Monitor Audio Silver 8G Series: All New Features at a Glance

For five years, the Silver 7G series was one of the best-selling speaker series ever – and now its successors are here. The Monitor Audio Silver 8G Series is not a gentle facelift, but largely a new development: new tweeter, new driver generation, new bass reflex ports, new crossovers, new finishes. And a model program that has shifted noticeably.

We have examined what has really changed from the Silver 7G to the Silver 8G – and for whom which model is suitable.

Table of Contents

• Which model for whom? The series in brief
• The Silver 8G Series Models in Detail
• Prices & Availability
• Changes from Monitor Audio Silver 7G to Silver 8G
• FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions about the Silver 8G Series
• Technical Data in Comparison
• Conclusion
• Introduction Video

Which model for whom? The series in brief

The Silver 8G series consists of seven speakers, developed for first-class stereo enjoyment as well as immersive home cinema. The short version:

• Silver 50 8G – the compact 2-way speaker for small to medium-sized rooms and shelf or stand mounting. Amazingly big sound for its footprint.
• Silver 100 8G – the powerful 3-way compact speaker with its own midrange enclosure. For those who want the flexibility of a compact speaker but don't want to compromise on depth and level.
• Silver 300 8G – the slim, elegant floor-standing speaker that blends into virtually any room. The all-rounder of the series.
• Silver 500 8G – the top model with two 8-inch woofers. For large rooms, high levels, and anyone who wants depth without thinking about a subwoofer.
• Silver Centre 8G – the acoustic center in home cinema, with clearly understandable dialogues even at high levels.
• Silver On-Wall 8G – the secret weapon of the series: usable as a stereo speaker, as a surround speaker, and – horizontally mounted – even as an LCR speaker behind a screen or under the TV.
• Silver AMS 8G – the upward-firing speaker for all Dolby Atmos fans who cannot install in-ceiling speakers. Fits precisely on the Silver 300 8G and the Silver 50 8G.

Sonically, the entire series is characterized by: The Silver 8G plays a little warmer and rounder than the Silver 7G, with significantly increased SPL capability. Anyone who found the analytical sharpness of the 7G at high volumes tiring should definitely listen to this one.

The Silver 8G Series Models in Detail

Silver 50 8G – small footprint, big sound

The Silver 50 8G is the compact 2-way speaker of the series: a 6"/152-millimeter C-CAM bass/mid-range driver with RST III technology, plus the 25-millimeter C-CAM Gold tweeter with UD Waveguide II. It extends down to 43 Hertz and achieves 110 decibels maximum SPL – a statement for a speaker of this size. It effectively succeeds both the Silver 50 7G and the Silver 100 7G.

Silver 100 8G – the compact, which is actually more

The most exciting new development in the series. The Silver 100 8G follows the successful Gold 100 6G with its 3-way design: an 8"/203-millimeter woofer, a 3"/76-millimeter midrange driver in its own enclosure, and the Gold tweeter. The result is a lower frequency limit of 33 Hertz and 114 decibels maximum SPL – values that previously required a floor-standing speaker. Those who were considering the Silver 200 7G will find their successor here.

Silver 300 8G – the elegant all-rounder

Two 6"/152-millimeter woofers, an isolated midrange driver, a Gold tweeter: The Silver 300 8G is the slender floor-standing speaker of the series, proportioned to fit living spaces with its 1020 millimeter height and only 295 millimeter width. 30 Hertz bass depth and 116 decibels maximum SPL make it the most versatile model in the series.

Silver 500 8G – the top model

The Silver 500 8G is the largest speaker in the series: two 8"/203-millimeter woofers, a midrange driver in its own enclosure, a Gold tweeter. 28 Hertz lower frequency limit, 119 decibels maximum SPL, 90 decibels efficiency. For large rooms and anyone who wants power and depth without discussion.

Silver Centre 8G – Dialogues that stick

Two 6"-woofers, isolated midrange driver, Gold tweeter, sealed enclosure. The Silver Centre 8G achieves 120 decibels maximum SPL – the highest value in the entire series. This means dialogues remain clearly understandable even when everything around them is exploding in the film.

