In this review, we will be comparing Q Acoustics 5050 and Prime Tower, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Q Acoustics and SVS. Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Q Acoustics 5050 and SVS Prime Tower first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
What size room are the Q Acoustics 5050 and SVS Prime Tower 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 SVS Prime Tower 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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Q Acoustics 5050 is a 2-way design whereas the Prime Tower 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.
| Driver |
Q Acoustics 5050 |
SVS Prime Tower |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 4.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6-inch
|
2 x 6.5-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 Prime Tower features a 1" aluminum dome Tweeter , a 4.5" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 350Hz and 2100Hz.
Frequency Response
Q Acoustics 5050 has a frequency range of 39-30k Hz whereas Prime Tower has a frequency range of 30-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 30Hz, the Prime Tower can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Q Acoustics 5050's min frequency of 37Hz.
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 is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the Prime Tower which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Q Acoustics 5050 sensitivity is rated at 91.5 dB and the Prime Tower's is rated at 87 dB. This 5 dB difference makes the Q Acoustics 5050 a more sensitive speaker compared to SVS Prime Tower, 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 5050 can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Q Acoustics 5050 has a max power handling value of 175 watts RMS , 75 watts less than the Prime Tower.
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 5-Way post type posts and Prime Tower has a 5-Way post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Q Acoustics 5050's Binding post terminals
SVS Prime Tower's 5-Way post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Q Acoustics 5050 and Prime Tower 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 SVS Prime Tower'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 SVS Prime Tower has external dimensions of 931.0 x 204.0 x 297.0mm ( 36-5/8 x 8 x 11-11/16inch) .
Q Acoustics 5050 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 162mm wider, 86mm taller and 39mm deeper than SVS Prime Tower.
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 SVS Prime Tower is approximately 605.9cm2 / 93.9inch2. The Q Acoustics 5050 requires 103% more surface area than the Prime Tower 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 SVS Prime Tower weighs 18.23kg / 40.1lbs. This makes the Q Acoustics 5050 18% heavier than the Prime Tower.
Here is a comparison of how Q Acoustics 5050 and Prime Tower'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 SVS Prime Tower?
Here are the items that come with the Prime Tower:
Floorstanding loudspeakerGrille (pre-installed)4 Elastomer isolation feet (pre-installed)4 Spike feet4 Nuts4 Protective discsOwners ManualSVS brochureOnline Product Registration Card
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 High Frequency Response |
30k Hz
vs
25k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Max Input Power |
250 watts
vs
175 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 |
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
6 inches
|
Larger woofer |
| Low Frequency Response |
30 Hz
vs
37 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
931mm
vs
1017mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
605cm2 (204x297mm)
vs
1229cm2 (366x336mm)
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1400USD
vs
1999USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Q Acoustics 5050 |
SVS Prime Tower |
| Brand |
Q Acoustics |
SVS |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
25-175 watts |
20-250 watts |
| Sensitivity |
91.5 dB |
87 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.6 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
39-30k Hz |
30-25k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Continuous Curved Cone |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-dome |
dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
4.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
2700 Hz |
350Hz and 2100Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1017.0mm (40") |
931.0mm (36.7") |
| Width |
366.0mm (14.4") |
204.0mm (8") |
| Depth |
336.0mm (13.2") |
297.0mm (11.7") |
| Weight |
21.60kg (47.5lbs) |
18.23kg (40.1lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Relfex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Holme Oak,Satin Black,Satin White,Santos Rosewood |
Black |
| 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 |