In this review, we will be comparing Q Acoustics 5040 and R600, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Q Acoustics and Polk Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Q Acoustics 5040 and Polk R600 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 )
Polk R600 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter
- 2 x 6.5" Polypropylene Turbine Cone Woofer
- 43-38k Hz Frequency Response
- 87.5 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:25-200watts
- Weight:21.50kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1063.8" x 11" x 15"( 1063.8 x 280.7 x 381.6mm )
What size room are the Q Acoustics 5040 and Polk R600 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 |
Polk R600 |
| 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 5040 and Polk R600 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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through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
Both Q Acoustics 5040 and R600 are 2-way speakers.
| Driver |
Q Acoustics 5040 |
Polk R600 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5-inch
|
2 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 R600 features a 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Polypropylene Turbine Cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2700Hz.
Frequency Response
Q Acoustics 5040 has a frequency range of 39-30k Hz whereas R600 has a frequency range of 43-38k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 39Hz, the Q Acoustics 5040 can go slightly deeper then the R600's min frequency of 43Hz.
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 R600 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 R600's is rated at 87.5 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the Q Acoustics 5040 a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk R600, 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 200 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Q Acoustics 5040 has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS , 50 watts less than the R600.
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
Q Acoustics 5040 features Post type posts and R600 has a Post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Q Acoustics 5040's Binding post terminals
Polk R600's Post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Q Acoustics 5040 has a rear firing port whereas R600 has a bottom firing ports. Polk R600's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Q Acoustics 5040 with its rear-firing port.
Polk R600 Port
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 Polk R600'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 Polk R600 has external dimensions of 1063.8 x 280.7 x 381.6mm ( 41.9 x 11 x 15inch) .
Q Acoustics 5040 is 94.8mm shorter and 88.6mm less deeper than Polk R600 but it is also 81.3mm 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 Polk R600 is approximately 1071.2cm2 / 166.0inch2. The Q Acoustics 5040 requires 1% less surface area than the R600 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.