Short answer: the Monitor Audio Silver 50 7G. It ranks #12 of 63 bookshelf speakers by sound quality at $799; the Wharfedale Super Denton ranks #17 and costs $1499, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
What the Monitor Audio Silver 50 7G gets right: The 7th generation C-CAM Gold Dome tweeter with UD Waveguide II and RST II mid bass driver produce a listening window smoothness score of 0.50 at an accessible price, earning a Hi-Fi News Outstanding Product Award. The catch: The on axis response trends noticeably upward toward the treble (measured slope +0.50 per octave, the steepest of any speaker in this batch), which can read as bright on already bright recordings.
On the Wharfedale Super Denton side: A 3-way design with a 1” soft dome tweeter, a 2” soft dome midrange offset to the side of a centered 6.5” woven Kevlar woofer - a more compact alternative to Wharfedale’s own Linton 85 with a similar overall character. Set against that: A mid-range scoop from about 200-800Hz and a separate upper-midrange scoop were both audible in direct ABX comparison against a reference-neutral speaker, giving aggressive-sounding material a more subdued character.
Buy the Monitor Audio Silver 50 7G. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Wharfedale Super Denton and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
Specifications Side By Side
| Monitor Audio Silver 50 7G | Wharfedale Super Denton | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $799 | $1499 |
| Ranked | #12 of 63 in Medium Size Bookshelf Speakers | #17 of 63 in Medium Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Enclosure | ported | - |
| Drivers | 1" C-CAM Gold Dome tweeter, 5.25" C-CAM RST II mid bass driver | 1" soft dome tweeter, 2" soft dome midrange, 6.5" woven Kevlar woofer |
| Dimensions | 11.1"H x 6.5"W x 10.7"D (282 x 165 x 272 mm) (11.125 x 6.5 x 10.375 in) | 14.2"H x 9.7"W x 10.8"D (360 x 246 x 275 mm) |
| Weight | 12.3 lbs / 5.6 kg (12 lbs 6 oz) each | 20.3 lbs / 9.2 kg (20.2 lbs) each |
| Sensitivity | 86dB @ 2.83V/1m | 86.6dB (measured by Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Impedance | 8 ohms nominal, 3.9 ohms minimum | 6 ohms nominal, 3 ohms minimum (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 87.9Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 61Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 50.7Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 41Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Max SPL | 104dB | - |
| Crossover Points | 2.6kHz | - |
| Port Tuning | 58Hz | - |
| Power Output (Watts) | 100W RMS handling, 40-100W recommended amplifier power | - |
| Warranty | Lifetime, parts and labor | - |
| Country | China | - |
| Woofer Cabinet | - | ported |
| Frequency Response | - | 52Hz - 20kHz (±3dB, manufacturer specified); -6dB to 40Hz |
| Crossover Frequency | - | 940Hz, 4.6kHz |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More useful head-to-heads from the same speaker class:
- Arendal Sound 1961 Bookshelf vs Elac Carina BS243.4
- Revel M105 vs Wharfedale Diamond 12.1
- KEF LS50 Meta vs Klipsch RP-500M II
- Monitor Audio Silver 50 7G vs Revel M105
- Wharfedale Super Denton vs Dynaudio Emit M10
The Two Speakers In Full
Monitor Audio Silver 50 7G: $799 Crutchfield
Pros: The 7th generation C-CAM Gold Dome tweeter with UD Waveguide II and RST II mid bass driver produce a listening window smoothness score of 0.50 at an accessible price, earning a Hi-Fi News Outstanding Product Award. A HiVe II reflex port system is tuned to 58Hz for real bass weight from a compact 5.25 inch two way.
Cons: The on axis response trends noticeably upward toward the treble (measured slope +0.50 per octave, the steepest of any speaker in this batch), which can read as bright on already bright recordings. The sound power directivity index also has the widest standard deviation in this batch, 3.95, meaning off axis energy tracks the on axis response less consistently than the rest of this group. Bass extension is limited to a measured 87.9Hz at -3dB, so a subwoofer is recommended for full range use, and minimum impedance dips to 3.9 ohms at 250Hz.
