I do love the sound of 3030i speakers + Q Acoustics QB12 sub. Feels like a perfect fit for music and movies. I got an insane deal 6 months ago. All the new Q Acoustics speakers were -35%.
Every time you compare the speaker you are reviewing to the UB52 2.0's and state that it isn't as good as this one, it makes me smile. I'm glad I went with these Elac bookshelves. Enjoy them very much!
When you see something new and good you get enthusiastic, you get an adrenaline and serotonin rush and you focus on the experience. If it's affordable and you are into the quest for affordability that triggers an extra shot of enthusiasm. Does that make previous speakers "old hat"? Not really, but for Randy it is a "Look what I found! Its fantastic for the money!" thing. Which is true and doesn't make earlier enthusiasms any less valid. It's like a road trip. When something really cool shows up you get the surge, and then you ride on until the next surge. (In fact, the more you see (and hear) the better you appreciate new things. You get "the lay of the land" which makes new enthusiasms well grounded. It's passed the "Randy enthusiasm test". After this point we are on our own to check it out and make our own decisions. Keep on travellin' and listenin'... :-)
These were my first "real" set of speakers, you know, ones that didn't come with a little BPC all-in-one stereo and weren't hand-me-downs from a HTIB. I'd been thinking about the 3020is for a long while when these were released, so I decided to spend the extra money for a little extra speaker. It was 100% worth it. I love 'em. My dad, who grew up with the huge floorstanders of the 70s and 80s, loves 'em. With a little subwoofer, these speakers don't leave me wanting for anything.
Q Acoustics got the speaker aesthetics game on lock. Curvy. Finished well. Affordable/attachable speaker stands MADE for the speaker so your kids cant kickball them off their stands. Hard not to order these other than the fact there are more exciting speakers to be had
@@patthewoodboy what are the more exciting speakers that come to mind for you guys? I suppose the ELAC Uni-Fi 2.0 UB52? Would really appreciate your thoughts.
Update. The Diamond 11.5 are heavy as shit. Got them connected and can say they are night and day compared to the Sony towers Randy didn't like. These 11.5 sound great in low volume and scary with volume up. Looks like 2 fridges in my living room.
I have those on my desk, powering them with Behringer A800. The bass is really punchy with the Behringer, I like it a lot. In my opinion they work very well with low volumes also.
Allways liked those speakers and now i really know. Pimping my diamond 225 hard atm, but these might be next 😀🥂👍 Big ups from Sweden and thank you so much for one of the best hifi channels in the world💚
I'm actually between the 2 speakers atm. I have 3020i and want something a little bigger and found 225s for under $200 but love the sound of 3020is but want a little more low which seems to be what the 3030i offers. Don't know what the 225s will sound like in comparison.
@@Bellyheart I’m probably not the one to ask because I’m pretty budget minded with my gear. I will say that the 225’s are easily the most balanced sounding speakers I have ever owned. (My tone controls are never used). They are the first pair of speakers that I’ve owned that I actually heard music not only from left to right but from all around me. Definitely a fan of that.
@@Bellyheart i havent heard the 3020, but the diamond 225 have LOTS of base. I love them for many reasons, but their main "problem" is, in my case, that they can get a bit boomy. I like them really much and cant push my self to change. Vocals (both men and women) sounds so fuckin good! I would prefer a bit punchier base, but i might fix that with a more suiting amp. Good luck!
@@a.j9645 I bought the 225s and they definitely have a great soundstage however I’m missing the detail compared to the 3020i. Not sure if it’s due to the plates on the back but so far in comparing I miss some sparkle. The high is more rolled off than the 3020is and I thought they were pretty tame.
Wait until this guy gets the Q Acoustics 3050i. I have 3030i's are rears in a 5.1 setup, with Q Acoustics Concept 40's at the front. These speakers are wonderful.
Great review Randy. I replaced my aging Eosone speakers with a pair of 3020i's last year. They were great but I opted to make my 3020i's my rear channels and purchase the 3030i's. The walnut finish is beautiful, their build quality is unmatched at their price point, and they have been better than I'd hoped even with all the glowing reviews. I even went on to buy the 3090ci which handles really well. The 3030i's were very neutral early on, and occasionally garbled a bit with rock, but once they were broke in sounded really good. While virtually identical to the 3020i's in everything but size, the sound difference is night and day. There is a richness, depth, and punch to the 3030i's that make them much more satisfying. I would still love to see what Danny at GR Research would do with them :) My Polk PSW111 did die back in January and the 3030i's handled well in its absence. Then I got a Hsu VTF-2 MK5. I thought I knew what bass was but the Hsu is still blowing me away and sounds more than amazing paired with my Q Acoustics.
