In this review, we will be comparing Silver 200 7G and BW 603, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Monitor Audio and Bowers Wilkins.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Monitor Audio Silver 200 7G and B&W 603 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Monitor Audio Silver 200 7G | B&W 603 |
|---|
| Brand | Monitor Audio
United Kingdom · founded 1972 | Bowers Wilkins
United Kingdom · founded 1966 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" gold dome C-CAM with uniform dispersion (UD) waveguide | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 6" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.25" C-CAM RST II | 2 x 6.5" Paper |
|---|
| Frequency response | 34-35k Hz | 48-28k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87.5 dB | 88.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 60-150 watts | 30-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 13.77kg / 30.3lbs | 24.14kg / 53.1lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 36-3/16" x 9-15/16" x 13-1/16"
920.0 x 253.0 x 332.0mm | 38.7" x 7.4" x 13.3"
985.0 x 190.0 x 340.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Monitor Audio Silver 200 7G and B&W 603 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 200 7G |
B&W 603 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| 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 200 7G is a 2-way design whereas the BW 603 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.
Monitor Audio Silver 200 7GB&W 603
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 200 7G |
B&W 603 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 6-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
Silver 200 7G features a 1" gold dome C-CAM with uniform dispersion (UD) waveguide Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" C-CAM RST II Woofer. On the other hand, the BW 603 features a 1" Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Paper Woofer.
Frequency Response
Silver 200 7G has a frequency range of 34-35k Hz whereas BW 603 has a frequency range of 48-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 34Hz, the Silver 200 7G can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the BW 603's min frequency of 48Hz.
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
Silver 200 7G and BW 603 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Silver 200 7G sensitivity is rated at 87.5 dB and the BW 603's is at 88.5 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the B&W 603 a more sensitive speaker compared to Monitor Audio Silver 200 7G, 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.
BW 603 can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas Silver 200 7G has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the BW 603.
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 200 7G
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both Silver 200 7G and BW 603 features dual binding post speaker terminals for 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 Silver 200 7G's and B&W 603's external dimensions. Monitor Audio Silver 200 7G has external dimensions of 920.0 x 253.0 x 332.0mm (36-3/16 x 9-15/16 x 13-1/16inch) whereas B&W 603 has external dimensions of 985.0 x 190.0 x 340.0mm (38.7 x 7.4 x 13.3inch).
Monitor Audio Silver 200 7G is 65mm shorter and 8mm less deeper than B&W 603 but it is also 63mm wider.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Monitor Audio Silver 200 7G and B&W 603 in scale.
Comparison image of Monitor Audio Silver 200 7G and B&W 603 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 200 7G is approximately 840.0cm2 / 130.2inch2 and base area of the B&W 603 is approximately 646.0cm2 / 100.1inch2. The Silver 200 7G requires 30% more surface area than the BW 603 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 200 7G weighs 13.77kg / 30.3lbs and the B&W 603 weighs 24.14kg / 53.1lbs. This makes the BW 603 75% heavier than the Silver 200 7G.
Here is a comparison of how Silver 200 7G and BW 603's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
Monitor Audio Silver 200 7G
What's in the Box of Monitor Audio Silver 200 7G?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Silver 200 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
What's in the Box of B&W 603?
Here are the items that come with the BW 603:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- Plinith (base)
- 2 Jumper-straps (pre-installed)
- 4 Rubber feet
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Hex-nuts
- 4 Screws
- 4 Washers
- 4 Lock-washers
- Two-piece foam port plug
- Hex-key
- Manual
- Bowers & Wilkins brochure
- Warranty Information
 Low Frequency Response |
34 Hz
vs
48 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
35k Hz
vs
28k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
920mm
vs
985mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Max Input Power |
200 watts
vs
150 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
89 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
|
Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5.25 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Base Surface Area |
646cm2
vs
840cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
Monitor Audio Silver 200 7G |
Bowers & Wilkins 603 |
| Brand |
Monitor Audio |
Bowers Wilkins |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
60-150 watts |
30-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
87.5 dB |
88.5 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
34-35k Hz |
48-28k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5.25" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
C-CAM RST II |
Paper |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
gold dome C-CAM with uniform dispersion (UD) waveguide |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
6" |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
920.0mm (36.2") |
985.0mm (38.8") |
| Width |
253.0mm (10") |
190.0mm (7.5") |
| Depth |
332.0mm (13.1") |
340.0mm (13.4") |
| Weight |
13.77kg (30.3lbs) |
24.14kg (53.1lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood veneer |
MDF/Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Oak |
Black, 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 |
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | Monitor Audio Silver 200 7G digs deeper - 34Hz against 48Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (88dB vs 89dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | B | B&W 603 takes more power (200W vs 150W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | depends | Monitor Audio Silver 200 7G: bi-amping; B&W 603: bi-amping. Monitor Audio Silver 200 7G sits in a wider range (8 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
A Monitor Audio Silver 200 7G B B&W 603
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?
Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let the "depends" rows and your own room settle it. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 48Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead.
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.