Monitor Audio Bronze100 Bookshelf Speakers in Walnut (Pair) Latest Generation

If you are buying a pair of speaker from MA you know what to expect. Bright highs, analytical presentation, textured base, excellent sound stage and separation. If you like Elacs exaggerated base and warm sound, this will not work for you. Bronze 100 is more audiophile oriented, which is analytical and true to source. Bad sources and bad recordings will get punished with naked truth. Not forgiving at all. I also have MA silver S1 and these Bronze 100 are superior in terms of resolution and sound stage. Also the 8” woofer delivers amazing base while it can feel a little slow. You should also know you need space for this speaker to sound to its potential. Placement is the key and yes, it takes time to break it (burn in). I had two sets, one used about a month and another new. I ABed extensively for days to find out if the “burn in” is real or placebo. They sound like two different speakers. The aged one is 100% more balanced while the one out of the box can be shouty with certain frequency and instruments. Give it a good 50+ hours and it will be tamed.

This is strictly a music review. I purchased the speakers from an Amazon competitor. I've owned dozens of speakers over the last couple of decades and the Bronze 100 is unique. After a couple weeks I was ready to send it back, and I even had an RMA number. I listen to all types of music, and I am keen on vocals and what I noticed during the first couple of weeks was that vocals sounded on a smaller scale then what I was expecting. Baritone voices sounded like a tenor, and a tenor voice sounded like contralto etc. The Bronze 100 C-CAM drivers took a long time to loosen up really. I hooked it up to two Yamaha amps, a Denon stereo, and a NAD 316 BEE integrated with a potent pre-amp, and played it fairly loud, 70-87 dB's, 3 weeks, and finally the drivers blossomed, and now they had everything. A massive soundstage, vertically and horizontally, that can rival tower speakers with space and imaging. I was getting imaging when I should not have it was freakish. At night on my sofa, 14 feet back, the sound was coming up from behind me. The mid-range was now present and solid, treble was juicy and refreshing, and the bass was deep, accurate, and broad. The treble was almost delicious, it was moving and never fatiguing. At 17 pounds each the speakers are very well built, with a beautiful cabinet that looks much more expensive. Contrary to other reviews, these play great at low volume, they only lose some bass. They can also play very loud with no distortion. Don't rush to a quick decision on the Monitor 100's. I am really enjoying them.