Monitor Audio has refreshed its Silver range of loudspeakers, and it's a major revamp both inside and out.
The hi-fi speakers in the range all come in a choice of five finishes: Black Oak, Natural Walnut, Satin White, Ash, and High Gloss Black. (The home cinema ones only come in Satin White or Gloss Black, with the exception of the C250 7G, which is available in all five colours.) The three wood finishes are real wood veneers, which you don't get on every brand's loudspeakers at this level.
Inside, it's all change. The new C-CAM gold dome tweeter has a new Uniform Dispersion Waveguide II for lifelike, convincing treble reproduction. The profile of the new drivers is more rigid than before thanks to a hexagonal dimpled structure which should mean smooth, low-distortion sound.
Also new is the driver trims, which minimise the appearance of the driver surround to create a more harmonious look, and new magnetic grilles which feature a premium-grade weave for greater visual depth and texture. The new Monitor Audio logo also features discreetly.
Here's the range in its entirety. All models go on sale in September.
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G, 300 7G, 200 7G
The floorstanders are led by the flagship 500 7G (pictured, top). This has a 25mm C-CAM Gold Dome tweeter with Uniform Dispersion (UD) Waveguide II, a 76mm C-CAM mid-range driver with Rigid Surface Technology (RST) II and two 203mm C-CAM bass drivers (also with RST II for extra clarity).
Step down to the Silver 300 7G and you get slightly smaller bass drivers (152mm, or 6-inch to the 500's 8-inch), but otherwise the same proposition. And the Silver 200 7G offers a 2.5-way design (as opposed to the three-way design of the other two) where the top driver is a mid-bass and the bottom is bass only. It features the same tweeter as the other two, and two 134mm mid-bass drivers.
All three models are rear-ported and have sturdy outrigger feet with a choice of spikes for carpets or rubber feet for hard floors.
The Silver 200 7G costs £1,150 (about AU$2200), Silver 300 7G is £1,450 (about AU$2800) and Silver 500 7G is £1,725 (about AU$3300).
Monitor Audio Silver 100 7G, 50 7G
The two bookshelf speakers are also very similar. The 100 7G has the same 25mm tweeter as the floorstanders and a 203mm mid-bass driver, while the 50 7G drops down to a 134mm mid-bass driver. Again, both are rear-ported, and are designed to provide the kind of bass extension normally only possible from a floorstanding loudspeaker.
The Silver 50 7G costs £575 (about AU$1000), and the Silver 100 7G is £750 (about AU$1400).
Monitor Audio Silver C250 7G
This is the centre channel, and it comes in the same five finishes as the floorstanders and bookshelf speakers.
So what's inside? The same 25mm tweeter as the others, along with a 76mm mid-range driver and two 134mm bass drivers. Monitor Audio claims this three-way design gives wider coverage than traditional two-way centre speakers. It's also a nice middle ground between the smaller Silver C150 6G and larger Silver C350 6G (both from the previous generation of the Silver Series).
The Silver C250 7G will cost £600 (about AU$1100).
Monitor Audio Silver FX 7G
These surround-sound speakers pack the same 25mm tweeter already mentioned and a 152mm mid-bass driver. Angled baffles aid dispersion, and there are dedicated keyhole wall-mounts included for easy installation. They also have switchable di-pole/bi-pole configuration especially for home cinema systems. They only come in Gloss Black or Satin White.
The Silver FX 7G will cost £600 (about AU$1100).
Monitor Audio Silver AMS 7G Dolby Atmos Enabled Speaker
Quite a mouthful. The Dolby Atmos-approved add-on module reflects sound off the ceiling to create a 3D soundscape, putting you right in the heart of the action. The same tweeter partners with a 134mm mid-bass driver to add some real oomph to movies at home. It has the same keyhole wall mounts for easy installation and they can be used as separate height surround speakers.
Again, they only come in Gloss Black or Satin White finishes. And the cost? £600 (about AU$1100).
Monitor Audio Silver 200 7G Cinema 5.1, 300 7G Dolby Atmos Cinema 7.1.2
Finally, the home cinema set-ups. The 300 7G Dolby Atmos Cinema 7.1.2 is the higher-end of the two, being a 7.1.2 system featuring the talents of the 300 7G floorstanders, two AMS 7G Dolby Atmos Enabled Speakers, two FX 7G and the C250 7G. Joining the party is the Silver W-12 6G, a previous-generation subwoofer that will add some much-needed bass.
The 200 7G Cinema 5.1 is a little more basic. pairing the 200 7G with two FX 7G, the C250 7G and W-12 6G.
Prices for these are still awaiting confirmation.
MORE:
Check out a five-star predecessor: Monitor Audio Silver 200 review
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