Monitor Audio Bronze 500 Review: Bronze age
Few manufacturers impress us with such a low error rate as Monitor Audio. Time and again, we certify the British company’s outstanding performance, which is unparalleled in its price range. Why then are these English speakers still so little known?
Alex Röser
Among the prominent players in the hi-fi business, sometimes an underdog manages to secure a top spot in our all-time best list. Monitor Audio falls into this category. Since their debut in 7Review in 2009, the British company has only once received a test score below 91 percent. With an excellent average score of 91.8%, it’s surprising why Monitor Audio speakers, marketed in Germany by Pannes Vertriebs KG, remain a hidden gem among enthusiasts.
Despite its forty-year business history, Monitor Audio isn’t a newcomer and its affordable speakers aren’t exclusive to high earners. In our editorial team, there are some devoted fans. Recently, colleague Johannes Strom awarded the Silver 500 6G floor-standing speaker the Reference Class title and was quite excited about the arrival of the current test model.
Tech Specs
| Product | Monitor Audio Bronze 500 |
| Origin | UK/China |
| Type | 2.5-way floorstanding loudspeaker |
| Weight | 18kg |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 231 x 951 x 325mm |
| Features | – 1x 25mm C-CAM dome tweeter – 2x 205mm C-CAM mid/bass driver – Quoted sensitivity: 90dB/1W/1m (8ohm) |
| Distributor | Monitor Audio Ltd. |
| Telephone | 01268 740580 |
| Website | monitoraudio.co.uk |
About the Manufacturer
First, some core facts about the manufacturer. Monitor Audio was founded in 1972 by Mo Iqbal in Cambridge, known for its university. Over the years, the company moved its production to Rayleigh in Essex. Since the beginning, Monitor Audio has exclusively used its own drivers, which is impressive considering the affordable prices of its products. The company was among the first to use metal and metal mix membranes in sandwich construction for private audio.
Over the decades, Monitor Audio has expanded its product portfolio into other categories. A turntable was released in 1979, and currently, they offer a streamer. However, their core competency remains in the production of various types of speakers. From outdoor subwoofers to on-wall speakers and complete home theater systems, Monitor Audio covers a wide range. The company has received numerous awards for its technically sophisticated speakers. Despite this, Monitor Audio is still not as popular in Germany as it should be. We aim to change this with our current test sample!
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Monitor Audio Bronze 500
The Bronze 500 is the larger of two floor-standing speakers in Monitor Audio’s Bronze series, which includes the 500 and 200, two rear speakers, the on-wall speaker Bronze FX, the center speaker Bronze C150, the subwoofer Bronze W10, and the Bronze AMS Atmos speaker. The series is clearly designed for home theater, but for this report, we focus on stereo sound. Ironically, this attribute came to mind when we set up the Bronze 500 in our listening room.
Despite being the largest speaker in the Bronze series, it stands at just 97 cm tall on a footprint of 23 by 32 cm. Experienced hi-fi editors know that speaker size can be deceiving; it’s the character that matters. But more on that later. Let’s first look at the exterior features. Compared to its predecessor, the Bronze 6, it is 10 cm shorter and 5 cm wider. The test model is an open 2.5-way speaker with three drivers: two 8-inch C-CAM mid-bass drivers and a 25 mm C-CAM tweeter with a gold dome.
This is set in a Uniform Dispersion Waveguide and shines elegantly through the hexagonal dispersion grille, previously found in the Silver and Gold series. The tweeter is active above 2700 Hz, the midrange driver handles up to 550 Hz, and the lower driver takes over below. The cabinet is 15 mm thick, and the speaker boasts a frequency range of 32 Hz to 30 kHz. The Dual HiVe II ports contribute to the bass depth when placed near a wall, as the bass reaches only down to 41 Hz without assistance.
The system is wired with high-quality silver-plated copper cables. Unlike the Bronze 6, which had three mid-bass drivers and a front bass reflex, the Bronze 500 features two drivers, potentially offering more low-end impact due to the larger diameter. The Bronze 500 also shows more resilience with a nominal impedance of 8 ohms and a recommended amplifier power of 60 to 200 watts, making it flexible and powerful.
Connoisseur’s Choice
Colleague Strom previously tested the Silver 500 with London Grammar’s “Strong,” noting its sincere and homogeneous reproduction. We found the same with the Bronze 500. It delivers Hannah Reid’s voice powerfully and captures high-frequency reverberations sensitively. With “Purple Rain,” the speaker’s confident bass impresses us, providing a full and engaging sound. The Bronze 500 harmonizes excellently with the dreamy mix of the song.
Similar to Prince, Monitor Audio’s Bronze 500 has more brilliance than its physical stature might suggest. It delivers sharp detail without sounding harsh, thanks to the gold C-CAM tweeter. The speaker is also very dynamic, particularly evident with orchestral music like Marie Callas with the French National Theatre Ensemble. The aria “L’Amour est un oiseau rebelle” from Georges Bizet’s opera “Carmen” showcases the speaker’s ability to handle soft and loud passages with balance.
Many speakers in this price range tend to sound too harsh in such pieces, but the Bronze 500 maintains control. We end with some hip-hop, streaming Tyler, The Creator, who ranks 375th among the most listened-to artists on Spotify. The Bronze 500 delivers punchy low-end, clear textures, and well-defined vocals, remaining relaxed even in busy lower midrange passages.
Completing the Series
Monitor Audio’s Bronze 500 has passed our test process with flying colors, just like the Silver 500 and Gold 300. In medium-sized rooms, it works well with any electronics and handles various music genres with ease. It seems increasingly absurd that Monitor Audio remains under the radar despite its outstanding quality and price-performance ratio.
If you are currently looking for a new speaker or proof that state-of-the-art audio can cost just under a thousand euros, visit your trusted dealer!
Insight
1) Hive II rear bass reflex ports
2) Gold-plated bi-wireable binding posts
3) Steel outrigger feel
How It Compared
The to floorstander market is hotly contested and even the exceptionally talented DALI Oberon 5 only just managed to edge Q Acoustics’ sector benchmark 3050i and Mission’s refined and subtle QX-3. While not quite as ebullient and instantly engaging as the DALI or as room-filling as the larger Bronze, Wharfedale’s talented Diamond 11.3 shares many of the Mission’s distinctly up-market sonic qualities and basic even-handedness in a smaller package.
OUR VERDICT
The Monitor Audio Bronze 500 may have a compact stature, but it stands tall among its peers. Few speakers in this price range have impressed us so completely. The British company combines room-filling performance, meticulous craftsmanship, and sensitive musicality in this sound artist. Considering some of the overrated competitors, we hope Monitor Audio achieves the breakthrough it deserves!
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Thank you! How does this compare with Oberon 7?