Monitor Audio Bronze 6G 200 vs Silver 7G 200

[JustAnAudioLover]

Hi there!

I currently own a pair of Monitor Audio Bronze (6G) 200, which sound very nice.

But coming from a high-end headphone system, they of course don't sound as detailed, and I'd like to upgrade to something a little "better".

I saw great reviews of the Monitor Audio Silver (7G) 200, and was wondering if they were a considerable upgrade over the Bronze?
Also I drive the speakers with a Denon X1700H, would it be worth upgrading to e.g. a X3800H to have higher-quality components?
I know I can have a deal of 2x Silver 200 + the X3800H for about $2400 (taxes included), which is still quite a lot of money so I'd like to be sure it's worth it.

(And for those asking, I can't demo them, where I live no shop demoes them around my town)

Thanks in advance for your help

 

[VMAT4]

Such a flurry of posts Clement!

 

[JustAnAudioLover]

Such a flurry of posts Clement!

Indeed, I'm trying to understand all of those complicated audio things to make the best systems I can (within the budget I have) for home theater, desktop headphones, and IEMs when I go outside. There are so much things to learn and there are so many products it's really helpful to have such as large forum like this to get answers from ^^

 

[VMAT4]

Well don't spend your money all in one place or at one time.

 

[JustAnAudioLover]

Well don't spend your money all in one place or at one time.

Of course not, and I couldn't afford to change all my audio equipment anyway ^^
But knowing what I plan to get for speakers, AVR, stereo amplifier, headphones, earphones, etc. allows me to decide what to purchase first depending on my priorities / budget and what I'm going to upgrade later on, when I have the money

 

[Beave]

One would expect the silver 200 to sound better than the bronze 200 simply because they cost more. But a lot of the reason for the increased cost is the looks - the real wood veneer of the silver series. I bet they do sound a little better, too, but maybe not a lot better.

How big is your room? How far away do you sit? Do you use a subwoofer?

The higher Denon model has better room correction and more power. That may or may not improve your sound, depending on the questions above.

 

[JustAnAudioLover]

One would expect the silver 200 to sound better than the bronze 200 simply because they cost more. But a lot of the reason for the increased cost is the looks - the real wood veneer of the silver series. I bet they do sound a little better, too, but maybe not a lot better.

How big is your room? How far away do you sit? Do you use a subwoofer?

The higher Denon model has better room correction and more power. That may or may not improve your sound, depending on the questions above.

I have a ~25m2 room, I sit at about 2 meters from my front speakers. I don't listen at high volumes (my X1700H is usually around -40 to -50 dB).
I use a Monolith 10 inch subwoofer (500W).

 

[Beave]

What are the room dimensions? Are the speakers placed well (symmetric environment, forming a triangle with listening position, no obstructions, not right next to windows, etc)?

 

[JustAnAudioLover]

My room has a "U" shape, it's not symmetrical, and it has windows on one side (but not the other).
The speakers form a correct triangle with my MLP, there are no obstructions between me and the speakers.
The couch is directly located against the rear wall.

 

[Beave]

A second sub might help if you value bass response a lot. And then the higher Denon would be better with integrating two subs, I would think. But if bass isn't your priority, it wouldn't be worth it.

Can you show a pic?

Having the couch/listening position right against the rear wall isn't ideal but is hard to avoid in a lot of rooms. Maybe some acoustic panels on the wall behind the couch? Maybe curtains on the windows if you don't have that already?

 

[JustAnAudioLover]

That's fine. It's part of this hobby. However, make sure that you're not chasing a chimera. "Upgrade-itis" is a real thing. Without knowing and understanding exactly what you want, it can kill your budget and your satisfaction of music.
Personally, I'd rather listen to music I love on a table radio than listen to music I hate on the world's best system, but that's just me.

Good luck!

Jim

Very well put.
I had this exact problem not too long ago actually.

Now that I know a bit more about home theaters, I know I can't go very far in terms of "high end audio", given that 1) my budget is not stretchable beyond a certain point and 2) I don't want to deal with room acoustics, I currently rent a place and don't want to put acoustic panels or anything like that, which greatly limits how good even super-high-end-speakers would sound in it.

I feel like the MA Silver may be the sweet spot, along with a X3800H : great sound, great calibration system, very versatile, not too big, not too expensive, but still not too good to be destroyed by the room's acoustics.

 

[Jasperous]

Don’t forget about going with secondary market (used) about half of my gear is used (including all of my speakers) and I couldn’t be happier!

 

[Penelinfi]

Even cheap speakers can sound great in a somewhat treated room.
I rent and I found ways to add treatments of course not everyone would want that look in their place.