I saved up for quite a while to get the Silver 100s-for me it was a big purchase. But I really enjoy them, especially for rock and modern pop, which I think benefit from a rather impressive bass, given their size. Overall I think the monitor house sound is just plain and simple fun

My parents have been absolutely loving the MA Silver 100's that I bought for them last year.

Yes, always good to have a few speaker setups so that you can pick which to listen to based on application or program material for maximum enjoyment👍😉.

I hate dual binding post on bookshelf speakers. For a bookshelf speaker there is no reason to bi-wire or bi-amp them. unnecessary crap in the signal path.

My days of buying expensive speakers are over, but I have a couple pairs of large and expensive (in today's dollars) stereo pairs that I'm maintaining for the long haul that were both refreshed within the last 5 yrs. In more recent days, I have purchased a TV soundbar and sub for TV room, pairs of open and closed back headphones for various applications, and a pair of bookshelf speakers with stands for low spl nighttime use. I've been working with audio long enough that I usually have a fairly good idea of what I want apriori, so these days I research options of my target product, find out all I can, and order what I think I want online, making sure that if I was wrong, I can return the product. I have a fairly good success rate that way, and rarely have to deal with the hassle of returns, thankfully!

Always loved Monitor Audio and i now own the Platinum 100 3G with Accuphase and Holo Audio electronics. Started off 15 odd years ago with the RX6 and the Rega Brio R amplifier. Since then i've tried other speakers from Focal and heard tons of different speakers over the years and have always loved their lively house sound.

I'm currently running the Monitor Audio Radius 90's with a Rel T/5x for my computer desk audio, absolutely satisfied with the results!

Your descriptions remind me of my Monitor Audio RS6 silver towers, a very old model that has served me well - Clear and fun with good tonality, very quick, but keep them away from the wall. I found replacing the metal plates that connect the binding posts with my own wire connections made sounded slightly better.

I have the KEF KC62 and love it, zero issues with it. Lovely little box. Pretty basic controls though, but that doesnt bother me

Excellent informative review, and great to see you do speaker comparisons in your set up as well. I can recommend a REL sub to greatly enhance your music experience. The Harbeths with a REL (or two) depending on the size of your room should be just what the doctor ordered! REL T-Zero is their smallest in that series.

Lachlan, I have the Silver 50 7g which is being used in a near field application. They are terrific for many of the reasons you noted. I paired them with the REL TX5 sub which helped round out the low end. I also switched DACs from the RMA to the Bifrost 264. The latter has more low mid grip which helped as well. Cheers.

I have a MA speaker from the series below the Bronze. It's still quite well built. Poly cone woofer but nicely vented, solid cabinet. 2nd order crossover. Still has a "CCAM" tweeter.

Very nice review thank you as far as a compact sub, take a look at the SVS 3000 micro.

Thanks for the review. I’ve seen several good reviews of those MAs. A great deal at $600 for the pair. I have a pair of SVS SB1000 Pros in my 2.2 music system. They are only about a foot wide and a foot deep so they fit into small spaces with a 12 inch woofer and they sound excellent. No port so I have them each in a corner close to the front and side walls without any sound issues. I got the pair of open-box for under $1,000 US for the pair so very affordable. SVS also has excellent customer service before, during and after the sale. Rock on!

My favorite "bass reflex" type speaker is a good passive radiator design. I'm not a big fan of ported cabinets either. My favorites are actually large acoustic suspension designs, if amplifier power and the physical space to enjoy them can be afforded.

So glad finally someone has made a comparison with Harbeth. I've been impressed by Harbeth's sound at audio shows but couldn't justify their high price tags. Hope there's more options that can match its performance. Look forward to your next review of mini monitors.

A very compact, sealed subwoofer is Lyngdorf's BW-3. It's not exatly cheap, but if you're thinking on long term, might be a solution. Cheers.

Went for ATC (40 SCM), because they appealed to me as an engineering brand and had a proven track record.

I love the HSU VTF2mk5 fir a sub. $690 USD plus shipping. It has a 1 adjustment which I used to tuen to the room. It has 2 ports of different sizes which give it 4 tunings. And, it extends below 20hz. Performance for the price is excellent.

