Experts prefer Q Acoustics 3020i over Q Acoustics 3010i
On 3 Jan 2025 (3 months ago) we went through 77 Speakers expert endorsements .
Currently, Q Acoustics 3020i received 5 endorsements from Pitchfork (19 Nov 2020), Wirecutter (11 Dec 2024) Gear Patrol (16 Jul 2024) and 2 others. Meanwhile, Q Acoustics 3010i did not receive any endorsements this month.
| Rank | Change | Price | Speakers | SoundGuys  | ZD Net  | Pitchfork  | Wirecutter  | T3  | Gear Patrol  | Rolling Stone  | The Master Switch  | What Hi-Fi  | hifioasis.com  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | - | $449 |  Q Acoustics 3020i The Q Acoustics 3020i bookshelf speakers offer excellent sound quality, versatility, and a modern design, making them a great option for audiophiles who prioritize accuracy and transparency in their sound system. | - | - | 7 | 2 | - | 8 | - | 4 | - | 5 |
| N/A | N/A | $329 |  Q Acoustics 3010i | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Curious to see this month's entire Bookshelf Speakers ranking? It's here
Endorsement summary:
- On 19 Nov 2020 Pitchfork ranked Q Acoustics 3020i as #7
Rank Speakers ... ... #7 out of 13 Q Acoustics 3020i ... ... Source: pitchfork.com - On 11 Dec 2024 Wirecutter ranked Q Acoustics 3020i as #2
Rank Speakers Comment ... ... ... #2 out of 5 Q Acoustics 3020i A more stylish alternative... ... ... Source: www.nytimes.com - On 16 Jul 2024 Gear Patrol ranked Q Acoustics 3020i as #8
Rank Speakers Comment ... ... ... #8 out of 9 Q Acoustics 3020i Superb Bookshelf Speakers for Less than $500... ... ... Source: www.gearpatrol.com - On 4 Oct 2023 The Master Switch ranked Q Acoustics 3020i as #4
Rank Speakers Comment ... ... ... #4 out of 17 Q Acoustics 3020i Best Bookshelf Speakers for Vinyl... ... ... Source: www.themasterswitch.com - On 23 Jan 2024 hifioasis.com ranked Q Acoustics 3020i as #5
Rank Speakers Comment ... ... ... #5 out of 6 Q Acoustics 3020i Ideal Bookshelf Speakers for Vinyl Lovers... ... ... Source: www.hifioasis.com
As can be seen below, Q Acoustics 3020i is mentioned by key experts in Jan 2025, while Q Acoustics 3010i is not.
| Rank | Change | Price | Speakers | SoundGuys | ZD Net | Pitchfork | Wirecutter | T3 | Gear Patrol | Rolling Stone | The Master Switch | What Hi-Fi | hifioasis.com |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | - | $939 |  Kef LS50 The Kef LS50 bookshelf speakers are highly recommended for their exceptional sound quality, versatile frequency response, unique design, and range of connectivity options, making them suitable for a range of music genres and listening environments. | - | 4 | - | - | 7 | 3 | - | 3 | 1 | - |
| 2 | - | $449 | Q Acoustics 3020i The Q Acoustics 3020i bookshelf speakers offer excellent sound quality, versatility, and a modern design, making them a great option for audiophiles who prioritize accuracy and transparency in their sound system. | - | - | 7 | 2 | - | 8 | - | 4 | - | 5 |
| 3 | - | $546 |  Elac Uni-Fi 2.0 The Elac Uni-Fi 2.0 bookshelf speakers offer clear and balanced sound quality, versatile connectivity options, and a sleek design, making them a great choice for general listening purposes in medium-sized rooms and larger spaces. | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | 1 |
| 4 | - | $400 |  Elac Debut 2.0 B6.2 The Elac Debut 2.0 B6.2 bookshelf speaker offers clear and balanced sound quality with a sleek design and good connectivity options, making it a great choice for home theater and music playback on a modest budget. | 2 | - | 9 | - | - | - | - | 7 | - | - |
| Show all rows | |||||||||||||
Expert reviews [9]
Total expert reviews: 9
- with a score: 3
- without a score: 6
| Highest score by What Hi-Fi |
100 |
| Average score based on 9 reviews | 93 |
| Lowest score by audioguru.com | 80 |
Score distribution:
| 80-100 | |
| 60-80 | |
| 40-60 | |
| 20-40 | |
| 0-20 |
The Q Acoustics 3010i is a compact bookshelf speaker that offers impressive sound quality and a stylish design. While it may lack in sub-bass performance, it is a great option for smaller spaces and offers excellent value for the money.
