Q Acoustics 3020i
FOR Rich, warm sound; full bass; clear, precise treble; sweeping dynamics; scale AGAINST Larger cabinet could prove to be impractical for some
Consistency is an admirable trait in the manufacture of hi-fi kit. But when reviewing the second or a third product in a range, it doesn’t make our job any easier as we struggle to find new ways to describe what is essentially the same performance.
We find ourselves in that particular boat here with the Q Acoustic 3020i standmounters, the next model up from the five-star 3010i in the company’s 3000i speaker range. The two models are similar in both physical and sonic design, but the 3020i gains a little in size and scale, dynamic reach and detail to justify the extra £50 on the price. In this instance though, we’re more than willing to give the 3020is the separate review they deserve. Which is, as you might have guessed, a favourable one.
Pricier – but better
Despite the fairly considerable hike in price over the 3020 model they replace (£190), the improvements in the ‘i’ variants make them just as competitive.
Most of these revisions concern the cabinets, which are 25 per cent larger by volume than their predecessors. Q Acoustics has worked to make them quieter, with point-to-point (P2P) cabinet bracing adding extra support in areas that need it most (ie behind the driver).
The cabinets’ corners have also been internally braced, while the baffle has been reinforced to provide improved support for the tweeter and mid/bass driver. A new crossover feeds the Q3020i’s 20mm soft-dome tweeter and 12.5cm mid/bass driver (compared with the 3010i’s 10cm unit), and Q Acoustics has this time embedded the terminal sockets into the cabinet.
The terminals now also stick out straight and are deep enough to fully insert a banana plug. The upshot is a pair of speakers that are not only easier to plug cables into, but more crucially, are an absolute pleasure to listen to.
Old versus new
We dust off our 3020s and listen to them next to the new version. As we play Elvis Costello’s Pony St, the superiority of the new immediately becomes clear. While the 3020is largely retain their predecessors’ warm, rich and insightful character, joyfully skipping through songs with wind in their sails, the jangly piano intro comes through with more refinement, making the 3020’s treble seem rounded off in comparison.
The rhythmic structure between it and the bassline is relatively more convincing, too. Q Acoustics’ tinkering has upped the detail across the frequency board, and an improved spatial awareness also alludes to the successor’s greater sonic maturity.
The clusters of woodwinds that kick off Bon Iver’s ____45_____ fill our test room with ease, the soundstage a wide-open canvas for them to wax and wane dynamically under the Q Acoustics’ attentive watch. That and his noodling vocal expose a clean, clear midrange, with enough transparency to get across the densely engineered composition.
There’s fullness to the bass line in Kendrick Lamar’s Institutionalized – it thumps through thick and fast under the twinkling instrumental. The 3020is don’t need any help from a back wall either. In fact, unlike their smaller siblings, they achieve optimum tonal balance when granted a little liberty. We’d use dedicated stands if you can.
The 3020i’s main competitors are the Dalis a page back, which are a pinch clearer through the midrange and offer greater rhythmic precision. The Qs counter with better refinement though.
A former Award-winning speaker that’s been improved, this model keeps Q Acoustics firmly among the cream of the budget speaker crop.
“Despite the hike in price over the 3020 model they replace, the improvements in the ‘i’ variants make them just as competitive”