In this review, we will be comparing Silver 100 8G and Silver 50 8G, two Passive Bookshelf speakers by Monitor Audio
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Monitor Audio Silver 100 8G and Monitor Audio Silver 50 8G first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Monitor Audio Silver 100 8G Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" gold dome C-CAM Tweeter
- 3" Midrange
- 8" C-CAM RST III Woofer
- 33-35k Hz Frequency Response
- 87 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:50-200watts
- Weight:12.10kg
- 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 )
Monitor Audio Silver 50 8G Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" gold dome C-CAM Tweeter
- 6" C-CAM RST III Woofer
- 43-35k Hz Frequency Response
- 86.5 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:25-100watts
- Weight:8.20kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 13-3/16" x 7-5/16" x 13-1/16" ( 335.0 x 185.0 x 332.0mm )
Silver 100 8G and Silver 50 8G are members of Monitor Audio's Silver 8G series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Monitor Audio Silver 8G Series
History
What size room are the Monitor Audio Silver 100 8G and Monitor Audio Silver 50 8G 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 |
Monitor Audio Silver 50 8G |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Average |
| Small Room |
Average |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Bad |
(* 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 8G and Monitor Audio Silver 50 8G 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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through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Silver 100 8G is a 3-way design whereas the Silver 50 8G 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.
| Driver |
Monitor Audio Silver 100 8G |
Monitor Audio Silver 50 8G |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 3-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 8-inch
|
1 x 6-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 Silver 50 8G features a 1" gold dome C-CAM Tweeter and 1 x 6" C-CAM RST III Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2600Hz.
Frequency Response
Silver 100 8G has a frequency range of 33-35k Hz whereas Silver 50 8G has a frequency range of 43-35k Hz. 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 Silver 50 8G's min frequency of 43Hz.
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 8G
Monitor Audio Silver 50 8G
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 8G and Silver 50 8G have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Silver 100 8G sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the Silver 50 8G's is at 86.5 dB.
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 8G can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Silver 50 8G has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the Silver 100 8G.
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
Silver 100 8G features Binding post type posts and Silver 50 8G has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Silver 100 8G and Silver 50 8G 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
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 8G's and Monitor Audio Silver 50 8G'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 Monitor Audio Silver 50 8G has external dimensions of 335.0 x 185.0 x 332.0mm ( 13-3/16 x 7-5/16 x 13-1/16inch) .
Monitor Audio Silver 100 8G is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 45mm wider, 105mm taller and 22mm deeper than Monitor Audio Silver 50 8G.
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 Monitor Audio Silver 50 8G is approximately 614.2cm2 / 95.2inch2. The Silver 100 8G requires 33% more surface area than the Silver 50 8G which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.