In this review, we will be comparing Australe Ez and Silver 500 7G, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Triangle and Monitor Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Triangle Esprit Australe Ez and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Triangle Esprit Australe Ez | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
|---|
| Brand | Triangle
France · founded 1980 | Monitor Audio
United Kingdom · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Horn-Loaded | 1" gold dome C-CAM with Uniform Dispersion (UD) Waveguide II |
|---|
| Midrange | 6.5" | 3" |
|---|
| Woofer | 3 x 6.5" Double ferrite fibreglass | 2 x 8" C-CAM RST II |
|---|
| Frequency response | 35-22k Hz | 27-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 92.5 dB | 90.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 100-200 watts | 80-250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 38.80kg / 85.4lbs | 22.53kg / 49.6lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 44-1/2" x 7-7/8" x 14-9/16"
1130.0 x 200.0 x 370.0mm | 42-11/16" x 12-11/16" x 15-7/16"
1085.0 x 323.0 x 393.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Triangle Esprit Australe Ez 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* |
Triangle Esprit Australe Ez |
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.
Drivers
Both Australe Ez and Silver 500 7G are 3-way speakers.
Triangle Esprit Australe EzMonitor 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 |
Triangle Esprit Australe Ez |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6.5-inch |
1 x 3-inch |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
Australe Ez features a 1" Titanium dome Horn-Loaded Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 3 x 6.5" Double ferrite fibreglass Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 215Hz and 3500Hz. 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
Australe Ez has a frequency range of 35-22k 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 Australe Ez'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
Australe Ez and Silver 500 7G have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Australe Ez sensitivity is rated at 92.5 dB and the Silver 500 7G's is at 90.5 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Triangle Esprit Australe Ez 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.
Silver 500 7G can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS, whereas Australe Ez has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 100 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.
Triangle Esprit Australe Ez
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both Australe Ez and Silver 500 7G features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Australe Ez has a front firing port whereas Silver 500 7G has a rear firing ports. Triangle Esprit Australe Ez's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G with its rear-firing port.
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 Triangle Esprit Australe Ez's and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G's external dimensions. Triangle Esprit Australe Ez has external dimensions of 1130.0 x 200.0 x 370.0mm (44-1/2 x 7-7/8 x 14-9/16inch) 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).
Triangle Esprit Australe Ez is 123mm narrower and 23mm less deeper than Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G but it is also 45mm 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 72% more floor or shelf area. Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is 23mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Triangle Esprit Australe Ez is 45mm 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 Triangle Esprit Australe Ez is approximately 740.0cm2 / 114.7inch2 and base area of the Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is approximately 1269.4cm2 / 196.8inch2. The Australe Ez requires 42% 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 Triangle Esprit Australe Ez weighs 38.80kg / 85.4lbs and the Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G weighs 22.53kg / 49.6lbs. This makes the Australe Ez 72% heavier than the Silver 500 7G.
Here is a comparison of how Australe Ez and Silver 500 7G's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
Triangle Esprit Australe Ez
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
 Sensitivity |
93 dB
vs
91 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
 Port Position |
Front
vs
Rear
|
Gives more flexibility placing close to walls |
 Base Surface Area |
740cm2
vs
1269cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
3180USD
vs
3200USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
250 watts
vs
150 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
|
Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
27 Hz
vs
35 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
35k Hz
vs
22k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
1085mm
vs
1130mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
| General |
Triangle Esprit Australe Ez |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
| Brand |
Triangle |
Monitor Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
100-200 watts |
80-250 watts |
| Sensitivity |
92.5 dB |
90.5 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
35-22k Hz |
27-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
3 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Double ferrite fibreglass |
C-CAM RST II |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Horn-Loaded |
gold dome C-CAM with Uniform Dispersion (UD) Waveguide II |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6.5" |
3" |
| Crossover Frequency |
215Hz and 3500Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
front |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1130.0mm (44.5") |
1085.0mm (42.7") |
| Width |
200.0mm (7.9") |
323.0mm (12.7") |
| Depth |
370.0mm (14.6") |
393.0mm (15.5") |
| Weight |
38.80kg (85.4lbs) |
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 |
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G digs deeper - 27Hz against 35Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | A | Triangle Esprit Australe Ez is more sensitive (93dB vs 91dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | B | Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G takes more power (250W vs 150W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Triangle Esprit Australe Ez is easier to place; Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Triangle Esprit Australe Ez: bi-amping; Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G: bi-amping. |
| Price | evenly matched | Much the same money ($3,180 vs $3,200 a pair). |
A Triangle Esprit Australe Ez 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 has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. 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 Triangle Esprit Australe Ez 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.