Monitor Audio Bronze or Silver for home cinema in a lounge

[Steve Burling]

As the title says Bronze or Silver for home cinema in the lounge.

I’m looking to upgrade my LCR only.

I have a lounge that’s 18’x15’x 8’ height.

My hobby is roughly 80% HT 20% music

I was looking at the Silvers as reading better quality components, however the Silver range is twice the price of the Bronze. I also need Atmos ( not ceiling or wall mounted)

I don’t want to go above 200 in the range as the 300 & 500 are too big.

I was wondering to keep the cost down if the Atmos from the Bronze would match the rest in Silver ?

The centre looking at the C250

I suppose I would prefer the 50 or 100 ideally.

What stands can you recommend whether MA or other if 50 or 100 ?

Thanks for any comments much appreciated

 

[Jester1066]

As the title says Bronze or Silver for home cinema in the lounge.

I’m looking to upgrade my LCR only.

I have a lounge that’s 18’x15’x 8’ height.

My hobby is roughly 80% HT 20% music

I was looking at the Silvers as reading better quality components, however the Silver range is twice the price of the Bronze. I also need Atmos ( not ceiling or wall mounted)

I don’t want to go above 200 in the range as the 300 & 500 are too big.

I was wondering to keep the cost down if the Atmos from the Bronze would match the rest in Silver ?

The centre looking at the C250

I suppose I would prefer the 50 or 100 ideally.

What stands can you recommend whether MA or other if 50 or 100 ?

Thanks for any comments much appreciated

I have the previous 6g MA Silvers (having upgraded from the 5g Bronzes. The silvers are a much better range overall imo. Nicer (real wood vaneers, better drivers and components etc), so it's worth paying the extra imo. I'd also go with the Silver 100's (or 200's) over the 50's. In my own setup I've the 6g 300's - but appreciate you say they'll be too big).

The 100's are a bigger (wider cabinet) than both the 200's and 300's. I used to have my 100's on mosseco 6 stands. I've since repurposed the speakers into a bedroom setup and am considering selling the stands (along with some innert filler). I haven't listed them on here yet, but highly recommend them.

What sub do you have in your current system?

 

[Gasp3621]

There is still 6G Silvers available in certain finishes which you should consider!

Monitor Audio Silver 100 Bookshelf Speakers

The Silver 100 is a serious audiophile speaker capable of producing remarkable resolution, from the most intricate musical scores to the loudest rock concert, with superlative ease.

petertyson.co.uk

Monitor Audio Silver 200 Floorstanding Speakers

The award winning Silver 200 elevates performance to a new level delivering the best possible sound. Whether from movies or your favourite music, with the Silver Series of technologically advanced loudspeakers you can be sure of a quality so lifelike that it takes you to the heart of the...

petertyson.co.uk

Monitor Audio Silver 200 Floor Standing Speakers - Rosenut

The Silver 200’s sleek appearance makes it a truly compact and attractive floorstander, blending audiophile performance with lifestyle proportions.

petertyson.co.uk

Monitor Audio Silver C150 Centre Speaker

Monitor Audio’s Silver C150 dialogue speaker is designed primarily to partner the smaller stand-mounts and floorstanders in the range, being carefully voiced to complement the timbre and balance of the Silver 50 and Silver 200 models; guaranteeing consistent sonic character.

petertyson.co.uk

Monitor Audio Silver C150 Rosenut Centre Speaker (Single) at AV.com

Monitor Audio Silver C150 Rosenut Centre Speaker (Single) at AV.com

www.av.com

Monitor Audio Silver 50 Bookshelf Speakers

The ultra-compact Silver 50 introduces a completely new version of Monitor Audio’s special 5¼-inch C-CAM bass/mid-range drive unit, creating the most diminutive bookshelf model ever to appear in the line-up.

petertyson.co.uk

Monitor Audio Silver FX Speakers

Monitor Audio has all your rear and side channel requirements covered with the Silver FX, loudspeakers specially designed for 5.1 and 7.1 systems and featuring Monitor Audio’s advanced technology.

petertyson.co.uk

You can opt for the Bronze AMS with Silvers for sure! As for the stands depending are you going to buy 100 for mains or 50 for surround channels just look the top plate size vs. speaker width/depth. The cost of S100 + stands is close to S200. Below is gloss black S200 they are very compact and lovely looking towers!

 

[Steve Burling]

I have the previous 6g MA Silvers (having upgraded from the 5g Bronzes. The silvers are a much better range overall imo. Nicer (real wood vaneers, better drivers and components etc), so it's worth paying the extra imo. I'd also go with the Silver 100's (or 200's) over the 50's. In my own setup I've the 6g 300's - but appreciate you say they'll be too big).

The 100's are a bigger (wider cabinet) than both the 200's and 300's. I used to have my 100's on mosseco 6 stands. I've since repurposed the speakers into a bedroom setup and am considering selling the stands (along with some innert filler). I haven't listed them on here yet, but highly recommend them.

What sub do you have in your current system?

