I recently picked up a pair of M.A. Silver 8's. Definitely in my top 5 after 40 years of speaker buying. Absolute elegance in sound quality and build quality.
This week I finished putting together my first serious HIFI, larger investment, a little scary just pouring the money out and only hoping that it all comes together for THAT sound I want. But the result is essentially perfect and it's about the best system I've heard, by that I mean incredibly well balanced, I'm happy. Steve, you've been a big help on that journey, especially in the philosophical department, as you keep in real on the audiophile scene. It's only when I stopped being so judgmental with components and just started focusing on how engaging the sound is, as well as on the looks and feel of things, that I was able to put this system together. It's that wonderful energy on this channel.
8" woofer is the sweet spot for a monitor from my experience. Great slam/dynamics but doesn't take up too much room. Glad to see it making a comeback, hopefully signalling a move away from focusing on smaller woofers because of spouse approval/aesthetics.
After listening to some very nice smaller speakers, I just picked up a pair of Dynaudio Evoke 20s with seven inch woofers. Not a big gap in woofer size over the smaller woofer speakers I heard, but the bass really stepped up and made itself welcome adding lots of body to the sound. I love their fullness of sound without straining to produce some nice bass. By the way, I just sold some equipment locally, and the guy who shoed up turned out to be someone I sold some audio gear to almost thirty years ago. Hah! Mutual recognition was a little spotty with the addition of poundage and the absence of hair.
Steve, I’ve been watching your daily show for a few months now and am addicted now! Love your breakdowns of gear and easy to grasp descriptions. Happy to see a rare review of Monitor. Great comparison to the B&W. Both speakers I’m interested in. I would love to see a review of Monitor’s silver line.
Hi Ron I have the Br1 and in the small room where I have the system they sound really great, I'm very happy with them & the build quality is first class.
I've an old set up with four MA R 352, more than 30 years, and they still sound good, I come back to it and they still amaze me. The specs from that age are still right, very low frequency response and high sensitivity. Even comparing it with new speakers. I just get them out of storage a couple of months and I was blown away.
I own the budget speaker of Monitor Audio and it has the tweeter of the bronze series (Monitor 300). It projects sound generously into the room, despite speakerplacement and it is amazing when it comes to transparency, clarity and dynamics. Downside is, bad recordings are no fun to listen to. I was always wondering why Monitor Audio has not gotten more public recognition, but I guess that is just the marketing and such
we have this in our shop and we paired it with the cambridge cxa81 and wauw .... they really open up and the imaging is superb with some nice lows .. great combo
When I saw this I thought you were going to review a console stereo! My dad had a Grundig console (I think it was a 760C). It had tube amplification, and the sound was soooo luscious, I loved the sound of that contraption.
No port noise, that's a definite lie, they all fart noise resonance when put any power through them and listen at higher sound levels. 99% of all the ported loudspeakers suck because of their farting resonances. I've had my fill of farting loudspeakers, a sealed cabinet is way better than port noise farters.
In Modern Living Room Everyone Using "SoundProof Curtains" That Stops Outside Noise by 80% (25 Db) Tested. Check Here: livesoundproof.com/best-soundproof-curtains/
Agree with your assessment. MA make great speakers, but as you rightly called out, they err on the bright side of neutral, so a warmer amp suits them much better.
i heard these at my dealers last week playing Big Brothers 'Cheap Thrills" and the imaging was extremely life like. btw, the amp was a Audiolab integrated. still waiting to hear the Silver 100's which i hear takes it to another level
Oh very interesting! I don't know anyone else who is fond of Monitor Audio. I play mine with an Atoll IN 100 btw. The only reason why I did not pick Audiolab was the looks. The budget and bronze Series is amazing already. Please poste a quick note, if the Silver line really makes that much of a diffence. I was always curious!
I think you all need to readjust your thinking to what actually is the standard benchmark for not colouring the sound as much as possible and for neutrality. You need to take a listen to an atc sealed cabinet stand mount loudspeaker first. Then you will realise that the ported farting loudspeaker with the plastic driver and the tin foil tweeter, is really quite hideous combination to get any good sound at all. These poor materials for drive units really do sound pap, bad, and cannot not give you the real natural resolution of detail of the recording at all. Doped paper and silk dome drive units give more with far better sound quality, and especially they should be a properly designed sealed cabinet too. You will soon come to realise how poor plastic and tinfoil really is.
I actually just bought these and the center channel. I currently am bi-amping them off my Yamaha receiver and they create an extremely solid image by themselves. Very enjoyable. I have checked several times with good recordings I was only playing them and not the full surround.
I'm currently in the process of upgrading my system from a weak Pioneer combo VSX-329 & FS-52s, to a CA CXA61 with my Pioneer FS-52s. The difference is staggering. My Pioneer speakers really sing but are a bit light on the bottom end which pushed out the mid-range boxiness a little too much. I added a touch of bottom end at source and they're sounding great if not pushed too hard. I'm soon moving to a bigger room, so feel the FS-52s won't be up to the task of either filling the new room or really showing me what the CXA61 is capable of, so I have looked into what is available to me (I'm in Thailand), and the MA Bronze 500s looked perfect. Unfortunately, all the reviewers have looked at the Bronze 100s, so I will have to take a leap of faith and hope this pairing will rock!
I really enjoyed the video. I have a Bronze 500 and I heard the sound of Bronze 100 and it sounds very perfect in my opinion and of course according to MA it takes about 70 hours of music playing to get the right performance. I think the MA Bronze series is unique with amplifiers that have a warm sound.
Nice review, I recently bought a pair of Monitor Audio Silver 100, open box from Audio Advisor under 1K. Quite happy with their tight low end a little bright on the top end. For the money, a good compromise.