Great input! Chose Hsu over a SVS? Looking for a better sub than my $180 BIC F12 to play with the month old 3050i in english walnut and 3090ci center and the HSU MK5 is in the running but haven't jumped yet. Went from bose to Q Acoustics and WOW serious difference. Thanks in advance.
@@Selene_M3 Those 3050s are excellent! Were space not an issue I'd have gone that route for sure. When it comes to subwoofers most people seem to fall into one of two camps - they either want it rattling out their fillings or want to hear the bass but have the subwoofer disappear into the room. The thing about the Hsu is that it can do either but it's got a depth, richness, and tightness of bass that makes it pretty much the best value if not the best subwoofer under $1000. The only shortcomings one could come up with about the Hsu is that it's lacking app connectivity, it's not winning any beauty contests, and it's huge....seriously however big you think it might be seeing it in pictures/video it's even bigger haha Even so, Cody over at the Home Theater Hobbyist has reviewed both the SVS and Hsu and still touts the Hsu as the best he's reviewed. I am blown away literally every day by the sound and it was worth the 6 week wait. Good luck!
I have the 3020i and they are really neutral with good punch to bass . Maybe stereo imaging could be better but don’t have enough experience to say that categorically. My 3020i only cost me 199 euro and I consider that an absolute giveaway. I have them in walnut and the build quality is really great.
Great review, Randy. The Q3030i looks like it will be a top contender for the 61/2" woofer lineup. I think the bright trim will come down to personal preference, it is a good looking speaker.
$399 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They sell for $1000 dollars here.... (AUS) Depresses me. Thanks for the video would love to audition a set of these or the 3020i one day.
Stevie Nicks. These look nice. Why isn't there more reviews on Martin Logan speakers? I have demoed the Martin Logan 60XTi and it was beautiful, but a bit too tall for my short 82" tall ceiling space (the speakers are 48" tall, so that's about 3' from the ceiling...too tall? What do you think?). I heard the Martin Logan 40i and they were nice too, but not like the 60XTi's. But now I am looking a Q Acoustic stuff...Thanks for the review....Any news on where the hell Andrew Jones went too? LOL.
I have had these speakers (3030i) for about a year and got them for small room. They have a large sound stage and work perfectly at close range with great bass. If you want something similar for a larger room, look at the KEF Q150.
Randy, I bought Emotiva speakers based on your review and now I'm buying the 3030i again based on your review. We trust you brother and thank you for your service both on water and now, on land...be well
Just got the Q Acoustics 3050i Towers just over a month ago to replace 28 year old bose 601( Yeah i know) and am super impressed with them to the point that when i've played them for others people were sure i spent several thousand for the pair instead of $840. Wife and i have just sat in front of them just listening to a variety of music for hours because they are so fun to hear. Punch, detail and just get out of the way of the music speakers. Not surprised Randy's review in any way. Thomas & Stereo youtube was really surprised with them and ran them on budget and super high end gear saying they scale so well that the speaker isn't a bottleneck and just get better and better with fancy amps and dacs etc. Sure there are 2X the 6.5 inch drivers on the towers but you know that the Q house sound is going to be there on the 3030i similarly. Would I like the $5K concept 500's, no doubt but cannot make myself spend that. Just ordered the matching center today now back in stock.
.I'm not into forward (in your face)sounding speakers. So i bought a month ago Q 3030i with Yamaha a-s 501.I was very worry maybe the sound turn out to be too bright for me.Ηappily the sound is laid back.The highs are crystal but not offencive,the mids are warm and revealingly and the bass deep and strong (in my room).In some movies bass gets very low frequencies like a subwoofer!The whole room is shaking!!So i don't have to spend more money for a subwoofer. Like i said i was worry about the synergy between them but Yamaha A-S 501 proved to be a true gem.
