Although the discontinued 3000i series is still selling well, Q Acoustics decided it was time for an update to the budget series. It’s now called the 3000c, and although it looks similar to the six-year-old series, the key elements of a speaker are new.
Such as more rigid enclosures, new drivers and new crossovers.
For example, the woofer is taken from the more expensive 5000 series. The C3 Continuous Curved Sone, as they call it, has a uniform, fully moulded cone with a slimmer profile to better balance with the tweeter.
The )tweeter is hermetically sealed and mechanically isolated from the front panel to reduce resonances from the midwoofers. The cabinets feature what Q Acoustics calls Point to Point bracing on the inside, which should dampen cabinet resonances and provide better focus and stereo perspective. The largest model in the series – the 3050c – also features something unusual in this class, a Helmholtz Pressure Equaliser. Small tubes that prevent standing waves, reduce distortion and provide a more uniform frequency response.
The new 3000c series consists of the small 3010c, a slightly larger 3020c, an even larger 3030c and the floorstanding 3050c. There’s also a 3090c – a centre speaker for those looking to expand into a home cinema. All speakers are available in black, white, walnut or oak-coloured vinyl that looks like wood veneer.
Prices start at €399 for the smallest and end at €1,199 for the largest. The 3000c series will be available from August.
The Q Acoustics 5020 are inexpensive, but look elegant and are packed with intricate details. Fortunately, they also sound great.