Just bought a set of MA Silver 100s and I am just about to order a new deck - Rega 3 with Exact MM cartridge - time to treat myself and especially after my trusty old JVC QLY66F turntable started to get a little tired - I bought that deck new from JVC in Dublin in 1996 - Greetings from Ireland
Gotta say my Monitor Audio silver 100's are rocking with just an average Denon receiver. Also the walnut finish is amazing as well as the magnetic grills. It's interesting how the new Elacs are borrowing that design in the woofer. Coincidence? The brand is hugely underrated nowadays.
Try putting your ear next to the drive unit when they are playing music at higher levels, listen and hear their inherent metal ringing distortion noise hash coming through as loud as the music you are trying to listen to on them. There is no way to damp their inherent ringing distortions.
Not if you try listening to some speakers like atc loudspeakers, or some excellent doped paper cone and silk dome tweeter loudspeakers, or panel or esl speakers. Unfortunately all metal cone loudspeakers loudspeakers produce as much ringing distortion as loud as the music you are trying to listen to through on them. Them trying to add lots of extra crossover components to try and damp and eliminate the inherent ringing as much as is possible actually does nothing for sound quality and detail retrieval recovery whatsoever. They don't have the ability to extract as much natural textures and nuances with natural tone, like the best doped paper cones and silk dome loudspeakers, or atc's doped polyester drivers, never even mind panel and esl loudspeakers.
@@ianjohnhorwood2605 I also love so many loudspeakers with paper drivers and silk tweeters. But that does not necessarily mean they fit the application. I used to sell Monitor Audio back in the late 90's and could not afford to buy them which sucked. But also my NHT super zeros and super Ones(paper cones btw) which I tested side by side in the store were like 90% as good. I still have them and they are in my bedroom system now. Also, in the mid 90's metal drivers had bad breakup resonances and stuff, but I think the technology has really improved. Also, I can't hear above 15 kHz at my age so i don't care. I want to submit a picture of my rig. It's gorgeous. The speakers are right against the wall and in the corners...so how it sounds so good...I don't get it.
It's funny that you say this because I live in France and the Klipsch RP600M frequently goes on sale 50% off. I could buy French (Focal, Davis Acoustics, Triangle, Ellipson and more...) or British speakers but they cost more 😅.
Thanks for reviewing some great British speakers, Steve. Really glad these speakers have been launched because I've just picked up a brand new pair of Bronze 2 speakers, the predecessor to the 100, for £200 for my study system. Absolute bargain! 😄. I love my classic Gold GR20s in my main system too. I think the signature Monitor Audio sound dates all the way back to the days of Robin Marshall. I loved his designs from his previous home at Audiomaster too.
@@mateusznowakowski5895 I didn’t compare them because I didn’t have the budget for the 100, even if I did like them better. However, there were other factors. Firstly, I had tried the Silver RS1, which has more in common with the 100 than the outgoing Bronze 2. The RS1 has a larger bass driver and rear firing port and as a consequence was overblown in its position at 30cm from the wall. Secondly, I have owned B2 and BX2, so I was pretty sure I would like the Bronze 2. Turns out I was right. If you have more free space behind the speaker, you may find the 100 fills the room better than the 2, however, I would not consider going such a small step. Good luck with your decision.
@@markcarrington8565 Thanks for your respond! I just bought 100 and they are great and sounding big but... soooo muuuuuch worse than Bronze 2 :) Lacks clarity and soundstage in compere. They are sounding much cheaper than Bronze 2 - more like consumer sound like.
@@mateusznowakowski5895 , You can’t say I didn’t warn you 😆. Can you return them? It sounds like a triumph of marketing over substance, to me. Alternatively, perhaps they are going for a boost in sound, as folks move away from CD’s to streamers. With records and CDs I’ve never felt the urge to go for the apparently fashionable ‘V’ curve response speaker types, being more of a seeker of balance. Good luck with the hunt. 👍
If you have a 3020 then its soft treble should offset the Monitor's intrinsic brightness. While the vintage NAD is hardly an end game amplifier, it still delivers a lot for the money.
Please review also more upscale monitor audio products (like silver and gold series). Here in Europe, monitor audio is quite popular and you can find their speakers at many many retailers. Thanks.
I bought a pair of Bronze 100,s based on the reviews, to update my Revolver R33,s. It didnt take me long to realise just how good the R33,s still are. I listened to many different types of music comparing both speakers using A and B settings on the amp. Not saying the 100s are bad speakers at all but nowhere near as good as my old R33,s. The MA,s sound a bit harsh to me.
Hi Steve! how are you? I am Jorge from the land of Messi, Maradons and Gardel! What amp do you think these bronze would make a great match with? Rotel a11 tribute, NadBEE v2 or Maranrz pm6007? I send you a cordial greeting from Argentina!
I've had a couple pairs of MAs over the years. I always thought they were excellent, even though I'm a planar guy. I think the Silver series is the sweet spot.
In Romania they're about $300, a bargain. Also, most bookshelfs drop to under 4 Ohm, a lot of them to 3.2-3.5 Ohm, so no, the MA are the most suited to 8 Ohm amps and receivers, more than most of the other speakers
Thank you for providing super detailed reviews in a fun way, which can be easily understood by Non-audiophiles like myself. Quick question: What do you recommend between Monitor Bronze 100 and Q Acoustics 3030i for 70% Music (Mostly classic rock, Indian instrumental and Jazz on Vinyl with Audio Technica LP120 turntable, and some pop and EDM on streaming with WiiM Mini) and 30% Movies(4K smart tv) played through Marantz pm6007 amplifier? I do enjoy bass as long as it doesn't result in fatigue after listening for an hour or two. The room size is 15ft by 15ft. Alternatively, do you have a different setup recommendation for my requirement, within a similar price point ? Thanks in advance.
