In this review, we will be comparing Gold 500 6G and Silver 500 7G, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Monitor Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Monitor Audio Gold 500 6G and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Monitor Audio Gold 500 6G | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
|---|
| Brand | Monitor Audio
United Kingdom · founded 1972 | Monitor Audio
United Kingdom · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" | 1" gold dome C-CAM with Uniform Dispersion (UD) Waveguide II |
|---|
| Midrange | 3" | 3" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8" HDT C-CAM | 2 x 8" C-CAM RST II |
|---|
| Frequency response | 44 Hz – 60 kHz | 27-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88.5 dB | 90.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 300 watts | 80-250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 26.56kg / 58.4lbs | 22.53kg / 49.6lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 45-1/2" x 15-1/16" x 18-11/16"
1156.0 x 383.0 x 475.0mm | 42-11/16" x 12-11/16" x 15-7/16"
1085.0 x 323.0 x 393.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Monitor Audio Gold 500 6G and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G 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 Silver 500 7G |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Good |
Average |
(* 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.
Drivers
Both Gold 500 6G and Silver 500 7G are 3-way speakers.
Monitor Audio Gold 500 6GMonitor Audio Silver 500 7G
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 Silver 500 7G |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 3-inch |
1 x 3-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8-inch
|
2 x 8-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 Silver 500 7G features a 1" gold dome C-CAM with Uniform Dispersion (UD) Waveguide II Tweeter, a 3" Midrange and 2 x 8" C-CAM RST II Woofer.
Frequency Response
Gold 500 6G has a frequency range of 44 Hz – 60 kHz whereas Silver 500 7G has a frequency range of 27-35k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 27Hz, the Silver 500 7G can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Gold 500 6G's min frequency of 44Hz.
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 is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the Silver 500 7G which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms. Lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit especially when played at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Gold 500 6G can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Gold 500 6G sensitivity is rated at 88.5 dB and the Silver 500 7G's is rated at 90.5 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G a more sensitive speaker compared to Monitor Audio Gold 500 6G, 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.
Gold 500 6G can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas Silver 500 7G has a max power handling value of 250 watts RMS, 50 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
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both Gold 500 6G and Silver 500 7G 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
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 Silver 500 7G's external dimensions. Monitor Audio Gold 500 6G has external dimensions of 1156.0 x 383.0 x 475.0mm (15-1/16 x 45-1/2 x 18-11/16) whereas Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G has external dimensions of 1085.0 x 323.0 x 393.0mm (42-11/16 x 12-11/16 x 15-7/16inch).
Monitor Audio Gold 500 6G is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 60mm wider, 71mm taller and 82mm deeper than Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Monitor Audio Gold 500 6G and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G in scale.
Comparison image of Monitor Audio Gold 500 6G and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G 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 1819.3cm2 / 282.0inch2 and base area of the Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is approximately 1269.4cm2 / 196.8inch2. The Gold 500 6G requires 43% more surface area than the Silver 500 7G 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 Gold 500 6G weighs 26.56kg / 58.4lbs and the Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G weighs 22.53kg / 49.6lbs. This makes the Gold 500 6G 18% heavier than the Silver 500 7G.
Here is a comparison of how Gold 500 6G and Silver 500 7G's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
Monitor Audio Gold 500 6G
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G
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 Silver 500 7G?
Here are the items that come with the Silver 500 7G:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Outrigger feet
- 4 Rubber feet (pre-installed on outrigger feet)
- 4 Spikes
- 4 Bolts
- 4 Machine screws
- 2 Foam port plugs
- 2 Hex-keys
- Owners Manual
- Important Safety Instructions
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
250 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 High Frequency Response |
60k Hz
vs
35k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Sensitivity |
91 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Low Frequency Response |
27 Hz
vs
44 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
1085mm
vs
1156mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1269cm2
vs
1819cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
3200USD
vs
7499USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Monitor Audio Gold 500 6G |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
| Brand |
Monitor Audio |
Monitor Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 300 watts |
80-250 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88.5 dB |
90.5 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
44 Hz – 60 kHz |
27-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
HDT C-CAM |
C-CAM RST II |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
n/a |
gold dome C-CAM with Uniform Dispersion (UD) Waveguide II |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
3" |
3" |
| Crossover Frequency |
700 Hz - 2600 Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
| Suggested Break-in Period |
2 Base plates| 8 Outrigger feet| 8 rubber feet (pre-installed in outrigger feet)| 8 Spikes |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1156.0mm (45.5") |
1085.0mm (42.7") |
| Width |
383.0mm (15.1") |
323.0mm (12.7") |
| Depth |
475.0mm (18.7") |
393.0mm (15.5") |
| Weight |
26.56kg (58.4lbs) |
22.53kg (49.6lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Wood veneer |
| Available Colors |
Macassar Wood Veneer, High-Gloss Black, Satin White |
Oak |
| 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 |
These sit in different price classes - Monitor Audio Gold 500 6G costs roughly 2.3x what Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G digs deeper - 27Hz against 44Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is more sensitive (91dB vs 89dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (300W vs 250W). |
| Size | depends | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is easier to place; Monitor Audio Gold 500 6G is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Monitor Audio Gold 500 6G: bi-amping; Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G: bi-amping. Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G sits in a wider range (8 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | B | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is cheaper - $3,200 against $7,499, about 57% less; arguably a different class. |
A Monitor Audio Gold 500 6G B Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system 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 Silver 500 7G is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take Monitor Audio Gold 500 6G if its size, looks or fit in your room suit you better. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 44Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate Monitor Audio Gold 500 6G the better fit for a very large room; elsewhere the two are rated the same.
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.