Thanks for your response
SW - Focal Chorus SW 800 V

 

[Jester1066]

Thanks for your response
SW - Focal Chorus SW 800 V

Would/are you looking to upgrade the sub too?

 

[Yorkshire AV]

Hi Steve

Below are the Silver 300's and AMS in our store along with the C250.
To the rear we have the Silver 50's on solidsteel SS-6 stands.

SolidSteel SS-6 Vintage Hi-Fi Speaker Stands (Pair)

Guaranteed in stock Why these speaker stands? Our historical Flagship. It is of critical importance for the performance of monitor-type loudspeakers to have them positioned at the correct height. Additionally, since this type of speaker is often relatively light in weight compared to...

yorkshireav.co.uk

Note - these are not cheap stands compared to other brands but they are incredibly stable and do look bloomin' good with the 50/100 too. I do have a pair of second hand (like new!) Atacama Nexus 6 stands (in black) in store which are going for £90 including the filler. They would need to be collected however...

The 200's I also have in store - I can get some pics tomorrow if you like with the AMS to show you how they sit? If considering the Bronze AMS - we aware the finish is very different....so aesthetically the two just don't go together. Functionality wise it would work just fine however

Feel free to DM me if you'd like a quote - may be able to assist with getting the Silver AMS into the bundle for you at a better rate

You'll notice the REL sub in here - I do recommend looking at SVS/REL subs if your primary focus is HT. Value / performance is right up there!

 

[Steve Burling]

Hi Steve

Below are the Silver 300's and AMS in our store along with the C250.
To the rear we have the Silver 50's
Note - these are not cheap stands compared to other brands but they are incredibly stable and do look bloomin' good with the 50/100 too. I do have a pair of second hand (like new!) Atacama Nexus 6 stands (in black) in store which are going for £90 including the filler. They would need to be collected however...

The 200's I also have in store - I can get some pics tomorrow if you like with the AMS to show you how they sit? If considering the Bronze AMS - we aware the finish is very different....so aesthetically the two just don't go together. Functionality wise it would work just fine however

Feel free to DM me if you'd like a quote - may be able to assist with getting the Silver AMS into the bundle for you at a better rate

You'll notice the REL sub in here - I do recommend looking at SVS/REL subs if your primary focus is HT. Value / performance is right up there!

View attachment 1672253

View attachment 1672254

Thanks for the heads up on Bronze - Silver AMS aesthetics

Would/are you looking to upgrade the sub too?

No, not looking to change SW

 

[Yorkshire AV]

Here are the Silver 200 with the Silver AMS.
So whilst they tie in aesthetically, they don’t sit perfectly square and overhang quite a bit at the rear.

You'll see below they can be mounted on the wall for front height configuration which with the 200's would be more appropriate IMO.

 

[Jester1066]

You'll see below they can be mounted on the wall for front height configuration which with the 200's would be more appropriate IMO.

I agree. Although I do have the 6g 300's - I also mount my Dali Alteco C1's (which is another option to the AMS) as heights. I've tried both upfiring and height positions and much prefer the latter. It creates a more immersive bubble imo. Here's a link to the C1's:

ALTECO C-1

Compact up- & down-firing speaker for your home cinema. Perfect for adding height information to a surround setup or as an out-of-the-way stereo speaker.

www.dali-speakers.com

They are available in black, white & walnut

 

[Yorkshire AV]

Yep - the ALTECO for a height speaker works very well too.
If one is looking for a system tied in aesthetically (especially in a living room setup) then the AMS would be the winner but the Alteco with the grilles on wouldn't be a massive issue either.

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yorkshireav.co.uk

I tend to agree with you with the ALTECO - wall mounted gives you that envelope of sound with clear alignment of sound to the scene.

The AMS did a surprisingly good job up firing in our demo room - to the point where you wouldn't need to wall mount it as much as you would with the DALI under the same conditions. But if you want it to sit on top of the 200's, then it simply won't work.

 

[Gasp3621]

The 7Gs look fantastic in room, especially the white finish is going to sell well! Would be hard to choose though as the new walnut raises the bar. Come on look at this:

@Yorkshire AV did you ever get to compare same model from the Silver 6G and 7G side by side?

 

[Steve Burling]

Further to my initial post, and the issue regarding the Atmos speaker sitting on top of the front L&R. I’ve been looking into other Atmos speakers that could possibly do the job and fit on top of what could be the Silver 200’s. I’ve found the following what do you guys and girls think ?
Kef Q50A
Elac Debut 2.0 A4.2

 

[Jester1066]

Of those 2 choices, I'd go with the Kef's.

Fwiw - The Dali C1's I mentioned (while not Dolby Atmos certified) can be used as upfiring speakers on top. They meassure 160mm in width, with the silver 200's are 165mm - so should look good too (subject to colour match of course).

 

[AndreNewman]

As the title says Bronze or Silver for home cinema in the lounge.

I’m looking to upgrade my LCR only.

I have a lounge that’s 18’x15’x 8’ height.