Silver AMS 8G – Atmos without ceiling installation

A 5.25"/133-millimeter bass/mid-range driver and a Gold tweeter with optimized waveguide in a sealed enclosure. The Silver AMS 8G fits precisely on the Silver 300 8G and the Silver 50 8G and delivers 111 decibels maximum SPL – a strong value for an upward-firing speaker.

And the bass? Anthra and Vestra subwoofers

For even more bass depth and structure, combine the Silver 8G series with the subwoofers from the Vestra series – one of the strongest combinations ever in terms of price/performance. The Anthra series offers even more punch, authority, and an integrated parametric equalizer. Both subwoofer series are available with special conditions as part of the Silver Cinema sets – simply contact us for more information.

Prices & Availability

Let's talk about money – brass tacks, as we say in Hamburg. The last price adjustment at Monitor Audio was in 2023, and everyone knows what has happened to raw material, energy, and transport costs since then. Across the entire series, the Silver 8G is about ten percent more expensive than the Silver 7G – measured over five years and with significantly upgraded components, this is moderate.

The recommended retail prices at a glance:

• Silver 50 8G – €998 / pair
• Silver 100 8G – €1,798 / pair
• Silver 300 8G – €2,398 / pair
• Silver 500 8G – €3,098 / pair
• Silver Centre 8G – €998 / piece
• Silver On-Wall 8G – €549 / piece
• Silver AMS 8G – €1,098 / pair

The much-discussed outlier is the Silver 100 8G, with an approximate 57 percent increase compared to the Silver 100 7G. However, this comparison is flawed, as both speakers share nothing but the name – the Silver 100 8G technically and acoustically replaces the significantly more expensive Silver 200 7G. Compared to that, the surcharge is three percent. More on this below in the FAQ.

The complete Silver 8G series is available at our store in Rellingen – and more importantly: audible. Come by and see for yourself.

👉 To the Monitor Audio Silver 8G series in the Fidelity Shop

Changes from Monitor Audio Silver 7G to Silver 8G

When a manufacturer releases a new product or loudspeaker series, fantastic marketing terms are often thrown around – but what has really changed? That's what we're going to get to the bottom of today.

First things first – The sound characteristic from the Monitor Audio Silver 7G series to the Silver 8G series

The Monitor Audio Silver 7G series was very clear, precise, and accurate, with a very tight and structured, but sometimes slightly reserved, bass.

The Silver 8G series offers a slightly warmer, rounder sonic tuning compared to the Silver 7G series. This means greater flexibility in amplifier selection regarding sound characteristics, as they play somewhat tamer in the high-frequency range. Additionally, the speakers acoustically integrate better into minimalist and modern living rooms, as they operate with less high-frequency energy.

C-CAM RST III Technology in the Woofers, Midrange Drivers, and Bass/Mid-range Drivers of the Silver 8G Series

The C-CAM RST technology in the Monitor Audio Silver 8G series enters its 3rd generation with voice coils featuring improved ventilation and optimized surrounds derived from the Monitor Audio Gold 6G series. The result: increased precision and control even at high levels, higher efficiency, and greater SPL capability and power handling compared to the Silver 7G series.

Progressive suspension in the woofers, midrange drivers, and bass/mid-range drivers of the Silver 8G series

In classic suspensions, such as those in the Silver 7G series, the "rolls" controlling the return force of the suspension are all the same size. This means that no matter how large the excursion of the voice coil and the diaphragm itself, the braking and controlling force acting on it remains constant.

In a progressive suspension, the rolls get larger from the inside out. With small voice coil excursions, i.e., at quieter levels, there is little control over the voice coil and diaphragm – resulting in more dynamics and playfulness. As levels increase, the suspension with the larger rolls provides correspondingly stronger counter-force to keep the diaphragm perfectly under control at all times. A simple but extremely effective step.

Midrange driver in a housing completely isolated from the other drivers

Here again, the strong kinship of the Silver 8G series to the Gold 6G series is evident. While the midrange driver in the Gold 6G series sits in its own aluminum enclosure, in the Silver 8G series it is a wooden enclosure that isolates the midrange driver in the Silver 100 8G, Silver 300 8G, and Silver 500 8G. Common to both variants is that the midrange driver remains completely unaffected by the strong air pressure fluctuations generated by the woofers inside the enclosure and plays cleanly and precisely at any level.

