In this review, we will be comparing Performa4 F346 and Silver 500 7G, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Revel and Monitor Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Revel Performa4 F346 and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Revel Performa4 F346 | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
|---|
| Brand | Revel
United States · founded 1996 | Monitor Audio
United Kingdom · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Hard-Dome | 1" gold dome C-CAM with Uniform Dispersion (UD) Waveguide II |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 3" |
|---|
| Woofer | 3 x 6.5" Micro Ceramic Composite (MCC) | 2 x 8" C-CAM RST II |
|---|
| Frequency response | 30-40k Hz | 27-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 90.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-250 watts | 80-250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 39.77kg / 87.5lbs | 22.53kg / 49.6lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 44-7/16" x 14-1/8" x 16-3/8"
1129.0 x 359.0 x 416.0mm | 42-11/16" x 12-11/16" x 15-7/16"
1085.0 x 323.0 x 393.0mm |
|---|
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 Performa4 F346 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.
Revel Performa4 F346Monitor 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 |
Revel Performa4 F346 |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 3-inch |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
Performa4 F346 features a 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter and 3 x 6.5" Micro Ceramic Composite (MCC) 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
Performa4 F346 has a frequency range of 30-40k 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 slightly deeper then the Performa4 F346'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
Performa4 F346 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. Performa4 F346 sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the Silver 500 7G's is rated at 90.5 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G a more sensitive speaker compared to Revel Performa4 F346, 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.
Both handle the same maximum of 250 watts RMS, though Performa4 F346 is rated 20-250 watts and Silver 500 7G 80-250 watts.
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 Performa4 F346 and Silver 500 7G features dual binding post speaker terminals for 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 Revel Performa4 F346's and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G's external dimensions. Revel Performa4 F346 has external dimensions of 1129.0 x 359.0 x 416.0mm (44-7/16inch x 14-1/8inch x 16-3/8inch) 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).
Revel Performa4 F346 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 36mm wider, 44mm taller and 23mm deeper than Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Revel Performa4 F346 and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G in scale.
Comparison image of Revel Performa4 F346 and Monitor Audio Silver 500 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 Revel Performa4 F346 is approximately 1493.4cm2 / 231.5inch2 and base area of the Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is approximately 1269.4cm2 / 196.8inch2. The Performa4 F346 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 Revel Performa4 F346 weighs 39.77kg / 87.5lbs and the Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G weighs 22.53kg / 49.6lbs. This makes the Performa4 F346 77% heavier than the Silver 500 7G.
Here is a comparison of how Performa4 F346 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 Revel Performa4 F346?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Performa4 F346:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 2 Terminal jumpers (pre-installed)
- Four M8 Spikes
- 4 Nuts
- 4 Discs
- Quick Start Guide
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
 Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
 High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
35k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
91 dB
vs
88 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
30 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
1085mm
vs
1129mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1269cm2
vs
1493cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
3200USD
vs
6998USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Revel Performa4 F346 |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
| Brand |
Revel |
Monitor Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-250 watts |
80-250 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
90.5 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
30-40k Hz |
27-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
3 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Micro Ceramic Composite (MCC) |
C-CAM RST II |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Hard-Dome |
gold dome C-CAM with Uniform Dispersion (UD) Waveguide II |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6.5" |
3" |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1129.0mm (44.4") |
1085.0mm (42.7") |
| Width |
359.0mm (14.1") |
323.0mm (12.7") |
| Depth |
416.0mm (16.4") |
393.0mm (15.5") |
| Weight |
39.77kg (87.5lbs) |
22.53kg (49.6lbs) |
| Enclosure |
|
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood Veneer |
MDF/Wood veneer |
| Available Colors |
Walnut |
Oak |
| Grille |
n/a |
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 - Revel Performa4 F346 costs roughly 2.2x 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 | B | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G digs deeper - 27Hz against 30Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is more sensitive (91dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (250W vs 250W). |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | depends | Revel Performa4 F346: bi-amping; Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is cheaper - $3,200 against $6,998, about 54% less; arguably a different class. |
A Revel Performa4 F346 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 Revel Performa4 F346 if its size, looks or fit in your room suit you better. 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. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $3,798 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.