In the last 2-4 yr, companies like Monitor, JBL, Polk, wharfdale have really upped their game in the 600-800 dollar range. There really are a bunch of fabulous speakers down in that price range. I repair equipment for several pawn shops and online resellers on the east coast. When I tear down speakers I can observe the equipment without all the window dressing. 1. Cabinet and bracing design are very important. 2. Cross over design and capacitor quality are also important. 3. How pressurized air is directed into a port is also important. 4. Tweeter quality is also important. All of these are observable when a speaker is open. I like what JBL, WD, Martin Logan do in a mid cost speaker. Sometimes I open up costly speakers from lesser known companies and I do not like what I see (or hear). So the correlation between price 500---->3,000 and sound quality isnt always accurate. SVS PB-2000 Pro is a good sub in a moderately sized footprint. Air management from cabinet to port is well controlled. Larger woofer size ( > 12") are not always good for music, particularly when pairing to bookshelf size front speakers. Total overkill.

The RSL Speedwoofer line is highly rated and a fantastic value but may not be as small as you are looking for.

I'd recommend a REL T0 for a small and unobtrusive yet very effective subwoofer -- but advise using its high-level input using the supplied Speakon connector. With Class D amps, best to connect the black wire to the ground screw of the amp, or if one isn't supplied, to one of the casing screws rather than the left negative speaker terminal. At £449 new, not sure if it'd be considered "affordable" though.

I have a pair of Monitor Audio dipole surround speakers in my AV system. Every other speaker has been changed at least once, but the Monitors still persist. For moderately priced stand mounts I like the Fyne Audio F500 and the Revel M106, though I think the price of the Fyne has gone up in the last year or two. The Revels were about 60% off when I got them. The Fyne have Fyne flute bottom ports which makes them super easy to place.

I have Monitor Audio Silver 100 with 8' woofer. BEST SPEAKERS. No need for subwoofer.

Kef kc62 and svs micro are among the best micro subs. Not cheap though. T5x from rel is also great but not as small. I myself bought a used b&w asw608 for my medium sized room for around $250 and am pretty happy with it. Not ideal if you want a lot of output but overall quality (build, sound, etc) is very good, excellent for what i paid. You can always get a 2nd one if you need it.

The Bronze series from Monitor Audio, is kind of a unicorn, I think. The Bronze, sound almost identical to its more expencive sibling (especially the bookshelves). I have the Bronze 100's as bedlayer speakers all the way in my cinema/ musicroom, and the sound absolutly stuning. The details are so clear, bass tight and punchy (yes, they are crossed to subs). The coherency in the sound is fantastic (probably due to the speakers beeing identical all the way). I find that they actually sound best closer too the walls (don't understand why). The soundstage actually open up more, closer to the wall, and the buble of sound surrounding me, is more present in that position (in stereo). I have a rather dampened/ treated room, and I gues that might have something to do with placment/ soundstage. 😊

Aw man not sure if this conversation rings a bell, but round about the same time that those Harbeth’s came into your life, I said to you that after quite extensive experience with Harbeth’s speakers, many different ones in the range, that I did not like them very much, to my ears they are a bit un-engaging, but I also said that you might enjoy them because of your tastes, I thought your ears would find them pleasant, and you ended up buying them sure enough - however, guess what speakers I use in my main system…Monitor Audio Silver, great minds eh? And also, your description of them being a fun sounding studio monitor is spot on, absolutely so. Their house sound is very clean, very neutral and still a lovely listen. Nice slightly sparkly top end but not very exaggerated. Harbeth are good for classical, and the monitor audios are probably a much more engaging listen for more contemporary music. I moved into them from B&W, which are pretty excellent, but the monitor audio felt better. If you are after a sub, have a look at the little baby REL one, not sure the model number, but they can go high-level into the amp, rather than using the RCA connector, and that can make a wonderful upgrade to the sound, because it takes a load off of the speakers in a sense, supposedly anyway, but having heard and used it for years, yes bookshelves and a small sub can be a match made in heaven.

I've heard the Harbeths with two REL T Zero, and it's transformational, but I'd guess one is going to give you enough in your room

I have Harbeth P3ESR in my small room without acoustic treatment but with a table, close to windows and corners I use REL T9x sub but smaller REL will be great choice too I use Aurender N150 + Chord TT2 + Chord TToby on the desk But if I move Harbeth P3ESR to my dedicated music room with better electronics (Aurender N200 + Bricasti M1 + McIntosh C2700 + McIntosh 462) I can hear quite a lot of a difference (unlike other bookshelf I tried) This is why I bought Harbeth P3ESR - they have potential and in (very) certain cases overperform my primary Sonus Faber Amati

Nice review! I'd love to see these compared to the JBL 306p mark2

I had seen Zeos do a review on the Edifier R1700BT way back in the day so I said "let me try it" and I'm still using them at my desk with my PC nearly 6 and a half years later

How do I choose? When I lived in the city, I listened first, then read reviews. Now I live 7 hrs from the nearest major city that would have any substantial choices. Thank god, before I moved here, that decision was made. Now I would have to rely on reviewers. There are smaller centres that are closer, 2 to 3 hrs drive, but are limited with what they carry. What they do carry though, are surprisingly capable products, just not a lot of choices. I personally own Hyperion 968 and also Gallo Ref 3, 2nd gen..

wow that amp stand or what u call it, are sick! where do u find that ?

