In this review, we will be comparing Passif 50 and Silver 100 7G, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from PSB and Monitor Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of PSB Passif 50 and Monitor Audio Silver 100 7G first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | PSB Passif 50 | Monitor Audio Silver 100 7G |
|---|
| Brand | PSB
Canada · founded 1972 | Monitor Audio
United Kingdom · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Dome | 1" Hard-Dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 6.5" cast aluminum basket, paper cone | 8" C-CAM RST II |
|---|
| Frequency response | 50-20k Hz | 35-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 87.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30-200 Watts watts | 40-120 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 13.70kg / 30.1lbs | 9.43kg / 20.7lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 26" x 11" x 10"
660 × 280 × 254mm | 14-13/16" x 9-1/8" x 13-1/16"
377.0 x 232.0 x 332.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the PSB Passif 50 and Monitor Audio Silver 100 7G 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* |
PSB Passif 50 |
Monitor Audio Silver 100 7G |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Average |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
Average |
| 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.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
Both Passif 50 and Silver 100 7G are 2-way speakers.
PSB Passif 50Monitor Audio Silver 100 7G
TweeterWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
PSB Passif 50 |
Monitor Audio Silver 100 7G |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
1 x 8-inch
|
Passif 50 features a 1" titanium dome with ferrofluid and neodymium magnet Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" cast aluminum basket, paper cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 1800Hz. On the other hand, the Silver 100 7G features a 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 8" C-CAM RST II Woofer.
Frequency Response
Passif 50 has a frequency range of 50-20k Hz whereas Silver 100 7G has a frequency range of 35-35k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 35Hz, the Silver 100 7G can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Passif 50's min frequency of 50Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf 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
Passif 50 is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the Silver 100 7G which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Passif 50 sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the Silver 100 7G's is rated at 87.5 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the PSB Passif 50 a more sensitive speaker compared to Monitor Audio Silver 100 7G, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf 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.
Passif 50 can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas Silver 100 7G has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 80 watts less than the Passif 50.
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 100 7G
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both Passif 50 and Silver 100 7G features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
PSB Passif 50's 5-Way 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 PSB Passif 50's and Monitor Audio Silver 100 7G's external dimensions. PSB Passif 50 has external dimensions of 660 × 280 × 254mm (26 x 11 x 10-inch) whereas Monitor Audio Silver 100 7G has external dimensions of 377.0 x 232.0 x 332.0mm (14-13/16 x 9-1/8 x 13-1/16inch).
Monitor Audio Silver 100 7G is 48mm narrower and 283mm shorter than PSB Passif 50 but it is also 78mm deeper.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of PSB Passif 50 and Monitor Audio Silver 100 7G in scale.
Comparison image of PSB Passif 50 and Monitor Audio Silver 100 7G 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 PSB Passif 50 is approximately 712.0cm2 / 110.4inch2 and base area of the Monitor Audio Silver 100 7G is approximately 770.2cm2 / 119.4inch2. The Passif 50 requires 8% less surface area than the Silver 100 7G 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 PSB Passif 50 weighs 13.70kg / 30.1lbs and the Monitor Audio Silver 100 7G weighs 9.43kg / 20.7lbs. This makes the Passif 50 45% heavier than the Silver 100 7G.
Here is a comparison of how Passif 50 and Silver 100 7G's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Bookshelf class.
Weight
All Bookshelf Speakers
Monitor Audio Silver 100 7G
What's in the Box of Monitor Audio Silver 100 7G?
Here are the items that come with the Silver 100 7G:
- 2 Bookshelf loudspeakers
- 2 Grilles
- 4 Jumpers (pre-installed)
- 8 Rubber feet
- 2 Foam port plugs
- Hex-key
- Owners Manual
- Important Safety Instructions
 Max Input Power |
200 watts
vs
120 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
89 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Passive Radiator |
one 8-inch
vs
None
|
Increases the bass performance |
 Base Surface Area |
712cm2
vs
770cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
35 Hz
vs
50 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
35k Hz
vs
20k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
377mm
vs
660mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
1400USD
vs
2499USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
PSB Passif 50 |
Monitor Audio Silver 100 7G |
| Brand |
PSB |
Monitor Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Bookshelf speakers |
Bookshelf speakers |
| Power Range |
30-200 Watts watts |
40-120 watts |
| Sensitivity |
87 dB |
87.5 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
50-20k Hz |
35-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
cast aluminum basket, paper cone |
C-CAM RST II |
| Woofer Surround Material |
cast aluminum basket, paper cone |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Dome |
Hard-Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
1800Hz |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
660.0mm (26") |
377.0mm (14.8") |
| Width |
280.0mm (11") |
232.0mm (9.1") |
| Depth |
254.0mm (10") |
332.0mm (13.1") |
| Weight |
13.70kg (30.1lbs) |
9.43kg (20.7lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Passive Radiator |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
open-grain walnut veneer |
MDF/Wood veneer |
| Available Colors |
Open-Grain Walnut |
Ash,High Gloss Black,Black Oak,Satin White |
| Mounting Bracket |
No |
No |
| Recommended Stand Height |
n/a |
22-26" |
| 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 |
These sit in different price classes - PSB Passif 50 costs roughly 1.8x what Monitor Audio Silver 100 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 | B | Monitor Audio Silver 100 7G digs deeper - 35Hz against 50Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (89dB vs 88dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | B | Monitor Audio Silver 100 7G is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | A | PSB Passif 50 takes more power (200W vs 120W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Monitor Audio Silver 100 7G is easier to place; PSB Passif 50 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Cabinet | depends | Passive Radiator vs Ported. |
| Expandability | depends | PSB Passif 50: bi-amping; Monitor Audio Silver 100 7G: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | Monitor Audio Silver 100 7G is cheaper - $1,400 against $2,499, about 44% less; arguably a different class. |
A PSB Passif 50 B Monitor Audio Silver 100 7G
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?
Monitor Audio Silver 100 7G has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 50Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. In a large or open-plan room, PSB Passif 50 has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Monitor Audio Silver 100 7G 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.