In this review, we will be comparing Bronze 500 and Bronze 200, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Monitor Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Monitor Audio Bronze 500 and Monitor Audio Bronze 200 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Monitor Audio Bronze 500 | Monitor Audio Bronze 200 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" gold dome C-CAM with uniform dispersion (UD) waveguide | 1" gold dome C-CAM with uniform dispersion (UD) waveguide |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8" C-CAM | 2 x 5.25" C-CAM |
|---|
| Frequency response | 32-30k Hz | 35-30k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 60-200 watts | 40-120 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 18.05kg / 39.7lbs | 12.84kg / 28.2lbs |
|---|
| 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 | 36" x 9" x 12-1/8"
915.0 x 229.0 x 308.0mm |
|---|
Bronze 500 and Bronze 200 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 200 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 200 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
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.
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Drivers
Both Bronze 500 and Bronze 200 are 2-way speakers.
Monitor Audio Bronze 500Monitor Audio Bronze 200
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 200 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8-inch
|
2 x 5.25-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 200 features a 1" gold dome C-CAM with uniform dispersion (UD) waveguide Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" C-CAM Woofer.
Frequency Response
Bronze 500 has a frequency range of 32-30k Hz whereas Bronze 200 has a frequency range of 35-30k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 32Hz, the Bronze 500 can go slightly deeper then the Bronze 200'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
Bronze 500 and Bronze 200 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 200's is at 88 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Monitor Audio Bronze 500 a more sensitive speaker compared to Monitor Audio Bronze 200, 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 200 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 Bronze 500 and Bronze 200 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 Monitor Audio Bronze 500's and Monitor Audio Bronze 200'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 200 has external dimensions of 915.0 x 229.0 x 308.0mm (36 x 9 x 12-1/8inch).
Monitor Audio Bronze 500 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 65mm wider, 62mm taller and 58mm deeper than Monitor Audio Bronze 200.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Monitor Audio Bronze 500 and Monitor Audio Bronze 200 in scale.
Comparison image of Monitor Audio Bronze 500 and Monitor Audio Bronze 200 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 500 is approximately 1076.0cm2 / 166.8inch2 and base area of the Monitor Audio Bronze 200 is approximately 705.3cm2 / 109.3inch2. The Bronze 500 requires 53% more surface area than the Bronze 200 which gives it a small disadvantage 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 Bronze 500 weighs 18.05kg / 39.7lbs and the Monitor Audio Bronze 200 weighs 12.84kg / 28.2lbs. This makes the Bronze 500 41% heavier than the Bronze 200.
Here is a comparison of how Bronze 500 and Bronze 200'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 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 200?
Here are the items that come with the Bronze 200:
- 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
 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 |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
5.25 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
32 Hz
vs
35 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
915mm
vs
977mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
705cm2
vs
1076cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1150USD
vs
1496USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Monitor Audio Bronze 500 |
Monitor Audio Bronze 200 |
| Brand |
Monitor Audio |
Monitor Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
60-200 watts |
40-120 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
32-30k Hz |
35-30k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
5.25" |
| Woofer Composition |
C-CAM |
C-CAM |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
gold dome C-CAM with uniform dispersion (UD) waveguide |
gold dome C-CAM with uniform dispersion (UD) waveguide |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
977.0mm (38.5") |
915.0mm (36") |
| Width |
294.0mm (11.6") |
229.0mm (9") |
| Depth |
366.0mm (14.4") |
308.0mm (12.1") |
| Weight |
18.05kg (39.7lbs) |
12.84kg (28.2lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Vinyl |
MDF/Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Black |
Black |
| 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 |
Siblings in Monitor Audio's Bronze series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass |
A |
Monitor Audio Bronze 500 digs deeper - 32Hz against 35Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs |
A |
Monitor Audio Bronze 500 is more sensitive (90dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom |
A |
Monitor Audio Bronze 500 takes more power (200W vs 120W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size |
depends |
Monitor Audio Bronze 200 is easier to place; Monitor Audio Bronze 500 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability |
depends |
Monitor Audio Bronze 500: bi-amping and Atmos drivers; Monitor Audio Bronze 200: bi-amping and Atmos drivers. |
| Price |
B |
Monitor Audio Bronze 200 is cheaper - $1,150 against $1,496, about 23% less. |
A Monitor Audio Bronze 500
B Monitor Audio Bronze 200
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 Bronze 500 leads across most of the measured areas for a fairly modest premium, which makes it the easier pick if the budget stretches. Monitor Audio Bronze 200 is the one to take if it does not. In a large or open-plan room, Monitor Audio Bronze 500 has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Monitor Audio Bronze 200 is the easier speaker to get right. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, Monitor Audio Bronze 500 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.