In this review, we will be comparing BW 606 and 3020i, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from Bowers Wilkins and Q Acoustics.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of B&W 606 and Q Acoustics 3020i first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | B&W 606 | Q Acoustics 3020i |
|---|
| Brand | Bowers Wilkins
United Kingdom · founded 1966 | Q Acoustics
United Kingdom · founded 2006 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Hard-Dome | 0.9" decoupled |
|---|
| Woofer | 6.5" Continuum | 5" Coated paper |
|---|
| Frequency response | 52-28k Hz | 64-30k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30-120 watts | 25-75 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 6.90kg / 15.2lbs | 4.80kg / 10.6lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 13.6" x 7-1/2" x 12-13/16"
345.0 x 190.0 x 324.0mm | 10.9" x 6.6" x 11.1"
278.0 x 170.0 x 282.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the B&W 606 and Q Acoustics 3020i speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
B&W 606 |
Q Acoustics 3020i |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Good |
| Small Room |
Average |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
No way |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
Both BW 606 and 3020i are 2-way speakers.
B&W 606Q Acoustics 3020i
TweeterWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
B&W 606 |
Q Acoustics 3020i |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
0.9-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
1 x 5-inch
|
BW 606 features a 1" Decoupled Carbon Hard-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Continuum Woofer. On the other hand, the 3020i features a 0.9" decoupled Tweeter and 1 x 5" Coated paper Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2400Hz.
Frequency Response
BW 606 has a frequency range of 52-28k Hz whereas 3020i has a frequency range of 64-30k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 52Hz, the BW 606 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the 3020i's min frequency of 64Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
BW 606 is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the 3020i which has a nominal impedance of 6 ohms.
On the other hand, they have the same sensitivity of 88 dBdB.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
BW 606 can handle a max power of 120 watts RMS, whereas 3020i has a max power handling value of 75 watts RMS, 45 watts less than the BW 606.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier - change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
BW 606 features Post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. 3020i has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
B&W 606's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both BW 606 and 3020i have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generally need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing the speakers too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.
If you are limited in space and can't get the speakers away from the backwall, check our Speakers with Front Firing Ports page.
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare B&W 606's and Q Acoustics 3020i's external dimensions. B&W 606 has external dimensions of 345.0 x 190.0 x 324.0mm (13.5 x 7.4 x 12.7inch) whereas Q Acoustics 3020i has external dimensions of 278.0 x 170.0 x 282.0mm (10.9 x 6.6 x 11.1inch).
B&W 606 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 20mm wider, 67mm taller and 42mm deeper than Q Acoustics 3020i.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of B&W 606 and Q Acoustics 3020i in scale.
Comparison image of B&W 606 and Q Acoustics 3020i Size and External Dimensions
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the B&W 606 is approximately 615.6cm2 / 95.4inch2 and base area of the Q Acoustics 3020i is approximately 479.4cm2 / 74.3inch2. The BW 606 requires 28% more surface area than the 3020i which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
Here is another comparison that shows both speakers on a BDI Octave Media Cabinet, next to a standard size amplifier and turntable in scale:
Size Comparison image of B&W 606 and Q Acoustics 3020i on a Media Console
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The B&W 606 weighs 6.90kg / 15.2lbs and the Q Acoustics 3020i weighs 4.80kg / 10.6lbs. This makes the BW 606 44% heavier than the 3020i.
Here is a comparison of how BW 606 and 3020i's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Bookshelf class.
Weight
All Bookshelf Speakers
What's in the Box of B&W 606?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of BW 606:
- 2 Bookshelf loudspeakers
- 2 Grilles
- 2 Two-piece foam port plugs
- 8 Self-adhesive rubber feet
- 4 Jumper-straps (pre-installed)
- Manual
- Bowers & Wilkins brochure
- Warranty Information
What's in the Box of Q Acoustics 3020i?
Here are the items that come with the 3020i:
- 2 x 3020i bookshelf speakers
- 2 x Foam Bungs
- 2 x Speaker Grilles
- 1 x User Manual
- 1 x Handling Gloves
- 8 x Rubber Speaker Grips
 Max Input Power |
120 watts
vs
75 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
52 Hz
vs
64 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Minimum Impedance |
4 ohms
vs
3.7 ohms
|
Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier |
 High Frequency Response |
30k Hz
vs
28k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
278mm
vs
345mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
479cm2
vs
615cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
399USD
vs
899USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Bowers & Wilkins 606 |
Q Acoustics 3020i |
| Brand |
Bowers Wilkins |
Q Acoustics |
| Speaker Type |
Bookshelf speakers |
Bookshelf speakers |
| Power Range |
30-120 watts |
25-75 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
6 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.7 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
52-28k Hz |
64-30k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Continuum |
Coated paper |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
0.9" |
| Tweeter Type |
Hard-Dome |
decoupled |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
2400Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
| Suggested Break-in Period |
allow up to a week for the temperature effects to stabilise and 15 hours of average use for the parts to attain their intended design characteristics. |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
345.0mm (13.6") |
278.0mm (10.9") |
| Width |
190.0mm (7.5") |
170.0mm (6.7") |
| Depth |
324.0mm (12.8") |
282.0mm (11.1") |
| Weight |
6.90kg (15.2lbs) |
4.80kg (10.6lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Vinyl |
n/a |
| Available Colors |
Black, White, Oak |
Walnut, Black, White, Grey |
| Mounting Bracket |
No |
No |
| Recommended Stand Height |
24-26" |
n/a |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
4 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
4 Years |
These sit in different price classes - B&W 606 costs roughly 2.3x what Q Acoustics 3020i does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | B&W 606 digs deeper - 52Hz against 64Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (88dB vs 88dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | A | B&W 606 is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | A | B&W 606 takes more power (120W vs 75W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Q Acoustics 3020i is easier to place; B&W 606 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | B&W 606: bi-amping. Q Acoustics 3020i sits in a wider range (6 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | B | Q Acoustics 3020i is cheaper - $399 against $899, about 56% less; arguably a different class. |
A B&W 606 B Q Acoustics 3020i
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
The usual trade-off: B&W 606 measures better, Q Acoustics 3020i costs about about 125% more% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 64Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Q Acoustics 3020i much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate B&W 606 the better fit for a mid-size room and a large room, and Q Acoustics 3020i for near-field listening and a small room.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.