In this review, we will be comparing Bronze 500 and R500, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Monitor Audio and Polk Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Monitor Audio Bronze 500 and Polk R500 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Monitor Audio Bronze 500 | Polk R500 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" gold dome C-CAM with uniform dispersion (UD) waveguide | 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8" C-CAM | 2 x 5.25" Polypropylene Turbine Cone |
|---|
| Frequency response | 32-30k Hz | 49-38k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 87 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 60-200 watts | 25-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 18.05kg / 39.7lbs | 17.70kg / 38.9lbs |
|---|
| 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 | 41.1" x 10.1" x 13.7"
1044.5 x 255.4 x 348.8mm |
|---|
What size room are the Monitor Audio Bronze 500 and Polk R500 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 |
Polk R500 |
| 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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through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
Both Bronze 500 and R500 are 2-way speakers.
Monitor Audio Bronze 500Polk R500
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 |
Polk R500 |
|
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 R500 features a 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Polypropylene Turbine Cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz.
Frequency Response
Bronze 500 has a frequency range of 32-30k Hz whereas R500 has a frequency range of 49-38k 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 R500's min frequency of 49Hz.
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 R500 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 R500's is at 87 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Monitor Audio Bronze 500 a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk R500, 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.
Both handle the same maximum of 200 watts RMS, though Bronze 500 is rated 60-200 watts and R500 25-200 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.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Bronze 500 features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. R500 has a Post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Polk R500's 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 Bronze 500's and Polk R500'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 Polk R500 has external dimensions of 1044.5 x 255.4 x 348.8mm (41.1 x 10.1 x 13.7inch).
Polk R500 is 38.6mm narrower and 17.2mm less deeper than Monitor Audio Bronze 500 but it is also 67.5mm taller.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Monitor Audio Bronze 500 and Polk R500 in scale.
Comparison image of Monitor Audio Bronze 500 and Polk R500 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 Polk R500 is approximately 890.8cm2 / 138.1inch2. The Bronze 500 requires 21% more surface area than the R500 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 Polk R500 weighs 17.70kg / 38.9lbs. This makes the Bronze 500 2% heavier than the R500.
Here is a comparison of how Bronze 500 and R500'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 Polk R500?
Here are the items that come with the R500:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- 4 Outrigger feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Rubber feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spike feet (pre-installed)
- Grille
- Hex-key
- Owner's Manual
- Online Registration
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
87 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
49 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Dolby Atmos Drivers |
Optional
vs
No
|
Dolby Atmos Compatibility |
 Height |
977mm
vs
1044mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 High Frequency Response |
36k Hz
vs
30k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Base Surface Area |
890cm2
vs
1076cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1298USD
vs
1496USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Monitor Audio Bronze 500 |
Polk Audio Reserve R500 |
| Brand |
Monitor Audio |
Polk Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
60-200 watts |
25-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
87 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
n/a |
3.9 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
32-30k Hz |
49-38k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
5.25" |
| Woofer Composition |
C-CAM |
Polypropylene Turbine Cone |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
gold dome C-CAM with uniform dispersion (UD) waveguide |
Pinnacle Ring Radiator |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
2500Hz |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
977.0mm (38.5") |
1044.5mm (41.1") |
| Width |
294.0mm (11.6") |
255.4mm (10.1") |
| Depth |
366.0mm (14.4") |
348.8mm (13.7") |
| Weight |
18.05kg (39.7lbs) |
17.70kg (38.9lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Vinyl |
MDF/Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Black |
Black, Walnut, White |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
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 |
A |
Monitor Audio Bronze 500 digs deeper - 32Hz against 49Hz. |
| Amplifier needs |
A |
Monitor Audio Bronze 500 is more sensitive (90dB vs 87dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom |
evenly matched |
Similar power handling (200W vs 200W). |
| Size |
depends |
Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability |
A |
Monitor Audio Bronze 500: bi-amping and Atmos drivers. |
| Price |
B |
Polk R500 is cheaper - $1,298 against $1,496, about 13% less. |
A Monitor Audio Bronze 500
B Polk R500
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. Polk R500 is the one to take if it does not. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 49Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Polk R500 much easier to justify. 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.