In this size and price range for $800 U.S. it would make to sense to check out the Pro-Ject Speaker Box 5 S2 The reviews are excellent ….lot of love A couple 8 inch AudioEngine subs would be inexpensive and are a great value

Heh, used to sell these back at the shop. They were alright. Couldn't personally tell many differences between the Bronze and Silver series. In the theatre rooms the Monitor Audios were good for movies but I personally though they lacked for music. The big Platinum 500 II's weren't too bad either.

Interesting review. I have the Monitor Bronze 50 towers at my parents theater room and I actually don’t like them. They are good for movies but for music I think my Ascend Acoustics 340SE2 is a cleaner sounding and more neutral speaker at half the price. Monitor probably has more bass I’ll give it that but its presentation as a whole was too warm for me, but to be fair I’m comparing it to Emotiva and Ascend.

If you're looking for a compact and excellent value for money subwoofer I'd recommend looking at the Q Acoustics 3060S. Fast, tight and punchy bass.

you should take a look at the Kanto subwoofer....perfect for small spaces, really cool looking and wont take all the food money...

MA does have really nice Tweeters , pair with a Sub is required for a good budget set ! The Performer 8 sounds better because it has Multi-Drivers , where Bookshelf Speakers are only 2 drivers Thank You .

Hey Lachlin, I was thinking it may have been nice to compare the Bronze 100's to the 50's .. the 100's seem like a better bang/buck for only slighter more $$.

I design and build my own speakers with high quality components and make my cabinets out of a multi layer design I came up with and I get a lot of speaker for the money

I prefer to use dual subs with my music listening. Currently I have 2 RSL 12S subwoofers and use a Sublime Acoustics K235 crossover or my SPL Crossover to dial them in. I find the subs fill in what is lost with just using speakers by themselves. I have owned more expensive subs and th RSL match the performance or beat it in my opinion at far less money. This hobby is great so do what you want not what other suggest. Listen to others yet do what you prefer with your ears! Good video as always. Still waiting on the Schiit Yggdrasil MIB and LAiV Harmony comparison lol!!!!

Adelaide speakers (ascension) a bespoke speaker manufacturer out of Adelaide do a fantastic subwoofer.

Have a look at the REL Acoustics T/x series subwoofers. Perhaps a REL Classic subwoofer would be a better visual match for the Harbeth speakers.

Metallic cones typically have far more cone break up requiring more parts in the X-over to control those unwanted cone distortions. Paper cones are better.

Monitor audio is a fun sound but not my taste. They have a showroom sound that are immediately impressive sound similar to B&W. Dynaudio and harbeth w Are to my taste

Is it a desk top application?

Klipsch Cornwall IV have 'nuff bass....

Hey Lochlan thanks for the review. I have a Rel tZero V3 that would be a perfect fit for those Harbeths. Small, sounds exquisite plenty for a small space, will dig down to approx 30-35Hz depending on the space. Brand new in box, purchased to review haven't had time to post for sale. Pm if interested i'm in Vic so not far from you :) ""G

I put my audiophile inside my bedroom...DAC amp (headphones 🎧) Big speaker at hall...

What amp are you using?

Hi prefer Bi-wiring speaker with two sets of leads from one amp

You can't go wrong with a REL sub.

12:27 can i ask if there's a difference between the terms "imaging" and "layering"

When the woofer(*) warps and moves to distortion level you are really playing EXCEEDINGLY high SP level, as a close up(near field) monitor how often do you wind it up it to even HIgh SP level? This situation also never occurs. * Most modern woofers esp. from proven manufacturers like MA have low distortion level at normal listening level already.

Neumann & Genelec have effectively killed the competition in small speakers and made everything else redundant. Maybe the KEF Meta R3 is worth considering for a passive option, good performance but still quite a bit worse than the above and can't be calibrated with DSP room correction in the same way.

Rel Tzero MkIII

Wow, based on what you get on paper for the money, I wouldn't even consider the Harbeths, tbh.. and I really like some of the "other" pricey UK speaker manufacturers!