Steve, in an era when you cant swing a dead cat without hitting a mini monitor with a 5.5 inch woofer, I think we remember when the eight inch two way was the king of the compromise book shelf speakers. Speakers like the Acoustic Research AR3 (I believe) had great success. I would like to see a resurgence of the eight inch two say bookshelf speaker. I think with today's manufacturing techniques some very nice speakers with credible bass would result. I remember recommending AR3s to a friend because they got a good review in Consumer Reports.(?!) They must have been listening to classical music because he hated them.Traded them in for some JBL 77 speakers and they really rocked it with a Sansui receiver. heh.
Love jbl, have some l86's I am replacing foam surrounds on, they are 8" woofers but its a 3-way. I do love my JBL L1's 6.5" woofer. They were $750 a pair new in 1992 and you can pick them up for $200-$400 on the internet. They will blow away anything released in the last decade in that price range and I would put them up against most $1000+ speakers made today. I like them so much I own 3 pairs. Work fine for home theater even without a sub.
Good review. I tried out the original bronze a few months ago when the new ones came out. Was not keen on the low end performance compared to my Dali Z3’s.
Any experience with the Silver line ? Thank u for your review, i have the Silver 100 pair for a year or so and i hardly find pairings and other's thoughts of them and their experiences.
I have the Siver 100s and they're best at 3 foot off the wall too. Maybe it's something designed into them. Mate of mine as the Bronze floorstanders and he says the same
List price for these is the same as the Elac Debut 2.0 reference. Which of these would you prefer with an integrated amp with a tube front end and 50 watts of class A/B power (and a very good power supply)? Can you give a quick comparison? Thanks. I'm glad this has been such a good year for the channel. I'm addicted...
Go for the Elac Debut Reference speakers. The Monitor Audio 100 have coarse treble. I experienced it myself, but also check out this CZcamsr's >comments under< his video on the Bronze 100: czcams.com/video/q2OFisqWtG8/video.html (he calls them bright, sharp, shouty)
I have monitor audio gold for the 7 base speakers and monitor audio platinum in ceilings amd they are a dream with my rotel power amps. Would strongly recommend tbis brand but strongly discourage frim buying their subs.
@@richardbicker640 nope. I have read the same thing about subs from all their lines. Great sound but terrible quality and quality control. One of mine rattled, it would not detect signals and there was no on function. Only an auto on. Even witj a trigger input it would not always turn on and I would have to turn everything off ( ad they are all connected by trigger cables ) and then turn them on again in the hopes of turning it on and even then it still doesn't truly turn on until it detects a signal and it wouldn't always work. One if the LCD display covers was not properly fitted making brught harsh light come from ine sub and not the other. I had 2 if the gold W15 subs and they cost me $7000au total and they would shut down ( one sub would ) and the other sub would rattle loudly. I have heard all the same trigger and qualiyy control problems about the silver subs. I would never buy one again. I have 2 svs sb4000 subs now. I wish I had bought the 13 ultras instead of the golds at the time bit am happy I got away from MA subs in the end. My speakers are heaven but the subs were hell
@Steve, I also recommend Metallica's live album "S&M". It's the band's famous songs in collaboration with Michael Kamen, and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra.
If any body in the uk is interested, up for sale are my very last edition made in the UK, monitor audio gold reference GR20 ( metallic silver / gold finish ).
Not too bright or aggressive at medium volume or above near-field? I experienced this with the Monitor Audio 50 unfortunately. Was using them on my desk.
@@xavdeman I listen only in near field and using very little of power. Sound depends on quality of CD. I have poor quality recordings when sound is harsh, bright and unlistenable and I have very good jazz recordings when sound is just gorgeous.
Hi Steve. I'm a subscriber to your channel and I need some help as I'm an audiophile without much knowledge of the speaker binding post world. I am using a Marantz PM-15S1 amplifier (a very good amplifier, in my books) and for the longest time, I have been securing the speaker wires the wrong way (it's a long story). I want to use banana plugs to secure the wires. The manual says it's a WBT terminal but I can't get any information on which kind of banana plugs work. I bought BFA banana plugs and I can just barely insert it into the back and the plugs before it stops. I don't dare to force it for fear of the plugs breaking inside the terminals. It works, but I must be using the wrong banana plugs because it's not sitting securely inside the terminals, and a slight pull will dislodge it off the terminals. By the way, there's a black bar insert in the terminal and if I am supposed to remove it, I don't know how as I can't unscrew the whole terminal caps out. I wish I can post a photo here for you to see though. Help! Thank you!
Hi Steve I'm John from the UK I've Just got my First True Stereo AMP the Rotel Tribute in the last 3 -month I'm wanting to know how to I plug in a Dac every one is Telling Me i need one it's only Connections R the phono tuner CD Aux Bluetooth please Help Me Thanks
jusrt as a curiosity , in my 55 years or so of HiFI ( jr hi school beatlemania , along with millions). I've noticed that most ' 8 ohm' spks drop to below 5 at some point thou average may be 8 ohms. probably no problem at all if only used in pairs.
4.5 Ohms is very good for an 8 Ohm rated, it's best suited to 8 Ohm amps, he doesn't know what he's talking about. Many 8 Ohm rated speakers drop to UNDER 4 Ohm, this one doesn't.
I think it’s great you’re getting a new space, but I hope the authenticity doesn’t change. It’s like a wise friend excited to share the latest. I’m not a fan of the overly polished channels w/lengthy openings.