Neodymium ring magnet and copper shorting ring in the tweeter

A lot has happened in the C-CAM Gold tweeter of the Monitor Audio Silver 8G series. Firstly, the iron magnet has been replaced by a neodymium ring magnet, which builds up a magnetic field about 2.5 times stronger than the previous iron magnet. This alone leads to a faster, more dynamic high-frequency response and better efficiency.

Furthermore, there is a copper shorting ring at the back of the tweeter, which effectively dissipates the eddy currents inevitably generated by the movement of the tweeter's voice coil, thus stabilizing the impedance. This results in even more calm and linearity in the high frequencies, which is particularly noticeable and pleasant at higher volumes.

Flatter Uniform Dispersion Waveguide II in front of the tweeter

The waveguide does exactly what its name suggests: it shapes the sound waves radiated by the tweeter. This ensures more level in the high-frequency range, which means better efficiency, less strain on the tweeter, and thus stress-free listening. In addition, the waveguide ensures a more harmonious coupling of the tweeter to the midrange driver with a more uniform dispersion characteristic.

New in the Monitor Audio Silver 8G series version is that the waveguide is now significantly flatter (i.e., not as deep as before), which has significantly increased the stage imaging in the horizontal and vertical plane. Or in other words: the stage representation is now significantly more realistic and almost holographic – the loudspeaker disappears behind the music.

Newly developed and equipped crossovers

When a speaker series like the Silver 8G is not merely subtly revised, but largely redeveloped from the ground up, there's naturally no way around newly developed and tuned crossovers. Monitor Audio took this opportunity and also opted for much more strictly selected components with lower tolerances. While these are significantly more expensive, the advantages in terms of signal integrity, transparency, and homogeneity when transitioning the music signal from one driver to another are undeniable.

Flower instead of tube – The new bass reflex ports with Silent Flow technology

The bass reflex port also has a lot to say when it comes to good sound. After all, the speaker "breathes" through it and moves sometimes enormous airflows. With simple bass reflex ports, compression occurs inside the cabinet at high volumes. This leads to a loss of dynamics or, in the worst case, even distortion. In addition, the airflow can manifest itself as flow noise or pumping.

The Silver 8G series now features – and for the first time in Monitor Audio – the Silent Flow bass reflex ports. Their shape is derived from overlapping owl feathers, which, as in nature, allow for a completely natural, virtually unhindered pressure equalization in the speaker cabinet, free of flow noise.

Elegant finishes that impress even after many years

The Monitor Audio Silver 8G series is available in three high-quality finishes that are rarely found in this price range. Choices include high-gloss black lacquer, satin white, and a real wood veneer in European Walnut.

"The 'trick' with the real wood veneer is that it's machine-layered and then stained in walnut. This ensures the color and grain remain stable over time – and the speakers can easily be combined with other models from the same series years later. For example, if you buy a pair of stereo speakers today and want to upgrade to a home cinema system later. With natural real wood veneers, each speaker has its own coloring and grain. Depending on the batch, you need a lot of luck for speakers purchased later to truly match. The Silver 8G series puts an end to this – here you can combine whenever and however you like."

Black-tinted membranes in the high-gloss black and walnut versions

All speakers in the Silver 8G series in high-gloss black and European Walnut now feature deep black membrane surfaces instead of the previous silver ones. This once again emphasizes the high aesthetic standards of the speakers, giving them an elegant depth and calmness.

The satin white variant continues to feature matte silver membrane surfaces, as the contrast with black membrane surfaces would simply look unnaturally harsh and inappropriate.

Smart adjustable foot construction – Derived from the Platinum Series

Just like in the Monitor Audio Platinum 3G series, the height adjustment mechanism for spikes and rubber feet (so you have the choice) is located under a turned metal disc. Once removed, the Monitor Audio Silver 300 8G or Silver 500 8G can be easily adjusted in height from above with an Allen key. The speaker no longer needs to be painstakingly tilted or held during adjustment.

It's a small detail, but a very clever one, we think.

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions about the Monitor Audio Silver 8G Series

Why is the Monitor Audio Silver 100 8G so much more expensive than the Silver 100 7G? The price difference is almost 60%!

The only thing the Monitor Audio Silver 100 7G and Silver 100 8G still have in common is the name – otherwise, they are two completely different speakers.

