In this review, we will be comparing Concept 50 and Imagine X2T, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Q Acoustics and PSB.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Q Acoustics Concept 50 and PSB Imagine X2T first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Q Acoustics Concept 50 | PSB Imagine X2T |
|---|
| Brand | Q Acoustics
United Kingdom · founded 2006 | PSB
Canada · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Dome | 1" Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 5.25" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5" Paper composite | 2 x 6.2" Clay/Ceramic/Poly |
|---|
| Frequency response | 42-30k Hz | 30-23k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90.5 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-150 watts | 20-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 22.90kg / 50.4lbs | 23.60kg / 51.9lbs |
|---|
| 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 | 40-1/8" x 9" x 16-3/4"
1020.0 x 229.0 x 426.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Q Acoustics Concept 50 and PSB Imagine X2T 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 50 |
PSB Imagine X2T |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
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.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Concept 50 is a 2-way design whereas the Imagine X2T 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.
Q Acoustics Concept 50PSB Imagine X2T
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
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 50 |
PSB Imagine X2T |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 5.25-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5-inch
|
2 x 6.2-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 Imagine X2T features a 1" titanium with neodymium magnets Dome Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 2 x 6.2" Clay/Ceramic/Poly Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 500Hz and 2200Hz.
Frequency Response
Concept 50 has a frequency range of 42-30k Hz whereas Imagine X2T has a frequency range of 30-23k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 30Hz, the Imagine X2T can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Concept 50's min frequency of 42Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing 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 50 is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the Imagine X2T 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 Imagine X2T's is rated at 90 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Q Acoustics Concept 50 a more sensitive speaker compared to PSB Imagine X2T, 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. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
Imagine X2T can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas Concept 50 has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the Imagine X2T.
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 50 and Imagine X2T features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
PSB Imagine X2T's 5-Way post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Concept 50 has a rear firing port whereas Imagine X2T has a front firing ports. PSB Imagine X2T's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Q Acoustics Concept 50 with its rear-firing port.
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 50's and PSB Imagine X2T'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 PSB Imagine X2T has external dimensions of 1020.0 x 229.0 x 426.0mm (40-1/8 x 9 x 16-3/4inch).
PSB Imagine X2T is 189mm narrower and 5mm shorter than Q Acoustics Concept 50 but it is also 107mm 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 50 needs about 37% more floor or shelf area. PSB Imagine X2T is 107mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall.
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 PSB Imagine X2T is approximately 975.5cm2 / 151.2inch2. The Concept 50 requires 37% more surface area than the Imagine X2T 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 Concept 50 weighs 22.90kg / 50.4lbs and the PSB Imagine X2T weighs 23.60kg / 51.9lbs. This makes the Imagine X2T 3% heavier than the Concept 50.
Here is a comparison of how Concept 50 and Imagine X2T'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 PSB Imagine X2T?
Here are the items that come with the Imagine X2T:
- Floor-standing speaker
- Grille
- 4 Rubber feet
- 4 Spiked Feet
- Wrench
- Quick Start Guide
- Warranty Card
 Sensitivity |
91 dB
vs
90 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 High Frequency Response |
30k Hz
vs
23k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Max Input Power |
200 watts
vs
150 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 |
6.2 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
30 Hz
vs
42 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Port Position |
Front
vs
Rear
|
Gives more flexibility placing close to walls |
 Height |
1020mm
vs
1025mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
975cm2
vs
1333cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1500USD
vs
1999USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Q Acoustics Concept 50 |
PSB Imagine X2T |
| Brand |
Q Acoustics |
PSB |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
25-150 watts |
20-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90.5 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.6 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
42-30k Hz |
30-23k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5" |
6.2" |
| Woofer Composition |
Paper composite |
Clay/Ceramic/Poly |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Dome |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
5.25" |
| Crossover Frequency |
2100Hz |
500Hz and 2200Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1025.0mm (40.4") |
1020.0mm (40.2") |
| Width |
418.0mm (16.5") |
229.0mm (9") |
| Depth |
319.0mm (12.6") |
426.0mm (16.8") |
| Weight |
22.90kg (50.4lbs) |
23.60kg (51.9lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Wood-grain |
| Available Colors |
n/a |
Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
A generation apart: Q Acoustics Concept 50 is the newer design, against a 2013 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | PSB Imagine X2T digs deeper - 30Hz against 42Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (91dB vs 90dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | B | PSB Imagine X2T is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | B | PSB Imagine X2T takes more power (200W vs 150W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | PSB Imagine X2T is easier to place; Q Acoustics Concept 50 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Q Acoustics Concept 50: bi-amping; PSB Imagine X2T: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | PSB Imagine X2T is cheaper - $1,500 against $1,999, about 25% less. |
A Q Acoustics Concept 50 B PSB Imagine X2T
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
PSB Imagine X2T is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take Q Acoustics Concept 50 if its size, looks or fit in your room suit you better. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 42Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate Q Acoustics Concept 50 the better fit for a very large room, and PSB Imagine X2T for a mid-size room.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.