Not without good reason do I subscribe to the Audiophilliac's videos. But Steve....when are you going to review the Fluance line of turntables, most notably their RT-85? Must I send you one first? Just kidding...
If you are a younger person with good hearing, I wouldn't recommend this speaker line (Monitor Audio Bronze 6th generation). The Monitor Audio 100 have VERY coarse treble. I experienced it myself, but also check out this CZcamsr's >comments under< his video on the Bronze 100: czcams.com/video/q2OFisqWtG8/video.html (he calls them bright, sharp, shouty)
This doesn't surprise me one bit. I have always been disappointed with the MA Bronze series that I've owned. Their stuff always looks way better than it sounds.
Hi Steve. I have the predecesors of these, bronze 2 from M. A, hooked up to the Denon pma 600. Btw I made the decision for the denon based on your review. I didn t quite enjoy the lack of treble of the system. It seemed rolled off even with the knob at max. All that changed one day, in september, suddenly the treble became too much. Now I keep the treble knob at the neutral position and in some situation it s still too much. I don t know what caused that boost in treble. The treble now are like rubbing sand paper on the walls. Pretty inaccurate and fatiguing. Could it be burn in efffect after 6 months for the amp and 8 for the speakers used daily? I ve send the speakers for warranty issue but they ve tested them and there s nothing wrong with the speakers.
Sounds as though it will be another long while before you do MA again. Didn't I read about a new 2way Platinum? that was said be very good? I think they sent you the wrong model. Oh well!!
Couple of years ago I heard these bronze speakers in richer sounds ,sound room ,with and expensive Cambridge audio amplification.. don’t know what was wrong but he sounded absolutely terrible, just like a budget speaker, I bought a near new B&W sound hand pair of 685s2with marantz amp, (from Sevenoaks)much cheaper night/day better to me.
If you do the math, the 8 inch woofer has more than twice the surface area of a 5.5 inch woofer. Roughly 95 vs 201 square inches. There's your woof. i didn't do the math, I used an on line calculator.
Here's som complains about vocals at least... www.blabbermouth.net/news/mike-portnoy-says-liquid-tension-experiment-was-like-dream-theater-without-annoying-vocals/
I recently picked up a pair of M.A. Silver 8's. Definitely in my top 5 after 40 years of speaker buying. Absolute elegance in sound quality and build quality.
This week I finished putting together my first serious HIFI, larger investment, a little scary just pouring the money out and only hoping that it all comes together for THAT sound I want. But the result is essentially perfect and it's about the best system I've heard, by that I mean incredibly well balanced, I'm happy. Steve, you've been a big help on that journey, especially in the philosophical department, as you keep in real on the audiophile scene. It's only when I stopped being so judgmental with components and just started focusing on how engaging the sound is, as well as on the looks and feel of things, that I was able to put this system together. It's that wonderful energy on this channel.
Share with us your setup!
8" woofer is the sweet spot for a monitor from my experience. Great slam/dynamics but doesn't take up too much room. Glad to see it making a comeback, hopefully signalling a move away from focusing on smaller woofers because of spouse approval/aesthetics.
Actualy its the 18 Inch woofer thats beats everything else.
Love your show Steve, you’re really helping people. I have learned a lot from you. Thanks for all you do.
I just recently subscribed and I love your cool, calm, collected and knowledgeable approach. No waffle; you get straight to the point. Superb.
After listening to some very nice smaller speakers, I just picked up a pair of Dynaudio Evoke 20s with seven inch woofers. Not a big gap in woofer size over the smaller woofer speakers I heard, but the bass really stepped up and made itself welcome adding lots of body to the sound. I love their fullness of sound without straining to produce some nice bass.
By the way, I just sold some equipment locally, and the guy who shoed up turned out to be someone I sold some audio gear to almost thirty years ago. Hah! Mutual recognition was a little spotty with the addition of poundage and the absence of hair.
Steve, I’ve been watching your daily show for a few months now and am addicted now! Love your breakdowns of gear and easy to grasp descriptions. Happy to see a rare review of Monitor. Great comparison to the B&W. Both speakers I’m interested in. I would love to see a review of Monitor’s silver line.
Finally someone is reviewing a Monitor Audio speaker , I’m a fan of them ,I’ve owned 4 different pairs
Hi Ron I have the Br1 and in the small room where I have the system they sound really great, I'm very happy with them & the build quality is first class.
Just became a fan last year, very nice on all fronts. Want to audition some larger floorstanders next.
By chance Ron, do you know how the Bronze 100 compares to the Silver 100, and it is worth the extra price? (in your opinion?)
I've an old set up with four MA R 352, more than 30 years, and they still sound good, I come back to it and they still amaze me. The specs from that age are still right, very low frequency response and high sensitivity. Even comparing it with new speakers. I just get them out of storage a couple of months and I was blown away.
@@robmills537 right now I have the silver rs1 and the rs6
Holy smokes Steve. Minutemen forever !! I saw Firehose (2 remaining members) a few years ago and they're still phenom.
@Jack Shiv Yes he does !!
I own the budget speaker of Monitor Audio and it has the tweeter of the bronze series (Monitor 300).
It projects sound generously into the room, despite speakerplacement and it is amazing when it comes to transparency, clarity and dynamics.
Downside is, bad recordings are no fun to listen to.
I was always wondering why Monitor Audio has not gotten more public recognition, but I guess that is just the marketing and such
Always great when one of my favourite albums (Double Nickels) gets mentioned. It's been a while. Time to pull it out for a spin...
we have this in our shop and we paired it with the cambridge cxa81 and wauw .... they really open up and the imaging is superb with some nice lows .. great combo
When I saw this I thought you were going to review a console stereo! My dad had a Grundig console (I think it was a 760C). It had tube amplification, and the sound was soooo luscious, I loved the sound of that contraption.
