In this review, we will be comparing S7t and Silver 500 7G, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Perlisten and Monitor Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Perlisten S7t and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Perlisten S7t | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
|---|
| Brand | Perlisten
United States · founded 2016 | Monitor Audio
United Kingdom · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | — | 1" gold dome C-CAM with Uniform Dispersion (UD) Waveguide II |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 3" |
|---|
| Woofer | — | 2 x 8" C-CAM RST II |
|---|
| Frequency response | 22-37k Hz | 27-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 92.2 dB | 90.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 100 - 600W RMS watts | 80-250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 55.70kg / 122.5lbs | 22.53kg / 49.6lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 50.98" x 9.45" x 15.75"
1294.9 x 240.0 x 400.1mm | 42-11/16" x 12-11/16" x 15-7/16"
1085.0 x 323.0 x 393.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Perlisten S7t and Monitor Audio Silver 500 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* |
Perlisten S7t |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
| 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 S7t and Silver 500 7G are 3-way speakers.
| Driver |
Perlisten S7t |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 3-inch |
|
Woofer
|
x -inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
S7t features a " Tweeter and x " Woofer. On the other hand, the 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.
Frequency Response
S7t has a frequency range of 22-37k Hz whereas Silver 500 7G has a frequency range of 27-35k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 22Hz, the S7t can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Silver 500 7G's min frequency of 27Hz.
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
S7t is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the Silver 500 7G which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms. Lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit especially when played at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the S7t can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. S7t sensitivity is rated at 92.2 dB and the Silver 500 7G's is rated at 90.5 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Perlisten S7t 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.
S7t can handle a max power of 600 watts RMS, whereas Silver 500 7G has a max power handling value of 250 watts RMS, 350 watts less than the S7t.
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. S7t 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 Perlisten S7t's and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G's external dimensions. Perlisten S7t has external dimensions of 1294.9 x 240.0 x 400.1mm (50.98 x 9.45 x 15.75inch) whereas 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).
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is 209.9mm shorter and 7.1mm less deeper than Perlisten S7t but it is also 83mm wider.
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 7G needs about 32% more floor or shelf area. Perlisten S7t is 210mm 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 Perlisten S7t is approximately 960.2cm2 / 148.8inch2 and base area of the Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is approximately 1269.4cm2 / 196.8inch2. The S7t requires 24% less surface area than the Silver 500 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 Perlisten S7t weighs 55.70kg / 122.5lbs and the Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G weighs 22.53kg / 49.6lbs. This makes the S7t 147% heavier than the Silver 500 7G.
Here is a comparison of how S7t and Silver 500 7G'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 come with the 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
 Max Input Power |
600 watts
vs
250 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
91 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Low Frequency Response |
22 Hz
vs
27 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
37k Hz
vs
35k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Base Surface Area |
960cm2
vs
1269cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
|
Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Height |
1085mm
vs
1294mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
3200USD
vs
19190USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Perlisten S7t |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
| Brand |
Perlisten |
Monitor Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
100 - 600W RMS watts |
80-250 watts |
| Sensitivity |
92.2 dB |
90.5 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.2 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
22-37k Hz |
27-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
|
2 |
| Woofer Size |
" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
|
C-CAM RST II |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
n/a |
gold dome C-CAM with Uniform Dispersion (UD) Waveguide II |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
3" |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1294.9mm (51") |
1085.0mm (42.7") |
| Width |
240.0mm (9.4") |
323.0mm (12.7") |
| Depth |
400.1mm (15.8") |
393.0mm (15.5") |
| Weight |
55.70kg (122.5lbs) |
22.53kg (49.6lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Wood veneer |
| Available Colors |
n/a |
Oak |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
n/a |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - Perlisten S7t costs roughly 6x 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 | Perlisten S7t digs deeper - 22Hz against 27Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (92dB vs 91dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | B | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | A | Perlisten S7t takes more power (600W vs 250W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | B | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is cheaper - $3,200 against $19,190, about 83% less; arguably a different class. |
A Perlisten S7t B Monitor Audio Silver 500 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?
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 27Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G much easier to justify. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best.
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.