+ pros
- Impressive acoustic performance for its size.
- Excellent build quality and finishing.
- Strong details in the midrange.
- Excellent treble tuning.
- cons
- Smaller woofer lacks impact in the sub-bass.
- Recommended only for near field and monitor listening.
Show all 9 reviews
Expert reviews [25]
Total expert reviews: 25
- with a score: 12
- without a score: 13
| Highest score by What Hi-Fi | 100 |
| Average score based on 25 reviews | 95 |
| Lowest score by The Audiophile Man | 80 |
Score distribution:
| 80-100 | |
| 60-80 | |
| 40-60 | |
| 20-40 | |
| 0-20 |
100
Q Acousticsâ 3020is build on the strength of their Award-winning predecessors
The Q Acoustic 3020i standmounts are the next model up from the five-star 3010i in the companyâs 3000i speaker range. They offer improvements in size, scale, dynamic reach, and detail, making them a favourable choice for those looking for a budget-friendly speaker.
+ pros
- The Q Acoustics 3020i speakers have improvements in size, scale, dynamic reach, and detail compared to their predecessors, making them a competitive option in their price range.
- The cabinets have been improved with point-to-point cabinet bracing, internal bracing of the corners, and a reinforced baffle for better support of the drivers.
- The new crossover and embedded terminal sockets make the speakers easier to use and a pleasure to listen to, with improved detail levels and spatial awareness.
- cons
- The author notes that it can be difficult to find new ways to describe the performance of a product range that is consistent, making the review process challenging.
- The Q Acoustics 3020i speakers may require stands for optimal placement, and the cabinets are just shy of 28cm deep, which can make positioning on stands shallower than that a little tricky.
Show all 25 reviews
From Seller:
- Powerful Bookshelf Speakers Pair: Immerse yourself in music with our 3010i bookshelf speakers. The cabinet is 25% bigger than our previous models for larger scale sound and deeper bass. A 0.9" decoupled high frequency driver with wide surround creates a wide even dispersion of stereo image.
- Read more
From Seller:
- Powerful Hi-fi Speakers Bookshelf Set: Immerse yourself in music with our 3020i bookshelf speakers. The cabinet is 25% bigger than our previous models for larger scale sound and deeper bass. A 0.9" decoupled high frequency driver with wide surround creates a wide even dispersion of stereo image.
- Read more
Q Acoustics 3010i | Bookshelf Speaker Full Review
Review by Home Theater Hobbyist
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Review! The Q Acoustics 3020i | Bookshelf Loudspeaker
Review by Zero Fidelity
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Q Acoustics 3020i | Bookshelf Speaker Review
Review by Home Theater Hobbyist
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Review: Q Acoustics 3020i Bookshelf Speakers
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General Info
Speaker Design The primary components of a bookshelf speaker are âdrivers,â which are the cones that actually create the sound. These cones come in three types: tweeters, midranges (sometimes called mids), and woofe ... Show more
Two-Way
Two-Way
Physical Features
Dimensions
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Weight
9 lbs
per speaker
12 lbs
Indoor or Outdoor Use
Can the speaker be used outdoors?