Thanks Miguel!
No “port noise complaint” - “Portnoy’s Complaint” Did you intend that pun Steve? (Fan for decades!)
Yes!
No port noise, that's a definite lie, they all fart noise resonance when put any power through them and listen at higher sound levels. 99% of all the ported loudspeakers suck because of their farting resonances. I've had my fill of farting loudspeakers, a sealed cabinet is way better than port noise farters.
In Modern Living Room Everyone Using "SoundProof Curtains" That Stops Outside Noise by 80% (25 Db) Tested. Check Here: livesoundproof.com/best-soundproof-curtains/
@@ianjohnhorwood2605 You have not heard 100% of all ported loudspeakers to make a 99% claim. You invalidated your own opinion.
@@keplermission4947 Please elaborate on low power and careful matching.
Please review more monitor audio speakers!
That tweeter is very interesting, awesome that you now show the setups you use! This helps me
Agree with your assessment. MA make great speakers, but as you rightly called out, they err on the bright side of neutral, so a warmer amp suits them much better.
My friend has a pair of Monitor Audio towers which are absolutely lovable.
@@richardbicker640 Do not know which model!
Great review, appreciate the variance of test music and the honest feedback.
Thanks Steve..great upload as usual..HAPPY HOLIDAYS !!
Nice review Steve, and The Last Waltz is a beautiful reference point. Happy holidays!
i heard these at my dealers last week playing Big Brothers 'Cheap Thrills" and the imaging was extremely life like. btw, the amp was a Audiolab integrated. still waiting to hear the Silver 100's which i hear takes it to another level
Oh very interesting! I don't know anyone else who is fond of Monitor Audio. I play mine with an Atoll IN 100 btw. The only reason why I did not pick Audiolab was the looks.
The budget and bronze Series is amazing already. Please poste a quick note, if the Silver line really makes that much of a diffence. I was always curious!
I think you all need to readjust your thinking to what actually is the standard benchmark for not colouring the sound as much as possible and for neutrality. You need to take a listen to an atc sealed cabinet stand mount loudspeaker first. Then you will realise that the ported farting loudspeaker with the plastic driver and the tin foil tweeter, is really quite hideous combination to get any good sound at all. These poor materials for drive units really do sound pap, bad, and cannot not give you the real natural resolution of detail of the recording at all. Doped paper and silk dome drive units give more with far better sound quality, and especially they should be a properly designed sealed cabinet too. You will soon come to realise how poor plastic and tinfoil really is.
@@ianjohnhorwood2605 Or you can not be an arse and buy audio equipment that moves your soul.
That bunch of headphones on Steveìs side look like audiophiles's Christmas tree.
"Hard to take notes because you were digging it" that means it is a really great speaker.
I actually just bought these and the center channel. I currently am bi-amping them off my Yamaha receiver and they create an extremely solid image by themselves. Very enjoyable. I have checked several times with good recordings I was only playing them and not the full surround.
This song at the guitar solo three minutes in is fantastic. czcams.com/video/2aB54DrRWNs/video.html
Lots of love from Cyprus! Love the channel Steve!
Is there any chance you could review the Monitor Silver 300s in the future?
Thanks
Gerry
I'm currently in the process of upgrading my system from a weak Pioneer combo VSX-329 & FS-52s, to a CA CXA61 with my Pioneer FS-52s. The difference is staggering. My Pioneer speakers really sing but are a bit light on the bottom end which pushed out the mid-range boxiness a little too much. I added a touch of bottom end at source and they're sounding great if not pushed too hard.
I'm soon moving to a bigger room, so feel the FS-52s won't be up to the task of either filling the new room or really showing me what the CXA61 is capable of, so I have looked into what is available to me (I'm in Thailand), and the MA Bronze 500s looked perfect. Unfortunately, all the reviewers have looked at the Bronze 100s, so I will have to take a leap of faith and hope this pairing will rock!
Steve, thanks for the great work that you do.
I really enjoyed the video.
I have a Bronze 500 and I heard the sound of Bronze 100 and it sounds very perfect in my opinion and of course according to MA it takes about 70 hours of music playing to get the right performance.
I think the MA Bronze series is unique with amplifiers that have a warm sound.
Nice review, I recently bought a pair of Monitor Audio Silver 100, open box from Audio Advisor under 1K. Quite happy with their tight low end a little bright on the top end. For the money, a good compromise.
Just bought a set of MA Silver 100s and I am just about to order a new deck - Rega 3 with Exact MM cartridge - time to treat myself and especially after my trusty old JVC QLY66F turntable started to get a little tired - I bought that deck new from JVC in Dublin in 1996 - Greetings from Ireland
Double Nickels....classic album from the Minutemen! Sounds great on cd as well as vinyl....not all those SST recordings were great, but this one!
like the painting, you in drag? like dylan on cover of bringing it back home, johnny's in the basement mixing up the medecine.
Still enjoying my monitor audio studio 2s
I have 2010ish Monitor Audio with a 65ish woofer (I don’t remember the model#). It sounds good no matter where I placed it. I loved it.
Gotta say my Monitor Audio silver 100's are rocking with just an average Denon receiver. Also the walnut finish is amazing as well as the magnetic grills.
It's interesting how the new Elacs are borrowing that design in the woofer. Coincidence?
The brand is hugely underrated nowadays.
Try putting your ear next to the drive unit when they are playing music at higher levels, listen and hear their inherent metal ringing distortion noise hash coming through as loud as the music you are trying to listen to on them. There is no way to damp their inherent ringing distortions.
