Q Acoustics Concept 500 Speaker Review & Comments

Discussion in 'Hi-Fi Stereo Speakers' started by Ed Selley, Jun 8, 2017.


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    1. Jun 8, 2017 at 8:51 AM
      Ed Selley, Jun 8, 2017
      #1
      Ed Selley

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      Ed Selley, Jun 8, 2017
    2. Jun 8, 2017 at 11:51 AM
      Paul7777x, Jun 8, 2017
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      Paul7777x

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      Impressive and a nice, simple looking floorstander.

      But WHAT were they thinking with that hideous, Poundland chrome-plastic base. :rotfl::rotfl:
       
      Paul7777x, Jun 8, 2017
    3. Jun 8, 2017 at 12:03 PM
      finkaudio, Jun 8, 2017
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      finkaudio

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      Not plastic at all...it's heavy die cast. I know, because I had one dropping on my foot :-(

      Best regards

      Karl-heinz
       
      finkaudio, Jun 8, 2017
    4. Jun 8, 2017 at 12:52 PM
      ashenfie, Jun 8, 2017
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      ashenfie

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      This is pretty serious money and wonder if looks wise it stands out enough. In this price range your looking at more than just sonic performance and build, it needs to bring a bit special to the table.

      For example the ATC CSM40 recently reviewed and another uk company says it means business by it looks and does so performance wise too.
       
      ashenfie, Jun 8, 2017
    5. Jun 8, 2017 at 1:47 PM
      High Fidelity, Jun 8, 2017
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      High Fidelity

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      High Fidelity, Jun 8, 2017
    6. Jun 8, 2017 at 2:15 PM
      Paul7777x, Jun 8, 2017
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      Paul7777x

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      I was being a little facetious sir. My bad.

      It's still a hell of an eyesore. I'd bet it won't last long on the design.
       
      Paul7777x, Jun 8, 2017
    7. Jun 8, 2017 at 2:21 PM
      finkaudio, Jun 8, 2017
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      finkaudio

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      I don't think it has a problem to stand out.....I have it sitting here since more than a year :).

      But of course now everybody might like the modern approach and prefers the more traditional wooden box like the ATC. In my living room, the C500 works really well, but I use USM and BoConcept and no wooden furniture at all.
       
      finkaudio, Jun 8, 2017
    8. Jun 8, 2017 at 2:23 PM
      finkaudio, Jun 8, 2017
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      finkaudio

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      That's OK :). Have you ever seen the speakers yourself? I have....maybe you wait until enough are in shops and you take a look.
       
      finkaudio, Jun 8, 2017
    9. Jun 8, 2017 at 2:56 PM
      ashenfie, Jun 8, 2017
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      ashenfie

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      All mine is custom made real wood & leather so different tastes I guess. But here again say a Sonus Faber Venere would look stunning in a more contemporary surrounding. All I am saying this is a tough price sector.
       
      ashenfie, Jun 8, 2017
    10. Jun 8, 2017 at 3:26 PM
      Ed Selley, Jun 8, 2017
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      Ed Selley

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      I'll go on record as saying the Concept 500 is actually fractionally better finished than the Venere. Which one you believe is the better looking will come down to preference but I'd stress the Concept 500 looks better in the flesh than any of the photos I managed of it.
       
      Ed Selley, Jun 8, 2017
    11. Jun 8, 2017 at 4:12 PM
      crabby09, Jun 8, 2017
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      crabby09

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      These would go on my short list if they weren't so shiny! Like, seriously dust/finger print magnet much?

      My family home would ruin them =/

      crabby
       
      crabby09, Jun 8, 2017
    12. Jun 8, 2017 at 4:29 PM
      High Fidelity, Jun 8, 2017
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      High Fidelity

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      I agree I find the appearance unacceptable.
       
