With the sixth generation of the affordable Bronze family is the last major renewal operation of Monitor Audio (almost) complete. The Gold and Silver updates brought significant technical and visual improvements to the table, but is all of that possible at a much lower price point? To investigate, in this review we look at the largest and most powerful model, the Bronze 500 which is for sale for just under 1. 100 euro. One thing is certain: for that amount you get a hell of a lot of speaker.

Only cheap to buy The Bronze family is one of the big hits at Monitor Audio. You can deduce this from the fact that this line is now in its sixth generation. It is a large family, with the Bronze 500 the tallest and largest model is. As usual with Monitor Audio, there are many models, allowing for all possible stereo and surround setups.

As always there is for example a bipole FX wall speaker for the rear in the home cinema and for the first time at MA an Atmos speaker that you can place on top of a Bronze floorstander. In this test we focus on the Bronze 500, a 2.5-way floorstander that, against all trends, does not go for a slim line, but is slightly wider. For example, it can accommodate two 8-inch woofers that are placed high in the baffle. It’s a less conventional choice that Monitor Audio is making here, but they have reasons for it.

A quick look is all it takes to convince the Bronze 500 (and the other Bronze 6G models) are very different from the previous fifth generation. The design got a major makeover, making the new Bronze top model look a lot fresher and more modern than the old Bronze 5. Gone bass port in front, gone more traditional wood veneer with grain, gone attention-grabbing metal ring around drivers, gone wide base. The differences are big â ???? and then we only talk about appearance. A lot has changed on the inside as well.

The challenge One thousand euros for a pair of floorstanders is of course not nothing, but is at the same time also not the ultimate you can spend. The big challenge in the price segment in which the Monitor Audio Bronze family moves is precisely to combine those two things. That is really not easy. There are high expectations, which are countered by cost constraints (which are softened a bit because the sales volumes are higher). For many consumers, a speaker like the Bronze 500 is the Big Audio Purchase, and that people (rightly) demand good performance and a design they can be proud of. In the hi-fi world, speakers from this class are sometimes seen as a stepping stone or temporary stop in a journey that leads to ultimate speakers, because those final boss speakers really are perfect to perfection. This is certainly true for audiophiles, but average music lovers are looking for a final destination and don’t want to feel like they are doing something good enough. bring home. Understandable â ???? and luckily it’s something that more and more manufacturers are getting on. And thanks to increasingly better software to design speakers and steps taken in production, brands can actually do something with that finding.

It is now easier to use the computer to look for cost-effective designs that perform better. This is why affordable speakers are arguably the most exciting hi-fi segment of the moment, with products that perform astonishingly well for their price, from brands like DALI with the fancy Oberon, ELAC with the Debut Reference and their splash of Andrew Jones insights, Q Acoustics with the competitively priced 3000 Series, KEF with the slightly more premium R series, and Dynaudio with the alluring Evoke line.

In short, there are quite a few speakers appeared that play insanely well for their price. With the new Bronze line, Monitor Audio also wants to secure its position in this segment. The British brand has always scored with budget buyers with Bronze, but now that the competition is getting stronger, it is time to provide a suitable answer. Monitor Audio has a great advantage: they are not callers but diligent workers.

Step by Step Improve One of the things that make Monitor Audio special is that they have a very process-based approach, which means that developing a new loudspeaker line takes about two years. The brand does not always succeed in explaining this in an exciting way. Where other manufacturers shower you with information about esoteric materials and an origin story, the down-to-earth Britten presents flowcharts and white papers. But once you process that rather dry mountain of information, you realize that Monitor Audio in this way designs every speaker model according to a well thought-out method, with steps for computer simulations, prototypes, testing and listening, and where necessary: ​​â ?? repeatâ? ???.

Second surprise: the cheap Bronze family also went through the same intensive process, just like the more expensive Silvers and Golds. We quietly suspect that the British are already at the beginning of a two-year process for the next Platinum line. It is in the DNA of the almost fifty-year-old company, which has been managed in recent years by a team of younger engineers and designers.

The sixth generation of the Bronze benefits greatly from that approach, complemented by a trickle down of technology from the Gold and Silver ranges that were first updated. The most striking example of this is the Uniform Dispersion waveguide which is used for the gold 32 – mm C-Cam dome tweeter, which we know from the higher Monitor Audio lines. Not only does this fine grid with holes in a honeycomb pattern ensure a more even appearance of high frequencies, it also gives those Bronze speakers their very own look.

We already note that the Bronze 500 is a hefty speaker. The dimensions of 95, 1x 23, 1 x 32, 5 cm indicates why that is: the speaker is not extremely high, but it is wider and slightly deeper than usual. Those two large woofers reinforce that impression. At the same time, Monitor Audio does deliver subtle feet (including spikes or caps) in the same color as the baffle.

It is a larger cupboard, but also a heavier one. That 18 kg is because the Bronze 500 is internally reinforced. Monitor Audio, like some other manufacturers, is strongly focused on preventing cabinet vibrations and resonances. The more iner the housing, the less the sound image produced by the drivers is polluted. That also explains why the front or baffle is extra thick.

Elegant and Modern There are certain style elements in common with today’s best affordable toppers, such as the Dali Oberon and ELAC Debut Reference HD. Consider the use of lighter wood veneers that contrast with a different colored baffle, for example. Monitor Audio does not completely escape these trends, but still manages to create something unique with Bronze. Perhaps this is because the British have an extensive internal design department that increasingly dares to speak its own design language, something we discovered during a previous visit to the company.

