In this review, we will be comparing Concept 500 and Silver 500 7G, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Q Acoustics and Monitor Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Q Acoustics Concept 500 and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Q Acoustics Concept 500 | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
|---|
| Brand | Q Acoustics
United Kingdom · founded 2006 | Monitor Audio
United Kingdom · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.1" Dome | 1" gold dome C-CAM with Uniform Dispersion (UD) Waveguide II |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 3" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Paper composite | 2 x 8" C-CAM RST II |
|---|
| Frequency response | 41-30k Hz | 27-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 90.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-200 watts | 80-250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 42.00kg / 92.4lbs | 22.53kg / 49.6lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 46-1/4" x 15-3/4" x 14-3/4"
1175.0 x 400.0 x 375.0mm | 42-11/16" x 12-11/16" x 15-7/16"
1085.0 x 323.0 x 393.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Q Acoustics Concept 500 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* |
Q Acoustics Concept 500 |
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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Concept 500 is a 2-way design whereas the Silver 500 7G is a 3-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.
Q Acoustics Concept 500Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Q Acoustics Concept 500 |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 3-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
Concept 500 features a 1.1" Dome Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Paper composite Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz. 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
Concept 500 has a frequency range of 41-30k Hz whereas Silver 500 7G has a frequency range of 27-35k 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 Concept 500's min frequency of 41Hz.
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
Concept 500 is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the Silver 500 7G which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Concept 500 sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the Silver 500 7G's is rated at 90.5 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G a more sensitive speaker compared to Q Acoustics Concept 500, 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 7G can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS, whereas Concept 500 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the Silver 500 7G.
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
Both Concept 500 and Silver 500 7G features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Concept 500 and Silver 500 7G 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 Q Acoustics Concept 500's and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G's external dimensions. Q Acoustics Concept 500 has external dimensions of 1175.0 x 400.0 x 375.0mm (46-1/4 x 15-3/4 x 14-3/4inch) 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 77mm narrower and 90mm shorter than Q Acoustics Concept 500 but it is also 18mm deeper.
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.
Q Acoustics Concept 500 needs about 18% more floor or shelf area. Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is 18mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Q Acoustics Concept 500 is 90mm 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 Q Acoustics Concept 500 is approximately 1500.0cm2 / 232.5inch2 and base area of the Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is approximately 1269.4cm2 / 196.8inch2. The Concept 500 requires 18% more surface area than the Silver 500 7G 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 Q Acoustics Concept 500 weighs 42.00kg / 92.4lbs and the Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G weighs 22.53kg / 49.6lbs. This makes the Concept 500 86% heavier than the Silver 500 7G.
Here is a comparison of how Concept 500 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 |
250 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
91 dB
vs
90 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
27 Hz
vs
41 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
35k Hz
vs
30k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
1085mm
vs
1175mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1269cm2
vs
1500cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
3200USD
vs
4599USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Q Acoustics Concept 500 |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
| Brand |
Q Acoustics |
Monitor Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
25-200 watts |
80-250 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
90.5 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.7 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
41-30k Hz |
27-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Paper composite |
C-CAM RST II |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Dome |
gold dome C-CAM with Uniform Dispersion (UD) Waveguide II |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
3" |
| Crossover Frequency |
2500Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1175.0mm (46.3") |
1085.0mm (42.7") |
| Width |
400.0mm (15.7") |
323.0mm (12.7") |
| Depth |
375.0mm (14.8") |
393.0mm (15.5") |
| Weight |
42.00kg (92.4lbs) |
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 |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
A generation apart: Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is the newer design, against a 2017 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G digs deeper - 27Hz against 41Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (90dB vs 91dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | B | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | B | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G takes more power (250W vs 200W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is easier to place; Q Acoustics Concept 500 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Q Acoustics Concept 500: bi-amping; Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is cheaper - $3,200 against $4,599, about 30% less. |
A Q Acoustics Concept 500 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?
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take Q Acoustics Concept 500 if its size, looks or fit in your room suit you better. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 41Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $1,399 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.