Q Acoustics 3020 / Form Discussions and Reviews
Our Verdict
Some other outstanding upkeep standmounter from Q Acoustics. The 3020s deliver a fabulous sound for the money
For
- Exceptional combination of refinement, insight and dynamics
- Terrific build and finish
- Unfussy nature
Against
- Admittedly nothing at this price
What Hi-Fi? Verdict
Another outstanding budget standmounter from Q Acoustics. The 3020s deliver a fabulous audio for the money
Pros
- +
Exceptional combination of refinement, insight and dynamics
- +
Terrific build and finish
- +
Unfussy nature
Cons
- -
Absolutely zip at this price
The success of the Q Acoustics brand has been astonishing. The company started back in 2006 and right from the start has produced sensibly priced, class-leading speakers. And guess what? It'south merely gone and done information technology again.
The 3020 is part of the new 3000 Series. While the multiple Laurels-winning 2000 range continues for at present, it's difficult to see demand remaining once discussion gets out about these new products. The series includes two standmounters, a floorstander, centre and subwoofer.
These 3020s are the larger of the standmounting options. There's a familiar look about these speakers, but otherwise almost everything else is new.
MORE: see all our Q Acoustics reviews
Build and design
Many of the lessons learned in the blueprint of the premium-priced Concept 20 and 40 speakers have been applied hither. This is particularly evident in the cabinet. While the price has taken the sandwich construction used in the Concepts off the carte du jour, Q Acoustics has however produced an impressively well-engineered box.
The 3020's cabinet is fabricated mainly of 15mm MDF panels but with a double-layer 30mm elevation plate and similarly layered 24mm front baffle. This construction is then braced in specific places to command resonances and help with stiffness.
All this piece of work pays off in an enclosure that feels immensely solid and provides a good, rigid foundation for the drive units to work from. The speaker terminals – hidden nether the base of operations console in the 2000 series – take been moved to a more than conventional position on the back.
This not just makes the terminals more accessible, but also improves structural rigidity. A less obvious do good is that the cabinet depth is significantly reduced from the 2020is, but without losing much internal volume. Pinnacle and width stay the aforementioned.
The 3020s are single-wire just, losing the biwire organization of the 2020is. Though apparently a retrograde footstep, at this stop of the market it's much better to have a single length of decent cablevision than two sets of inferior alternatives.
These speakers are bachelor in five finishes. Matt Graphite and American Walnut are standard options, but for an extra £60 you can have either white or black lacquered gloss or an interesting leather option.
Our gloss white review sample is finished beautifully, and made with an attention to detail that few competitors come shut to. Q Acoustics' work hasn't stopped there. Both bulldoze units are new likewise. The 12.5cm mid/bass unit'south cone textile has inverse from a newspaper/mica mix to one that combines paper and aramid fibre, more unremarkably known equally Kevlar.
This strengthens the paper cone and makes its behaviour more anticipated, leading to what Q Acoustics describe every bit a 'more natural tonality'. The new 25mm tweeter is unusual. It uses a diaphragm that aims to combine the best qualities of ring radiator and dome designs.
The aim here is to deliver highs with low distortion and wide dispersion. The tweeter'south motor arrangement uses a dual ferrite magnet, and the whole assembly is decoupled from the main chiffonier structure past butyl rubber. The idea is to isolate it from the vibrations of the cabinet and produce a purer sound.
These drive units are linked with a revised crossover that features higher grade components than found in the 2000 series, designed with a view to lowering distortion and minimising any phase issues at the crossover frequency.
Partnering
These speakers are simply equally likely to find themselves partnering a little micro system such equally Denon's evergreen DM39 equally they are in a hi-fi separates ready-up. They need to exist relatively easy to drive and forgiving sonically, and that'southward exactly what they are.
Over the years, Q Acoustics has developed a specific sonic grapheme, refined and subtle merely with enough in the style of dynamic punch and rhythm drive to satisfy. And and so it is with the 3020s. Their innate refinement means that any harshness or edge in the partnering electronics isn't emphasised.
They aren't overly fussy about shortcomings in source cloth either, so anyone with low-fleck rate MP3s still has a run a risk of getting a decent level of enjoyment out of them. Partner the 3020s with high quality hi-fi separates and good recordings, and they accept the transparency to make the most of things.
A typical partnering organization would be something like the Marantz 6005 CD and amp (virtually £300 a popular), but such are the 3020'southward talents that it would exist quite happy at the end of an Audiolab 8200CD and Arcam A19 pairing – impressive because the speaker's pricetag.
Of course, you lot'll need to take care in set-up. While these speakers will perform well on wall brackets, nosotros recommend using practiced, solid stands if you can.
Something like Atacama's Moseco 6 (£120) would exist good, with Q Acoustics Concept stand up (£200) being even ameliorate. Either option might seem quite pricey considering the toll of the speakers, only nosotros recollect the 3020s' potential fully justifies that outlay.
The 3020s aren't particularly picky near positioning either. We preferred them effectually 15cm from the back wall, only they sounded pretty balanced tonally even well out into the room. The tweeter'south dispersion characteristics mean that exact toe-in angle isn't disquisitional; they just render a wide and cohesive stereo image without much endeavor.
Performance
Play Prokofiev'due south Romeo and Juliet and the 3020s deliver a wide, deep soundstage populated by nicely layered and precisely focused instruments. Nosotros're impressed by the dynamics on offer, as the 3020s deliver the music'due south crescendos with confidence, while rendering low-level subtleties with a skill quite outside the telescopic of most rivals.
We listen to Bruce Springsteen's Terry's Vocal and love the way these speakers handle the genuine emotion in Springsteen'south vocals equally he mourns the loss of his friend. The tweeter does its job well here, delivering all the bite we expect without overplaying the recording's occasional hard edge.
Move upwardly a gear to Radio Nowhere and the Qs show they can stone too. They motor forth with this track, delivering plenty in the way of drive, dynamics and attack.
We mind to a range of music, starting with the sparsely produced Coexist from The 20 and Bjork'southward energetic Post, through to Vivaldi's 4 Seasons, and these little gems never neglect to please. For their size they deliver a decent dose of low-end punch, and are loud enough for most situations.
Verdict
Partner the Q Acoustics 3020 speakers with a bit of care and yous'll become a quality of audio that's well across the typical expectations of a sub-£300 speaker.
Fabled value? Without a doubtfulness.
Source: https://www.whathifi.com/q-acoustics/3020/review
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