In this review, we will be comparing Il Cremonese and Silver 500 7G, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Sonus faber and Monitor Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Sonus faber Il Cremonese and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Sonus faber Il Cremonese | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
|---|
| Design | 4-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.1" Soft-Dome | 1" gold dome C-CAM with Uniform Dispersion (UD) Waveguide II |
|---|
| Midrange | 7" | 3" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8.5" Paper | 2 x 8" C-CAM RST II |
|---|
| Frequency response | 35-35k Hz | 27-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 92 dB | 90.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 100-800 watts | 80-250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 84.00kg / 184.8lbs | 22.53kg / 49.6lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 57-1/16" x 15-11/16" x 24-7/16"
1449.0 x 398.0 x 621.0mm | 42-11/16" x 12-11/16" x 15-7/16"
1085.0 x 323.0 x 393.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Sonus faber Il Cremonese 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* |
Sonus faber Il Cremonese |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Good |
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.
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through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Il Cremonese is a 4-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.
Sonus faber Il CremoneseMonitor 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 |
Sonus faber Il Cremonese |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
|
Driver Setup
|
4-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 7-inch |
1 x 3-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8.5-inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
Il Cremonese features a 1.1" Silk Soft-Dome Tweeter, a 7" Midrange and 2 x 8.5" Paper Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 80, 250, 2500 Hz. 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
Il Cremonese has a frequency range of 35-35k 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 Il Cremonese's min frequency of 35Hz.
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
Il Cremonese 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 Il Cremonese can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Il Cremonese sensitivity is rated at 92 dB and the Silver 500 7G's is rated at 90.5 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Sonus faber Il Cremonese 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.
Il Cremonese can handle a max power of 800 watts RMS, whereas Silver 500 7G has a max power handling value of 250 watts RMS, 550 watts less than the Il Cremonese.
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. Il Cremonese 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 Sonus faber Il Cremonese's and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G's external dimensions. Sonus faber Il Cremonese has external dimensions of 1449.0 x 398.0 x 621.0mm (57-1/16 x 15-11/16 x 24-7/16inch) 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).
Sonus faber Il Cremonese is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 75mm wider, 364mm taller and 228mm deeper than Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G.
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 Sonus faber Il Cremonese is approximately 2471.6cm2 / 383.1inch2 and base area of the Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is approximately 1269.4cm2 / 196.8inch2. The Il Cremonese requires 95% 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 Sonus faber Il Cremonese weighs 84.00kg / 184.8lbs and the Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G weighs 22.53kg / 49.6lbs. This makes the Il Cremonese 273% heavier than the Silver 500 7G.
Here is a comparison of how Il Cremonese 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 |
800 watts
vs
250 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
4-way
vs
3-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
91 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
8.5 inches
vs
8 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
27 Hz
vs
35 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Height |
1085mm
vs
1449mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1269cm2
vs
2471cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
3200USD
vs
45000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Sonus faber Il Cremonese |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
| Brand |
Sonus faber |
Monitor Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
100-800 watts |
80-250 watts |
| Sensitivity |
92 dB |
90.5 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
35-35k Hz |
27-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
8.5" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Paper |
C-CAM RST II |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-Dome |
gold dome C-CAM with Uniform Dispersion (UD) Waveguide II |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
7" |
3" |
| Crossover Frequency |
80, 250, 2500 Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1449.0mm (57") |
1085.0mm (42.7") |
| Width |
398.0mm (15.7") |
323.0mm (12.7") |
| Depth |
621.0mm (24.4") |
393.0mm (15.5") |
| Weight |
84.00kg (184.8lbs) |
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 |
No |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - Sonus faber Il Cremonese costs roughly 14.1x 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 35Hz. 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 |
Sonus faber Il Cremonese takes more power (800W vs 250W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size |
depends |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is easier to place; Sonus faber Il Cremonese is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability |
B |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G: bi-amping. Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G sits in a wider range (8 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price |
B |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is cheaper - $3,200 against $45,000, about 93% less; arguably a different class. |
A Sonus faber Il Cremonese
B Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, placement 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 Sonus faber Il Cremonese 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 35Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate Sonus faber Il Cremonese the better fit for a very large room; elsewhere the two are rated the same.
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.