Monitor Audio Gold 500 6G speakers
I had not long read Trevor Butler’s review of the Monitor Audio Studio 89 speaker in this publication when I was asked if I would take a look at the top-of-the-range model from the newly launched range. This request was timely, as it caught me pondering that I had never had a pair of Monitor Audio speakers at home. It was apt that they chose this model as they sit at a price point that is a sweet spot for me, having recently tested a fair few floorstanders at this level.
The Gold 500 6G is a three-way design featuring twin 8-inch HDT C-CAM bass drivers and a 3-inch midrange driver. C-CAM stands for ceramic coated aluminium/magnesium, a material first developed by the aerospace industry, of which various iterations have been used by Monitor Audio since 1991. The company claim it offers high resistance to bending stress and offers superior consistency over its operating range. I read after having lived with the speakers for a week or so that this material enhances imaging, which interestingly was the first thing that impressed me about the Gold 500 6G, so they may be onto something here.
The latest incarnation of the C-CAM driver features hexagonal diaphragm technology (HDT), also found in the company’s top-of-the-range Hyphn and premium Platinum 3G models. Monitor Audio is rightly proud of its MPD III tweeter, which has a claimed output of up to 60 kHz. MPD stands for micro pleated diaphragm, so it’s a high-tech ribbon tweeter by another name. The midrange unit is described as having a steel mid-pod enclosure, this refers to a steel cylinder which separates the air behind this driver from that in the rest of the cabinet. A large block of foam inside this enclosure damps rearward output.
Trevor’s review explains the brand’s history, so I won’t repeat it here. Of particular note is that the speakers were designed in Essex but built in the land of the Red Dragon. This helps explain the Gold 500 6G’s competitive price of £5,500, which, whilst hardly a beer budget, is not enough to build a speaker of this specification in the UK. Let’s see how it stacks up.
Build and design
My Gold 500 6G review samples are in an attractive macassar wood finish. The white drive units contrast nicely against this and, to these eyes at least, create an attractive and distinctive design. You will note the absence of securing screws around the drive units, Monitor Audio are particularly proud of this and refers to it as ‘bolt-through technology’. This makes for a rigid mount and certainly creates a clean look. To the rear are two ports, upper and lower. Foam bungs are supplied, although I did not feel the need to use them. The tweeter is mounted high on the cabinet, which is claimed to prevent cabinet edge diffraction and thus improve stereo imaging. This is made possible by the top trim, which wraps around the top of the cabinet. Individual drive-unit covers were supplied; maybe Monitor Audio got to hear about the incident involving our kitten and my long-term speakers…
There is a dual pair of nickel-plated cable terminals, which are supplied with links made of the same material, which I replaced with wire links from Townshend Audio. I was impressed by the outrigger system, which secures to the base of each speaker via a heavy-duty, foam-backed plate. This system was simple to build up and attach to each speaker. Also worthy of mention is the quality of the packaging the speakers arrived in and the helpful tip on the box lip showing how to invert the boxes to remove the speakers. It’s a small thing, but I am always impressed when I see some thought has gone into packaging. Back to the outriggers, these sit on fully adjustable spikes, which feel more rigid than most. Whilst spikes are perhaps out of favour these days, in that they couple the equipment to the floor as opposed to isolating, Monitor Audio’s solution here does feel impressively stable and of premium quality.
At 88.5dB, the Gold 500 6Gs are more sensitive than many of their ilk, and this was backed up by the volume display showing lower numbers than usual while I used them. A 4 Ohm load is quoted, which proved no trauma for the Audia Flight FLS4 power amp I used to feed them, it is specified to deliver 380W into such a load after all.
Gold standard
The first thing I noted about the Gold 500 6G in my system was the large and expansive image they project. Music is presented with great clarity and presence. The bass is well extended, as you would expect from a large design with twin 8-inch bass drivers. The MPD III tweeter is a sweet, detailed and incisive unit, but it integrates well with the midrange. There proved much to enjoy here, especially in the glorious soundstage that these speakers throw into the room. Firstly, there’s the strong central image, which gives vocals fabulous presence. Where appropriate, these speakers image well beyond the cabinets and forward of them in a solid and often startlingly believable manner. Studio effects will often appear seemingly either side of my head to an extent that I have not previously experienced. The placement of instruments within the soundstage is vivid and accurate yet in a natural rather than laser-etched fashion.
The strong presence band delivered by the Gold 500 6G puts you in a ‘front seat’ position rather than the mid-hall perspective and I suspect that they will work better in larger living spaces. I feel that pairing the Gold 500 6G with refined and neutral to laid-back sounding electronics and ideally placing them in a well-furnished room will deliver the best results. The Moon and Audia Flight equipment I fed them with are on the smooth side, and the Townshend cables are some of the most neutral on the market and this combination worked well.
Brendon Perry’s ARK (16/44 download) was an album I particularly enjoyed listening to via the Gold 500G6. A favourite track, Utopia, proved particularly memorable; this speaker’s resolving powers presented each element of the electronic soundscape in its own space, which worked from both musical and analytical perspectives. Like many other music fans of a certain age, I have had The Cure’s latest album, Songs of a Lost World (24/96 download), on heavy rotation since its release. As is the case with much of this band’s output, it was not recorded with audiophiles in mind, the production is dynamically compressed and extremely congested and of a murky balance. The Gold 500 6G opened this album up and allowed me to hear into this densely recorded masterpiece and to appreciate why such production choices were made. Most of the tracks on this album are bass-driven, with complex guitar lines from both Robert Smith and one-time Bowie and Iggy Pop collaborator Reeves Gabrels adding beautiful melodies to what is quite a dirty sound. The Gold 500 G6 presented the music as a coherent whole and confirmed to me that this album has been worth the long wait.
Kerala Dust’s version of The Chain (Qobuz 16/44) sounded sweet and breathy through the Gold 500 G6. This track’s enormous soundstage is one of the reasons I listen to it so much when reviewing products; the dynamic range is the other. As with the Brendon Perry album, the electronic soundscape filled my room and expanded beyond the walls, the strong electronic bass drum sounds punctuated it well. I have experienced greater impact at the track’s crescendo, but only from more expensive speakers. Speaking of bass lines, these speakers gave me a beautiful rendition of Cecil McBee’s double bass on Alice Coltrane’s Journey in Satchidananda. Although a 16/44 Qobuz stream in this case, the Gold 500 G6’s rendition of this piece convinced me to order the CD. The instrument was presented convincingly and had that tactile quality, which confirmed it was in the hands of a master musician, which, of course, was the case. This album has lots of high-frequency energy, and I found I had to keep the volume level down to avoid unwanted brightness, possibly a case of the Gold 500 6G telling me more about the mastering balance than I felt comfortable with.
Wrapping up
I have some fond memories of my time with the Monitor Audio Gold 500 6G, and there is much to enjoy here. Whilst my personal choice of speaker may lean slightly towards a euphoric presentation, even if that sacrifices the last degree of accuracy, if a full range, detailed and analytical sound presented in a class-leading soundstage is your goal, then these could be right up your street.
The Gold 500 6G is very well built, includes some innovative technology and can fill your room with a glorious soundstage. I would love the opportunity to try these speakers on some Townshend Podium supports, which, if my suspicions are correct, would liberate the bass and enhance dynamic impact whilst making the most of this speaker’s considerable soundstaging abilities. The Monitor Audio Gold 500 G6 is a fine addition to this competitive area of the market and should be on the must hear list for anyone with this kind of budget.