In this review, we will be comparing Q Acoustics 5040 and 702 S3, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Q Acoustics and Bowers Wilkins.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Q Acoustics 5040 and B&W 702 S3 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Q Acoustics 5040 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Soft-dome Tweeter
- 2 x 5" Continuous Curved Cone Woofer
- 39-30k Hz Frequency Response
- 91.5 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 6ohms
- Power Range:25-150watts
- Weight:18.05kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 969.0" x 14-1/4" x 11-1/2"( 969.0 x 362.0 x 293.0mm )
B&W 702 S3 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" Tweeter
- 6" Midrange
- 3 x 6.5" Aerofoil Woofer
- 6" Midrange
- 46-28k Hz Frequency Response
- 90 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:30-300watts
- Weight:33.46kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1138.0" x 7.6" x 15.4"( 1138.0 x 192.0 x 391.0mm )
What size room are the Q Acoustics 5040 and B&W 702 S3 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 5040 |
B&W 702 S3 |
| 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 5040 and B&W 702 S3 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 Q Acoustics 5040 is a 2-way design whereas the 702 S3 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 5040 |
B&W 702 S3 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 6-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5-inch
|
3 x 6.5-inch
|
Q Acoustics 5040 features a 1" Soft-dome Tweeter and 2 x 5" Continuous Curved Cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500 Hz. On the other hand, the 702 S3 features a 1" Tweeter , a 6" Midrange and 3 x 6.5" Aerofoil Woofer .
Frequency Response
Q Acoustics 5040 has a frequency range of 39-30k Hz whereas 702 S3 has a frequency range of 46-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 39Hz, the Q Acoustics 5040 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the 702 S3's min frequency of 46Hz.
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
Q Acoustics 5040 is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the 702 S3 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Q Acoustics 5040 sensitivity is rated at 91.5 dB and the 702 S3's is rated at 90 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the Q Acoustics 5040 a more sensitive speaker compared to B&W 702 S3, 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.
Q Acoustics 5040 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Q Acoustics 5040 has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS , 150 watts less than the 702 S3.
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
702 S3 features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Q Acoustics 5040 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Q Acoustics 5040's Binding post terminals
B&W 702 S3's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Q Acoustics 5040 and 702 S3 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 5040's and B&W 702 S3's external dimensions. 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 ) whereas B&W 702 S3 has external dimensions of 1138.0 x 192.0 x 391.0mm ( 44.8-inch x 7.6-inch x 15.4-inch) .
Q Acoustics 5040 is 169mm shorter and 98mm less deeper than B&W 702 S3 but it is also 170mm wider.
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 5040 is approximately 1060.7cm2 / 164.4inch2 and base area of the B&W 702 S3 is approximately 750.7cm2 / 116.4inch2. The Q Acoustics 5040 requires 41% more surface area than the 702 S3 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.