Monitor Audio Silver 8 vs 6 vs 10 (room size?)

robdrums2097

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Hi all,

So I THINK I am dead set now, after much deliberation, on upgrading my Mordaunt-Short 908i front speakers to either Monitor Audio Silver 6 or 8 (the current range, including matching centre).

So my room is medium sized, I suppose, at about 4x4.5m. It is carpeted with concrete tiled floor underneath. Speakers will be 3.5m apart, listening distance about 3m. Unfortunately at least one will be close to a corner with probably no more than 8" from the rear wall. The other will have rear clearance but be close to a side wall.

I know a home audition is the way to answer this, but being (mainly) front ported, is a Silver 6 really the right choice for my room?

They are 70/30 for music use (all kinds, but mainly heavier guitar rock & pop) & films. I am used to strong bass with my current speakers, but they may actually be boomy due to corner positioning, I'm not sure as they can't really go anywhere else.

I tend to favour the depth of larger speakers, especially as they're mainly musical. I'd also like a dedicated smaller mid (the 6s are 2.5 way). I have a sub but don't really like 2.1 music. Might a pair of 8s be worth a punt for the 3 way crossover & experimentation with port bungs, or being rear ported, am I just asking for trouble?

My amp is a Cambridge 650R receiver so shouldn't be short on power, and should be comfortable driving 4ohm speakers. They would also be bi-amped from the rear surround channels.

Any thoughts from those that have heard both would be appreciated.

Cheers

Rob
 
You can fit large speakers in a small room it just means you might have to play around with the crossover. If you find it too bassy, use a higher crossover. I use a couple of floorstanders in a smaller room and do this.

In a regular hifi you can't do this so must choose speakers carefully.

The 6's are 8ohm, the 8's are 4ohm. I don't believe the Monitor Audio specs are accurate though 32hz from 2 x 6" ported?

The 6's being front ported should be easier to place.

I haven't heard either of those Monitor Audio speakers.

I use large three way, 5 driver, rear ported floorstanders.
 
Thanks for the thoughts. My concern there would be that if you end up crossing it over higher, you undo most of the benefit of the larger speaker over the smaller (though in the case of the 8 vs 6, I'd like the dedicated smaller mid range that complements the two same-as-the-6 bass drivers). I think rear porting would be a bad idea, though, as I'll have little space from the walls.

I'm getting serious resistance & earaches from the wife on speaker size and placement now we've moved to our new place, so I'm not sure what route I'll end up taking. Sufficient is it to say that it will neither be in the best interests of sound quality or my choice!

Rob
 
"you undo most of the benefit of the larger speaker over the smaller"

Not really, the crossover isn't a brick wall. Also means the speakers aren't driven so hard. In fact, I've set my L/R to small 80hz, subwoofer is enabled but if it's switched off and there is plenty of bass just from L/R.

Also multi-driver speakers are sometimes more efficient. They'll play louder and cleaner too.
 
Do you run a subwoofer for 2 channel, though? Not an issue for HT, but I'd rather not run 2.1 for music, and then full range i would favour the larger drivers at the risk of excessive mid bass. I think with the closeness of walls & corners, the 6 would be the more sensible choice. The room isn't that small at about 4x4, but although my amp should cope with a 4ohm speaker, I'm not sure my neighbour would (and he's the other side of the wall they sit against!)

Rob
 
I do have a subwoofer for 2ch but my mains go down 45hz so it's not required to be on. Also even with the L/R at 80hz a sub doesn't need to be on
 
As the 8 & 6 share the same number of 6" bass drivers, coupled with the smaller 4" mid on the 8, other than the cabinet size & port positions, I can't see that the 8 would put out THAT much more uncontrollable bass than the 6. I think the benefit of the 3 way & the smaller mid over the 2.5 is swaying me more than the bass output. Seems better value at only a couple of hundred more. I'll see if I can arrange a home demo, but I'm relatively confident that the bungs will help if needed, and that the 3 way crossover justifies the small extra increase in price & size. As I want them mainly for music, most seem to say that the RX8 was more authoritative and richer than the RX6 for music.

Now just need to find the money or a dealer that offers finance. ;-)

Rob
 
You could also look into a high pass, that can be used to dial in the speakers so you get the most bass out of them, without becoming too bassy for the room.

A dedicated high pass from HSU (pretty cheap at $100) or a Outlaw ICBM-1, or a subwoofer with one built in is ideal.

Ideally you want it between pre and power, so it'll filter out low bass from L/R and that means it frees up power as well.

It has helped tame and dial in the bass much better than just using full-range to the speakers.

http://hsuresearch.com/products/high-pass-filter.html
 
Interesting. I run through a receiver, though, so can adjust crossovers as I need to there, albeit not control mid bass. Hopefully with the bungs I'll be able to get the benefit of the dedicated mid & the control of the smaller cabinet. I may still go down the 6 route, as the extra depth (even just 2") might be better spent as space from the rear wall, which I can ill-afford to offer the speakers. Indeed, with the 8 I could probably get only about 3 or 4 inches' breathing space behind, vs 6 inch & a front port.

