In this review, we will be comparing M20 HD and Sonos Five, two Powered Bookshelf speakers from Q Acoustics and Sonos. Being Powered speakers, they both have built-in amplifiers so you don't need an external power amp or an integrated amp to power them.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Q Acoustics M20 HD and Sonos Five first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Q Acoustics M20 HD and Sonos Five compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
Drivers
Both M20 HD and Sonos Five are 2-way speakers.
| Driver |
Q Acoustics M20 HD |
Sonos Five |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
0.875-inch
|
3 x 0.8-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5-inch
|
3 x 2.75-inch
|
M20 HD features a 0.875" Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5" Woofer . On the other hand, the Sonos Five features a 3 x 0.8" Dome Tweeter and 3 x 2.75" Cone Woofer .
Frequency Response
M20 HD has a frequency range of 55-22k Hz whereas Sonos Five has a frequency range of . With a minimum frequency of Hz, the Sonos Five can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the M20 HD's min frequency of 55Hz.
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 Bookshelf class in our database.
M20 HD has a rear firing port whereas Sonos Five has a front firing ports. Sonos Five's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Q Acoustics M20 HD with its rear-firing port.
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 M20 HD's and Sonos Five's external dimensions. Q Acoustics M20 HD has external dimensions of 278.0 x 170.0 x 310.0mm ( 10-15/16 x 6-11/16 x 12-3/16inch) whereas Sonos Five has external dimensions of 201.6 x 363.5 x 174.6mm ( 7.9375 x 14.3125 x 6.875inch) .
Sonos Five is 76.4mm shorter and 135.4mm less deeper than Q Acoustics M20 HD but it is also 193.5mm 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 M20 HD is approximately 527.0cm2 / 81.7inch2 and base area of the Sonos Five is approximately 634.7cm2 / 98.4inch2. The M20 HD requires 17% less surface area than the Sonos Five which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.