Q Acoustics makes arguably the best bookshelf speakers you can buy; its Concept 20s ($500/pair) have garnered nearly endless accolades from the hi-fi community, including Gear Patrol. Now, the U.K.-based audio company has announced its 3000i speaker series, consisting of the 3010i ($250/pair) and 3020i ($300/pair) bookshelf speakers, as well as the larger 3050i ($800/pair) floorstanding speakers. If you’re looking to start a hi-fi system on a budget, these new speakers, particularly the 3010i and 3020i, might be the best place to start.
The 3000i speaker series is the next evolution of the company’s several-years-old 3000 speaker series. The 3010i and 3020i bookshelf speakers are slightly taller and 25-percent deeper than their predecessors, the 3010 and 3020 speakers, respectively. This increase in chamber size gives the small speakers significantly more powerful bass. On the design side, the 3000i speaker series have natty chrome details and come in four updated finishes: Graphite Grey, English Walnut, Carbon Black or Arctic White.
All three speakers, including the 3050i, have now been designed with the same innovative audio technology as the company’s high-end flagship Concept 500 loudspeakers ($6,000/pair). The speaker cabinets are built with Point to Point (P2P) bracing technology, making them more sturdy to better eliminates vibrations. Basically, the speakers sound more accurate and have more bass than their predecessors. Furthermore, 3050i also has specially designed HPETM tubes (Helmholtz Pressure Equaliser) built into its cabinet to eliminate performance-effecting vibrations.
If you’re looking for a budget alternative to Q Acoustics’ Concept 20 speakers, I’d recommend the company’s new 3010i or 3020i bookshelf speakers; the 3020i has the has sized tweeter as the 3010i, but also a slightly larger woofer (five-inch vs four-inch) for more bass.
All three speakers will be available this May.
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