In this review, we will be comparing 3050c and Prime Tower, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Q Acoustics and SVS.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Q Acoustics 3050c and SVS Prime Tower 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 )
SVS Prime Tower Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" dome Tweeter
- 4.5" Midrange
- 2 x 6.5" Polypropylene Woofer
- 4.5" Midrange
- 30-25k Hz Frequency Response
- 87 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:20-250watts
- Weight:18.23kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 931.0" x 8" x 11-11/16"( 931.0 x 204.0 x 297.0mm )
What size room are the Q Acoustics 3050c and SVS Prime Tower 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 |
SVS Prime Tower |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Average |
(* 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 SVS Prime Tower 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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that 3050c is a 2-way design whereas the Prime Tower is a 3-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
| Driver |
Q Acoustics 3050c |
SVS Prime Tower |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
0.9-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 4.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.5-inch
|
2 x 6.5-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 Prime Tower features a 1" aluminum dome Tweeter , a 4.5" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 350Hz and 2100Hz.
Frequency Response
3050c has a frequency range of 42-30k Hz whereas Prime Tower has a frequency range of 30-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 30Hz, the Prime Tower 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 Prime Tower which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. 3050c sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the Prime Tower's is rated at 87 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Q Acoustics 3050c a more sensitive speaker compared to SVS Prime Tower, 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. 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 250 watts RMS from the amp the whereas 3050c has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS , 100 watts less than the Prime Tower.
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
3050c features 5-Way post type posts and Prime Tower has a 5-Way post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
SVS Prime Tower's 5-Way post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both 3050c and Prime Tower 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
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 SVS Prime Tower'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 SVS Prime Tower has external dimensions of 931.0 x 204.0 x 297.0mm ( 36-5/8 x 8 x 11-11/16inch) .
Q Acoustics 3050c is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 111mm wider, 89mm taller and 19mm deeper than SVS Prime Tower.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Q Acoustics 3050c and SVS Prime Tower in scale.
Comparison image of Q Acoustics 3050c and SVS Prime Tower 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 SVS Prime Tower is approximately 605.9cm2 / 93.9inch2. The 3050c requires 64% more surface area than the Prime Tower which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.