I love these videos! Been binging your reviews the last week and I find your shootout reviews especially helpful. It's great that you give specific examples of what your listening for so that I can do the same with my own speakers. It'd be awesome if you could do a video comparing the winners of all your "Best Speaker under $???". It'd be great to get an understanding of I could get as I increase my budget, especially as there's probably more audible differences in budget jumps below $500-600 than above.
HISTORY: 1967-1973 Fleetwood Mac are a British-American rock band, originally formed in London. Formed in July 1967, the group originally consisted of lead guitarist and vocalist Peter Green, slide guitarist and vocalist Jeremy Spencer, bassist Bob Brunning and drummer Mick Fleetwood. The band's current lineup includes Fleetwood, bassist John McVie (since September 1967), keyboardist and vocalist Christine McVie (originally joined in August 1970, and most recently since January 2014), vocalist Stevie Nicks (from December 1974 to December 1990, and since March 1997), and guitarists Mike Campbell and Neil Finn (both since April 2018).
After spending much of the year involved in a legal dispute with former manager Clifford Davis, the four-piece Fleetwood Mac returned in late 1974 with Heroes Are Hard to Find.[10] By the end of the year Welch had left the band, with his replacement Lindsey Buckingham joining on New Year's Eve 1974 alongside his girlfriend, vocalist Stevie Nicks.[11] This lineup of the band remained constant for over twelve years and multiple successful releases, before Buckingham left in August 1987.[12] He was replaced by two guitarists: Billy Burnette and Rick Vito.[13] Nicks and Christine McVie both retired from the touring lineup of the band after the last show of the Behind the Mask Tour on 7 December 1990,[14] although McVie contributed to recordings for the band's next studio album Time in 1995.[15] Vito also left the band in October 1991.[16] The 1974-1987 lineup of Fleetwood Mac reunited for a performance at Bill Clinton's inauguration on 20 January 1993.[17] Nicks and Burnette left the band shortly thereafter, with Bekka Bramlett and Dave Mason, respectively, replacing the departed members later in the year.[18][19] Both performed on 1995's Time, which also featured a returning Burnette on guitar.[20] Shortly after the album was released in October, Fleetwood Mac disbanded.[3][21] Within a year, however, the band had returned with a lineup including Nicks, Buckingham, the McVies and Fleetwood.[3] They returned to touring in 1997, releasing the live album The Dance in August,[2] before Christine McVie left again in 1998 and all but retired from music.[22] She ultimately returned to Fleetwood Mac sixteen years later in January 2014.[23] In April 2018, Buckingham was fired from Fleetwood Mac after a disagreement over touring; he was replaced by two guitarists, Mike Campbell and Neil
Totally not an original member of Fleetwood Mac. Fleetwood Mac hired Lindsey Buckingham to replace Bob Welch and he only agreed if he could bring his girlfriend Stevie Nicks.
Nice vid Randy, Like your character and style. Don't change. Love your raw old vids keeping it real! Have you heard the Mission LX-2 bookshelf speaker? Bass has nice tone and punch and the tweeter has nice sparkle. Keep up the good work.
Just got those as a potential replacement for my Adam A5 active speakers. Tried them in the bedroom against my higher-level, 20 year-old Klipsch RB-75's to try before setting them up for my desktop. Didn't suck. Actually, unlike the Elac Debut 6.2's I had tried before, didn't suck AT ALL. Very nice "together" sound, very musical.
Excellent review.I'm not into forward (in your face)sounding speakers. So i bought a month ago Q 3030i with Yamaha a-s 501.I was very worry maybe the sound turn out to be too bright for me.Ηappily the sound is laid back.The highs are crystal but not offencive,the mids are warm and revealingly and the bass deep and strong (in my room).In some movies bass gets very low frequencies like a subwoofer!The whole room is shaking!!So i don't have to spend more money for a subwoofer. Like i said i was worry about the synergy between them but Yamaha A-S 501 proved to be a true gem.Far better speakers than wrfs 12.2.
I had the 3030i but have since upgrade to the Kef LS50 meta just for better clarity, my finding are the 3030i are great in a small to medium size room base is everything you could want in a small speaker and more,it goes low and yet it's warm,the highs from the tweeters is stunning ,my only downsides is the mids they are buried from the soundstage,the question is are they worth the cash? I'd say yes and the only speakers that would be an alternative would be Wharfedale Evo 4.1
Thanks for the review and Korn rest track. I wouldn't have known to listen for the 1 minute deep bass. No sign of it through my near vintage Axiom M3Ti's (6.5" woofer, smaller cabinet). Easy afterward to hear with the ELAC Sub1010 activated (10", $130).
