In this review, we will be comparing Silver 300 7G and R600, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Monitor Audio and Polk Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Monitor Audio Silver 300 7G and Polk R600 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Monitor Audio Silver 300 7G Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" gold dome C-CAM with Uniform Dispersion (UD) Waveguide II Tweeter
- 3" Midrange
- 2 x 6" C-CAM RST II Woofer
- 31-35k Hz Frequency Response
- 87.5 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:80-200watts
- Weight:19.32kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1036.0" x 10-7/8" x 15-1/4"( 1036.0 x 277.0 x 388.0mm )
Polk R600 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter
- 2 x 6.5" Polypropylene Turbine Cone Woofer
- 43-38k Hz Frequency Response
- 87.5 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:25-200watts
- Weight:21.50kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1063.8" x 11" x 15"( 1063.8 x 280.7 x 381.6mm )
What size room are the Monitor Audio Silver 300 7G and Polk R600 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 300 7G |
Polk R600 |
| 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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Monitor Audio Silver 300 7G and Polk R600 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
**This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking
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 300 7G is a 3-way design whereas the R600 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 300 7G |
Polk R600 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 3-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
Silver 300 7G features a 1" gold dome C-CAM with Uniform Dispersion (UD) Waveguide II Tweeter , a 3" Midrange and 2 x 6" C-CAM RST II Woofer . On the other hand, the R600 features a 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Polypropylene Turbine Cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2700Hz.
Frequency Response
Silver 300 7G has a frequency range of 31-35k Hz whereas R600 has a frequency range of 43-38k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 31Hz, the Silver 300 7G can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the R600'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 Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
High Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Monitor Audio Silver 300 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 300 7G and R600 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 88 dB.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing 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.
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 300 7G features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. R600 has a Post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Polk R600's Post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Silver 300 7G has a rear firing port whereas R600 has a bottom firing ports. Polk R600's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Monitor Audio Silver 300 7G with its rear-firing port.
Polk R600 Port
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 300 7G's and Polk R600's external dimensions. Monitor Audio Silver 300 7G has external dimensions of 1036.0 x 277.0 x 388.0mm ( 40-3/4 x 10-7/8 x 15-1/4inch) whereas Polk R600 has external dimensions of 1063.8 x 280.7 x 381.6mm ( 41.9 x 11 x 15inch) .
Monitor Audio Silver 300 7G is 3.7mm narrower and 27.8mm shorter than Polk R600 but it is also 6.4mm deeper.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Monitor Audio Silver 300 7G and Polk R600 in scale.
Comparison image of Monitor Audio Silver 300 7G and Polk R600 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 300 7G is approximately 1074.8cm2 / 166.6inch2 and base area of the Polk R600 is approximately 1071.2cm2 / 166.0inch2. The Silver 300 7G requires 0% more surface area than the R600 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 300 7G weighs 19.32kg / 42.5lbs and the Polk R600 weighs 21.50kg / 47.3lbs. This makes the R600 11% heavier than the Silver 300 7G.
Here is a comparison of how Silver 300 7G and R600's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
Monitor Audio Silver 300 7G
What's in the Box of Monitor Audio Silver 300 7G?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Silver 300 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
What's in the Box of Polk R600?
Here are the items that come with the R600:
Floorstanding loudspeaker
4 Outrigger feet (pre-installed)
4 Rubber feet (pre-installed)
4 Spike feet (pre-installed)
Grille
Hex-key
Owner's Manual
Online Registration
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Low Frequency Response |
31 Hz
vs
43 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Height |
1036mm
vs
1063mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
|
Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
6 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 High Frequency Response |
38k Hz
vs
35k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Base Surface Area |
1071cm2
vs
1074cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1698USD
vs
2600USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Monitor Audio Silver 300 7G |
Polk Audio Reserve R600 |
| Brand |
Monitor Audio |
Polk Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
80-200 watts |
25-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
87.5 dB |
87.5 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
n/a |
4 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
31-35k Hz |
43-38k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
C-CAM RST II |
Polypropylene Turbine Cone |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
gold dome C-CAM with Uniform Dispersion (UD) Waveguide II |
Pinnacle Ring Radiator |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
3" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
2700Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
bottom |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1036.0mm (40.8") |
1063.8mm (41.9") |
| Width |
277.0mm (10.9") |
280.7mm (11.1") |
| Depth |
388.0mm (15.3") |
381.6mm (15") |
| Weight |
19.32kg (42.5lbs) |
21.50kg (47.3lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood veneer |
MDF/Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Oak |
Black, Walnut, White |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |