In this review, we will be comparing Silver 300 8G and Ultra Tower, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Monitor Audio and SVS.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Monitor Audio Silver 300 8G and SVS Ultra Tower first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Monitor Audio Silver 300 8G | SVS Ultra Tower |
|---|
| Brand | Monitor Audio
United Kingdom · founded 1972 | SVS
United States · founded 1998 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" gold dome C-CAM | 1.0" Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 3" | 2 x 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6" C-CAM RST III | 2 x 8.0" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 30-35k Hz | 28-32k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-200 watts | 20-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 19.30kg / 42.5lbs | 34.27kg / 75.4lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 40-3/16" x 11-5/8" x 16-1/8"
1020.0 x 295.0 x 410.0mm | 45-5/8" x 13-15/16" x 17-1/2"
1159.0 x 355.0 x 445.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Monitor Audio Silver 300 8G and SVS Ultra Tower 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 8G |
SVS Ultra Tower |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
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.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
Both Silver 300 8G and Ultra Tower are 3-way speakers.
Monitor Audio Silver 300 8GSVS Ultra Tower
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 300 8G |
SVS Ultra Tower |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1.0-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 3-inch |
2 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6-inch
|
2 x 8.0-inch
|
Silver 300 8G features a 1" gold dome C-CAM Tweeter, a 3" Midrange and 2 x 6" C-CAM RST III Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 610Hz and 3300Hz. On the other hand, the Ultra Tower features a 1.0" aluminum Dome Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 8.0" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 160HZ and 2000Hz.
Frequency Response
Silver 300 8G has a frequency range of 30-35k Hz whereas Ultra Tower has a frequency range of 28-32k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 28Hz, the Ultra Tower can go slightly deeper then the Silver 300 8G's min frequency of 30Hz.
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 300 8G and Ultra Tower 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. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
Ultra Tower can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas Silver 300 8G has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the Ultra Tower.
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 300 8G
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both Silver 300 8G and Ultra Tower features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
SVS Ultra Tower's Binding post terminals allows 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 300 8G's and SVS Ultra Tower's external dimensions. Monitor Audio Silver 300 8G has external dimensions of 1020.0 x 295.0 x 410.0mm (40-3/16 x 11-5/8 x 16-1/8inch) whereas SVS Ultra Tower has external dimensions of 1159.0 x 355.0 x 445.0mm (45-5/8 x 13-15/16 x 17-1/2inch).
SVS Ultra Tower is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 60mm wider, 139mm taller and 35mm deeper than Monitor Audio Silver 300 8G.
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.
SVS Ultra Tower needs about 31% more floor or shelf area. SVS Ultra Tower is 35mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. SVS Ultra Tower is 139mm 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 300 8G is approximately 1209.5cm2 / 187.5inch2 and base area of the SVS Ultra Tower is approximately 1579.8cm2 / 244.9inch2. The Silver 300 8G requires 23% less surface area than the Ultra Tower which gives it a small advantage 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 8G weighs 19.30kg / 42.5lbs and the SVS Ultra Tower weighs 34.27kg / 75.4lbs. This makes the Ultra Tower 78% heavier than the Silver 300 8G.
Here is a comparison of how Silver 300 8G and Ultra Tower's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
Monitor Audio Silver 300 8G
What's in the Box of SVS Ultra Tower?
Here are the items that come with the Ultra Tower:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Cloth grille
- 2 Metal grilles
- Foam port plug
- 4 Elastomer isolation feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Nuts
- 4 Protective discs
- 2 Terminal jumpers (pre-installed)
- Owners Manual
- SVS brochure
- Online Product Registration Card
 High Frequency Response |
35k Hz
vs
32k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
1020mm
vs
1159mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1209cm2
vs
1579cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Woofer Size |
8.0 inches
vs
6 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
28 Hz
vs
30 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Price per pair* |
2600USD
vs
3000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Monitor Audio Silver 300 8G |
SVS Ultra Tower |
| Brand |
Monitor Audio |
SVS |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
50-200 watts |
20-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.9 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
30-35k Hz |
28-32k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6" |
8.0" |
| Woofer Composition |
C-CAM RST III |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1.0" |
| Tweeter Type |
gold dome C-CAM |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
3" |
6.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
610Hz and 3300Hz |
160HZ and 2000Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1020.0mm (40.2") |
1159.0mm (45.6") |
| Width |
295.0mm (11.6") |
355.0mm (14") |
| Depth |
410.0mm (16.1") |
445.0mm (17.5") |
| Weight |
19.30kg (42.5lbs) |
34.27kg (75.4lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/High gloss, veneer or satin paint |
MDF/Oak veneer |
| Available Colors |
High Gloss Black, European Walnut, Satin White |
Black Oak,Piano Gloss Black,Piano Gloss White |
| 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 |
A generation apart: Monitor Audio Silver 300 8G is the newer design, against a 2013 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | evenly matched | Much the same reach (30Hz vs 28Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (88dB vs 88dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | B | SVS Ultra Tower takes more power (300W vs 200W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Monitor Audio Silver 300 8G is easier to place; SVS Ultra Tower is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Monitor Audio Silver 300 8G: bi-amping; SVS Ultra Tower: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | SVS Ultra Tower is cheaper - $2,600 against $3,000, about 13% less. |
A Monitor Audio Silver 300 8G B SVS Ultra Tower
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?
SVS Ultra Tower has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. In a large or open-plan room, SVS Ultra Tower has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Monitor Audio Silver 300 8G 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.