Not if you try listening to some speakers like atc loudspeakers, or some excellent doped paper cone and silk dome tweeter loudspeakers, or panel or esl speakers. Unfortunately all metal cone loudspeakers loudspeakers produce as much ringing distortion as loud as the music you are trying to listen to through on them. Them trying to add lots of extra crossover components to try and damp and eliminate the inherent ringing as much as is possible actually does nothing for sound quality and detail retrieval recovery whatsoever. They don't have the ability to extract as much natural textures and nuances with natural tone, like the best doped paper cones and silk dome loudspeakers, or atc's doped polyester drivers, never even mind panel and esl loudspeakers.
@@ianjohnhorwood2605 I also love so many loudspeakers with paper drivers and silk tweeters. But that does not necessarily mean they fit the application.
I used to sell Monitor Audio back in the late 90's and could not afford to buy them which sucked. But also my NHT super zeros and super Ones(paper cones btw) which I tested side by side in the store were like 90% as good. I still have them and they are in my bedroom system now.
Also, in the mid 90's metal drivers had bad breakup resonances and stuff, but I think the technology has really improved. Also, I can't hear above 15 kHz at my age so i don't care.
I want to submit a picture of my rig. It's gorgeous. The speakers are right against the wall and in the corners...so how it sounds so good...I don't get it.
Indiana makes me a budget Klipsch guy. Monitor Audio in different models show details better. MA Bronze 50 are on my list.Thank you for review.
It's funny that you say this because I live in France and the Klipsch RP600M frequently goes on sale 50% off. I could buy French (Focal, Davis Acoustics, Triangle, Ellipson and more...) or British speakers but they cost more 😅.
@@user-xg6zz8qs3q I m not musical but like to hear it. All speakers,etc should be available to world.
Double Nickels on the Dime came out in 1984. Steve I'd like to hear your thoughts on the the Monitor Audio silver or gold tower lines.
BIg ups Mike Watt!! Love the minutemen
Thanks for reviewing some great British speakers, Steve. Really glad these speakers have been launched because I've just picked up a brand new pair of Bronze 2 speakers, the predecessor to the 100, for £200 for my study system. Absolute bargain! 😄. I love my classic Gold GR20s in my main system too. I think the signature Monitor Audio sound dates all the way back to the days of Robin Marshall. I loved his designs from his previous home at Audiomaster too.
Hi :) Did you compare them ? I have Bronze 2 and thinking about upgrading to 100
@@mateusznowakowski5895 I didn’t compare them because I didn’t have the budget for the 100, even if I did like them better. However, there were other factors.
Firstly, I had tried the Silver RS1, which has more in common with the 100 than the outgoing Bronze 2. The RS1 has a larger bass driver and rear firing port and as a consequence was overblown in its position at 30cm from the wall. Secondly, I have owned B2 and BX2, so I was pretty sure I would like the Bronze 2. Turns out I was right.
If you have more free space behind the speaker, you may find the 100 fills the room better than the 2, however, I would not consider going such a small step. Good luck with your decision.
@@markcarrington8565 Thanks for your respond! I just bought 100 and they are great and sounding big but... soooo muuuuuch worse than Bronze 2 :) Lacks clarity and soundstage in compere. They are sounding much cheaper than Bronze 2 - more like consumer sound like.
@@mateusznowakowski5895 , You can’t say I didn’t warn you 😆. Can you return them? It sounds like a triumph of marketing over substance, to me. Alternatively, perhaps they are going for a boost in sound, as folks move away from CD’s to streamers.
With records and CDs I’ve never felt the urge to go for the apparently fashionable ‘V’ curve response speaker types, being more of a seeker of balance. Good luck with the hunt. 👍
Listening to this through Monitor Audio Silver RS1s. I use a NAD amp for mine.
If you have a 3020 then its soft treble should offset the Monitor's intrinsic brightness. While the vintage NAD is hardly an end game amplifier, it still delivers a lot for the money.
Very nice ! Bill CANADA, MD from Moselle, France; But Susan Wagner HS Staten Island, Class of 72!!
Please review also more upscale monitor audio products (like silver and gold series). Here in Europe, monitor audio is quite popular and you can find their speakers at many many retailers. Thanks.
I bought a pair of Bronze 100,s based on the reviews, to update my Revolver R33,s. It didnt take me long to realise just how good the R33,s still are. I listened to many different types of music comparing both speakers using A and B settings on the amp. Not saying the 100s are bad speakers at all but nowhere near as good as my old R33,s. The MA,s sound a bit harsh to me.
Hi Steve! how are you? I am Jorge from the land of Messi, Maradons and Gardel! What amp do you think these bronze would make a great match with? Rotel a11 tribute, NadBEE v2 or Maranrz pm6007? I send you a cordial greeting from Argentina!
I've had a couple pairs of MAs over the years. I always thought they were excellent, even though I'm a planar guy. I think the Silver series is the sweet spot.
In Romania they're about $300, a bargain. Also, most bookshelfs drop to under 4 Ohm, a lot of them to 3.2-3.5 Ohm, so no, the MA are the most suited to 8 Ohm amps and receivers, more than most of the other speakers
Thank you for providing super detailed reviews in a fun way, which can be easily understood by Non-audiophiles like myself.
Quick question: What do you recommend between Monitor Bronze 100 and Q Acoustics 3030i for 70% Music (Mostly classic rock, Indian instrumental and Jazz on Vinyl with Audio Technica LP120 turntable, and some pop and EDM on streaming with WiiM Mini) and 30% Movies(4K smart tv) played through Marantz pm6007 amplifier? I do enjoy bass as long as it doesn't result in fatigue after listening for an hour or two. The room size is 15ft by 15ft.