The Silver 100 7G is a classic 2-way compact speaker for small to medium-sized rooms. The Silver 100 8G, on the other hand, is a powerful 3-way compact speaker with its own midrange driver isolated within the cabinet, significantly more bass depth (33 Hertz lower frequency limit), and considerably more power handling and maximum sound pressure level. Where the Silver 100 7G bows out at 106 decibels, the Silver 100 8G plays up to 114 decibels – making it even more suitable for large rooms and true volume enthusiasts.

Why is there no longer a Silver 200 in the Silver 8G series?

The Monitor Audio Silver 200 was always very popular due to its slim and elegant design, especially when it came to placing the speaker close to the wall.

If a Silver 200 8G were to come in a similarly narrow cabinet as the previous Silver 200 7G, it would be outperformed by the Silver 100 8G in virtually all aspects – a Silver 200 8G therefore no longer makes sense. For comparison: The Silver 200 7G offered a lower frequency limit of 34 Hertz, while the Silver 100 8G is at 33 Hertz. The Silver 200 7G has a maximum sound pressure level of 108 decibels, while the Silver 100 8G delivers an impressive 114 decibels. In other words: Anyone looking for a speaker like the Silver 200 7G should definitely listen to the Silver 100 8G.

Why are there no longer Silver FX or other dipole speakers?

In a nutshell: The age of dipoles has passed since Dolby Atmos and similar technologies. Explained in more detail: Dipoles and bipoles were the first choice for film fans, especially during the era of Dolby Surround and also Dolby Digital and comparable, channel-based sound formats, because they projected sound pleasantly wide and diffusely into the room, creating a kind of "being in the middle" feeling.

Dolby Atmos and other representatives of its kind, however, are object-based sound formats. The crucial point here is that for a correct spatial and temporal representation of film content, the loudspeakers must always reproduce the sound precisely and accurately in the room. And only direct radiators can achieve this. That's why Monitor Audio decided to remove the popular Silver FX from its range with the transition to the Silver 8G series and instead consistently focus on a very flat and elegantly designed wall-mounted loudspeaker – the Silver On-Wall 8G.

The Silver On-Wall 8G has an extremely flat enclosure, is equipped with an integrated wall mount, and is perfectly tuned. Sonically, it is almost on par with the Monitor Audio Silver 50 8G and thus presents itself as the logical alternative to the previous Monitor Audio Silver FX.

Technical data in comparison

Conclusion

The Silver 8G series is a rare case where "new generation" truly means a new generation. The tweeter with neodymium ring magnet, shorting ring and flatter waveguide, the RST III drivers with progressive centering spider, the isolated midrange enclosures, the Silent Flow ports, and the more elaborately equipped crossovers – all this together is not a facelift, but a complete redesign.

This is most clearly reflected in the model range: The Silver 50 8G follows in the footsteps of the old Silver 100 7G, the Silver 100 8G replaces the Silver 200 7G as a 3-way compact speaker, and the Silver On-Wall 8G replaces the Silver FX – not due to cost-cutting, but because object-based sound formats require direct radiators.

For small rooms and shelf placement, the Silver 50 8G is the entry-level option with surprisingly much substance. If you want to keep it compact but are looking for floor-standing bass, you'll end up with the Silver 100 8G. The Silver 300 8G is the all-rounder for most living rooms, and the Silver 500 8G is the choice for large rooms and high volumes. And if the last bit of harshness in the treble of the Silver 7G bothered you, you will experience the warmer, rounder tuning of the 8G as a real improvement.

As always: data sheets are one thing, your own listening experience is another. The complete series is available for demonstration in Rellingen.

Launch video

We also presented the Monitor Audio Silver 8G series in detail in a video – together with Jens Rageno from Monitor Audio Germany, who delved deep into the technical changes. Feel free to watch it:

Hear it for yourself now – at Fidelity Hamburg

The Monitor Audio Silver 8G series is available and ready for demonstration at our store. Whether you're wavering between the Silver 100 8G and the Silver 300 8G, planning a complete home cinema, or simply want to know if the new tuning is your thing: come by, bring your favorite music, and listen to the series at your leisure. We'll take our time.

👉 View Monitor Audio Silver 8G Series in the Fidelity Shop
👉 Arrange a consultation or audition

Author: Hajo Acker