In this review, we will be comparing Concept 50 and Kendall, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Q Acoustics and KLH.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Q Acoustics Concept 50 and KLH Kendall first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Q Acoustics Concept 50 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Dome Tweeter
- 2 x 5" Paper composite Woofer
- 42-30k Hz Frequency Response
- 90.5 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 6ohms
- Power Range:25-150watts
- Weight:22.90kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 40-3/8" x 16-7/16" x 12-9/16" ( 1025.0 x 418.0 x 319.0mm )
KLH Kendall Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" Tweeter
- 5.25" Midrange
- 2 x 6.5" Woven Kevlar Woofer
- 5.25" Midrange
- 25-23k Hz Frequency Response
- 96 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:up to 250watts
- Weight:22.14kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 40-3/16" x 8-5/16" x 14-15/16" ( 1021.0 x 212.0 x 380.0mm )
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Q Acoustics Concept 50 and KLH Kendall 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 Concept 50 is a 2-way design whereas the Kendall 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 Concept 50 |
KLH Kendall |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 5.25-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
Concept 50 features a 1" Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5" Paper composite Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2100Hz. On the other hand, the Kendall features a 1" anodized aluminum Tweeter , a 5.25" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Woven Kevlar Woofer .
Frequency Response
Concept 50 has a frequency range of 42-30k Hz whereas Kendall has a frequency range of 25-23k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 25Hz, the Kendall can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Concept 50's min frequency of 42Hz.
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
Concept 50 is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the Kendall which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Concept 50 sensitivity is rated at 90.5 dB and the Kendall's is rated at 96 dB. This 5 dB difference makes the KLH Kendall a more sensitive speaker compared to Q Acoustics Concept 50, 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.
Concept 50 can handle a max power of 150 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Kendall has a max power handling value of watts RMS, 150 watts less than the Concept 50.
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
Kendall features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Concept 50 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
KLH Kendall's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
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 Concept 50's and KLH Kendall's external dimensions. Q Acoustics Concept 50 has external dimensions of 1025.0 x 418.0 x 319.0mm ( 40-3/8 x 16-7/16 x 12-9/16inch) whereas KLH Kendall has external dimensions of 1021.0 x 212.0 x 380.0mm ( 40-3/16 x 8-5/16 x 14-15/16inch) .
KLH Kendall is 206mm narrower and 4mm shorter than Q Acoustics Concept 50 but it is also 61mm deeper.
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 50 is approximately 1333.4cm2 / 206.7inch2 and base area of the KLH Kendall is approximately 805.6cm2 / 124.9inch2. The Concept 50 requires 66% more surface area than the Kendall which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.