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  1. Home
  2. Powered Stereo Speakers
  3. Q Acoustics M20 HD vs Sonos Five

Q Acoustics M20 HD vs Sonos Five Comparison

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Q Acoustics M20 HD

Powered Bookshelf | 55-22k Hz

Q Acoustics M20 HD Wireless Music System
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Sonos Five

Powered Bookshelf |

Sonos Five
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Q Acoustics M20 HD Q Acoustics M20 HD
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Sonos Five Sonos Five
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Q Acoustics M20 HD
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Sonos Five
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Q Acoustics M20 HD vs Sonos Five Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing M20 HD and 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.

Key SpecsQ Acoustics M20 HDSonos Five
BrandQ Acoustics
United Kingdom · founded 2006
Sonos
United States · founded 2002
Design2-way2-way
Built-in amplifier128-watt RMSYes
Tweeter0.875" Dome3 x 0.8" Dome
Woofer5"3 x 2.75" Cone
Frequency response55-22k Hz—
Max depth / sample rate24-bit / 192 kHz16-bit / 44.1kHz
BluetoothBuilt-in 5.0No
App control—Yes
Weight5.10kg / 11.2lbs6.40kg / 14.1lbs
Dimensions (H x W x D)10-15/16" x 6-11/16" x 12-3/16"
278.0 x 170.0 x 310.0mm
7.9375" x 14.3125" x 6.875"
201.6 x 363.5 x 174.6mm

The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.


Drivers

Both M20 HD and Five are 2-way speakers.

Tweeter - 0.88 inchWoofer - 5 inch
Q Acoustics M20 HD
Woofer - 2.75 inchWoofer - 2.75 inchWoofer - 2.75 inch
Sonos Five

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 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 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 Five has a frequency range of . With a minimum frequency of Hz, the Five can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the M20 HD's min frequency of 55Hz.

The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.

Low Frequency

Bookshelf Speakers

M20 HD
Five
Min
Average
Median

Cabinet Type and Port Position

M20 HD has a rear firing port whereas 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.

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 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.

Size, drawn to scale

FRONTQ Acoustics M20 HD front: 170 x 278 mm (6.7 x 10.9 in)Sonos Five front: 364 x 202 mm (14.3 x 7.9 in)Q Acoustics M20 HD170 × 278 mmSonos Five364 × 202 mmTOP / FOOTPRINTQ Acoustics M20 HD footprint: 170 x 310 mm (6.7 x 12.2 in)Sonos Five footprint: 364 x 175 mm (14.3 x 6.9 in)Q Acoustics M20 HD170 × 310 mmSonos Five364 × 175 mm
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.

Sonos Five needs about 20% more floor or shelf area. Q Acoustics M20 HD is 135mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Q Acoustics M20 HD is 76mm 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 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 Five 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 M20 HD weighs 5.10kg / 11.2lbs and the Sonos Five weighs 6.40kg / 14.1lbs. This makes the Five 25% heavier than the M20 HD.

Here is a comparison of how M20 HD and Five's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Powered Bookshelf class.

Weight
All Bookshelf Speakers
Q Acoustics M20 HD
Sonos Five
Min
Average
Max

What's in the Box of Q Acoustics M20 HD?

Here are the items that are included inside the box of M20 HD:
  • Powered speaker
  • Passive speaker
  • 6-feet AC power cord
  • Remote control
  • 2 AAA batteries
  • 13-feet Speaker wire
  • 59-inch Optical digital cable
  • 2 Foam port plugs
  • Owners Manual

What's in the Box of Sonos Five?

Here are the items that come with the Five:
  • Wireless audio speaker
  • 6.5-feet AC power cord
  • Quickstart Guide
  • Important Safety Information


Reasons to choose Q Acoustics M20 HD Wireless Music System over Sonos Five

Woofer Size 5 inches vs 2.75 inches Larger woofer
High Frequency Response 22k Hz vs k Hz Generates higher frequency
Handheld Remote Yes vs No Control the speaker by the included RC
Base Surface Area 527cm2 vs 634cm2 Takes less floor space
Price per pair* 599USD vs 1098USD costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)
RCA Connection Yes vs No Connection via RCA input
Digital Input Optical vs No Connect digital inputs directly

Reasons to choose Sonos Five over Q Acoustics M20 HD Wireless Music System

Number of Woofers 3 vs 1 More woofers
Low Frequency Response Hz vs 55 Hz Generates deeper bass
Port Position Front vs Rear Gives more flexibility placing close to walls
App-Based Control Apple iOS, Android, Mac, Windows vs None Control the speaker via an app
Height 201mm vs 278mm Easier to fit in smaller spaces
Ethernet Connection Yes vs No High quality streaming over Ethernet

Q Acoustics M20 HD vs Sonos Five Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications
General Q Acoustics M20 HD Wireless Music System Sonos Five
Brand Q Acoustics Sonos
Speaker Type Powered stereo speakers Powered Stereo Speakers
Frequency Response 55-22k Hz
Amplifier
Watts RMS (Continuous) 128-watt RMS n/a
Max Bit Depth 24-bit 16-bit
Max Sample Rate 192 kHz 44.1kHz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity 1 3
Woofer Size 5" 2.75"
Woofer Composition Cone
Tweeter Size 0.875" 3 x 0.8"
Tweeter Type Dome Dome
Aimable Tweeter No No
Midrange Driver No No
Firing Direction rear front
Physical Specs
Height 278.0mm (10.9") 201.6mm (7.9")
Width 170.0mm (6.7") 363.5mm (14.3")
Depth 310.0mm (12.2") 174.6mm (6.9")
Weight 5.10kg (11.2lbs) 6.40kg (14.1lbs)
Enclosure Bass Reflex Bass Reflex
Available Colors Black, White, Walnut n/a
Mounting Bracket No No
Grille Yes n/a
Moisture Resistancy No No
Connections
Aux Inputs 3.5mm, Stereo RCA 3.5mm
USB Port USB-B No
Phone Input No No
Subwoofer Output mono-RCA Optional Wireless
Digital Input Optical No
HDMI Input No No
Headphone Jack No No
Ethernet Port No Yes
Other
Parts Warranty 2 Years 1 Year
Labor Warranty 2 Years 1 Year

Verdict

These sit in different price classes - Sonos Five costs roughly 1.8x what Q Acoustics M20 HD does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.

AreaBetterWhy
ConnectionsAQ Acoustics M20 HD adds Bluetooth and digital inputs; Sonos Five adds Wi-Fi.
SizedependsSimilar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit.
ExpandabilitydependsQ Acoustics M20 HD: a sub output; Sonos Five: a sub output.
PriceAQ Acoustics M20 HD is cheaper - $599 against $1,098, about 45% less; arguably a different class.

A Q Acoustics M20 HD  B Sonos Five
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 M20 HD has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $499 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.


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