In this review, we will be comparing Silver 100 8G and AE100 MII, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from Monitor Audio and Acoustic Energy.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Monitor Audio Silver 100 8G and AE100 Mark II first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Monitor Audio Silver 100 8G | AE100 Mark II |
|---|
| Brand | Monitor Audio
United Kingdom · founded 1972 | Acoustic Energy
United Kingdom · founded 1987 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" gold dome C-CAM | 1" soft dome with waveguide |
|---|
| Midrange | 3" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 8" C-CAM RST III | 5.2" paper cone |
|---|
| Frequency response | 33-35k Hz | 51Hz - 26kHz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 87 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-200 watts | up to 120 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 12.10kg / 26.6lbs | 4.60kg / 10.1lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 17-5/16" x 9-1/16" x 13-15/16"
440.0 x 230.0 x 354.0mm | 11.4" x 6.5" x 9.8"
290.0 x 165.0 x 250.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Monitor Audio Silver 100 8G and AE100 Mark II 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 8G |
AE100 Mark II |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Average |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
Average |
| 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.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Silver 100 8G is a 3-way design whereas the AE100 MII 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 Silver 100 8G AE100 Mark II
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 Silver 100 8G |
AE100 Mark II |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 3-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 8-inch
|
1 x 5.2-inch
|
Silver 100 8G features a 1" gold dome C-CAM Tweeter, a 3" Midrange and 1 x 8" C-CAM RST III Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 610Hz and 2900Hz. On the other hand, the AE100 MII features a 1" fabric soft dome with waveguide Tweeter and 1 x 5.2" paper cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2900Hz.
Frequency Response
Silver 100 8G has a frequency range of 33-35k Hz whereas AE100 MII has a frequency range of 51Hz - 26kHz. With a minimum frequency of 33Hz, the Silver 100 8G can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the AE100 MII's min frequency of 51Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf 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
Silver 100 8G is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the AE100 MII which has a nominal impedance of 6 ohms.
On the other hand, they have the same sensitivity of 87 dBdB.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf 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.
Silver 100 8G can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas AE100 MII has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 80 watts less than the Silver 100 8G.
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 Silver 100 8G
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Silver 100 8G and AE100 MII have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generally need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing the speakers too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.
If you are limited in space and can't get the speakers away from the backwall, check our Speakers with Front Firing Ports page.
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 Silver 100 8G's and AE100 Mark II's external dimensions. Monitor Audio Silver 100 8G has external dimensions of 440.0 x 230.0 x 354.0mm (17-5/16 x 9-1/16 x 13-15/16inch) whereas AE100 Mark II has external dimensions of 290.0 x 165.0 x 250.0mm (11.4 x 6.5 x 9.8inch).
Monitor Audio Silver 100 8G is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 65mm wider, 150mm taller and 104mm deeper than AE100 Mark II.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
Monitor Audio Silver 100 8G needs about 97% more floor or shelf area. Monitor Audio Silver 100 8G is 104mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Monitor Audio Silver 100 8G is 150mm taller.
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 8G is approximately 814.2cm2 / 126.2inch2 and base area of the AE100 Mark II is approximately 412.5cm2 / 63.9inch2. The Silver 100 8G requires 97% more surface area than the AE100 MII 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 Silver 100 8G weighs 12.10kg / 26.6lbs and the AE100 Mark II weighs 4.60kg / 10.1lbs. This makes the Silver 100 8G 163% heavier than the AE100 MII.
Here is a comparison of how Silver 100 8G and AE100 MII's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Bookshelf class.
Weight
All Bookshelf Speakers
Monitor Audio Silver 100 8G
 Max Input Power |
200 watts
vs
120 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
5.2 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
33 Hz
vs
51 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
35k Hz
vs
26k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
290mm
vs
440mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
412cm2
vs
814cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
499USD
vs
2300USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Monitor Audio Silver 100 8G |
Acoustic Energy AE100 Mark II |
| Brand |
Monitor Audio |
Acoustic Energy |
| Speaker Type |
Bookshelf speakers |
Bookshelf speakers |
| Power Range |
50-200 watts |
up to 120 watts |
| Sensitivity |
87 dB |
87 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
6 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.7 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
33-35k Hz |
51Hz - 26kHz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
5.2" |
| Woofer Composition |
C-CAM RST III |
paper cone |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
gold dome C-CAM |
soft dome with waveguide |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
3" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
610Hz and 2900Hz |
2900Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
440.0mm (17.3") |
290.0mm (11.4") |
| Width |
230.0mm (9.1") |
165.0mm (6.5") |
| Depth |
354.0mm (13.9") |
250.0mm (9.8") |
| Weight |
12.10kg (26.6lbs) |
4.60kg (10.1lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/High gloss, veneer or satin paint |
HDF |
| Available Colors |
High Gloss Black, European Walnut, Satin White |
Walnut, Satin Black, White |
| Mounting Bracket |
|
|
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
n/a |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
|
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
|
These sit in different price classes - Monitor Audio Silver 100 8G costs roughly 4.6x what AE100 Mark II 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 | A | Monitor Audio Silver 100 8G digs deeper - 33Hz against 51Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (87dB vs 87dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | A | Monitor Audio Silver 100 8G is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | A | Monitor Audio Silver 100 8G takes more power (200W vs 120W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | AE100 Mark II is easier to place; Monitor Audio Silver 100 8G is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | A | Monitor Audio Silver 100 8G: bi-amping. Monitor Audio Silver 100 8G sits in a wider range (7 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | B | AE100 Mark II is cheaper - $499 against $2,300, about 78% less; arguably a different class. |
A Monitor Audio Silver 100 8G B AE100 Mark II
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?
The usual trade-off: Monitor Audio Silver 100 8G measures better, AE100 Mark II costs about about 4.6x the price% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 51Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper AE100 Mark II much easier to justify. In a large or open-plan room, Monitor Audio Silver 100 8G has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, AE100 Mark II is the easier speaker to get right.
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.