Alternatively, do you have a different setup recommendation for my requirement, within a similar price point ?
Thanks in advance.
Thanks for watching I recommend the ELAC uni fi speakers
Thanks. Will look into it
I’d Pay to watch Steve attempt an interview in a straight jacket, 😂😂😂
I’m guessing he’d be rendered mute. I always enjoy what his hands have to say..
Try watching The Audiophile Man or New Record Day reviews. It's a lesson in hand expression. Very entertaining.
Steve, in an era when you cant swing a dead cat without hitting a mini monitor with a 5.5 inch woofer, I think we remember when the eight inch two way was the king of the compromise book shelf speakers. Speakers like the Acoustic Research AR3 (I believe) had great success. I would like to see a resurgence of the eight inch two say bookshelf speaker. I think with today's manufacturing techniques some very nice speakers with credible bass would result. I remember recommending AR3s to a friend because they got a good review in Consumer Reports.(?!) They must have been listening to classical music because he hated them.Traded them in for some JBL 77 speakers and they really rocked it with a Sansui receiver. heh.
Love jbl, have some l86's I am replacing foam surrounds on, they are 8" woofers but its a 3-way. I do love my JBL L1's 6.5" woofer. They were $750 a pair new in 1992 and you can pick them up for $200-$400 on the internet. They will blow away anything released in the last decade in that price range and I would put them up against most $1000+ speakers made today. I like them so much I own 3 pairs. Work fine for home theater even without a sub.
Steve, Crutchfield has them today for $475 - I guess we missed to boat on the bottom price.
Good review. I tried out the original bronze a few months ago when the new ones came out. Was not keen on the low end performance compared to my Dali Z3’s.
Any experience with the Silver line ? Thank u for your review, i have the Silver 100 pair for a year or so and i hardly find pairings and other's thoughts of them and their experiences.
I have the Siver 100s and they're best at 3 foot off the wall too. Maybe it's something designed into them. Mate of mine as the Bronze floorstanders and he says the same
List price for these is the same as the Elac Debut 2.0 reference. Which of these would you prefer with an integrated amp with a tube front end and 50 watts of class A/B power (and a very good power supply)? Can you give a quick comparison? Thanks. I'm glad this has been such a good year for the channel. I'm addicted...
Go for the Elac Debut Reference speakers. The Monitor Audio 100 have coarse treble. I experienced it myself, but also check out this CZcamsr's >comments under< his video on the Bronze 100: czcams.com/video/q2OFisqWtG8/video.html (he calls them bright, sharp, shouty)
@@xavdeman Thanks!
I have monitor audio gold for the 7 base speakers and monitor audio platinum in ceilings amd they are a dream with my rotel power amps. Would strongly recommend tbis brand but strongly discourage frim buying their subs.
@@richardbicker640 nope. I have read the same thing about subs from all their lines. Great sound but terrible quality and quality control. One of mine rattled, it would not detect signals and there was no on function. Only an auto on. Even witj a trigger input it would not always turn on and I would have to turn everything off ( ad they are all connected by trigger cables ) and then turn them on again in the hopes of turning it on and even then it still doesn't truly turn on until it detects a signal and it wouldn't always work. One if the LCD display covers was not properly fitted making brught harsh light come from ine sub and not the other. I had 2 if the gold W15 subs and they cost me $7000au total and they would shut down ( one sub would ) and the other sub would rattle loudly.
I have heard all the same trigger and qualiyy control problems about the silver subs. I would never buy one again. I have 2 svs sb4000 subs now. I wish I had bought the 13 ultras instead of the golds at the time bit am happy I got away from MA subs in the end. My speakers are heaven but the subs were hell
Oh hey, Lithuania was mentioned! Sending greetings 🚀🤞🏻
Using a MA B2 for more than 10 years now
also on LP: The Last Waltz
@Steve, I also recommend Metallica's live album "S&M". It's the band's famous songs in collaboration with Michael Kamen, and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra.
Mr Robot to Joni Mitchell - familiar choice of music to me :)
I would love to know what you think about the Monitor Audio Silver 300.
So you compared it to the B&W 607 S2. What about the 606 S2? And any other comparisons you can make?
If any body in the uk is interested, up for sale are my very last edition made in the UK, monitor audio gold reference GR20 ( metallic silver / gold finish ).
I have monitor audio gold 50 speakers and I love them
Not too bright or aggressive at medium volume or above near-field?
I experienced this with the Monitor Audio 50 unfortunately. Was using them on my desk.
@@xavdeman I listen only in near field and using very little of power. Sound depends on quality of CD. I have poor quality recordings when sound is harsh, bright and unlistenable and I have very good jazz recordings when sound is just gorgeous.
Hi Steve
I have Emotiva Basx A300 and Emotiva PT 100, will they be a good option for monitor audio bronze 100?
Would love to hear your thoughts on how they compare to the RP-600m, since they’re right around the same price right now.
That's easy, the 600M have more life, dynamic punch, and brighter balance. The Bronze is warmer overall, and makes more bass, but need more power.
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac Thanks so much for the reply! I’m a very big fan!
I love me some white speakers. Especially with white grills
Hi Steve. I'm a subscriber to your channel and I need some help as I'm an audiophile without much knowledge of the speaker binding post world. I am using a Marantz PM-15S1 amplifier (a very good amplifier, in my books) and for the longest time, I have been securing the speaker wires the wrong way (it's a long story). I want to use banana plugs to secure the wires. The manual says it's a WBT terminal but I can't get any information on which kind of banana plugs work. I bought BFA banana plugs and I can just barely insert it into the back and the plugs before it stops. I don't dare to force it for fear of the plugs breaking inside the terminals. It works, but I must be using the wrong banana plugs because it's not sitting securely inside the terminals, and a slight pull will dislodge it off the terminals. By the way, there's a black bar insert in the terminal and if I am supposed to remove it, I don't know how as I can't unscrew the whole terminal caps out. I wish I can post a photo here for you to see though. Help! Thank you!