It goes to show you that you don't always get what you pay for, especially with speakers. Many companies that think "they are all that", figure they can take you for a ride based on a name. As you see here, the $3000 speaker and the $600 speakers nearly have the same frequency response curve. So, I don't see the justification in spending more, even if the $3k speaker does out perform the $600 one, but only marginally. At 5 times the cost, the $3k speaker should be 5 times better, but that is never the case. So, I came to the realization that the higher you go in price, when it comes to speakers and amplifiers, the more the Law Of diminishing Returns comes into play. Is it worth it? No, it is not. Then there are those companies that just take you for a ride and you THINK you are getting a good speaker, but when you take it apart, you find the parts used and cabinet construction equates to a speaker that is priced 10 times less. Not mentioning names here, but the OP did and it begins with an R. So, you do have to do your proper research, especially with very expensive speakers. As you see here, a $600 speaker nearly matches a $3k one. Do your homework, and never impulse buy just base on what you might think is a good brand name.

REL subs!

Wait til you hear Adam audio t5v. Best speaker under 1k$ easy

Small speakers sound small especially at loud volumes. My speakers are 6' x 2' x 1' with dual 15" woofers each.

Passion: 100 Listening skill: 0

I'm going to sound like a disagree with you and then, presently, I'm going to sound like I'm repeating exactly what you said, so what's the point of the comment. But I hope when I'm finished you'll agree that the comment is somewhere in-between. Lachlan, you're probably ( ? definitely ? ) too young to remember the "Pepsi Challenge" debacle in the mid-1980s, yes? The situation was that Pepsi was going to county fairs all over the U.S. and inviting people to take a blind taste-test between Coke and Pepsi, and Pepsi was winning in a blowout. It was well over 2:1. In response, Coke panicked and changed its formula to taste more like Pepsi -- the infamous "new Coke" -- and everyone hated it. (Except for me; I liked it, but that's another story). Eventually Coke changed their formula back and they lost even *more* money. But the story here isn't what happened -- most people know that part. The story is why. The thing is, we don't sip our cola once and walk away from it. That's why Pepsi kept winning: It's not a valid way of assessing the two products. Pepsi tastes better when it first hits your mouth because it's *way* sweeter -- more fun, to borrow a phrase -- and Coke is much, much, MUCH more long-wearing. You can drink an entire Coke. It takes dedication to drink an entire Pepsi. Gets old REALLY fast. Now you're probably way ahead of me but Lachlan, I am nowhere near as surprised as you were that the $600 Monitors sounded "more fun" than the $3000 Harbeths. And the reason isn't the smile-shaped frequency response of the Monitors; it's where that smile-shape is coming from. It's the metal drivers, sir. Metal-driver speakers ALWAYS blow people away straight out of the box. That's their party trick. You listen to a pair of Spendors for six months and then hook up a pair of Amphions and you're immediately going to think, "OH MY GOD WHERE HAS THIS BEEN?!?" but then, just like the Pepsi, the excitement turns to a real problem over time. And depending on how one listens, it can be a much bigger problem. I think most people fall into one of four categories of listener: The monitor listener, the concentrate-like-your-life-depended-on-it audiophile, the walk-around-the-room guy, and then there's this fourth category, the audiophile who sits pretty still while the music is playing, but not so still that he can't relax and enjoy himself. And this presents two problems for the conclusions in your review: First, the Harbeths already comfortably win two of those four categories, the walk around the room guy and the companionable-music audiophile guy. The Harbeths win both of those after ... less than a day. Maybe even less than that. Maybe, like, twenty minutes. But the elephant in the room is that we all WANT to be that fourth guy. The happy audiophile is the fourth guy. It's what we all dream of. And it seems foolish to me, lower price notwithstanding, to buy any piece of kit that won't fit that eventual fourth-guy system. Audio gear selection processes -- and by extension audio gear reviews -- should place much, *much* more emphasis on long-term companionability. If you bought those Monitors, and re-sold your Harbeths, you would regret it. To borrow a phrase, "Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon. And for the rest of your life." Call me an iconoclast but I'm over metal-driver speaker reviews. They don't pass the fourth-guy test. Because they can't. They're made out of metal.

Smaller speakers are physically incapable of reproducing the lower end spectrum without massive drop off, and discussion about their bass capabilities and "fun factor" should be taken with a grain of salt. I understand not everyone wants or can have a subwoofer, and for them this review is helpful. However, by design, you're working with a handicap if you're not comparing bookshelfs, or even mid sized monitors with a sub.