Beautiful design...but strange sound signature

The reviews on this speaker seem to conflict with one another so I thought I would add this review to help those considering the Bronze 500. Some reviewers consider the speaker "bright" while others say it isn't bright at all. It turns out, with the Bronze 500, they can both be right. I selected the Bronze 500 because I wanted a tower speaker for 2 ch. listening that can play deep enough without a sub (this can). I also selected it because I typically enjoy the detailed presentation a metal dome tweeter provides over (most) fabric domes. The main issue with this speaker is the relationship between mid-range and higher frequencies served by the tweeter. The mid-range is detailed and forward, so from a mid-range perspective, yes, they are bright. The tweeter however is not what I would consider detailed and certainly not bright. It's different than any other metal dome tweeter I've experienced. This combo of forward mids and laid back highs provide an oddly bright experience that lacks detail in the highest ranges.On the other hand, the build quality of the cabinet and posts are excellent. The simple design with interesting color combinations can't be beat. The front is a subtle, light gray which looks awesome. Sadly though, the design was the only compelling reason to keep them. So I returned them. I hope this helps.

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Clear and punchy

Excellent sounding speakers, I've had mine for about a year and have used them quite a bit. I'm powering them with a vintage 80/110 watt/channel SS Pioneer SA-9500 power amp and they go very loud and go down very low with authority, kick drum is clear and punchy, mids and treble are clear and present. I hear nothing boxy about the sound which I'm reading here, to me they sound very natural, I'm a long time musician with good ears. I listen to all types of music, especially rock, jazz and country, LP's are my preferred medium, but will use Cassettes and CD's and listen to mostly 1950's through 70's. My system is all vintage Pioneer SS with a Tascam 4 track reel to reel and is in very nice shape, new speakers were the one concession to modernity I bought and I'm glad I bought these. Highly recommended.

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Not doing the trick for me

I received these speakers 14 days ago and have been playing them every day non-stop for about 4-5 hours a day. So I probably have at least 60 hours break-in time on the Monitor Audio Bronze 500 speakers as of today. You have to have a little time to get to know a new pair speakers. I think 60 hours break-in time is plenty for these speakers at this point. In general the speakers sound okay. Not what I was really hoping for. So far, very box-y sounding. Some surprising detail and a tad bit on the spacious side. They are NOT bright. In fact they roll off at the high frequencies way too soon for me. Bass is not boom-y, yet not punch-y either. A very voice-y speaker. Voices are the most predominant feature from these speakers but unfortunately the voices overpower the music. My previous Paradigm speakers utilized two 8" mid/bass drivers which is the same with the Bronze 500s. I prefer this type of speaker driving system over separate woofers and mid range drivers and a tweeter. After 30 years, the Paradigms just wore out so that is why I bought the Bronze 500 for the mid/bass drivers and tweeter system. This type of speaker design gives you smooth mid-range without overpowering the mids and deliver clean tight bass. Unfortunately, as of now, the Monitor Audio Bronze 500s are not doing the job for me. I may have to return them for a refund. My mind is not completely set as of yet. Maybe a few more break-in hours may do the trick, but I am not sure that will happen. We'll se

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What a great find!

I liked these Monitor Audio Bronze 500s from the start, and after over 100 hours now of listening/break-in time with these, I'm even happier with them. They replace a pair of SONY SS-B3000s that I got new in 2008, and WHAT a difference! I run them through a Yamaha RX-A780 (95-watt) AVR in my 5.1.2 HT system. Although the SONYs are a 3-way design (1", 3.25", & 8"), and the 500s are a 2.5-way, the highs are much crisper & clearer in the 500s, with much clearer bass. I listen primarily to classical & classic rock, and I am discovering new detail in my classical music collection. With just a LITTLE toe-in, the sound stage & imaging brought out instruments that had been hidden in the background with my old speakers. With classical music and jazz, I usually turn off my sub (an 8" "Energy" brand sub that has 97db sensitivity). Classic rock has more of an edge in the mids & highs, and bass is more defined. Vocals have "presence." For rock, pop, funk and movies though, I definitely recommend turning on your sub to reinforce the 500s' bass. Regarding the magnetic grilles, I notice greater clarity in the highs, with the grilles off, plus the drivers look cool. I got the walnut finish and they have a nice, warm look to them. I almost tried bi-amping these to see if there'd be a sound difference, but I discovered I'd lose the use of my Atmos speakers with my RX-A780 receiver, so that will have to wait until I can get a 9.2 AVR. I definitely recommend these speakers.

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Bright, spacious but lacking...

I really wanted to like these little towers from Monitor Audio - and my wife wanted me to like them even more! They are lovely to look at - and the feel is good. The cabinets are unusually lovely in today's world of vinyl finished, ho-hum looks. But, they are not inexpensive, and they run into real competition from the ugly sisters (Elac and Klipsch). Thanks to Crutchfield's generous return policy, I ordered them together with a pair of Elac UF52. The Elac's are a little bigger and, by comparison, are poorly finished. The poor MA Silvers sound like car stereo speakers in direct comparison. I used to own a pair of Monitor Audio MA3's back in the UK, and I really thought I'd end up liking the 'British Sound' better. Ironically, the German Elacs had everything I expected (except looks) . They are: open, staged, dynamic, warm and just lovely - not syrupy but really emotionally satisfying. They may lack 'slam' but have good bass, deep and textured. On string bass and low cellos, they really had me smiling. I could feel the wooden nature of the instruments and still hear the bows feathering and the fingers sliding down the necks. Why couldn't Mr Jones persuade his owners to but a decent finish on them? I'd have paid another $200 or so for a veneer. Ah well, I can close my eyes and just listen. Oh, for reference, both were played through a BlueSound PowerNode N330. Both speakers were easily driven to high volumes.

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Better Than Bronze..

I own a pair of the older Bronze BX6's and these 500's are a substantial leap forward. They have tons of low end bass, smooth midrange and silky highs. Unlike what a previous reviewer had stated, these do not sound boxy or bright in any conceivable way. When paired with comperable electronics and cables, these speakers just sing beautifully. They also throw out a huge soundstage. Much larger than any other tower speaker that I've heard.. These did not inherit the midrange bloat that the older BX6's were known for.. These speakers blend seemlessly from top to bottom. No bloat, no boom and definitely no sizzle. As far as I'm concerned, these should've been part of the Silver lineup. No gripes other than I thought the white versions were completely white. Didn't realize the front baffle is a light gray but that's fine. The sound makes up for any knocks for looks. There seems to be a reason why I keep coming back to Monitor Audio.. They know what they're doing.

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Close but no cigar.

Nice build quality, well designed speaker feet. The Monitor gold tweeter is really crisp without being too hot. The speaker sounds a bit too boxy for my tastes. The capability of the tweeter is beyond the other drivers, to me it sounded a bit overdriven and top/ mid heavy. I guess that might just be the monitor house sound. For me I prefer a more balanced integration of the highs mids and bottom.

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Monitor Audio Bronze 500

I already had MA speakers in white. I bought a white one to go along with my bronze 2 bookshelf speakers and center channel. It is amazing adds so much sound with great bass. Added bonus MA speakers are very attractive too .

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Monitor Audio Bronze 500

Excellent sound, can get a good deep base that works well for my Condo without bothering the neighbors and not using a subwoofer. Mostly used for home theater.

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