      High Fidelity, Jun 8, 2017
    13. Jun 8, 2017 at 6:01 PM
      Zakblue, Jun 8, 2017
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      Zakblue

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      I'd love to hear a pair of these. Owned the Concept 40 and 20 previously and thought they were great. Reading that the 500 has amazing bass (that for me the 20 and 40 slightly lacked) is making me drool a bit lol
       
      Zakblue, Jun 8, 2017
    14. Jun 8, 2017 at 7:57 PM
      High Fidelity, Jun 8, 2017
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      High Fidelity

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      41Hz -6 db not so amazing bass
       
      High Fidelity, Jun 8, 2017
    15. Jun 8, 2017 at 8:01 PM
      muljao, Jun 8, 2017
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      muljao

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      Nice review. I'd imagine no matter how good they are, most would pick other brands just because they are "Q acoustics". I notice a good lot of hifi people on forum dismiss them quite regularly
       
      muljao, Jun 8, 2017
    16. Jun 8, 2017 at 9:34 PM
      finkaudio, Jun 8, 2017
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      finkaudio

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      This bass alignment was chosen on purpose and these are real figures, not marketing dreams. It's not complicated to make a speaker that goes down to 20Hz. But first of all, that would ruin the sensitivity and it would also sound horrible. We have chosen a relatively flat earlier roll-off to deal with the extra gain a listening room adds below 50Hz. So 40Hz with flat roll-off in a standard room gives you more than enough bottom end. OK, if you are sitting in an anechoic room of a big size, you might be right. But in a real world room, you will have more than enough.
       
      finkaudio, Jun 8, 2017
    17. Jun 8, 2017 at 9:52 PM
      finkaudio, Jun 8, 2017
      #17
      finkaudio

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      Yeah, that might be true. It's the history of the brand......it started after another British brand that Armour distributed in the UK, went out of business. And the first range called the 1000 range was designed as a replacement. That's more than 10 years ago and as the range was selling well and was improved over and over again in the next 10 years, Q-Acoustic got a name only for entry level speakers. But most of the team members in the UK have previously worked for big players like KEF, TANNOY or Mordaunt-Short (when I met Alex Munro, the Q-Acoustic brand director, the first time, he was the managing director of TANNOY). My own team and the people in the UK are not newbies to High-End, but it's true, most consumers don't know. It's different in Germany. We don't have the big market for entry level or budget speakers, so Concept 20 and 40 got reviewed before the 3000 series and that's why the brand is seen more like a Higher-End_Company. So Concept 500 was the first step - more to follow. It's not getting boring here :)
       
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      finkaudio, Jun 8, 2017
    18. Jun 8, 2017 at 9:56 PM
      finkaudio, Jun 8, 2017
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      finkaudio

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      I hope you have a chance to see them in a shop somewhere....they are not that bad, but difficult to catch on a photo.
       
      finkaudio, Jun 8, 2017
    19. Jun 8, 2017 at 11:46 PM
      BlueWizard, Jun 8, 2017
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      BlueWizard

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      They have a heart-attack price tag, but if the other Q Acoustic speakers are any indication, these should sound stunning. I auditioned the 3020 and the Concept 20 and was very impress. They both had crisp detail without being bright. If fact, while they had crisp detail, there were very smooth with very low fatigue listening.

      Audio Affair - Q Acoustics Concept 500 Speakers (Pair)

      True the bass is not as deep as a person might desire, but in floorstanding speakers, you either need them to go 30hz and below, or 40hz and above. If the speaker are 40hz at -6db, that means they are about 45hz to 48hz at -3db, and that means they would blend very well with a Subwoofer in a Stereo system.

      The Q Acoustic 3050 with similar low end specs, had very good perceived bass. Likely that was a bass bump in the response, but the bass, while slightly exaggerated, remained controlled and free of artificial thump or drone. Very good, very well balanced speakers.

      Given the price, I would have to expect them to have raised their game significantly. I would love to hear a pair, but the price ...like I said... heart-attack expensive (£3600/pr from one source I checked).

      I do like the outriggers; that is, the side extension for stability. I think I like that better than the simple rear extension of the 3050. It looks cool, and I suspect it makes the speakers very stable.

      Steve/bluewizard
       
      BlueWizard, Jun 8, 2017
    20. Jun 9, 2017 at 6:48 AM
      mainaman, Jun 9, 2017
      #20
      mainaman

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      I havent heard them yet,but i think they look great,they are not big at all and can be bought for 3600 pounds.That's much cheaper than KEF Reference 1,MA Pl200 and many other contemporary premium British speakers.There are probably better speakers for the money in USA,but here is a different story.I dont know of any other dynamic driver speaker with a truly high-end design for that money.