Full Monitor Audio Silver 50 7G review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 50.7Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 87.9Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Country | China |
| Crossover Points | 2.6kHz |
| Dimensions | 11.1"H x 6.5"W x 10.7"D (282 x 165 x 272 mm) (11.125 x 6.5 x 10.375 in) |
| Drivers | 1" C-CAM Gold Dome tweeter, 5.25" C-CAM RST II mid bass driver |
| Enclosure | ported |
| Impedance | 8 ohms nominal, 3.9 ohms minimum |
| Max SPL | 104dB |
| Port Tuning | 58Hz |
| Power Output (Watts) | 100W RMS handling, 40-100W recommended amplifier power |
| Sensitivity | 86dB @ 2.83V/1m |
| Warranty | Lifetime, parts and labor |
| Weight | 12.3 lbs / 5.6 kg (12 lbs 6 oz) each |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Monitor Audio Silver 50 7G vs Revel M105
- Monitor Audio Silver 50 7G vs Elac Carina BS243.4
- Monitor Audio Silver 50 7G vs Klipsch RP-500M II
- Monitor Audio Silver 50 7G vs Wharfedale Diamond 12.1
- Monitor Audio Silver 50 7G vs KEF LS50 Meta
- Monitor Audio Silver 50 7G vs KEF Q150
- Monitor Audio Silver 50 7G vs Wharfedale Diamond 220
- Monitor Audio Silver 50 7G vs Polk Audio XT15
Wharfedale Super Denton: $1499 Crutchfield
Pros: A 3-way design with a 1” soft dome tweeter, a 2” soft dome midrange offset to the side of a centered 6.5” woven Kevlar woofer - a more compact alternative to Wharfedale’s own Linton 85 with a similar overall character. Measured sensitivity around 86.6-87dB with on-axis linearity within about ±3dB. No cabinet or box resonances turned up in impedance testing, and there are no spike feet to install. Harmonic distortion looks good at both 86dB and 96dB, with about 20dB of usable dynamic range up to 96dB before compression starts to affect the midrange more noticeably near 102dB. Because bass rolls off starting around 60Hz, placing it closer to a wall (about 1-2 feet) than usual boosts low-end punch without the midbass bloat a deeper-extending speaker would get from the same placement. In the reviewer’s own comparison, its estimated in-room response actually measured more linear than the pricier Linton 85’s, despite being a bit less linear on-axis.
Cons: A mid-range scoop from about 200-800Hz and a separate upper-midrange scoop were both audible in direct ABX comparison against a reference-neutral speaker, giving aggressive-sounding material a more subdued character. A resonance around 660-700Hz shows up in measurement, though the reviewer couldn’t reliably hear it with real music in his own blind-ish A/B testing. The offset tweeter-and-midrange layout makes horizontal off-axis response noticeably asymmetric - response drops as much as 8dB more to one side than the other at wider angles - so the reviewer recommends aiming the speakers directly at the listener (not toed out, which loses upper treble) and suggests sidewall absorption to control uneven reflections. Must be listened to with the grille on - measurements are noticeably worse with it off (wider 2-4kHz dip, extra treble bump). Horizontal soundstage width felt a bit narrower than the reviewer personally prefers, likely related to the same offset driver layout. Multitone distortion gets high in the midrange at 96dB/1m, a concern mainly in larger rooms where you’d need to play louder.
Full Wharfedale Super Denton review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 41Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 61Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Crossover Frequency | 940Hz, 4.6kHz |
| Dimensions | 14.2"H x 9.7"W x 10.8"D (360 x 246 x 275 mm) |
| Drivers | 1" soft dome tweeter, 2" soft dome midrange, 6.5" woven Kevlar woofer |
| Frequency Response | 52Hz - 20kHz (±3dB, manufacturer specified); -6dB to 40Hz |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal, 3 ohms minimum (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 86.6dB (measured by Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 20.3 lbs / 9.2 kg (20.2 lbs) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Wharfedale Super Denton vs Klipsch RP-500M II
- Wharfedale Super Denton vs Wharfedale Diamond 12.1
- Wharfedale Super Denton vs Revel M105
- Wharfedale Super Denton vs KEF Q150
- Wharfedale Super Denton vs Wharfedale Diamond 220
- Wharfedale Super Denton vs Polk Audio XT15
- Wharfedale Super Denton vs Arendal 1961 Monitor
- Wharfedale Super Denton vs Dayton Audio OPAL1
- See all 17 comparisons