In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by Q Acoustics. Q Acoustics 5040 is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the Q Acoustics 5020 is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Q Acoustics 5040 and Q Acoustics 5020 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 )
Q Acoustics 5020 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Soft-dome Tweeter
- 5" Continuous Curved Cone Woofer
- 53-30k Hz Frequency Response
- 87.9 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 6ohms
- Power Range:25-100watts
- Weight:7.00kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 286.0" x 7-1/8" x 11-1/2"( 286.0 x 181.0 x 293.0mm )
Q Acoustics 5040 and Q Acoustics 5020 are members of Q Acoustics's 5000 series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Q Acoustics 5000 Series History
What size room are the Q Acoustics 5040 and Q Acoustics 5020 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 |
Q Acoustics 5020 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Average |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Bad |
(* 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 Q Acoustics 5020 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
**This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking
through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
Both Q Acoustics 5040 and Q Acoustics 5020 are 2-way speakers.
| Driver |
Q Acoustics 5040 |
Q Acoustics 5020 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5-inch
|
1 x 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 Q Acoustics 5020 features a 1" Soft-dome Tweeter and 1 x 5" Continuous Curved Cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500 Hz.
Frequency Response
Q Acoustics 5040 has a frequency range of 39-30k Hz whereas Q Acoustics 5020 has a frequency range of 53-30k 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 Q Acoustics 5020's min frequency of 53Hz.
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 and Q Acoustics 5020 have the same Impedance of 6 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Q Acoustics 5040 sensitivity is rated at 91.5 dB and the Q Acoustics 5020's is at 87.9 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the Q Acoustics 5040 a more sensitive speaker compared to Q Acoustics 5020, 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 150 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Q Acoustics 5020 has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the Q Acoustics 5040.
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 Binding post type posts and Q Acoustics 5020 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Q Acoustics 5040's Binding post terminals
Q Acoustics 5020's Binding post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Q Acoustics 5040 and Q Acoustics 5020 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 Q Acoustics 5020'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 Q Acoustics 5020 has external dimensions of 286.0 x 181.0 x 293.0mm ( 11-1/4nch x 7-1/8inch x 11-1/2inch ) .
Q Acoustics 5020 is 181mm narrower and 683mm shorter than Q Acoustics 5040 but they have the same thickness of 293.0mm.
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 Q Acoustics 5020 is approximately 530.3cm2 / 82.2inch2. The Q Acoustics 5040 requires 100% more surface area than the Q Acoustics 5020 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of Q Acoustics 5040?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Q Acoustics 5040:
1x 5040 loudspeaker1x Owners manual 2x Foam bung4x Spike feet 4x Spike cover 4x M5 screw 2x Rear stabiliser
What's in the Box of Q Acoustics 5020?
Here are the items that come with the Q Acoustics 5020:
2x 5020 loudspeaker 1x Owners manual 2x Foam bung
Max Input Power 
Sensitivity 
Number of Woofers 
Minimum Impedance 
Height 
Base Surface Area 
Price per pair*