What Hi Fi Sound and Vision
18 FEB 2010
Q Acoustics 2020
It’s not easy to tell at first glance, but the Q Acoustics 2020s are altogether bigger, and less attractively proportioned than their 2010 siblings.
These cabinets are actually deeper than they are tall, which isn’t a problem when you’re sitting looking at their front plate, but it does make mounting them to a shelf or wall a slightly trickier proposition than with most rivals.
Find some way around this (minor) hindrance, though, and there’s very little else to complain about.
Subtle changes from the 2010s
Like the 2010s, the 2020s are rear-ported and available in glossy black or white at extra cost (£30, rather than £20 in this instance), but unlike the 2010s, the bottom-mounted speaker binding plate is a biwirable design.
The 2020s are also a bit more sensitive about being too close to a rear wall than their smaller relatives.
Otherwise, the 2020s remind us of nothing more than an overgrown pair of 2010s when in action.
The similarities are clear when listening to Carl Orff’s Gassenhauer. The 2020s want for little where speed, attack and rigorous stereo focus are concerned, and their exuberant voice only gains enthusiasm as the dynamics of the tune become more pronounced.
The stage they deliver is significantly bigger than that of the 2010s, though, and there’s altogether greater scale and presence to the sound, particularly where low frequencies are concerned. But despite this greater weight and heft, timing is a particular strength.
Real body and purpose
Switching to Yellow Magic Orchestra’s Naughty Boys gives the 2020s even more chance to flex their muscles.
The thumping electronics have real body and purpose here, and providing you keep them in a reasonable amount of free space to prevent the bottom end getting too big for its boots, the 2020s control the entry into and exit from individual notes well.
There could be a little more bite to high frequencies, which can on occasion sound as rounded as the speakers’ cabinets, and thoughtless positioning will cramp the midrange with eager low frequencies, but nevertheless the verdict on the 2020s remains overwhelmingly positive.
Consider them a compulsory audition.
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