 and Bronze 1 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 500 and Monitor Audio Bronze 1 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 500 |
Monitor Audio Bronze 1 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Good |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
No way |
(* 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 Bronze 500 and Bronze 1 are 2-way speakers.
Monitor Audio Bronze 500Monitor Audio Bronze 1
TweeterWoofer
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 Bronze 500 |
Monitor Audio Bronze 1 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8-inch
|
1 x 5.5-inch
|
Bronze 500 features a 1" gold dome C-CAM with uniform dispersion (UD) waveguide Tweeter and 2 x 8" C-CAM Woofer. On the other hand, the Bronze 1 features a 1" Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5.5" C-CAM Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2700Hz.
Frequency Response
Bronze 500 has a frequency range of 32-30k Hz whereas Bronze 1 has a frequency range of 55-30k 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 1's min frequency of 55Hz.
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
Bronze 500 and Bronze 1 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Bronze 500 sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the Bronze 1's is at 88 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Monitor Audio Bronze 500 a more sensitive speaker compared to Monitor Audio Bronze 1, 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 Bronze 1 has a max power handling value of 70 watts RMS, 130 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
Bronze 500 features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Bronze 1 has a Post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Monitor Audio Bronze 1's Post terminals
Monitor Audio Bronze 1 Port
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 Bronze 500's and Monitor Audio Bronze 1's external dimensions. 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) whereas Monitor Audio Bronze 1 has external dimensions of 260.0 x 165.0 x 205.0mm (10.2 x 6.4 x 8.0inch).
Monitor Audio Bronze 500 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 129mm wider, 717mm taller and 161mm deeper than Monitor Audio Bronze 1.
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 500 is approximately 1076.0cm2 / 166.8inch2 and base area of the Monitor Audio Bronze 1 is approximately 338.3cm2 / 52.4inch2. The Bronze 500 requires 218% more surface area than the Bronze 1 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of Monitor Audio Bronze 500?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of 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
What's in the Box of Monitor Audio Bronze 1?
Here are the items that come with the Bronze 1:
- 2 Bookshelf loudspeakers
- 2 Grilles
- 2 Foam port plugs
- Hex-key
- Owner's Manual
- Important Safety Instructions