In this review, we will be comparing Concept Centre and Concept 90, two Passive Center Channel speakers by Q Acoustics.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Q Acoustics Concept Centre and Q Acoustics Concept 90 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Q Acoustics Concept Centre | Q Acoustics Concept 90 |
|---|
| Brand | Q Acoustics
United Kingdom · founded 2006 | Q Acoustics
United Kingdom · founded 2006 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Dome | 1" Dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 4" Paper composite | 2 x 5" Paper composite |
|---|
| Frequency response | 75-22k Hz | 67-30k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-75 watts | 25-150 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 6.80kg / 15lbs | 12.30kg / 27.1lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 6-1/8" x 16-15/16" x 9-1/16"
156.0 x 430.0 x 230.0mm | 7-1/4" x 21-5/8" x 10-3/16"
184.0 x 550.0 x 259.0mm |
|---|
Concept Centre and Concept 90 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 Centre and Q Acoustics Concept 90 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 Centre |
Q Acoustics Concept 90 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Average |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
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
Both Concept Centre and Concept 90 are 2-way speakers.
Q Acoustics Concept CentreQ Acoustics Concept 90
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 Centre |
Q Acoustics Concept 90 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 4-inch
|
2 x 5-inch
|
Concept Centre features a 1" Dome Tweeter and 2 x 4" Paper composite Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2900Hz. On the other hand, the Concept 90 features a 1" Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5" Paper composite Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2100Hz.
Frequency Response
Concept Centre has a frequency range of 75-22k Hz whereas Concept 90 has a frequency range of 67-30k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 67Hz, the Concept 90 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Concept Centre's min frequency of 75Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Center Channel class in our database.
Low Frequency
Center Channel 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 Centre and Concept 90 have the same Impedance of 6 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Concept Centre sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the Concept 90's is at 90 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Q Acoustics Concept 90 a more sensitive speaker compared to Q Acoustics Concept Centre, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Center Channel 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 90 can handle a max power of 150 watts RMS, whereas Concept Centre has a max power handling value of 75 watts RMS, 75 watts less than the Concept 90.
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.
Q Acoustics Concept Centre
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both Concept Centre and Concept 90 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Concept Centre and Concept 90 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 Centre's and Q Acoustics Concept 90's external dimensions. Q Acoustics Concept Centre has external dimensions of 156.0 x 430.0 x 230.0mm (6-1/8 x 16-15/16 x 9-1/16inch) whereas 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).
Q Acoustics Concept 90 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 120mm wider, 28mm taller and 29mm deeper than Q Acoustics Concept Centre.
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 90 needs about 44% more floor or shelf area. Q Acoustics Concept 90 is 29mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Q Acoustics Concept 90 is 28mm 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 Centre is approximately 989.0cm2 / 153.3inch2 and base area of the Q Acoustics Concept 90 is approximately 1424.5cm2 / 220.8inch2. The Concept Centre requires 31% less surface area than the Concept 90 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 Centre weighs 6.80kg / 15lbs and the Q Acoustics Concept 90 weighs 12.30kg / 27.1lbs. This makes the Concept 90 81% heavier than the Concept Centre.
Here is a comparison of how Concept Centre and Concept 90's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Center Channel class.
Weight
All Center Channel Speakers
Q Acoustics Concept Centre
 Minimum Impedance |
4 ohms
vs
3.7 ohms
|
Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier |
 Height |
156mm
vs
184mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
989cm2
vs
1424cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
249USD
vs
649USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
150 watts
vs
75 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
5 inches
vs
4 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
67 Hz
vs
75 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
30k Hz
vs
22k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
| General |
Q Acoustics Concept Centre |
Q Acoustics Concept 90 |
| Brand |
Q Acoustics |
Q Acoustics |
| Speaker Type |
Center channel speaker |
Center channel speaker |
| Power Range |
25-75 watts |
25-150 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
6 ohms |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
3.7 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
75-22k Hz |
67-30k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
4" |
5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Paper composite |
Paper composite |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Dome |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
2900Hz |
2100Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
156.0mm (6.1") |
184.0mm (7.2") |
| Width |
430.0mm (16.9") |
550.0mm (21.7") |
| Depth |
230.0mm (9.1") |
259.0mm (10.2") |
| Weight |
6.80kg (15lbs) |
12.30kg (27.1lbs) |
| 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 | B | Q Acoustics Concept 90 digs deeper - 67Hz against 75Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Q Acoustics Concept 90 is more sensitive (90dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | B | Q Acoustics Concept 90 takes more power (150W vs 75W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Q Acoustics Concept Centre is easier to place; Q Acoustics Concept 90 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Q Acoustics Concept Centre: bi-amping; Q Acoustics Concept 90: bi-amping. |
| Price | A | Q Acoustics Concept Centre is cheaper - $249 against $649, about 62% less; arguably a different class. |
A Q Acoustics Concept Centre B Q Acoustics Concept 90
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?
The usual trade-off: Q Acoustics Concept 90 measures better, Q Acoustics Concept Centre costs about about 2.6x the price% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 75Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Q Acoustics Concept Centre much easier to justify. In a large or open-plan room, Q Acoustics Concept 90 has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Q Acoustics Concept Centre is the easier speaker to get right.
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.