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.
Q Acoustics Concept Centre Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Dome Tweeter
- 2 x 4" Paper composite Woofer
- 75-22k Hz Frequency Response
- 88 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 6ohms
- Power Range:25-75watts
- Weight:6.80kg
- 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 )
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 )
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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Q Acoustics Concept Centre and Q Acoustics Concept 90 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 Centre and Concept 90 are 2-way speakers.
| 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.
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
Q Acoustics Concept Centre
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 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. 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 Centre can handle a max power of 150 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Concept Centre has a max power handling value of 75 watts RMS , 75 watts less than the Concept 90.
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 Centre features Binding post type posts and Concept 90 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/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
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 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.
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.