Q Acoustics M20 HD Bookshelf Speaker Review
Even before I received the Q Acoustics M20 HD Bookshelf Speakers for review, I already knew I was going to like them aesthetically and sonically. Touted as a full-blown, high-resolution wireless music system. It is in their words: ‘…the most powerful, immersive, and convenient way to enjoy music, movies, and gaming sound anywhere in the home’. I see it as a wireless-powered 3020i. And I love that speaker.
Q Acoustics is now onto its second offering in the powered speaker space (or third depending on how you look at it) but separates them by subcategories as they differ a little. The first, ‘Q Active Series’ consists of the 200 Bookshelf and 400 Floor-stander. The Q Active Series is a stereo speaker system where each driver has its own dedicated amplifier and the crossover in each speaker is active, providing the most precise voicing. The Powered series is a stereo speaker system where carefully matched amplifiers are built into one passive speaker with a connection to a second passive speaker via a speaker cable. This brings us to the subject of this review, the M20 HD Bookshelf.
Highlights
• Powered bookshelf speakers
• Ported cabinet delivers bass to 55Hz
• 65-watttt internal amplifiers
• Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX, USB, optical, and RCA inputs
Introduction
The ‘Powered Speakers’ category has seemingly grown exponentially over the last few years. Manufacturers seem to be including all the features that manufacturers of integrated amplifiers have taken forever to… well, ‘integrate’ into amplifiers. It might be that Powered Speakers are more consumer-oriented versus niche audiophile-targeted products. Being more of a Hi-Fi enthusiast versus a hardened audiophile myself (yeah, I said it), I’m glad it’s a thing.
Design
The M20 HDs are sized about the same as the 3020i and carry over the same industrial design cues from the 3000i series with deep cabinets, rounded corners, flat style binding posts, and rear-firing reflex ports. Like the 3000i series, the M20 also features P2P™ (Point to Point) cabinet bracing. It is essentially a powered version of the 3020i with some DSP eq thrown in to help the user (you) augment the sound characteristics of the sound depending on how you place them. Like most speakers in this category, one of the pair is the mains-powered ‘master’ or control speaker. The other is connected via the supplied cable. Interestingly, the back of the control speaker has a switch allowing you to set it as either the left or right channel. This is handy if you want to keep cables hidden or outlets aren’t strategically placed.
So, what separates these from something like the Fluance Ai61?
The first is price. It costs about twice as much. The second is design. With all due respect to Fluance, Q Acoustics is decidedly more design-forward and feels more premium. I would put the M20 HD more in line with the Kef LSX, and Kanto TUK in terms of aesthetics and price, though I have yet to hear the latter two myself.
The Fluance Ai61 is bereft of a front grille leaving the delicate soft domed tweeter vulnerable to my three-year-old’s wayward fingers. The M20 HDs come with grills, but they cannot be removed. I’m torn on this one. On one hand, I like the look of these speakers overall, but I do wish the grills were removable. Not being able to see the drivers kind of bugs me. I spoke with the Q Acoustics rep about the removable grilles and the explanation was that the M20 is part of their media series, which includes the M2 Soundbase, M3, and M4 Soundbars, all of which have fixed grilles. The control speaker also doesn’t feature a multi-function knob on the front. Instead, there’s a power button that sits on top that is ringed by an LED light. The light changes color indicating which source is selected (Bluetooth, optical, analog, or USB). On either side of it are volume up and down buttons.
The built-in amplifier provides 65 watts per channel of digital power. The 22mm tweeter is decoupled, to minimize any internal vibrations that can adversely affect the audio, while the 125mm mid/bass driver and rear-firing reflex port in each speaker support the midrange and bottom end. The M20 HD is also significantly deeper than the Fluance Ai61. The deeper cabinet helps provide for a big, full sound.
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