In this review, we will be comparing Silver 500 7G and XR100, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Monitor Audio and McIntosh.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G and McIntosh XR100 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" gold dome C-CAM with Uniform Dispersion (UD) Waveguide II Tweeter
- 3" Midrange
- 2 x 8" C-CAM RST II Woofer
- 27-35k Hz Frequency Response
- 90.5 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:80-250watts
- Weight:22.53kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1085.0" x 12-11/16" x 15-7/16"( 1085.0 x 323.0 x 393.0mm )
McIntosh XR100 Key Specs
- 4-way Design
- 2" dome (x2) Tweeter
- 0.75" Super Tweeter
- 2.0" Midrange
- 4 x 6.0" Polypropylene Woofer
- 2.0" Midrange
- 30-45k Hz Frequency Response
- 87 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:75-600watts
- Weight:31.14kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1266.0" x 11-5/8" x 17"( 1266.0 x 296.0 x 432.0mm )
What size room are the Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G and McIntosh XR100 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 |
McIntosh XR100 |
| 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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G and McIntosh XR100 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 500 7G is a 3-way design whereas the XR100 is a 4-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 500 7G |
McIntosh XR100 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
4-way
|
|
Super Tweeter
|
- |
0.75-inch |
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
2-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 3-inch |
8 x 2.0-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8-inch
|
4 x 6.0-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 XR100 features a 2" titanium tweeter with neodymium-iron-boron alloy magnet dome (x2) Tweeter , a 0.75" Supertweeter , a 2.0" Midrange and 4 x 6.0" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 300Hz, 2000kHZ and 8000kHZ.
Frequency Response
Silver 500 7G has a frequency range of 27-35k Hz whereas XR100 has a frequency range of 30-45k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 27Hz, the Silver 500 7G can go slightly deeper then the XR100's min frequency of 30Hz.
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 500 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 500 7G and XR100 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 XR100's is at 87 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G a more sensitive speaker compared to McIntosh XR100, 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. 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 500 7G can handle a max power of 600 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Silver 500 7G has a max power handling value of 250 watts RMS , 350 watts less than the XR100.
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
Both Silver 500 7G and XR100 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
McIntosh XR100's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Silver 500 7G and XR100 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 500 7G's and McIntosh XR100'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 McIntosh XR100 has external dimensions of 1266.0 x 296.0 x 432.0mm ( 49-13/16 x 11-5/8 x 17inch) .
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is 181mm shorter and 39mm less deeper than McIntosh XR100 but it is also 27mm wider.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G and McIntosh XR100 in scale.
Comparison image of Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G and McIntosh XR100 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 500 7G is approximately 1269.4cm2 / 196.8inch2 and base area of the McIntosh XR100 is approximately 1278.7cm2 / 198.2inch2. The Silver 500 7G requires 1% less surface area than the XR100 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 McIntosh XR100 weighs 31.14kg / 68.5lbs. This makes the XR100 38% heavier than the Silver 500 7G.
Here is a comparison of how Silver 500 7G and XR100'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 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 McIntosh XR100?
Here are the items that come with the XR100:
Floorstanding loudspeakerGrille4 Feet4 Glides4 Tiptoes4 ScrewsOwners Manual
 Sensitivity |
91 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
6.0 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
27 Hz
vs
30 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
1085mm
vs
1266mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1269cm2
vs
1278cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
3200USD
vs
11000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
600 watts
vs
250 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
4-way
vs
3-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
|
Number of Woofers |
4
vs
2
|
More woofers |
 High Frequency Response |
45k Hz
vs
35k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
| General |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
McIntosh XR100 |
| Brand |
Monitor Audio |
McIntosh |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
80-250 watts |
75-600 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90.5 dB |
87 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
27-35k Hz |
30-45k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
4 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
6.0" |
| Woofer Composition |
C-CAM RST II |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
2" |
| Tweeter Type |
gold dome C-CAM with Uniform Dispersion (UD) Waveguide II |
dome (x2) |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
3" |
2.0" |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
300Hz, 2000kHZ and 8000kHZ |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1085.0mm (42.7") |
1266.0mm (49.8") |
| Width |
323.0mm (12.7") |
296.0mm (11.7") |
| Depth |
393.0mm (15.5") |
432.0mm (17") |
| Weight |
22.53kg (49.6lbs) |
31.14kg (68.5lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood veneer |
Real wood veneer |
| Available Colors |
Oak |
Red Walnut, Black, Pear Maple |
| 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 |