My hobby is roughly 80% HT 20% music

I was looking at the Silvers as reading better quality components, however the Silver range is twice the price of the Bronze. I also need Atmos ( not ceiling or wall mounted)

I have Silver 8's and C350 for LCR and used to have Bronze 1's for surround and atmos.

I upgraded surrounds to Silver 1's and what a difference, even for surround the Bronze range really doesn't come close to Silver.

I don’t want to go above 200 in the range as the 300 & 500 are too big.

Three way makes a big difference, especially female vocals for music use.

I was wondering to keep the cost down if the Atmos from the Bronze would match the rest in Silver ?

The centre looking at the C250

Definitely 3 way if you can fit it in and afford it, most important speaker in the house, again 3 way is a huge difference for vocals.

I had a C150 at first and not impressed, spent months trying to get good results from it, as soon as the C350 came out I got one and a huge difference, didn't need to try anything, just sounded great.

C250 should be a big step up from the C150, shame they discontinued the C350, glad I got mine when I did.

 

[Jester1066]

C250 should be a big step up from the C150, shame they discontinued the C350, glad I got mine when I did.

Further to this. Both the 7th Gen C250 & 6th Gen C350 are 3 way centre speakers. The C250 has smaller cabinet and drivers though.

 

[Steve Burling]

I’m continuing to research for my replacement front soundstage.

Due to the dilemma I have regarding the the Atmos toppers I’m looking at other brands that might give me the dimensions I’m looking for to match the footprint as good as on top of what I was was favouring the MA 200’s Silver. As mentioned above I found the Kef’s Q50 and the Elac’s, however I’ve now come across the Polk R900. Whilst looking into these just as for dimensions, I started reading up on the Reserve series (R) and liking what I’ve read especially the R600 Towers which I believe the R900 will fit like a glove. They do look lovely speakers, so now I’m liking the look of both the MA Silvers & the Polks.
I’m afraid I’m in need of some more guidance from you all.
Baring in mind I’m just trying to short list on looks alone as yet to hear any of the speakers I’ve mentioned so far.
There is a concern that I’ve been avoiding is that I would need any speakers I choose for L&R to be close to the wall either side of the chimney breast. So I could be back at the start line if none of these are compatible.
Hope the pic below helps with forthcoming advice

 

[Hoku]

The photo is helpful. I know there are always aesthetic and spouse-acceptance-factor issues to take into consideration with home cinema in a multi-use (not dedicated) room. Most of us have to make compromises due to the size and shape of the room.

However, I’d strongly recommend experimenting with your main L&R speaker positions as and when they arrive. You could try with your current speakers too.

In particular, getting the distance between the front L&R, and between the L&R and your main listening position is quite critical, especially when using your system for music in 2.0 or 2.1 configuration.

If the distance between you and the speakers is too great, then the vocals won’t snap into place properly. And I also find that when you have the front L&R speakers far enough apart, it opens up the soundstage and makes any steering effects sound more dramatic.

Dolby recommended speaker placement

You may find this link helpful. It gives recommended speaker positioning for each type of system: 5.1 / 5.1.2 / 7.1.4 etc etc. it really is worth putting the time in to know as much as you can about speaker placement, as unwise placement can easily undo the potential advances in upgrading a system.

Another consideration is how close you need to place the front L&R with the front wall.

I understand that the 6G and 7G Silvers, although rear ported, are designed to be a little more friendly to close wall placement, although most speakers do tend to perform better out into the room a little.

But I certainly wouldn’t recommend my DALI Rubicons (or their MA Silver price equivalent DALI Opticons) for close to front wall placement as they do need a bit of room to avoid bass boom.

So once you get as far as demonstrating soeakers, do try and get the dealer to place the speakers as close to the front wall as you would need to do at home.

 

[Rolph77]

This will sound like a shameless plug, because it is, but I have 4 PSB Imagine XA Atmos toppers for sale in black if you are interested. These have been sat on my B&W fronts and rears perfectly well. Four dots of blu-tak per speaker are a great low tech solution to prevent them getting knocked off.

 

[Steve Burling]

Thanks everyone who made time to pass on their comments, experience and advice to my dilemma. Just to let you know I’ve made a decision and opted for the following
Polk R200
Polk R350
Polk R900
MA stands

See pics with and without covers.
Early days but first impressions very pleased. Having to play around with placement and volume controls on the sub.
Sound much better than the focals

 

[Jester1066]

Thanks everyone who made time to pass on their comments, experience and advice to my dilemma. Just to let you know I’ve made a decision and opted for the following
Polk R200
Polk R350
Polk R900
MA stands

See pics with and without covers.
Early days but first impressions very pleased. Having to play around with placement and volume controls on the sub.
Sound much better than the focals

Great looking setup. Am pleased you're enjoying the upgrade.

Since you mentioned you're playing with subwoofer positions. Can I also suggest you pull the centre speaker foward, so its front edge is just proud of the glass TV cabinet. Doing this will remove any sound reflection from the glass cabinet top.