Rob
 
oh right forgot you have a AVR ignore that HSU item then.

Seems you're selling yourself the smaller 6's

Make sure the two match, certain brands of speakers don't well with certain amps. Ie if the Monitor audio are bright, and so is the Cambridge it may be too much
 
While both the Silver 6 and the Silver 8 have TWO 6" bass drivers, that does not mean they are the same design. Given that the Silver 6 is rated 8 ohms, I suspect it is with a 3-way or a 2.5-way speaker. Likely a 2.5-way, where the two bass drivers share low-bass frequencies, and one bass driver cover mid-bass.

I suspect given the 4 ohm impedance that the Silver 8 is a true 3-way, so the TWO bass drivers run in Parallel and both cover the low/mid-bass range.

There is about a 3hz difference in the response (6=35hz, 8=32hz). That's not really a significant difference, especially if that is the -3db response, though the website does not qualify the rated response.

In a hard core music system, certainly the Silver 8 are a good choice, but in an AV system driven by an AV amp, I suspect the Silver 6 would be the preferred choice for most.

Just a thought.

Steve/bluewizard
 
Its a bit of a misconception that front vs rear porting makes a big difference...both rely on a rear boundary wall to reinforce the bass in a similar way. I run 8's about 30cm from the rear wall and i need to use one bung to prevent them being too boomy but it's pretty sweet like with the one bung. I think the biggest difference between the 6 and 8 is the midrange, the 8's are far superior in this respect and they can go MUCH louder without distorting. I demo'd both comprehensively. You have always got options with the 8's...
 
PH001, that's kind of what I wanted to read - apart from that I had all but decided to be sensible and get the 6s! Cost wise, the 8's true 3 way design seems good value for the extra couple of hundred or so they cost.

I actually find myself swayed more toward the 8 for the improved mid range than the bass. But one would be in a corner, and I do find my M-S 908i's a little boomy in the bass (mainly due to their now-invisible, tucked away side-firing 10" woofer, which is not ideal in a corner). I am definitey more about the music, although probably it's about 60/40 to film use these days. I also want to see a marked improvement over my Mordaunt-Short setup, and enough opinions seem to suggest that the mids are much superior on the larger speakers.

How much difference do the bungs make to taming any unruly booms?

Cheers

Rob
 
Also, which should be the better speaker at everyday low-mid volumes? Am I right in thinking that the 4ohm Silver 8 should perform more strongly at both lower and higher volumes?
 
Also, which should be the better speaker at everyday low-mid volumes? Am I right in thinking that the 4ohm Silver 8 should perform more strongly at both lower and higher volumes?

Higher sensitivity speakers (dB @ 1W) mean you need less power for the same dB. For every 3dB in speaker efficiency (or inefficiency) you need double the power.

Speaker impedance is in ohm. 8 ohm is a easy load, but a 4ohm (and lower) is a harder load which means a amp with a larger power supply.

You can get away with using the 6's with mid range AVR's. You won't with the 8's.
 
The sensitivity is the same on both, at 90dB. My receiver is a CA 650R, which claims to be fine with 4ohm speakers and puts out 2x120W in 2ch. Does this count as a mid range receiver, and at low volumes would the 6 actually be better, then?
 
So I'd be fine with S8s, then? I'm still slightly unclear if at everyday low volumes, the 8 or 6 would be the better speaker?
 
I'm not sure how you determine what would be a better low level speaker. I guess you want to use some loudness feature so there is bass boost at lower levels.
 
Not really, I run them all flat, but wondered if the larger, harder to drive S8 might end up a bit soft & u involving unless driven hard. I like the headroom & potential of the larger 3 way, but realistically, 90% of the time it'll be playing Peter Rabbit & operating at non-reference levels. But I'm attracted to it because of the mid range clarity promised by the 4" dedicated mid, more than its low end grunt.
 
Have you heard it though your Cambridge amp? I have heard older Monitor Audio speakers, I found them quite bright and forward. What is the tone of the Cambridge amp?

Some pairings don't work well together. You need to heard Monitor Audio speakers with your amp.

Also don't ignore second hand speakers, I got speakers in same price range as the Monitor Audio Gold 300 for Monitor Audio Radius 270 price.
 
I know, I should get in touch with a friendly dealer and try to get a home demo. I just like to go to these places armed with as much knowledge and fact as possible, so they don't sell me what they want to sell me.

I have read a lot of things that says MAs are a good match with CA, but of course I would take a listen before parting with that sort of money. I would consider used, but also kind of fancy getting some brand new ones this time around. I kind of want these to be the last speakers I ever buy, you know, long after my current amp has packed up / been packed up.

Thanks for all the input.

Rob
 
Gloss white speakers are a bad idea (for home cinema)

ALso I'd rather have those ribbon Golds over new silver 8's...much nicer finish with the gold nicer treble driver.

And those will be the last speaker you buy, the monitor 8's? Maybe not.

These are the ones I bought and will be last speaker I buy.
 

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