In this review, we will be comparing 3050c and Bronze 500, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Q Acoustics and Monitor Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Q Acoustics 3050c and Monitor Audio Bronze 500 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Q Acoustics 3050c Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 0.9" decoupled Tweeter
- 2 x 5.5" Coated paper Woofer
- 42-30k Hz Frequency Response
- 90 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 6ohms
- Power Range:25-150watts
- Weight:17.80kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1020.0" x 12.4" x 12.4"( 1020 x 315 x 316 mm )
Monitor Audio Bronze 500 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" gold dome C-CAM with uniform dispersion (UD) waveguide Tweeter
- 2 x 8" C-CAM Woofer
- 32-30k Hz Frequency Response
- 90 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:60-200watts
- Weight:18.05kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 977.0" x 11-9/16" x 14-3/8"( 977.0 x 294.0 x 366.0mm )
What size room are the Q Acoustics 3050c and Monitor Audio Bronze 500 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 3050c |
Monitor Audio Bronze 500 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Q Acoustics 3050c and Monitor Audio Bronze 500 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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Drivers
Both 3050c and Bronze 500 are 2-way speakers.
| Driver |
Q Acoustics 3050c |
Monitor Audio Bronze 500 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
0.9-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.5-inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
3050c features a 0.9" decoupled Tweeter and 2 x 5.5" Coated paper Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2400 Hz. On the other hand, the Bronze 500 features a 1" gold dome C-CAM with uniform dispersion (UD) waveguide Tweeter and 2 x 8" C-CAM Woofer .
Frequency Response
3050c has a frequency range of 42-30k Hz whereas Bronze 500 has a frequency range of 32-30k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 32Hz, the Bronze 500 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the 3050c's min frequency of 42Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
High Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
3050c is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the Bronze 500 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
On the other hand, they have the same sensitivity of 90 dBdB.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. While using
an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the
max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.
3050c can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS from the amp the whereas 3050c has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS , 50 watts less than the Bronze 500.
Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker
compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters
such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Bronze 500 features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. 3050c has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Physical Specs
Size of a speaker can sometimes become 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 3050c's and Monitor Audio Bronze 500's external dimensions. Q Acoustics 3050c has external dimensions of 1020 x 315 x 316 mm ( 40.2 x 12.4 x 12.4 in) whereas Monitor Audio Bronze 500 has external dimensions of 977.0 x 294.0 x 366.0mm ( 38-7/16 x 11-9/16 x 14-3/8inch) .
Monitor Audio Bronze 500 is 21mm narrower and 43mm shorter than Q Acoustics 3050c but it is also 50mm deeper.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Q Acoustics 3050c and Monitor Audio Bronze 500 in scale.
Comparison image of Q Acoustics 3050c and Monitor Audio Bronze 500 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 3050c is approximately 995.4cm2 / 154.3inch2 and base area of the Monitor Audio Bronze 500 is approximately 1076.0cm2 / 166.8inch2. The 3050c requires 7% less surface area than the Bronze 500 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.