A generation apart: Q Acoustics Q Active 200 is the newer design, against a 2016 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | Q Acoustics Q Active 200 digs deeper - 46Hz against 79Hz. |
| Built-in power | B | KEF LS50 Wireless has the bigger amplifier (230W vs 100W RMS). |
| Connections | A | Q Acoustics Q Active 200 adds HDMI and phono. |
| Size | depends | Q Acoustics Q Active 200 is easier to place; KEF LS50 Wireless is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Q Acoustics Q Active 200: a sub output; KEF LS50 Wireless: a sub output. |
| Price | evenly matched | Much the same money ($2,098 vs $2,200 a pair). |
A Q Acoustics Q Active 200 B KEF LS50 Wireless
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 Q Active 200 has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 79Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. In a large or open-plan room, KEF LS50 Wireless has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Q Acoustics Q Active 200 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.