Q Acoustics cut its teeth offering affordable high-end loudspeakers for the past decade overseas and its success on this side of the pond has been rather recent; the British manufacturer received more attention from mainstream publications like Gear Patrol, and Digital Trends than traditional audiophile magazines which doesn’t say a lot about our little corner of the world.
My interest in their loudspeakers was piqued whilst writing for Gear Patrol in 2019 and over the past 4 years, their 3000 series models have graced almost every corner of my home.
The Q Acoustics 3050i are the heart of my dining room system and a pair of 3030i get daily use in the bedroom system with a range of NAD, Audiolab, and Cambridge Audio Integrated Amplifiers.
The 3000 Series remain as one of the best values in all of high-end audio; build quality, industrial design, and their overall sonic performance makes them a rather easy recommendation to those on a budget.
We have given a great deal of coverage to the new Q Acoustics 5000 Series (and there is more to come) and I’ve made a pair of 5040 floor standing loudspeakers a permanent part of my reference system because they allow me to accurately judge a rather wide range of components with their neutrality, resolution, enormous soundstage, and excellent sense of timing.
Expect to read a lot more about these speakers in December and into 2024 with some very interesting new amplifiers.
But not everyone has the space for floor standing loudspeakers or the budget.
Enter the Q Acoustics 5020.
Jeremy Sikora (AKA “The Budget Audiophiler”) and I had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with these bookshelf (or stand-mount) loudspeakers in 2023 and they impressed us both with their clarity, detail, resolution, articulate bass, and spaciousness.
They are immensely satisfying to listen to.
You can read Jeremy’s review here which offers his take on these loudspeakers with both vintage amplifiers and current models. He loved them as much as I do.
Highlights:
- One pair of bookshelf/stand-mount speakers for music or home theater
- 5″ C3 (Continuous Curved Cone) woofer
- 1″ hermetically sealed tweeter
- Rear-ported bass reflex enclosure
- Frequency response: 53-30,000 Hz (-6dB)
- Sensitivity: 87.9 dB
- Nominal impedance: 6 ohms
- Recommended amplifier power: 25-100 watts
- Low-profile connection terminals accept banana plugs, spade lugs, and bare wire
- Removable magnetic grilles
- Dimensions: 7-1/8″W x 11-1/4″H x 11-1/2″D
- Weight: 15.4 lbs. (each)
The Q Acoustics 5020 are not inexpensive at $899 and that has to be taken into consideration considering how much competition there is from KEF, PSB, Wharfedale, and ELAC in the $500 to $900 price range.
They certainly benefit from better quality amplification and their performance window is very high; better quality sources will only take their performance up another level.
When you consider the build quality, sonic performance, and value for the money from a brand that is really creating some of the best affordable loudspeakers in the world right now — the Q Acoustics 5020 are a very wise long-term choice.
For more information: $899/pair at Amazon | Crutchfield
Continue reading more Editor’s Choice Awards from 2023.
