In this review, we will be comparing Silver 500 7G and Aria 948, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Monitor Audio and Focal.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G and Focal Aria 948 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G | Focal Aria 948 |
|---|
| Brand | Monitor Audio
United Kingdom · founded 1972 | Focal
France · founded 1979 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" gold dome C-CAM with Uniform Dispersion (UD) Waveguide II | 1" inverted dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 3" | 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8" C-CAM RST II | 2 x 8.25" Flax |
|---|
| Frequency response | 27-35k Hz | 37-28k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90.5 dB | 92.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 80-250 watts | 50-350 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 22.53kg / 49.6lbs | 35.00kg / 77lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 42-11/16" x 12-11/16" x 15-7/16"
1085.0 x 323.0 x 393.0mm | 45-1/4" x 14-5/8" x 16-9/16"
1150.0 x 372.0 x 421.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G and Focal Aria 948 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 500 7G |
Focal Aria 948 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Are you nuts? |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
Good |
(* 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.
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Drivers
Both Silver 500 7G and Aria 948 are 3-way speakers.
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7GFocal Aria 948
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 500 7G |
Focal Aria 948 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 3-inch |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8-inch
|
2 x 8.25-inch
|
Silver 500 7G features a 1" gold dome C-CAM with Uniform Dispersion (UD) Waveguide II Tweeter, a 3" Midrange and 2 x 8" C-CAM RST II Woofer. On the other hand, the Aria 948 features a 1" TNF Al/Mg inverted dome Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 8.25" Flax Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 280Hz and 2,600Hz.
Frequency Response
Silver 500 7G has a frequency range of 27-35k Hz whereas Aria 948 has a frequency range of 37-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 27Hz, the Silver 500 7G can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Aria 948's min frequency of 37Hz.
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 500 7G and Aria 948 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Silver 500 7G sensitivity is rated at 90.5 dB and the Aria 948's is at 92.5 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Focal Aria 948 a more sensitive speaker compared to Monitor Audio Silver 500 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.
Aria 948 can handle a max power of 350 watts RMS, whereas Silver 500 7G has a max power handling value of 250 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the Aria 948.
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 500 7G
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Silver 500 7G features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Aria 948 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/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 500 7G's and Focal Aria 948's external dimensions. Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G has external dimensions of 1085.0 x 323.0 x 393.0mm (42-11/16 x 12-11/16 x 15-7/16inch) whereas Focal Aria 948 has external dimensions of 1150.0 x 372.0 x 421.0mm (45-1/4 x 14-5/8 x 16-9/16inch).
Focal Aria 948 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 49mm wider, 65mm taller and 28mm deeper than Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G.
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 500 7G is approximately 1269.4cm2 / 196.8inch2 and base area of the Focal Aria 948 is approximately 1566.1cm2 / 242.7inch2. The Silver 500 7G requires 19% less surface area than the Aria 948 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 500 7G weighs 22.53kg / 49.6lbs and the Focal Aria 948 weighs 35.00kg / 77lbs. This makes the Aria 948 55% heavier than the Silver 500 7G.
Here is a comparison of how Silver 500 7G and Aria 948's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G
What's in the Box of Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Silver 500 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 Focal Aria 948?
Here are the items that come with the Aria 948:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- Base
- 4 Spike feet (pre-installed in base)
- 4 Plastic feet
- 4 Screws
- Allen-key
- Hex-tool
- User Manual
 Low Frequency Response |
27 Hz
vs
37 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
35k Hz
vs
28k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Height |
1085mm
vs
1150mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1269cm2
vs
1566cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
3200USD
vs
6598USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
350 watts
vs
250 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
93 dB
vs
91 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
|
Woofer Size |
8.25 inches
vs
8 inches
|
Larger woofer |
| General |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
Focal Aria 948 |
| Brand |
Monitor Audio |
Focal |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
80-250 watts |
50-350 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90.5 dB |
92.5 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
n/a |
2.5 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
27-35k Hz |
37-28k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
8.25" |
| Woofer Composition |
C-CAM RST II |
Flax |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
gold dome C-CAM with Uniform Dispersion (UD) Waveguide II |
inverted dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
3" |
6.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
280Hz and 2,600Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1085.0mm (42.7") |
1150.0mm (45.3") |
| Width |
323.0mm (12.7") |
372.0mm (14.6") |
| Depth |
393.0mm (15.5") |
421.0mm (16.6") |
| Weight |
22.53kg (49.6lbs) |
35.00kg (77lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood veneer |
MDF/Glass/Leather |
| Available Colors |
Oak |
Gloss Black |
| 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 |
These sit in different price classes - Focal Aria 948 costs roughly 2.1x what Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G 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 500 7G digs deeper - 27Hz against 37Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Focal Aria 948 is more sensitive (93dB vs 91dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | B | Focal Aria 948 takes more power (350W vs 250W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is easier to place; Focal Aria 948 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | A | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G: bi-amping. |
| Price | A | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is cheaper - $3,200 against $6,598, about 52% less; arguably a different class. |
A Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G B Focal Aria 948
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 37Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate Focal Aria 948 the better fit for a very large room; elsewhere the two are rated the same.
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.