In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by Monitor Audio. Monitor Audio Silver 100 7G is a Bookshelf speaker whereas the Silver 500 7G is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Monitor Audio Silver 100 7G and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Monitor Audio Silver 100 7G Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter
- 8" C-CAM RST II Woofer
- 35-35k Hz Frequency Response
- 87.5 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:40-120watts
- Weight:9.43kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 377.0" x 9-1/8" x 13-1/16"( 377.0 x 232.0 x 332.0mm )
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" gold dome C-CAM with Uniform Dispersion (UD) Waveguide II Tweeter
- 3" Midrange
- 2 x 8" C-CAM RST II Woofer
- 3" Midrange
- 27-35k Hz Frequency Response
- 90.5 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:80-250watts
- Weight:22.53kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1085.0" x 12-11/16" x 15-7/16"( 1085.0 x 323.0 x 393.0mm )
Silver 100 7G and Silver 500 7G are members of Monitor Audio's Silver series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Monitor Audio Silver Series History
What size room are the Monitor Audio Silver 100 7G 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 Silver 100 7G |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Average |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Monitor Audio Silver 100 7G and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Silver 100 7G is a 2-way design whereas the Silver 500 7G is a 3-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.
| Driver |
Monitor Audio Silver 100 7G |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 3-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 8-inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
Silver 100 7G features a 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 8" C-CAM RST II Woofer . 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
Silver 100 7G has a frequency range of 35-35k Hz 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 Silver 100 7G's min frequency of 35Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
High Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
Monitor Audio Silver 100 7G
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Silver 100 7G and Silver 500 7G have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Silver 100 7G sensitivity is rated at 87.5 dB and the Silver 500 7G's is at 90.5 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G a more sensitive speaker compared to Monitor Audio Silver 100 7G, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. While using an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.
Silver 100 7G can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Silver 100 7G has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS , 130 watts less than the Silver 500 7G.
Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker
compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters
such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both Silver 100 7G and Silver 500 7G features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Physical Specs
Size of a speaker can sometimes become 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 Silver 100 7G's and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G's external dimensions. Monitor Audio Silver 100 7G has external dimensions of 377.0 x 232.0 x 332.0mm ( 14-13/16 x 9-1/8 x 13-1/16inch) 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 Silver 500 7G is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 91mm wider, 708mm taller and 61mm deeper than Monitor Audio Silver 100 7G.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Monitor Audio Silver 100 7G and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G in scale.
Comparison image of Monitor Audio Silver 100 7G 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 Silver 100 7G is approximately 770.2cm2 / 119.4inch2 and base area of the Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is approximately 1269.4cm2 / 196.8inch2. The Silver 100 7G requires 39% less surface area than the Silver 500 7G which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of Monitor Audio Silver 100 7G?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Silver 100 7G:
2 Bookshelf loudspeakers2 Grilles4 Jumpers (pre-installed)8 Rubber feet2 Foam port plugsHex-keyOwners ManualImportant 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 loudspeakerGrille4 Outrigger feet4 Rubber feet (pre-installed on outrigger feet)4 Spikes4 Bolts4 Machine screws2 Foam port plugs2 Hex-keysOwners ManualImportant Safety Instructions
Height 
Base Surface Area 
Price per pair* 
Max Input Power 
Driver Setup 
Sensitivity 
Number of Woofers