In this review, we will be comparing Silver 500 8G and Silver 300 8G, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Monitor Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Monitor Audio Silver 500 8G and Monitor Audio Silver 300 8G first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Monitor Audio Silver 500 8G | Monitor Audio Silver 300 8G |
|---|
| Brand | Monitor Audio
United Kingdom · founded 1972 | Monitor Audio
United Kingdom · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" gold dome C-CAM | 1" gold dome C-CAM |
|---|
| Midrange | 3" | 3" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8" C-CAM RST III | 2 x 6" C-CAM RST III |
|---|
| Frequency response | 28-35k Hz | 30-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 60-250 watts | 50-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 24.30kg / 53.5lbs | 19.30kg / 42.5lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 44-1/8" x 13-3/8" x 17"
1120.0 x 340.0 x 432.0mm | 40-3/16" x 11-5/8" x 16-1/8"
1020.0 x 295.0 x 410.0mm |
|---|
Silver 500 8G and Silver 300 8G are members of Monitor Audio's Silver 8G series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Monitor Audio Silver 8G Series
History
What size room are the Monitor Audio Silver 500 8G and Monitor Audio Silver 300 8G 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 8G |
Monitor Audio Silver 300 8G |
| 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 500 8G and Silver 300 8G are 3-way speakers.
Monitor Audio Silver 500 8GMonitor Audio Silver 300 8G
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 8G |
Monitor Audio Silver 300 8G |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 3-inch |
1 x 3-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8-inch
|
2 x 6-inch
|
Silver 500 8G features a 1" gold dome C-CAM Tweeter, a 3" Midrange and 2 x 8" C-CAM RST III Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 640Hz and 2800Hz. On the other hand, the 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.
Frequency Response
Silver 500 8G has a frequency range of 28-35k Hz whereas Silver 300 8G has a frequency range of 30-35k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 28Hz, the Silver 500 8G 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 500 8G and Silver 300 8G have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Silver 500 8G sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the Silver 300 8G's is at 88 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Monitor Audio Silver 500 8G a more sensitive speaker compared to Monitor Audio Silver 300 8G, 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.
Silver 500 8G can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS, whereas Silver 300 8G has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the Silver 500 8G.
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 8G
Monitor Audio Silver 300 8G
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both Silver 500 8G and Silver 300 8G features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Silver 500 8G and Silver 300 8G 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
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 8G's and Monitor Audio Silver 300 8G's external dimensions. Monitor Audio Silver 500 8G has external dimensions of 1120.0 x 340.0 x 432.0mm (44-1/8 x 13-3/8 x 17inch) whereas 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).
Monitor Audio Silver 500 8G is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 45mm wider, 100mm taller and 22mm 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.
Monitor Audio Silver 500 8G needs about 21% more floor or shelf area. Monitor Audio Silver 500 8G is 22mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Monitor Audio Silver 500 8G is 100mm 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 500 8G is approximately 1468.8cm2 / 227.7inch2 and base area of the Monitor Audio Silver 300 8G is approximately 1209.5cm2 / 187.5inch2. The Silver 500 8G requires 21% more surface area than the Silver 300 8G 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 500 8G weighs 24.30kg / 53.5lbs and the Monitor Audio Silver 300 8G weighs 19.30kg / 42.5lbs. This makes the Silver 500 8G 26% heavier than the Silver 300 8G.
Here is a comparison of how Silver 500 8G and Silver 300 8G's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
Monitor Audio Silver 500 8G
Monitor Audio Silver 300 8G
 Max Input Power |
250 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
6 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
28 Hz
vs
30 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Minimum Impedance |
3.9 ohms
vs
3.6 ohms
|
Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier |
 Height |
1020mm
vs
1120mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1209cm2
vs
1468cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
3000USD
vs
4000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 8G |
Monitor Audio Silver 300 8G |
| Brand |
Monitor Audio |
Monitor Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
60-250 watts |
50-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.6 ohms |
3.9 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
28-35k Hz |
30-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
6" |
| Woofer Composition |
C-CAM RST III |
C-CAM RST III |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
gold dome C-CAM |
gold dome C-CAM |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
3" |
3" |
| Crossover Frequency |
640Hz and 2800Hz |
610Hz and 3300Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1120.0mm (44.1") |
1020.0mm (40.2") |
| Width |
340.0mm (13.4") |
295.0mm (11.6") |
| Depth |
432.0mm (17") |
410.0mm (16.1") |
| Weight |
24.30kg (53.5lbs) |
19.30kg (42.5lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/High gloss, veneer or satin paint |
MDF/High gloss, veneer or satin paint |
| Available Colors |
High Gloss Black, European Walnut, Satin White |
High Gloss Black, European Walnut, Satin 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 |
Siblings in Monitor Audio's Silver 8G series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | evenly matched | Much the same reach (28Hz vs 30Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | A | Monitor Audio Silver 500 8G is more sensitive (90dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | A | Monitor Audio Silver 500 8G takes more power (250W vs 200W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Monitor Audio Silver 300 8G is easier to place; Monitor Audio Silver 500 8G is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Monitor Audio Silver 500 8G: bi-amping; Monitor Audio Silver 300 8G: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | Monitor Audio Silver 300 8G is cheaper - $3,000 against $4,000, about 25% less. |
A Monitor Audio Silver 500 8G B Monitor Audio Silver 300 8G
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?
The usual trade-off: Monitor Audio Silver 500 8G measures better, Monitor Audio Silver 300 8G costs about about 33% more% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, Monitor Audio Silver 500 8G is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $1,000 saved by taking the cheaper pair would buy a subwoofer or a better amplifier, and either usually does more for the sound than the difference between these two.
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.