In this review, we will be comparing 5040 and R700, 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 R700 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Q Acoustics 5040 | Polk R700 |
|---|
| Brand | Q Acoustics
United Kingdom · founded 2006 | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Soft-dome | 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5" Continuous Curved Cone | 2 x 8" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 39-30k Hz | 38-38k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 91.5 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-150 watts | 50-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 18.05kg / 39.7lbs | 35.90kg / 79lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 38-1/8" x 14-1/4" x 11-1/2"
969.0 x 362.0 x 293.0mm | 45" x 12.6" x 16.9"
1143.8 x 320.7 x 428.3mm |
|---|
What size room are the Q Acoustics 5040 and Polk R700 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 R700 |
| 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.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that 5040 is a 2-way design whereas the R700 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.
Q Acoustics 5040Polk R700
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
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 5040 |
Polk R700 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5-inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
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 R700 features a 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 8" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 350Hz and 2700Hz.
Frequency Response
5040 has a frequency range of 39-30k Hz whereas R700 has a frequency range of 38-38k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 38Hz, the R700 can go slightly deeper then the 5040's min frequency of 39Hz.
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
5040 is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the R700 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. 5040 sensitivity is rated at 91.5 dB and the R700's is rated at 88 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the Q Acoustics 5040 a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk R700, 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.
R700 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas 5040 has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 150 watts less than the R700.
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
R700 features Post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. 5040 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Q Acoustics 5040's Binding post terminals
Polk R700's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
5040 has a rear firing port whereas R700 has a bottom firing ports. Polk R700'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 R700 Port
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 5040's and Polk R700'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 R700 has external dimensions of 1143.8 x 320.7 x 428.3mm (45 x 12.6 x 16.9inch).
Q Acoustics 5040 is 174.8mm shorter and 135.3mm less deeper than Polk R700 but it is also 41.3mm wider.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Q Acoustics 5040 and Polk R700 in scale.
Comparison image of Q Acoustics 5040 and Polk R700 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 5040 is approximately 1060.7cm2 / 164.4inch2 and base area of the Polk R700 is approximately 1373.6cm2 / 212.9inch2. The 5040 requires 23% less surface area than the R700 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 5040 weighs 18.05kg / 39.7lbs and the Polk R700 weighs 35.90kg / 79lbs. This makes the R700 99% heavier than the 5040.
Here is a comparison of how 5040 and R700'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 are included inside the box of 5040:
- 1x 5040 loudspeaker
- 1x Owners manual
- 2x Foam bung
- 4x Spike feet
- 4x Spike cover
- 4x M5 screw
- 2x Rear stabiliser
What's in the Box of Polk R700?
Here are the items that come with the R700:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- 4 Outrigger feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Rubber feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spike feet (pre-installed)
- Grille
- Hex-key
- Owner's Manual
- Online Registration
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Height |
969mm
vs
1143mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1060cm2
vs
1373cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1498USD
vs
2198USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
150 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Minimum Impedance |
3.6 ohms
vs
3.0 ohms
|
Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
38 Hz
vs
39 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
38k Hz
vs
30k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
| General |
Q Acoustics 5040 |
Polk Audio Reserve R700 |
| Brand |
Q Acoustics |
Polk Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
25-150 watts |
50-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
91.5 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.0 ohms |
3.6 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
39-30k Hz |
38-38k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Continuous Curved Cone |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-dome |
Pinnacle Ring Radiator |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
6.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
2500 Hz |
350Hz and 2700Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
bottom |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
969.0mm (38.1") |
1143.8mm (45") |
| Width |
362.0mm (14.3") |
320.7mm (12.6") |
| Depth |
293.0mm (11.5") |
428.3mm (16.9") |
| Weight |
18.05kg (39.7lbs) |
35.90kg (79lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Relfex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF |
MDF/Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Holme Oak,Satin Black,Satin White,Santos Rosewood |
Black, Walnut, White |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 years |
5 Years |
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | evenly matched | Much the same reach (39Hz vs 38Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | A | Q Acoustics 5040 is more sensitive (92dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | Polk R700 is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | B | Polk R700 takes more power (300W vs 150W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Q Acoustics 5040 is easier to place; Polk R700 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | B | Polk R700: bi-amping. Polk R700 sits in a wider range (10 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | A | Q Acoustics 5040 is cheaper - $1,498 against $2,198, about 32% less. |
A Q Acoustics 5040 B Polk R700
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: Polk R700 measures better, Q Acoustics 5040 costs about about 47% more% 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 5040 the better fit for a mid-size room, and Polk R700 for a very large room. In a large or open-plan room, Polk R700 has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Q Acoustics 5040 is the easier speaker to get right.
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.