In this review, we will be comparing Q Acoustics 5050 and Q Acoustics 5040, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Q Acoustics Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Q Acoustics 5050 and Q Acoustics 5040 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Q Acoustics 5050 and Q Acoustics 5040 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 5050 and Q Acoustics 5040 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:
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Q Acoustics 5050 and Q Acoustics 5040 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
Both Q Acoustics 5050 and Q Acoustics 5040 are 2-way speakers.
| Driver |
Q Acoustics 5050 |
Q Acoustics 5040 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6-inch
|
2 x 5-inch
|
Q Acoustics 5050 features a 1" Soft-dome Tweeter and 2 x 6" Continuous Curved Cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2700 Hz. On the other hand, the Q Acoustics 5040 features a 1" Soft-dome Tweeter and 2 x 5" Continuous Curved Cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500 Hz.
Frequency Response
Q Acoustics 5050 and Q Acoustics 5040 has exactly the same frequency range of 39-30k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 37Hz, the Q Acoustics 5050 can go slightly deeper then the Q Acoustics 5040's min frequency of 39Hz.
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 5050 and Q Acoustics 5040 have the same Impedance of 6 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 92 dB.
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 5050 can handle a max power of 175 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Q Acoustics 5040 has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 25 watts less than the Q Acoustics 5050.
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 5050 features Binding post type posts and Q Acoustics 5040 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Q Acoustics 5050's Binding post terminals
Q Acoustics 5040's Binding post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Q Acoustics 5050 and Q Acoustics 5040 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 5050's and Q Acoustics 5040's external dimensions. Q Acoustics 5050 has external dimensions of 1017 x 366 x 336 mm ( 40.0 x 15.2 x 13.2 in) whereas 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 ) .
Q Acoustics 5050 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 4mm wider, 48mm taller and 43mm deeper than Q Acoustics 5040.
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 5050 is approximately 1229.8cm2 / 190.6inch2 and base area of the Q Acoustics 5040 is approximately 1060.7cm2 / 164.4inch2. The Q Acoustics 5050 requires 16% more surface area than the Q Acoustics 5040 which gives it a small disadvantage 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 5050 weighs 21.60kg / 47.5lbs and the Q Acoustics 5040 weighs 18.05kg / 39.7lbs. This makes the Q Acoustics 5050 20% heavier than the Q Acoustics 5040.
Here is a comparison of how Q Acoustics 5050 and Q Acoustics 5040'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 5050?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Q Acoustics 5050:
1x 5050 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 5040?
Here are the items that come with the Q Acoustics 5040:
1x 5040 loudspeaker1x Owners manual 2x Foam bung4x Spike feet 4x Spike cover 4x M5 screw 2x Rear stabiliser
 Max Input Power |
175 watts
vs
150 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Minimum Impedance |
3.6 ohms
vs
3.0 ohms
|
Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier |
 Woofer Size |
6 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
| Low Frequency Response |
37 Hz
vs
39 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
969mm
vs
1017mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1060cm2 (362x293mm)
vs
1229cm2 (366x336mm)
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1498USD
vs
1999USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Q Acoustics 5050 |
Q Acoustics 5040 |
| Brand |
Q Acoustics |
Q Acoustics |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
25-175 watts |
25-150 watts |
| Sensitivity |
91.5 dB |
91.5 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
6 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.6 ohms |
3.0 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
39-30k Hz |
39-30k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6" |
5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Continuous Curved Cone |
Continuous Curved Cone |
| 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 |
2700 Hz |
2500 Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1017.0mm (40") |
969.0mm (38.1") |
| Width |
366.0mm (14.4") |
362.0mm (14.3") |
| Depth |
336.0mm (13.2") |
293.0mm (11.5") |
| Weight |
21.60kg (47.5lbs) |
18.05kg (39.7lbs) |
| 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 |