In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Q Acoustics. Q Acoustics Concept 300 is a Bookshelf speaker whereas the Concept 500 is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Q Acoustics Concept 300 and Q Acoustics Concept 500 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Q Acoustics Concept 300 | Q Acoustics Concept 500 |
|---|
| Brand | Q Acoustics
United Kingdom · founded 2006 | Q Acoustics
United Kingdom · founded 2006 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.1" Dome | 1.1" Dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 6.5" Paper composite | 2 x 6.5" Paper composite |
|---|
| Frequency response | 55-30k Hz | 41-30k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 84 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-200 watts | 25-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 14.50kg / 31.9lbs | 42.00kg / 92.4lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 14" x 7-7/8" x 15-3/4"
355.0 x 200.0 x 400.0mm | 46-1/4" x 15-3/4" x 14-3/4"
1175.0 x 400.0 x 375.0mm |
|---|
Concept 300 and Concept 500 are members of Q Acoustics's Concept series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Q Acoustics Concept Series
History
What size room are the Q Acoustics Concept 300 and Q Acoustics Concept 500 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 Concept 300 |
Q Acoustics Concept 500 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Average |
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
Both Concept 300 and Concept 500 are 2-way speakers.
Q Acoustics Concept 300Q Acoustics Concept 500
TweeterWoofer
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 Concept 300 |
Q Acoustics Concept 500 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
1.1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
Concept 300 features a 1.1" Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Paper composite Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz. On the other hand, the Concept 500 features a 1.1" Dome Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Paper composite Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz.
Frequency Response
Concept 300 has a frequency range of 55-30k Hz whereas Concept 500 has a frequency range of 41-30k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 41Hz, the Concept 500 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Concept 300's min frequency of 55Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf 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
Concept 300 and Concept 500 have the same Impedance of 6 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Concept 300 sensitivity is rated at 84 dB and the Concept 500's is at 90 dB. This 6 dB difference makes the Q Acoustics Concept 500 a more sensitive speaker compared to Q Acoustics Concept 300, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf 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.
Concept 300 and Concept 500 have the same power range of 25-200 watts.
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
Both Concept 300 and Concept 500 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Concept 300 and Concept 500 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
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 Concept 300's and Q Acoustics Concept 500's external dimensions. Q Acoustics Concept 300 has external dimensions of 355.0 x 200.0 x 400.0mm (14 x 7-7/8 x 15-3/4inch) whereas Q Acoustics Concept 500 has external dimensions of 1175.0 x 400.0 x 375.0mm (46-1/4 x 15-3/4 x 14-3/4inch).
Q Acoustics Concept 300 is 200mm narrower and 820mm shorter than Q Acoustics Concept 500 but it is also 25mm deeper.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
Q Acoustics Concept 500 needs about 88% more floor or shelf area. Q Acoustics Concept 300 is 25mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Q Acoustics Concept 500 is 820mm taller.
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 Concept 300 is approximately 800.0cm2 / 124.0inch2 and base area of the Q Acoustics Concept 500 is approximately 1500.0cm2 / 232.5inch2. The Concept 300 requires 47% less surface area than the Concept 500 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.