In this review, we will be comparing Active 200 and The Fives, two Powered Bookshelf speakers from Q Acoustics and Klipsch. 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 Q Active 200 and Klipsch The Fives first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Q Acoustics Q Active 200 | Klipsch The Fives |
|---|
| Brand | Q Acoustics
United Kingdom · founded 2006 | Klipsch
United States · founded 1946 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Built-in amplifier | 100-watt RMS (280-watt peak) | 160-watt RMS (320-watt peak) |
|---|
| Tweeter | — | 1" Tractrix Horn |
|---|
| Midrange | 2 x 2-1/4" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 4.5" | 4.5" Fiber-composite |
|---|
| Frequency response | 46-20k Hz | 50-25k Hz |
|---|
| Max depth / sample rate | 24-bit / 96 kHz | 24-bit / 192 kHz |
|---|
| Bluetooth | Built-in 4.1 | Built-in 5.0 |
|---|
| App control | Yes | Yes |
|---|
| Weight | 7.50kg / 16.5lbs | 4.85kg / 10.7lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 11-3/16" x 6-3/4" x 11-7/16"
285.0 x 172.0 x 291.0mm | 12.375" x 6.5" x 11.125"
314.3 x 165.1 x 282.6mm |
|---|
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
Both Active 200 and The Fives are 2-way speakers.
Q Acoustics Q Active 200Klipsch The Fives
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 Q Active 200 |
Klipsch The Fives |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
2 x 2-1/4-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 4.5-inch
|
1 x 4.5-inch
|
Active 200 features a " Tweeter, a 2-1/4" Midrange and 1 x 4.5" Woofer. On the other hand, The Fives features a 1" Titanium Tractrix Horn Tweeter and 1 x 4.5" Fiber-composite Woofer.
Frequency Response
Active 200 has a frequency range of 46-20k Hz whereas The Fives has a frequency range of 50-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 46Hz, the Active 200 can go slightly deeper then The Fives's min frequency of 50Hz.
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
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.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Active 200 and The Fives 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 Q Active 200's and Klipsch The Fives's external dimensions. Q Acoustics Q Active 200 has external dimensions of 285.0 x 172.0 x 291.0mm (11-3/16 x 6-3/4 x 11-7/16inch) whereas Klipsch The Fives has external dimensions of 314.3 x 165.1 x 282.6mm (12.375 x 6.5 x 11.125inch).
Klipsch The Fives is 6.9mm narrower and 8.4mm less deeper than Q Acoustics Q Active 200 but it is also 29.3mm taller.
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.
Near-identical footprints. Klipsch The Fives is 29mm 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 Q Active 200 is approximately 500.5cm2 / 77.6inch2 and base area of the Klipsch The Fives is approximately 466.6cm2 / 72.3inch2. The Active 200 requires 7% more surface area than The Fives which gives it a small disadvantage 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 Q Active 200 weighs 7.50kg / 16.5lbs and the Klipsch The Fives weighs 4.85kg / 10.7lbs. This makes the Active 200 55% heavier than The Fives.
Here is a comparison of how Active 200 and The Fives's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Powered Bookshelf class.
Weight
All Bookshelf Speakers
What's in the Box of Q Acoustics Q Active 200?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Active 200:
- 2 Powered speakers
- Two 6-feet AC power cords
- 2 Foam port plugs
- Important Safety Informtion and Warnings Wireless hub
- USB/AC power adapter with US connector
- EU/UK/AU AC adapter plugs
- 40-inch USB-C to USB-A cable
- 5-inch HDMI cable
- Remote control
- 2 AAA batteries
- Quick Start Guide
What's in the Box of Klipsch The Fives?
Here are the items that come with The Fives:
- Powered speaker (right)
- Passive speaker (left)
- 6-inch AC power cord
- 13-feet Proprietary speaker cable
- 58-inch HDMI cable
- 59-inch USB-A to USB-B cable
- Remote control
- 2 AAA batteries
- Instruction Booklet
- Need Help? card
 Low Frequency Response |
46 Hz
vs
50 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
285mm
vs
314mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Ethernet Connection |
Yes
vs
No
|
High quality streaming over Ethernet |
 USB Port |
Update only
vs
No
|
USB port adds flexibility |
 High Frequency Response |
25k Hz
vs
20k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Base Surface Area |
466cm2
vs
500cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
969USD
vs
2098USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 3.5mm Connection |
Yes
vs
No
|
Connection via 3.5mm AUX input |
| General |
Q Acoustics Q Active 200 System |
Klipsch The Fives |
| Brand |
Q Acoustics |
Klipsch |
| Speaker Type |
Powered stereo speakers |
Powered Stereo Speakers |
| Frequency Response |
46-20k Hz |
50-25k Hz |
Amplifier |
|
|
| Watts RMS (Continuous) |
100-watt RMS |
160-watt RMS |
| Watts Peak (Max) |
280-watt RMS |
320-watt RMS |
| Max Bit Depth |
24-bit |
24-bit |
| Max Sample Rate |
96 kHz |
192 kHz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
4.5" |
4.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
|
Fiber-composite |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
n/a |
Tractrix Horn |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
2-1/4" |
No |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
285.0mm (11.2") |
314.3mm (12.4") |
| Width |
172.0mm (6.8") |
165.1mm (6.5") |
| Depth |
291.0mm (11.5") |
282.6mm (11.1") |
| Weight |
7.50kg (16.5lbs) |
4.85kg (10.7lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF with genuine wood veneer |
| Available Colors |
Black, White |
Black,Walnut |
| Mounting Bracket |
No |
No |
| Grille |
n/a |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Aux Inputs |
No |
3.5mm |
| USB Port |
Update only |
USB-B |
| Phone Input |
Yes |
Yes |
| Subwoofer Output |
mono-RCA |
mono-RCA |
| Digital Input |
Optical |
Optical, HDMI |
| HDMI Input |
ARC |
ARC |
| Headphone Jack |
No |
No |
| Ethernet Port |
Yes |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
2 Years |
1 Year |
| Labor Warranty |
2 Years |
1 Year |
These sit in different price classes - Q Acoustics Q Active 200 costs roughly 2.2x what Klipsch The Fives does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | Q Acoustics Q Active 200 digs deeper - 46Hz against 50Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Built-in power | B | Klipsch The Fives has the bigger amplifier (160W vs 100W RMS). |
| Connections | A | Q Acoustics Q Active 200 adds Wi-Fi and streaming. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | depends | Q Acoustics Q Active 200: a sub output; Klipsch The Fives: a sub output. |
| Price | B | Klipsch The Fives is cheaper - $969 against $2,098, about 54% less; arguably a different class. |
A Q Acoustics Q Active 200 B Klipsch The Fives
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 is ahead, but only on 1 of the measured areas, and it costs about 117% more. That is a lot of money for a narrow margin on paper - Klipsch The Fives looks like the sensible buy unless something else about the Q Acoustics Q Active 200 appeals to you. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $1,129 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.