Indoor
Indoor
Cabinet
Cabinet Material The cabinet refers to the portion that surrounds and holds all of the speaker elements together - the speaker box, if you will. The most common material is wood, but youâll also find plastic, fiberboa ... Show more
Fiberboard
Fiberboard
Enclosure Type The type of enclosure, or cabinet, plays a key role in determining the focus of your sound. Do you prefer accurate bass or loud bass? There are two main types: acoustic suspension and bass reflex. Aco ... Show more
Bass Reflex
Bass Reflex
Sound Quality and Power
Sensitivity Measured in decibels, or dB, sensitivity measures a speakerâs ability to convert power to volume. Lower sensitivity speakers require more power from the amplifier to achieve higher volumes. Higher sen ... Show more
Frequency Response Range Given as a range in Hertz (Hz), the frequency response is a measurement of the range of sound a speaker can produce. For reference, the human ear can hear a frequency range of 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz (shor ... Show more
65 Hz â 30 kHz
64 Hz â 30 kHz
Magnetically Shielded When sound is played through a speaker, an electromagnet is activated using the power from the amplifier to bring the driver forward, and another magnet pulls the driver back. This causes the driver t ... Show more
Peak Power Power handling, or peak power, is the highest wattage a speaker can accept from an amplifier before it burns out or becomes damaged. This number is given in watts. Itâs recorded by measuring how loud ... Show more
Powered Speaker What you may not know about bookshelf speakers is that they donât always work straight out of the box. To power the speakers, you often need a receiver and an amplifier. Amplifiers power the signal th ... Show more
Impedance Impedance is a key electrical measurement, provided in ohms. This number describes the electrical resistance provided by the speaker to the power signal sent by your amplifier. A common analogy used f ... Show more
High Resolution Audio More and more, musicians and streaming services are offering high-resolution audio playback for music files. Like a TV, your speaker has to be high-res capable to play these high-res files. True audio ... Show more
Tweeters produce the highest frequencies in sound, typically anything above 2,000 Hz. Usually located at the top of the speaker, tweeters come in different shapes (detailed below) and sizes. Generally speaking, the size of the tweeter is not as important as the shape. But, for some guidance, consider that a larger tweeter (measured by diameter in inches or millimeters) will likely be louder and able to disperse sound over a larger area.
Tweeter Type Tweeters produce the highest frequencies in sound, typically anything above 2,000 Hz. Usually located at the top of the speaker, tweeters come in different shapes (detailed below) and sizes. Generally ... Show more
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Dome
Speakers with midrange drivers (i.e., at least three-way speakers) have a distinct advantage over two-way speakers. Adding a midrange driver to the mix allows tweeters and woofers to focus on the sound waves theyâre best equipped to produceâhigh tones and low tones respectively. More specific and focused drivers means more accurate, robust sound. Compared to the other drivers, midranges cover sounds, not surprisingly, in the middle of high/treble and low/bass tones. The human voice and most instruments fall into this range. For more sophisticated listeners, or for those who truly want the best sound reproduction, a midrange driver is crucial.
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Controls
Remote Control
Does the box include a remote?
App/Smartphone Control If the bookshelf speaker is Wi-Fi or Bluetooth-enabled (or both), youâll likely be able to control the output through your smartphone or other device. Sometimes, this capability comes with the caveat ... Show more
Connections
Wi-Fi Enabled Speakers with Wi-Fi connectivity connect directly to your home Wi-Fi network to stream audio from your devicesâsmartphone, tablet, laptop, etc. This may require an app from the brand, such as Yamahaâs ... Show more
Bluetooth Enabled Speakers with built-in Bluetooth allow you to stream audio content directly from device (e.g., smartphone, tablet, laptop) on the speakers. This feature behaves just like any other Bluetooth-enabled d ... Show more
Wired Connections or Wireless Not to be confused with Wi-Fi-enabled speakers, wireless speaker set ups do not require a speaker wire or direct lines to other speakers and the AV receiver. Typically, these speakers require a wirele ... Show more
Speaker Wire Included Speaker wire is the connection used between speakers, amplifiers and receivers. This is a special type of wire that makes an electrical connection and transmits sound signals. You will only use this t ... Show more
Other Connections Bookshelf speakers commonly come with speaker wire inputs/outputs to connect your speaker to an AV receiver, which transmits the sound from your TV. In some cases, speakers may come with additional in ... Show more
Banana plug
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Additional Info
ENERGY STAR Certified For the environmentally conscious, choosing an âENERGY STAR Certifiedâ speaker may be important to you. Technology devices with this label are required to meet certain industry standards as it relates ... Show more
Additional Features
Any other features available.
- New Low Profile Binding Posts
- High-Frequency Driver Unit
- Mid/Bass Driver
Crossover Frequency: 2.4kHz