Q Acoustics 3020i vs Cambridge SX-50 Comparison

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Q Acoustics 3020i

Passive Bookshelf | 64-30k Hz

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Cambridge SX-50

Passive Bookshelf | 50-22k Hz

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Q Acoustics 3020i

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Cambridge SX-50

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Q Acoustics 3020i

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Cambridge SX-50

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Q Acoustics 3020i vs Cambridge SX-50 Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing 3020i and SX-50, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from Q Acoustics and Cambridge Audio.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Q Acoustics 3020i and Cambridge SX-50 first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key Specs	Q Acoustics 3020i	Cambridge SX-50
Brand	Q Acoustics United Kingdom · founded 2006	Cambridge Audio United Kingdom · founded 1968
Design	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	0.9" decoupled	1" Dome
Woofer	5" Coated paper	5.25" Treated paper
Frequency response	64-30k Hz	50-22k Hz
Sensitivity	88 dB	90 dB
Impedance	6 ohms	8 ohms
Power range	25-75 watts	10-100 watts
Weight	4.80kg / 10.6lbs	3.00kg / 6.6lbs
Dimensions (H x W x D)	10.9" x 6.6" x 11.1" 278.0 x 170.0 x 282.0mm	8.8" x 6.3" x 9.4" 225.0 x 161.0 x 240.0mm

What size room are the Q Acoustics 3020i and Cambridge SX-50 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*	Q Acoustics 3020i	Cambridge SX-50
Near-field	Good	Average
Small Room	Good	Good
Mid-size Room	Average	Average
Large Room	Poor	Poor
Very Large Room	No way	Bad

(* 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 3020i and SX-50 are 2-way speakers.

Q Acoustics 3020i

Cambridge SX-50

TweeterWoofer

Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.

Driver	Q Acoustics 3020i	Cambridge SX-50
Driver Setup	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	0.9-inch	1-inch
Midrange	-	-
Woofer	1 x 5-inch	1 x 5.25-inch

3020i features a 0.9" decoupled Tweeter and 1 x 5" Coated paper Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2400Hz. On the other hand, the SX-50 features a 1" Silk Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5.25" Treated paper Woofer.

Frequency Response

3020i has a frequency range of 64-30k Hz whereas SX-50 has a frequency range of 50-22k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 50Hz, the SX-50 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

3020i

SX-50

Min

Average

Median

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

3020i is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the SX-50 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.

These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. 3020i sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the SX-50's is rated at 90 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Cambridge SX-50 a more sensitive speaker compared to Q Acoustics 3020i, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

Sensitivity

Bookshelf Speakers

3020i

SX-50

Min

Average

Median

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.

SX-50 can handle a max power of 100 watts RMS, whereas 3020i has a max power handling value of 75 watts RMS, 25 watts less than the SX-50.

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.

Amplifier - change this

Distance

Playing as

Q Acoustics 3020i

Cambridge SX-50

Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring

3020i features 5-way post type posts and SX-50 has a 5-way post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.

Cambridge SX-50's 5-way post terminals

Cabinet Type and Port Position

Both 3020i and SX-50 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.

Cambridge SX-50 Port

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 Q Acoustics 3020i's and Cambridge SX-50's external dimensions. Q Acoustics 3020i has external dimensions of 278.0 x 170.0 x 282.0mm (10.9 x 6.6 x 11.1inch) whereas Cambridge SX-50 has external dimensions of 225.0 x 161.0 x 240.0mm (8.8 x 6.3 x 9.4inch).

Q Acoustics 3020i is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 9mm wider, 53mm taller and 42mm deeper than Cambridge SX-50.

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Q Acoustics 3020i and Cambridge SX-50 in scale.

Comparison image of Q Acoustics 3020i and Cambridge SX-50 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 Q Acoustics 3020i is approximately 479.4cm² / 74.3inch² and base area of the Cambridge SX-50 is approximately 386.4cm² / 59.9inch². The 3020i requires 24% more surface area than the SX-50 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 Q Acoustics 3020i and Cambridge SX-50 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 Q Acoustics 3020i weighs 4.80kg / 10.6lbs and the Cambridge SX-50 weighs 3.00kg / 6.6lbs. This makes the 3020i 60% heavier than the SX-50.

