In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by Q Acoustics. Q Acoustics Concept 90 is a Center Channel speaker whereas the Concept 500 is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Q Acoustics Concept 90 and Q Acoustics Concept 500 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Q Acoustics Concept 90 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Dome Tweeter
- 2 x 5" Paper composite Woofer
- 67-30k Hz Frequency Response
- 90 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 6ohms
- Power Range:25-150watts
- Weight:12.30kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 7-1/4" x 21-5/8" x 10-3/16" ( 184.0 x 550.0 x 259.0mm )
Q Acoustics Concept 500 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1.1" Dome Tweeter
- 2 x 6.5" Paper composite Woofer
- 41-30k Hz Frequency Response
- Impedance: 6ohms
- Power Range:25-200watts
- Weight:42.00kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 46-1/4" x 15-3/4" x 14-3/4" ( 1175.0 x 400.0 x 375.0mm )
Concept 90 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 90 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 90 |
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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Q Acoustics Concept 90 and Q Acoustics Concept 500 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
Both Concept 90 and Concept 500 are 2-way speakers.
| Driver |
Q Acoustics Concept 90 |
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 90 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 90 has a frequency range of 67-30k 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 90's min frequency of 67Hz.
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 Center Channel class in our database.
Low Frequency
Center Channel Speakers
High Frequency
Center Channel 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.
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 90 can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Concept 90 has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS , 50 watts less than the Concept 500.
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
Concept 90 features Binding post type posts and Concept 500 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Concept 90 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
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 90's and Q Acoustics Concept 500's external dimensions. Q Acoustics Concept 90 has external dimensions of 184.0 x 550.0 x 259.0mm ( 7-1/4 x 21-5/8 x 10-3/16inch) 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 90 is 991mm shorter and 116mm less deeper than Q Acoustics Concept 500 but it is also 150mm wider.
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 90 is approximately 1424.5cm2 / 220.8inch2 and base area of the Q Acoustics Concept 500 is approximately 1500.0cm2 / 232.5inch2. The Concept 90 requires 5% less surface area than the Concept 500 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.