Randy my man, you put the fun back in Audio reviews, and i had a big chuckle at your angry butcher comment. This is my first time watching your channel and it certainly wont be the last. Thanks for this great video, you helped me decide on speakers for a new small room 5.1 setup, so your video is much appreciated.
You always talk about toe-in and placement in respect to the rear wall, but you never talk about speaker height. I've found that you need to experiment with that too. In my experience, some bookshelf speakers sound best at ear level, but some sound better when placed higher. So, that's something to consider too.
Also I just tested the Andover Music streamer at $129. Sounds excellent, software is early but they will get there and it's better than my Sonos by a mile. I couldn't build a Rasberry Pi for that price.
I love your videos Randy! 👍 I have a request or an idea for you sir. There's a bunch of ppl out there that have powered speakers and i think you should do a series of videos on powered speakers and how to mix and match with deferent components like DACs ,pre amps and how to get the best out of them and how you think they sound after and if there's an improvement or not. I think you could do a great job because you really now how to explain to ppl like me that are not really an expert on the subject and that don't get all the industry jargon yet. Keep up the great work and getting me more informed and entertained at the same time. Your videos are super funny and not boring at all. 👍🐻✌️
Hey Randy great video as always!!!! I think what I love most about your reviews is how you name the songs you use to test the speakers and what to listen for in each song. whenever I watch your videos I always find myself pausing after each mention of a specific song/test, running to my HIFI and doing the test you just suggested. It's so amazing for a new audiophile like myself to be able know what to listen for, and doing the test on my own system is such an eye opener and fantastic learning experience. Like with the Korn song I don't think I would have ever known about the bass drop at the one min mark. So I have a question for you our the audiophile community, again I'm new so if this is a dumb question I apologize. So when you say 3 feet from the back wall is that to the rear of the speaker cabinet, the front baffle, or the voice coil? I know enough to know that room acoustics will play a big part in the overall speaker placement, but still I would like to know a good reference start point. Thank you again.
Off topic: Finally played "More human than human" on my upgraded system ( Yamaha CDX-490 CD-Player, Yamaha RX-V657 AVR, Polk S50E's and HTS10 ) and I am totally satisfied. Ok, now a coffee!
Found these for the equivalent of $338 USD including tax in Australia. Very tempted to get these for the living room as I already have Polk R500, SVS 1000 Pro sub, Dali Oberon Vokal, some old Sony towers and Jamo Cornets in the Home Theater.
I have 3 bookshelf speakers.... polk s20, q acoustics 3030i, and the kef ls50 meta I kicked myself for buying lol... in reality, not a entire jump of 1000k between them all, the kef is more delicate n nuanced friendly to what you play... but in richer sound quality, you could pass off on any. I will say this about the q acoustics, I have a samsung sounbar in my room, the sub bass on that small Amp and q acoustics are almost identical. Its that low n tough, and decently accurate. I think my next venture will be to experiment with tube Amping, as it sounds good on vox amps .. also, these are good at low volume too,
I just got in some JBL a130 ...on your recommendation...they are smooth and neutral...guess I should have spent another 100 or so...Stevie Nicks...by the way...
My experience with these speakers is that initially I enjoyed their warm and full-bodied presentation (thicc), however eventually I found they lacked too much definition and clarity. Also, I had them in a small desktop system powered by a Dayens Ampino. I felt these speakers needed an amp with more power and control, so I moved on to KEF Q series.
Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie are the shes in Fleetwood Mac. Christine's voice sounds like fine velvet if a speaker has good midrange. Don't know if there is actually a "fine" velvet or not but if there is and it made sounds it would sound like her singing voice. ok?
