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Q Acoustics 5040 vs Q Acoustics 5090 Comparison

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Q Acoustics 5040

Passive Floor-standing | 39-30k Hz

Q Acoustics 5040
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Q Acoustics 5090

Passive Center Channel | 57-30k Hz

Q Acoustics 5090
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Q Acoustics 5040 Q Acoustics 5040
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Q Acoustics 5090 Q Acoustics 5090
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Q Acoustics 5040
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Q Acoustics 5090
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Q Acoustics 5040 vs Q Acoustics 5090 Speaker Comparison

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 5090 is a Center Channel speaker.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Q Acoustics 5040 and Q Acoustics 5090 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 5090 Key Specs

  • 2-way Design
  • 1" Soft-dome Tweeter
  • 2 x 4.5" Coated paper Woofer
  • 57-30k Hz Frequency Response
  • 90.5 dB Sensitivity
  • Impedance: 6ohms
  • Power Range:25-150watts
  • Weight:8.50kg
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 166.0" x 16-15/16" x 9-5/8"( 166.0 x 431.0 x 245.0mm )

Q Acoustics 5040 and Q Acoustics 5090 are members of Q Acoustics's 5000 series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.

Q Acoustics 5000 Series History
Model Body Frequency SensitivityImpedance Woofer
Q Acoustics 5050
  
Floor-standing 39-30k Hz 91.5 dB6Ω 2 x 6"
Q Acoustics 5040
Floor-standing 39-30k Hz 91.5 dB6Ω 2 x 5"
Q Acoustics 5010
  
Bookshelf 56-30k Hz 86.3 dB6Ω 1 x 4.5"
Q Acoustics 5020
  
Bookshelf 53-30k Hz 87.9 dB6Ω 1 x 5"
Q Acoustics 5090
Center Channel 57-30k Hz 90.5 dB6Ω 2 x 4.5"

What size room are the Q Acoustics 5040 and Q Acoustics 5090 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 5090
Near-field Bad Poor
Small Room Poor Average
Mid-size Room Good Good
Large Room Good Average
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 Q Acoustics 5090 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 5090 are 2-way speakers.

Driver Q Acoustics 5040 Q Acoustics 5090
Driver Setup 2-way 2-way
Tweeter 1-inch 1-inch
Midrange - -
Woofer 2 x 5-inch 2 x 4.5-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 5090 features a 1" Soft-dome Tweeter and 2 x 4.5" Coated paper Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2100 Hz.

Frequency Response

Q Acoustics 5040 has a frequency range of 39-30k Hz whereas Q Acoustics 5090 has a frequency range of 57-30k 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 5090's min frequency of 57Hz.

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

Q Acoustics 5040
Q Acoustics 5090
Min
Average
Max
High Frequency

Floor-standing Speakers

Q Acoustics 5040
Q Acoustics 5090
Min
Average
Max

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 5090 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 5090's is at 90.5 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Q Acoustics 5040 a more sensitive speaker compared to Q Acoustics 5090, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

Sensitivity

Floor-standing Speakers

Q Acoustics 5040
Q Acoustics 5090
Min
Average
Max

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 and Q Acoustics 5090 has the same power range of 25-150 watts.

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 5090 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.

Q Acoustics 5040 Terminals
Q Acoustics 5040's Binding post terminals

Q Acoustics 5090 Terminals
Q Acoustics 5090's Binding post terminals

Cabinet Type and Port Position

Both Q Acoustics 5040 and Q Acoustics 5090 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 5090'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 5090 has external dimensions of 166.0 x 431.0 x 245.0mm ( 6-1/2inch x 16-15/16inch x 9-5/8inch ) .

Q Acoustics 5090 is 803mm shorter and 48mm less deeper than Q Acoustics 5040 but it is also 69mm 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 Q Acoustics 5090 is approximately 1056.0cm2 / 163.7inch2. The Q Acoustics 5040 requires 0% more surface area than the Q Acoustics 5090 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 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 Q Acoustics 5090?

    Here are the items that come with the Q Acoustics 5090:
  • 1x 5090 loudspeaker
  • 1x Owners manual
  • 2x Foam bung

  • Reasons to choose Q Acoustics 5040 over Q Acoustics 5090
    Sensitivity 92 dB vs 91 dB Play louder with same amount of amplification power
    Woofer Size 5 inches vs 4.5 inches Larger woofer
    Low Frequency Response 39 Hz vs 57 Hz Generates deeper bass

    Reasons to choose Q Acoustics 5090 over Q Acoustics 5040

    Minimum Impedance 3.2 ohms vs 3.0 ohms Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier
    Height 166mm vs 969mm Easier to fit in smaller spaces
    Base Surface Area 1056cm2 vs 1060cm2 Takes less floor space
    Price per pair* 599USD vs 1498USD costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)
    Q Acoustics 5040 vs Q Acoustics 5090 Specs Table
    Detailed comparison of specifications
    General Q Acoustics 5040 Q Acoustics 5090
    Brand Q Acoustics Q Acoustics
    Speaker Type Floor-standing speaker Center channel speaker
    Power Range 25-150 watts 25-150 watts
    Sensitivity 91.5 dB 90.5 dB
    Impedance 6 ohms 6 ohms
    Impedance 3.0 ohms 3.2 ohms
    Frequency Response 39-30k Hz 57-30k Hz
    Drivers
    Woofer Quantity 2 2
    Woofer Size 5" 4.5"
    Woofer Composition Continuous Curved Cone Coated paper
    Woofer Surround Material Rubber Rubber
    Tweeter Size 1" 1"
    Tweeter Type Soft-dome Soft-dome
    Aimable Tweeter No No
    Midrange Driver No No
    Crossover Frequency 2500 Hz 2100 Hz
    Firing Direction rear rear
    Physical Specs
    Height 969.0mm (38.1") 166.0mm (6.5")
    Width 362.0mm (14.3") 431.0mm (17")
    Depth 293.0mm (11.5") 245.0mm (9.6")
    Weight 18.05kg (39.7lbs) 8.50kg (18.7lbs)
    Enclosure Bass Relfex Bass Relfex
    Finish MDF MDF
    Available Colors Holme Oak,Satin Black,Satin White,Santos Rosewood Holme Oak,Satin Black,Satin White,Santos Rosewood
    Grille Yes Yes
    Moisture Resistancy No No
    Connections
    Biamp Inputs No No
    Other
    Parts Warranty 5 years 5 years
    Labor Warranty 5 years 5 years

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