@@richardbicker640 Thanks for the advice!
Hi Steve I'm John from the UK I've Just got my First True Stereo AMP the Rotel Tribute in the last 3 -month I'm wanting to know how to I plug in a Dac every one is Telling Me i need one it's only Connections R the phono tuner CD Aux Bluetooth please Help Me Thanks
I have monitor audio silver 500....looking running a schit freya plus. Do you think this would be a good fit for MA?
Which do you prefer and why, these, the kef q350 or the bowers 606?
Hej steve love the show, but I really Hope you Will start too film in 4k that would be great. You want to see the Audiophiliac in the Best resolution.
Lol no
I have a portable by Harman Karon onyx studio 5 good sound for on the go try it.
jusrt as a curiosity , in my 55 years or so of HiFI ( jr hi school beatlemania , along with millions). I've noticed that most ' 8 ohm' spks drop to below 5 at some point thou average may be 8 ohms. probably no problem at all if only used in pairs.
4.5 Ohms is very good for an 8 Ohm rated, it's best suited to 8 Ohm amps, he doesn't know what he's talking about. Many 8 Ohm rated speakers drop to UNDER 4 Ohm, this one doesn't.
I'm torn between these and:
KEF q350, B&W 607s, and Elac debut reference DBR 62. Any help? Thoughts?
No idea about those. But Dali Zensor is by far the best hifi speakers that I've heard. Way bette than any Monitor Audio speaker I've owned.
I think it’s great you’re getting a new space, but I hope the authenticity doesn’t change. It’s like a wise friend excited to share the latest. I’m not a fan of the overly polished channels w/lengthy openings.
Not to worry, it will be very, very real!
Steve Guttenberg Audiophiliac Oh, good 😊Love your channel!!
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac
Thanks, Steve!
Double Nickels came out in 1984, not 1989.
Not without good reason do I subscribe to the Audiophilliac's videos. But Steve....when are you going to review the Fluance line of turntables, most notably their RT-85? Must I send you one first? Just kidding...
Do I see a Sennheiser HD414 hanging there?
Or is it a 424...
Name of furniture in thumbnail please & thank you....
If you are a younger person with good hearing, I wouldn't recommend this speaker line (Monitor Audio Bronze 6th generation). The Monitor Audio 100 have VERY coarse treble. I experienced it myself, but also check out this CZcamsr's >comments under< his video on the Bronze 100: czcams.com/video/q2OFisqWtG8/video.html (he calls them bright, sharp, shouty)
This doesn't surprise me one bit. I have always been disappointed with the MA Bronze series that I've owned. Their stuff always looks way better than it sounds.
@@dtz1000 Their design artists deserve a prize. However, their sound engineers didn't deliver good quality with the Monitor Audio Bronze 6G.
No Portnoy's Complaints! 👍
Hi Steve.
I have the predecesors of these, bronze 2 from M. A, hooked up to the Denon pma 600. Btw I made the decision for the denon based on your review.
I didn t quite enjoy the lack of treble of the system. It seemed rolled off even with the knob at max.
All that changed one day, in september, suddenly the treble became too much.
Now I keep the treble knob at the neutral position and in some situation it s still too much.
I don t know what caused that boost in treble. The treble now are like rubbing sand paper on the walls.
Pretty inaccurate and fatiguing.
Could it be burn in efffect after 6 months for the amp and 8 for the speakers used daily?
I ve send the speakers for warranty issue but they ve tested them and there s nothing wrong with the speakers.
Did you say Portnoy's Complaint? Great book and film!
This bronze range does not use aluminium midbass drivers , they use plastic midbass drive units.
Monitor audio used to be the shit. I’m sure they still are
I have monitor audio platnum 100`s
what do they sound like bi amped?
Sounds as though it will be another long while before you do MA again. Didn't I read about a new 2way Platinum? that was said be very good?
I think they sent you the wrong model. Oh well!!
Japan!
People Steve and my age don't have port noise complaints. You can tell all of b us are all old men who are are mostly non literate too.
Port Noise Complaints! Rough stuff.
Monitor Audio Bronze 100 vs B&W 607 🧐
The glass walled room in the thumbnail looks cool but is acoustically the worst possible place you can put your speakers to...
I was wondering if that was his new studio space he's talked about, and I thought the same thing.
I’m sure he knows speaker placement
It's obviously a monitor audio promo picture...
@@MrStingraybernard I'm sure he does, too.
You said they have 8 inch woofers? I think those are the silvers then.
nah, the new Bronze 100 is 8 inch. They look pretty much exactly like the old Silver 100.
Couple of years ago I heard these bronze speakers in richer sounds ,sound room ,with and expensive Cambridge audio amplification.. don’t know what was wrong but he sounded absolutely terrible, just like a budget speaker, I bought a near new B&W sound hand pair of 685s2with marantz amp, (from Sevenoaks)much cheaper night/day better to me.
If you do the math, the 8 inch woofer has more than twice the surface area of a 5.5 inch woofer. Roughly 95 vs 201 square inches. There's your woof.
i didn't do the math, I used an on line calculator.
No Portnoy's Complaint? Subtle.
Here's som complains about vocals at least... www.blabbermouth.net/news/mike-portnoy-says-liquid-tension-experiment-was-like-dream-theater-without-annoying-vocals/