In this review, we will be comparing Maxima Amator 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 Maxima Amator and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Sonus faber Maxima Amator | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
|---|
| Brand | Sonus faber
Italy · founded 1983 | Monitor Audio
United Kingdom · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.1" Soft-Dome | 1" gold dome C-CAM with Uniform Dispersion (UD) Waveguide II |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 3" |
|---|
| Woofer | 7" Paper | 2 x 8" C-CAM RST II |
|---|
| Frequency response | 35-35k Hz | 27-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 90.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-125 watts | 80-250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 38.00kg / 83.6lbs | 22.53kg / 49.6lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 44-1/8" x 11-13/16" x 13-3/4"
1120.0 x 300.0 x 350.0mm | 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 Maxima Amator 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 Maxima Amator |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Average |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
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 Maxima Amator 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.
Sonus faber Maxima AmatorMonitor 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 Maxima Amator |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 3-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 7-inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
Maxima Amator features a 1.1" Silk Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 7" Paper Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2100 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
Maxima Amator 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 Maxima Amator'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
Maxima Amator 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 Maxima Amator can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Maxima Amator 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 Sonus faber Maxima Amator, 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 Maxima Amator has a max power handling value of 125 watts RMS, 125 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.
Sonus faber Maxima Amator
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both Maxima Amator 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 Sonus faber Maxima Amator's and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G's external dimensions. Sonus faber Maxima Amator has external dimensions of 1120.0 x 300.0 x 350.0mm (44-1/8 x 11-13/16 x 13-3/4inch) 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).
Sonus faber Maxima Amator is 23mm narrower and 43mm less deeper than Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G but it is also 35mm taller.
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 21% more floor or shelf area. Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is 43mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Sonus faber Maxima Amator is 35mm 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 Sonus faber Maxima Amator is approximately 1050.0cm2 / 162.8inch2 and base area of the Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is approximately 1269.4cm2 / 196.8inch2. The Maxima Amator requires 17% 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 Sonus faber Maxima Amator weighs 38.00kg / 83.6lbs and the Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G weighs 22.53kg / 49.6lbs. This makes the Maxima Amator 69% heavier than the Silver 500 7G.
Here is a comparison of how Maxima Amator and Silver 500 7G's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
Sonus faber Maxima Amator
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
 Base Surface Area |
1050cm2
vs
1269cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Max Input Power |
250 watts
vs
125 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 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
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
7 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
27 Hz
vs
35 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
1085mm
vs
1120mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
3200USD
vs
15000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Sonus faber Maxima Amator |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
| Brand |
Sonus faber |
Monitor Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
25-125 watts |
80-250 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
90.5 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
35-35k Hz |
27-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
7" |
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 |
No |
3" |
| Crossover Frequency |
2100 Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1120.0mm (44.1") |
1085.0mm (42.7") |
| Width |
300.0mm (11.8") |
323.0mm (12.7") |
| Depth |
350.0mm (13.8") |
393.0mm (15.5") |
| Weight |
38.00kg (83.6lbs) |
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 |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - Sonus faber Maxima Amator costs roughly 4.7x 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 | 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; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | B | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G takes more power (250W vs 125W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | depends | Sonus faber Maxima Amator: bi-amping; 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 $15,000, about 79% less; arguably a different class. |
A Sonus faber Maxima Amator 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 Sonus faber Maxima Amator 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 Maxima Amator the better fit for a small room and a mid-size room, and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G for a large room and a very large room.
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.