Here is a comparison of how 3020i and SX-50's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Bookshelf class.

Weight
All Bookshelf Speakers

Q Acoustics 3020i

Cambridge SX-50

Min

Average

Max

What's in the Box of Q Acoustics 3020i?

Here are the items that are included inside the box of 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

What's in the Box of Cambridge SX-50?

Here are the items that come with the SX-50:

2 Bookshelf loudspeakers
2 Grilles
8 Self-adhesive feet
2 Foam port inserts
Installation Guide

Reasons to choose Q Acoustics 3020i over Cambridge Audio SX-50

High Frequency Response	30k Hz vs 22k Hz	Generates higher frequency

Reasons to choose Cambridge Audio SX-50 over Q Acoustics 3020i

Max Input Power	100 watts vs 75 watts	Handle more power from your amplifier
Sensitivity	90 dB vs 88 dB	Play louder with same amount of amplification power
Nominal Impedance	8 ohms vs 6 ohms	Less selective with amplifiers
Woofer Size	5.25 inches vs 5 inches	Larger woofer
Low Frequency Response	50 Hz vs 64 Hz	Generates deeper bass
Height	225mm vs 278mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces
Base Surface Area	386cm² vs 479cm²	Takes less floor space
Price per pair*	199USD vs 399USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

Q Acoustics 3020i vs Cambridge SX-50 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Q Acoustics 3020i	Cambridge Audio SX-50
Brand	Q Acoustics	Cambridge Audio
Speaker Type	Bookshelf speakers	Bookshelf speakers
Power Range	25-75 watts	10-100 watts
Sensitivity	88 dB	90 dB
Impedance	6 ohms	8 ohms
Impedance	4 ohms	n/a
Frequency Response	64-30k Hz	50-22k Hz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	1	1
Woofer Size	5"	5.25"
Woofer Composition	Coated paper	Treated paper
Woofer Surround Material	Rubber	Rubber
Tweeter Size	0.9"	1"
Tweeter Type	decoupled	Dome
Aimable Tweeter	No	No
Midrange Driver	No	No
Crossover Frequency	2400Hz	n/a
Firing Direction	rear	rear
Physical Specs
Height	278.0mm (10.9")	225.0mm (8.9")
Width	170.0mm (6.7")	161.0mm (6.3")
Depth	282.0mm (11.1")	240.0mm (9.4")
Weight	4.80kg (10.6lbs)	3.00kg (6.6lbs)
Enclosure	Bass Reflex	Bass Reflex
Finish	n/a	MDF/Woodgrain vinyl
Available Colors	Walnut, Black, White, Grey	Black
Mounting Bracket	No	No
Recommended Stand Height	n/a	28-31"
Grille	Yes	Yes
Moisture Resistancy	No	No
Connections
Biamp Inputs	No	No
Other
Parts Warranty	4 Years	5 Years
Labor Warranty	4 Years	5 Years

Verdict

These sit in different price classes - Q Acoustics 3020i costs roughly 2x what Cambridge SX-50 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	B	Cambridge SX-50 digs deeper - 50Hz against 64Hz.
Amplifier needs	B	Cambridge SX-50 is more sensitive (90dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier.
Amplifier match	B	Cambridge SX-50 is the easier load at 8 ohms.
Headroom	B	Cambridge SX-50 takes more power (100W vs 75W) - more in hand in a big room.
Size	depends	Cambridge SX-50 is easier to place; Q Acoustics 3020i is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides.
Price	B	Cambridge SX-50 is cheaper - $199 against $399, about 50% less; arguably a different class.

A Q Acoustics 3020i B Cambridge SX-50
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?

Cambridge SX-50 is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take Q Acoustics 3020i if its size, looks or fit in your room suit you better. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 64Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate Q Acoustics 3020i the better fit for near-field listening; elsewhere the two are rated the same.

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.