In this review, we will be comparing Concept 50 and Concept 500, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Q Acoustics.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Q Acoustics Concept 50 and Q Acoustics Concept 500 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Q Acoustics Concept 50 | Q Acoustics Concept 500 |
|---|
| Brand | Q Acoustics
United Kingdom · founded 2006 | Q Acoustics
United Kingdom · founded 2006 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Dome | 1.1" Dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5" Paper composite | 2 x 6.5" Paper composite |
|---|
| Frequency response | 42-30k Hz | 41-30k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90.5 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-150 watts | 25-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 22.90kg / 50.4lbs | 42.00kg / 92.4lbs |
|---|
| 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 | 46-1/4" x 15-3/4" x 14-3/4"
1175.0 x 400.0 x 375.0mm |
|---|
Concept 50 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 50 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 50 |
Q Acoustics Concept 500 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
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 50 and Concept 500 are 2-way speakers.
Q Acoustics Concept 50Q 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 50 |
Q Acoustics Concept 500 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1.1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
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 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 50 has a frequency range of 42-30k Hz whereas Concept 500 has a frequency range of 41-30k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 41Hz, the Concept 500 can go slightly deeper then 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 and Concept 500 have the same Impedance of 6 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Concept 50 sensitivity is rated at 90.5 dB and the Concept 500's is at 90 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Q Acoustics Concept 50 a more sensitive speaker compared to Q Acoustics Concept 500, 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.
Concept 500 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 Concept 500.
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 Concept 500 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Concept 50 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 50's and Q Acoustics Concept 500'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 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 50 is 150mm shorter and 56mm less deeper than Q Acoustics Concept 500 but it is also 18mm wider.
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 12% more floor or shelf area. Q Acoustics Concept 500 is 56mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Q Acoustics Concept 500 is 150mm 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 50 is approximately 1333.4cm2 / 206.7inch2 and base area of the Q Acoustics Concept 500 is approximately 1500.0cm2 / 232.5inch2. The Concept 50 requires 11% less surface area than the Concept 500 which gives it a small advantage 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 Q Acoustics Concept 500 weighs 42.00kg / 92.4lbs. This makes the Concept 500 83% heavier than the Concept 50.
Here is a comparison of how Concept 50 and Concept 500's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
 Sensitivity |
91 dB
vs
90 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Height |
1025mm
vs
1175mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1333cm2
vs
1500cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1999USD
vs
4599USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
200 watts
vs
150 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Minimum Impedance |
3.7 ohms
vs
3.6 ohms
|
Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier |
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
41 Hz
vs
42 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
| General |
Q Acoustics Concept 50 |
Q Acoustics Concept 500 |
| Brand |
Q Acoustics |
Q Acoustics |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
25-150 watts |
25-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90.5 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
6 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.6 ohms |
3.7 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
42-30k Hz |
41-30k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Paper composite |
Paper composite |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1.1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Dome |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
2100Hz |
2500Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1025.0mm (40.4") |
1175.0mm (46.3") |
| Width |
418.0mm (16.5") |
400.0mm (15.7") |
| Depth |
319.0mm (12.6") |
375.0mm (14.8") |
| Weight |
22.90kg (50.4lbs) |
42.00kg (92.4lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| 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 |
Siblings in Q Acoustics's Concept series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | evenly matched | Much the same reach (42Hz vs 41Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (91dB vs 90dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | B | Q Acoustics Concept 500 takes more power (200W vs 150W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Q Acoustics Concept 50 is easier to place; Q Acoustics Concept 500 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Q Acoustics Concept 50: bi-amping; Q Acoustics Concept 500: bi-amping. |
| Price | A | Q Acoustics Concept 50 is cheaper - $1,999 against $4,599, about 57% less; arguably a different class. |
A Q Acoustics Concept 50 B Q Acoustics Concept 500
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?
Q Acoustics Concept 500 is ahead, but only on 1 of the measured areas, and it costs about 130% more. That is a lot of money for a narrow margin on paper - Q Acoustics Concept 50 looks like the sensible buy unless something else about the Q Acoustics Concept 500 appeals to you. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $2,600 saved by taking the cheaper pair would buy a subwoofer or a better amplifier, and either usually does more for the sound than the difference between these two.
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.