Strange to hear about the midrange being not emphasised enough. Maybe it’s because I have 3030i paired with Cambridge Audio CXA61 amp, but I often use v-shaped EQ settings to cut the midrange down a bit. Depending on how a record produced ofc. Or maybe it’s just my personal preferences, I don’t know. But to my ears, there’s just too much of the midrange in this combo 🤔
The tweeter in these speakers *appear* to be dual ring, or at least have a large outer suspension. The Q Acoustics website mentions foam port plugs - did you try these?
hi Randy. love your explanations. I am just about grabbing these speakers but your impressions about the treble left me a bit concern. After all, would you say they lack in sparkling and crispness? In other words, if I like clear and and shine treble, I will be disappointed? thanks a lot
Been waiting for this review. I bought the original Q 3020s based on your review and the sale price. Use them with a Polk 10 subwoofer. Would these be a worthwhile upgrade in your opinion? Thanks in advance
Well, they're going to have a similar sound signature, but bigger speakers will give you, well, a bigger sound. so i can't see why it wouldn't be a worthy upgrade!
Greetings from Poland. I love listening to you - English practice combined with audio knowledge. and some so needed small breaks for lucky charms. It couldn't be better. :) What would you recommend for a small room (10m2) with a lot of clarity in vocals, nice space creation and controlled bass that will give life to guitars but won't overwhelm an acoustically difficult bedroom (taking the price level of 3030i as the upper limit)? Possibly available in Europe.
I'd really love to compare these two speakers. I own the Q acoustics 2020i's which are the older models of the 3020's and i have also listened to the older diamond 225's . I felt the Diamonds had a warmer tone compared with my Q acoustics. The Q acoustics sound more lively in the top end. The Diamonds had a thicker sounding midrange. vocals definitely sounded warmer and more inviting with the Diamonds but did lack a little excitement and clarity.
Ha, yeah me too when I was about 10...well actually I had the regular "Free Spirit" with the hub brake. I used to jump that thing hard off steps at the elementary school. Don't think I got much more than a year out of it.
Hi Randy, I recently inherited a Vintage Yamaha CR-620 Receiver ( I love it, its so cool!) The internet says it hits 35 watts per channel into 8 ohms or 50 watts into 4 ohms. So my question is will it drive the 3030i's and if not would the 3020's? be a save bet?
They have just arrived and I've plugged them in........ Over the moon!. Just so so so much better in all respects to the Celestion DL4's that they replace.... If I had to sum them up in one word, Smooth and Basey. Lovely! Thanks for the review on these as that really is what persuaded me to buy them, Cheers........ now where did I put my JD and coke!
I have a yamaha rx v73 reciever and trying to find a better matching pair of speakers to pair with my dual sb1000 subs, right now i have some deftech 8040 towers but i feel like there too much competition from the bass in the built in woofers with my subs for music. What do yall think about swapping the towers for these to pair with dual sb1000's? This system is only for music. So far i only have $1100 in this whole setup, i like used
I'm looking for a best match with my Marantz PM6006. I'm hesitate with the Klipsch RP600M and the QAcoustics 3030I. I'm looking for a good bass response and not fatiguing sound. I'm linstening many of Hip Hop songs and Metal. Thanks for your time !
Hi, Dan from Brazil here. Whaferdale Diamond 12.3 or 3030i for audio listening, only! Both expensive here. I would like to know which one to buy. Planar 3 - Yamaha Amps.
Can we get a build quality report sir? How are the x-overs lookin in these things? You should make teardowns a regular part of the reviews, im ALWAYS interested in what these brands put inside their enclosures!
I don’t take apart any of the speakers sent in from manufacturers. I would imagine that the parts in here are similar to other products in this price range.
I have a denon PMA-600NE paired with these. Pretty good all round if you look up reviews. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-UOpnMAUXKP8.html&ab_channel=SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac Good review and he has them paired to the denon if you listen from around 10.30
Are these suitable as pc speakers? I dont have amp but some powered speakers costs more... Currently i use yamaha hs7 but i bought them for my keyboard playing which are intendend for different location in the room
Had a pair of these and found them too fatiguing. Too much upper midrange and ended up going with a very similar looking speaker...Polk Audio S20..Much better!
Hey Randy would you recommend these instead of the debut b6 and airmotiva b1+ (which you recommended me, because those a hard to come by in germany :/)
These are great. The Elac B6’s are warmer and soundstage better. The emotiva are very detailed. Q acoustics does a great job with these and are a great value at this price.
I have a question. Why do speaker reviewers focus on bookshelves 20 times more (at least) than floorstanding when the prior never sounds as good as their latter counter part?
