In this review, we will be comparing 3040c and 5040, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Q Acoustics.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Q Acoustics 3040c and Q Acoustics 5040 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Q Acoustics 3040c | Q Acoustics 5040 |
|---|
| Brand | Q Acoustics
United Kingdom · founded 2006 | Q Acoustics
United Kingdom · founded 2006 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 0.9" Dome | 1" Soft-dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 4.75" Paper composite | 2 x 5" Continuous Curved Cone |
|---|
| Frequency response | 43-30k Hz | 39-30k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 91.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-120 watts | 25-150 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 14.60kg / 32.1lbs | 18.05kg / 39.7lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 37-1/16" x 11-1/4" x 11-1/16"
942.0 x 285.0 x 281.0mm | 38-1/8" x 14-1/4" x 11-1/2"
969.0 x 362.0 x 293.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Q Acoustics 3040c and Q Acoustics 5040 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 3040c |
Q Acoustics 5040 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Poor |
(* 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 3040c and 5040 are 2-way speakers.
Q Acoustics 3040cQ Acoustics 5040
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 3040c |
Q Acoustics 5040 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
0.9-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 4.75-inch
|
2 x 5-inch
|
3040c features a 0.9" Dome Tweeter and 2 x 4.75" Paper composite Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2400Hz. On the other hand, the 5040 features a 1" Soft-dome Tweeter and 2 x 5" Continuous Curved Cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500 Hz.
Frequency Response
3040c has a frequency range of 43-30k Hz whereas 5040 has a frequency range of 39-30k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 39Hz, the 5040 can go slightly deeper then the 3040c's min frequency of 43Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing 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
3040c and 5040 have the same Impedance of 6 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. 3040c sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the 5040's is at 91.5 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the Q Acoustics 5040 a more sensitive speaker compared to Q Acoustics 3040c, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing 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.
5040 can handle a max power of 150 watts RMS, whereas 3040c has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 30 watts less than the 5040.
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
3040c features Binding post type posts and 5040 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Q Acoustics 5040's Binding post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both 3040c and 5040 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 Q Acoustics 3040c's and Q Acoustics 5040's external dimensions. Q Acoustics 3040c has external dimensions of 942.0 x 285.0 x 281.0mm (37-1/16 x 11-1/4 x 11-1/16inch) whereas Q Acoustics 5040 has external dimensions of 969.0 x 362.0 x 293.0mm (38-1/8inch x 14-1/4inch x 11-1/2inch).
Q Acoustics 5040 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 77mm wider, 27mm taller and 12mm deeper than Q Acoustics 3040c.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
Q Acoustics 5040 needs about 32% more floor or shelf area. Q Acoustics 5040 is 27mm taller.
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 3040c is approximately 800.9cm2 / 124.1inch2 and base area of the Q Acoustics 5040 is approximately 1060.7cm2 / 164.4inch2. The 3040c requires 24% less surface area than the 5040 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
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 3040c weighs 14.60kg / 32.1lbs and the Q Acoustics 5040 weighs 18.05kg / 39.7lbs. This makes the 5040 24% heavier than the 3040c.
Here is a comparison of how 3040c and 5040's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of Q Acoustics 5040?
Here are the items that come with the 5040:
- 1x 5040 loudspeaker
- 1x Owners manual
- 2x Foam bung
- 4x Spike feet
- 4x Spike cover
- 4x M5 screw
- 2x Rear stabiliser
 Minimum Impedance |
4 ohms
vs
3.0 ohms
|
Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier |
 Height |
942mm
vs
969mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
800cm2
vs
1060cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
599USD
vs
1498USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
150 watts
vs
120 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
5 inches
vs
4.75 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
39 Hz
vs
43 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
| General |
Q Acoustics 3040c |
Q Acoustics 5040 |
| Brand |
Q Acoustics |
Q Acoustics |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
25-120 watts |
25-150 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
91.5 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
6 ohms |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
3.0 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
43-30k Hz |
39-30k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
4.75" |
5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Paper composite |
Continuous Curved Cone |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
0.9" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Dome |
Soft-dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
2400Hz |
2500 Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
942.0mm (37.1") |
969.0mm (38.1") |
| Width |
285.0mm (11.2") |
362.0mm (14.3") |
| Depth |
281.0mm (11.1") |
293.0mm (11.5") |
| Weight |
14.60kg (32.1lbs) |
18.05kg (39.7lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Relfex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF |
| Available Colors |
n/a |
Holme Oak,Satin Black,Satin White,Santos Rosewood |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 years |
These sit in different price classes - Q Acoustics 5040 costs roughly 2.5x what Q Acoustics 3040c 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 | Q Acoustics 5040 digs deeper - 39Hz against 43Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Q Acoustics 5040 is more sensitive (92dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | B | Q Acoustics 5040 takes more power (150W vs 120W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Q Acoustics 3040c is easier to place; Q Acoustics 5040 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Price | A | Q Acoustics 3040c is cheaper - $599 against $1,498, about 60% less; arguably a different class. |
A Q Acoustics 3040c B Q Acoustics 5040
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: Q Acoustics 5040 measures better, Q Acoustics 3040c costs about about 2.5x the price% 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. Match it to your room: we rate Q Acoustics 3040c the better fit for a small room, and Q Acoustics 5040 for a large room. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, Q Acoustics 5040 is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best.
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.