      Regarding the bass,it is just 6.5" drivers,so you cant call it a full-range design.But it should be fine with most types of music.There are wealthy audiophiles,who pair speakers like Wilson Alexandria XLF(down to 19.5Hz) with huge subs,but in the real world 40hz is fine.
       
      mainaman, Jun 9, 2017
    21. Jun 9, 2017 at 7:19 AM
      High Fidelity, Jun 9, 2017
      #21
      High Fidelity

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      A large floor stander speaker if properly designed should not require a sub-woofer.
       
      High Fidelity, Jun 9, 2017
    22. Jun 9, 2017 at 7:19 AM
      Zakblue, Jun 9, 2017
      #22
      Zakblue

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      As previous users have mentioned, there's more to bass than the figures. If it was that easy we'd all just get a cheap flat to 20hz subwoofer solution (like svs etc) and call it a day. I've owned a pair of huge flagship floorstander speakers that were -2db at 21hz but still preferred the bass of other speakers that rolled off much before that for the styles of music I listen to (classical, orchestral soundtracks)
       
      Zakblue, Jun 9, 2017
    23. Jun 9, 2017 at 9:13 AM
      High Fidelity, Jun 9, 2017
      #23
      High Fidelity

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      I listen to mostly Classical, my slim TL speakers go down to 23Hz -6dB with a sensitivity of 89dB and no boom as you can get from reflex designs, bass is natural and no sub-woofer needed.
       
      High Fidelity, Jun 9, 2017
    24. Jun 9, 2017 at 9:13 AM
      BlueWizard, Jun 9, 2017
      #24
      BlueWizard

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      Nobody really needs a Subwoofer, I certainly don't need one, but LOT OF PEOPLE want one.

      Steve/bluewizard
       
      BlueWizard, Jun 9, 2017
    25. Jun 9, 2017 at 10:12 AM
      Member 778069, Jun 9, 2017
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      I got to see (but not hear) there at Armour HQ, and have to say the photos do not do them justice.

      Also one of the best festures of the 3050 speakers is the stability from the rear outrigger. I can only imagine the design on the Concept 500 makes them even more stable.
       
      Member 778069, Jun 9, 2017
    26. Jun 9, 2017 at 12:33 PM
      mainaman, Jun 9, 2017
      #26
      mainaman

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      Well,there is a reason why the Fink designed WM-4 has 15" woofers,but the price tag is much,much higher.
       
      mainaman, Jun 9, 2017
    27. Jun 9, 2017 at 1:14 PM
      High Fidelity, Jun 9, 2017
      #27
      High Fidelity

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      They are welcome to
       
      High Fidelity, Jun 9, 2017
    28. Jun 10, 2017 at 8:57 AM
      finkaudio, Jun 10, 2017
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      finkaudio

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      Believe it or not, but the WM-4 has a similar bottom end alignment...so also not flat down to 20Hz (on purpose). BTW, with the WM-4, you get more than just a pair for speakers. First of all, they are all hand made in Germany, including the drivers and the cabinet. And I'm talking about in-house. Only the tweeter, we get from our friends at Mundorf (around the corner). But together with it, you get a huge service package. In Europe, I'll travel to the customer to see his listening room, we will make some room measurements and recommend the best position and necessary room treatment. Somebody from our team delivers the speakers and set it up. We help with the voicing of the system, using the small adjustments we decided to add (lower midband level , midrange and tweeter level) and if necessary, we can even more tweak the speaker. It's a sort of Master build you can get out of the Fender Custom shop.
       
      finkaudio, Jun 10, 2017
    29. Jun 10, 2017 at 2:14 PM
      mainaman, Jun 10, 2017
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      mainaman

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      The 15" driver is used solely for bass duties.I can imagine that the WM4's driver and cabinet distortions are even lower.I see that it uses BMR drivers in the midband.You have designed the Naim Ovator speakers too(among many others),if i am not mistaken.

      The GelCore concept you have made for Armour's top speakers seems very impressive and cost effective.Do you think that it can approach the qualities of the cabinets from Wilson,Rockport,Magico and others with heroic(and very,very expensive) construction?
       
      mainaman, Jun 10, 2017
    30. Jun 10, 2017 at 4:37 PM
      alex30, Jun 10, 2017
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      alex30

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      The advantage of using a subwoofer is that the best position for the floorstanders , regarding imaging and soundstage, is unlikely to be the best position for the bass driver. Using a subwoofer and a crossover can give you the ability to place the bass driver in the optimal position and that , I believe , is crucial to getting good clean bass.:)
       
      alex30, Jun 10, 2017
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