With the Bronze 6G, the designers are trying to to make the traditional speaker shape as modern as possible. That mission succeeded, if you ask us. In itself, the basic design remains an angular rectangle. But the duotone finish with a light gray front that contrasts strongly with the dark gray wood veneer is very handsome and distinctive in the Urban Gray edition that we visit. Previously we had the Bronze 100 – bookshelf speaker in the dark walnut test room with dark gray front; not ugly either, but just a bit more traditional than this more Scandinavian-feeling version. Need even more options? You can also choose a black version (with dark gray front) or a white Bronze 500 (with a light gray baffle). Four color editions available for so many different Bronze models, which makes for many choices. Note: certain models, such as the FX wall speaker, are not available in all four colors.

The duotone finish is very good, but what makes the design completely modern and sleek is that clean front. Because the waveguide is fully integrated in the baffle and the ‘hollow’ ???? woofers are only surrounded by black rubber, it shows very modern. This looks great in a modern interior.

Tends to high end As Maverick Saber’s great voice echoes across the room with the intro of â ???? Preachâ ????, we are completely up to date. This young Englishman who spent his childhood in Ireland has an incredible amount of soul in his voice, something that the Bronze 500 very convincingly. We listen via a Hegel Röst and via AirPlay (from Qobuz), a very simple setup that has no problems controlling these large floorstanders. First we connected them to the super compact Arcam Solo Uno of which you will read a review here soon, but that is too ambitious for this mini amplifier. We are not surprised or disappointed with the Uno Solo either. The Arcam is a clever concept and seems very interesting for built-in projects or a small living room set, but the Bronze 500 does need a bit more.

When we used the Bronze 100 in our test room, we were struck by the good timing and excellent detail reproduction. For its price, this bookshelf speaker performs very well, especially if you screw it in a bit. Inquiries with Monitor Audio did indeed reveal that the Bronze range is designed to be used with some toe-in, aimed at an intersection about a meter behind your listening position. That advice actually also applies to the Bronze 500. You can safely place this floorstander flush with the wall, so that it looks interior-friendly like in lifestyle photos, but turning it in just a little bit creates a slightly better balance. It was something we noticed when we put the big Bronze speakers in different positions while “There is Love in You”. from Four Tet, one of the best albums by British DJ Kieran Hebden, full of atmospheric soundscapes and sultry beats with world music influences. The tech enthusiast will not be disappointed with the Bronze 500. Where the small Bronze 100 due to its relatively compact size, not every track is the sturdiest could provide a foundation, the largest Bronze does not fall short. The bass is controlled and well present; maybe not extremely well defined (but actually fine for this price range), but that’s something that might require you to look a little higher in the Silver or the excellent Gold range.

The traditional interpretation of the Beethoven oeuvre on the extensive compilation â ???? The Symphonies (Live from Rotterdam 2011) â ???? under the direction of Frans Brüggen, one of the most beautiful classic Beethoven recordings remains for us, with a registration that invites you to close your eyes so that you imagine yourself in the hall. Magnificent.

Not it is entirely coincidental that we have this album high in the playlist because we previously used the beautiful Bowers & Wilkins Signature 702 – speakers were busy. That was a different, more high-end experience, but the gap is not so great that we now suddenly look sad â ???? with eyes closed, you know â ???? when we listen to the Bronze 500 â ???? s. The Monitor Audios provide us with immersive listening hours, in which, among other things, the wind instruments in the orchestra very nicely separate from the whole and there is sufficient refinement to render the strings smooth and realistic. It is an excellent performance for speakers at this price point. Of course we will touch on what we mentioned earlier: you can demand good sound reproduction for this amount (and this delivers the Bronze 500), but at the same time we have to recognize that you can experience a difficult classic shot like this even more compellingly on a more expensive model like the Silver 300.

Because the Hegel is still a relatively expensive amplifier compared to the Bronze 500 – speakers, we get one more affordable Primare i 15 – amplifier. We are also moving from class AB to class D, and downsizing in terms of size. The Primare 15 Series are compact and beautifully finished aircraft, not from northern Norway like Hegel, but from southern Sweden. The Primare is a little less effortless than the Röst, which we strongly believe that the Bronze 500 is more demanding than you might think if you consider the sensitivity of 90 dB reading in the specification list. Despite that consideration, the i 16 to match well with the Bronze 500 â ???? s. The voice of Norah Jones on “Pick Me Up Off The Floor” (Qobuz via Chromecast), for example, comes across as warm and engaging. When we then go through our regular test playlist in Roon, there are several moments when we are surprised by the insight that the Bronze 500 provided. We already noticed that audiophile character, so to speak, at the Bronze 100.

Conclusion The Bronze 500 – speakers are the flagship of Monitor Audio’s renewed Bronze line, a position they really deserve. Monitor Audio has put a lot of know-how and development into these speakers â ???? and you immediately notice that in the finish. Despite Bronze being a lower range from the UK manufacturer, much of the character of the more expensive Silver and Gold line is present. That is not to say that you necessarily have to keep saving for an immersive listening experience. No, the great thing about the Bronze 500 is that you are already in the right place. For some people, these floorstanders will not be the end point on their quest for audio irvana, but for many they will. The Bronze 500 remains a larger floorstander that deserves some space and also an amplifier with a???? to make it more prosaic â ???? some balls on his body.

Monitor Audio Bronze 500

1. 095 euro / pair |  transtel-sabima.be |  www.monitoraudionederland.nl

Rating 4.5 out of 5