In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Monitor Audio. Monitor Audio Gold 500 6G is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the Gold 50 6G is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Monitor Audio Gold 500 6G and Monitor Audio Gold 50 6G first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Monitor Audio Gold 500 6G | Monitor Audio Gold 50 6G |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | 3" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8" HDT C-CAM | 6" HDT C-CAM |
|---|
| Frequency response | 44 Hz – 60 kHz | 55 Hz - 60 kHz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88.5 dB | 85 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 300 watts | up to 150 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 26.56kg / 58.4lbs | 8.52kg / 18.7lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 45-1/2" x 15-1/16" x 18-11/16"
383.0 x 1156.0 x 475.0mm | 12-5/8" x 7-5/16" x 11-15/16"
186.0 x 321.0 x 304.0mm |
|---|
Gold 500 6G and Gold 50 6G are members of Monitor Audio's Gold 6G series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Monitor Audio Gold 6G Series
History
What size room are the Monitor Audio Gold 500 6G and Monitor Audio Gold 50 6G 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 Gold 500 6G |
Monitor Audio Gold 50 6G |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Good |
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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Gold 500 6G is a 3-way design whereas the Gold 50 6G is a 2-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 Gold 500 6GMonitor Audio Gold 50 6G
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 Gold 500 6G |
Monitor Audio Gold 50 6G |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 3-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8-inch
|
1 x 6-inch
|
Gold 500 6G features a 1" MPD III Tweeter, a 3" Midrange and 2 x 8" HDT C-CAM Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 700 Hz - 2600 Hz. On the other hand, the Gold 50 6G features a 1" MPD III Tweeter and 1 x 6" HDT C-CAM Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2.5 kHz.
Frequency Response
Gold 500 6G has a frequency range of 44 Hz – 60 kHz whereas Gold 50 6G has a frequency range of 55 Hz - 60 kHz. With a minimum frequency of 44Hz, the Gold 500 6G can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Gold 50 6G'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
Gold 500 6G and Gold 50 6G have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Gold 500 6G sensitivity is rated at 88.5 dB and the Gold 50 6G's is at 85 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the Monitor Audio Gold 500 6G a more sensitive speaker compared to Monitor Audio Gold 50 6G, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
One thing to keep in mind that the lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit comared to higher impedance speakers especially at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Gold 500 6G and the Gold 500 6G can provide this impedance level.
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.
Gold 500 6G can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas Gold 50 6G has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 150 watts less than the Gold 500 6G.
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 Gold 500 6G
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both Gold 500 6G and Gold 50 6G features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Monitor Audio Gold 500 6G's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Monitor Audio Gold 50 6G's Binding post terminals allows 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 Gold 500 6G's and Monitor Audio Gold 50 6G's external dimensions. Monitor Audio Gold 500 6G has external dimensions of 383.0 x 1156.0 x 475.0mm (15-1/16 x 45-1/2 x 18-11/16) whereas Monitor Audio Gold 50 6G has external dimensions of 186.0 x 321.0 x 304.0mm (7-5/16 x 12-5/8 x 11-15/16).
Monitor Audio Gold 500 6G is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 197mm wider, 835mm taller and 171mm deeper than Monitor Audio Gold 50 6G.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Monitor Audio Gold 500 6G and Monitor Audio Gold 50 6G in scale.
Comparison image of Monitor Audio Gold 500 6G and Monitor Audio Gold 50 6G 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 Gold 500 6G is approximately 5491.0cm2 / 851.1inch2 and base area of the Monitor Audio Gold 50 6G is approximately 975.8cm2 / 151.2inch2. The Gold 500 6G requires 463% more surface area than the Gold 50 6G which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of Monitor Audio Gold 500 6G?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Gold 500 6G:
- 2 Floorstanding loudspeakers
- 6 Grilles
- 4 Jumper-plates (pre-installed)
- 4 Port plugs
- 2 Base plates
- 8 Outrigger feet
- 8 rubber feet (pre-installed in outrigger feet)
- 8 Spikes (pre-installed in outrigger fee)
- 8 Large machine screws
- 24 Small machine screws
- Hex-key
- Quick Setup Guide
- Important Safety Instructions
What's in the Box of Monitor Audio Gold 50 6G?
Here are the items that come with the Gold 50 6G:
- 2 bookshelf loudspeakers
- 4 Grilles
- 8 Rubber feet
- 4 Jumper-plates (pre-installed)
- 2 Port plugs
- Hex-key
- Quick Setup Guide
- Important Safety Instructions