We really rate Q Acoustics' speakers and systems: for example, in our review of the Q Acoustics 3050i 5.1 Cinema Package we gave the full five stars and a T3 Platinum Award too thanks to their "exceptional sonic performance". And now there's a brand new speaker series, the Q Acoustics 3000c, which are the successor to the firm's much loved and critically acclaimed 3000i series.
The pitch here is affordable audiophile, with the firm promising a sonic performance way beyond the price tag. And that's partly due to the mid/bass drivers, which use the same continuous curved cone design that was introduced in the 5000 series and the M40 micro-towers.
Q Acoustics 3000c series: what's new?
There are five speakers in all: the 3010c bookshelf speakers, the 3020c stand-mounts, the larger 3030c stand-mounts, the 3050c floorstander and the 3090c centre channel speaker for home cinema setups. There are four new finishes to choose from: Pin Oak, Claro Walnut, Satin White and Satin Black.
The curved mid/bass driver is designed to deliver smooth, dynamic bass and work seamlessly with the high frequency driver; that one uses the same design principles as the newest Concept series, with the driver unit hermetically sealed and isolated from the baffle to prevent the mid/bass driver from colouring its sound. The cabinets have point to point bracing to minimise low-end reverberation, and Helmholtz Pressure Equaliser tubes prevent the build-up of standing waves in the 3050c to deliver a smoother frequency response with reduced distortion.
They're gorgeous things in all five incarnations, and I particularly like the new wood options: it's nice to expand beyond the familiar black and white options. And you can buy the speakers either as standard pairs or in home cinema bundles. There are two of those so far: the 3010c 5.1 package and the 3050c 5.1 package. Both revolve around the 3090c centre speaker and you can choose between the 3060S or Q B12 subwoofers depending on how much low-end heft you need.
The entire range will be available from August. The home cinema bundle prices haven't been announced just yet but the speaker prices are:
- Q Acoustics 3010c bookshelf: £329 / € 399 / $399
- Q Acoustics 3020c standmount: £399 / € 499 / $499
- Q Acoustics 3030c larger standmount: £499 / €649 / $649
- Q Acoustics 3050c floorstander: £899 / € 1,199 / $1,199
- Q Acoustics 3090c centre channel: £299 / € 399 / $399
