Monitor Audio Silver 50 8G Bookshelf Speakers - Pair
Category: other
A Six-Inch Driver in a Thirteen-Inch Box
The Silver 50 8G is the smallest speaker in Monitor Audio’s current Silver range, and it does not act like it. Inside a cabinet just over 13 inches tall sits a 6-inch C-CAM bass and midrange driver, with a 25 mm C-CAM Gold Dome tweeter above it.
A single crossover at 2.6 kHz hands off between the two. That keeps the design simple, and it is the reason a two-way this size can sound coherent from a chair a few feet away or across a medium-sized room.
RST III, and Why the Cone Is Dimpled
The bass and midrange cone uses Rigid Surface Technology III, the third generation of Monitor Audio’s dimpled cone surface. The pattern stiffens the metal so the cone moves as a piston rather than flexing, and a cone that does not flex adds less of its own noise.
The Numbers, and What They Ask of You
Monitor Audio quotes an in-room response of 43 Hz to 35 kHz at minus 6 dB. Sensitivity is 86.5 dB. Nominal impedance is 8 ohms, with a minimum of 3.8 ohms at 240 Hz, so give the amplifier a little headroom.
The recommendation is 25 to 100 watts into 8 ohms, or 50 to 200 watts into 4 ohms. Continuous power handling is 100 watts and peak output is quoted at 110 dB. The rear port is tuned to 52 Hz.
The Port Borrowed From an Owl
Monitor Audio calls it the Silent Flow port. Its flare is modeled on the interlocking wing feathers that let an owl fly without noise, guiding air smoothly through the opening and cutting the chuffing sound a plain port can make on deep notes.
Who Are These Bookshelf Speakers Best For?
- Your room is small to medium — a compact two-way is easier to place than a floorstander and still reaches 43 Hz, which covers most music without help
- You are short on floor space — at 13.2 inches tall these fit a shelf, a credenza or a proper pair of stands, and the Silent Flow port is forgiving of a nearby wall
- You are building a home theater in stages — the Silver 8G range includes a matching center, on-wall and Atmos model, so this pair can serve as fronts now and surrounds later
- You care how they look — magnetic grilles hide every fixing, and the walnut finish is a real engineered wood veneer rather than a printed wrap
- Your amplifier has some headroom — 86.5 dB and a 3.8 ohm minimum are not demanding, but they reward one of our integrated amplifiers sitting comfortably inside the 25 to 100 watt window rather than at the bottom of it
How Do They Connect to Your System?
Speaker cable runs from your amplifier to the binding posts on the back of each cabinet, red to red and black to black, with both runs the same length. There is no power lead and nothing to configure.
Placement matters more than wiring with a speaker this size. Get the tweeters near ear height on stands, pull the cabinets a few inches off the wall, and angle them slightly toward your seat. Small moves make big differences.
Pairs Well With
What finishes the setup. These are the categories most Silver 50 8G owners shop next.
- Speaker stands — the single best upgrade for any bookshelf speaker
- Integrated amplifiers — 25 to 100 watts into 8 ohms is the window
- Speaker cables — a clean, low-loss run, equal lengths
- Subwoofers — for anything below the 43 Hz mark
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need speaker stands?
Not strictly, but they help a great deal. Getting the tweeter to ear height and off a resonant shelf improves imaging more than most other upgrades at this level.
How much amplifier power do they need?
Monitor Audio recommends 25 to 100 watts into 8 ohms, or 50 to 200 watts into 4 ohms, with 100 watts of continuous power handling. The 3.8 ohm minimum is mild.
How low does the bass go?
Monitor Audio specifies 43 Hz in-room at minus 6 dB with the port tuned to 52 Hz. That covers most music, but not the deepest film effects, which is what a subwoofer is for.
Can I use them as surround speakers?
Yes. They share voicing with the matching center-channel speaker and the rest of the Silver 8G range, so they work as surrounds or as a front pair.
How big and heavy are they?
Each cabinet is 13.2 inches tall, 7.3 wide and 13.1 deep with the grille and terminals, and weighs 18 pounds 1 ounce. Finishes are High Gloss Black, European Walnut and Satin White, with a five-year warranty.
What is the next step up?
The Monitor Audio Silver 100 8G. It is a true three-way with an 8-inch bass driver and a dedicated midrange, and it reaches 33 Hz.
See It in Action
Monitor Audio unboxes the Silver Series 8G:
Taps Das walks through what changed in the new Silver 8G range:
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Learn More
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