Concept 30
Standmount Speaker
Overview
Taking acoustic technology and design cues from the flagship Concept 300, while also introducing new audio innovations, the Concept 30 standmount delivers truly high-end home audio performance.
No artificial colouring
Every element of acoustic innovation featured in the Concept 30 is geared towards designing the quietest cabinet possible. Unaffected by internal and external resonances, these speakers deliver focused stereo imaging, accurate audio and an extended holographic soundstage to emulate a live performance in the home.
All our anti-resonance innovations allow the state-of-the-art complement of drivers free to get on with the job of delivering the most realistic, most involving sound ever heard at this price-point.
Controlled power
Designed as an integral part of the mechanical structure of the cabinet, both the 5-inch mid/bass and 1.0-inch tweeter drivers are new, ground-up designs specifically for the Concept 30, 50 and 90 loudspeakers. The drive units are fixed to a remarkably stiff 3mm aluminium baffle plate before it is fitted to the cabinet - this gives the correct acoustic seal, dampening vibrations and minimising structural coupling.
Elsewhere, the tweeter is hermetically sealed and mechanically isolated (floating) from the baffle, which means lower distortion and a lower crossover point for seamless integration through the crossover region. At 30.5mm, the larger mid/bass driver voice coil increases motor strength resulting in a 50% increase in power handling over a comparable driver with 25.4 mm voice coil.
Lastly, the crossover itself is mounted to the isolation base, keeping it free of sound-effecting vibrations and away from the electro-magnetic influence of the drivers themselves.
Elegant design
Boasting the same sophisticated design lines and stunning, premium high gloss finish of the top-of-the-range 300 and 500 models, the new range retains the signature aluminium front baffle plate that made the original Concept speakers so iconic. The Concept 30 arrives in three striking lacquers: black, silver and white.
Gelcore™ technology
Introduced in the original Concept speaker, the Gelcore™ cabinet construction is designed to minimise high-frequency noise. A unique design comprised of a non-setting gel sandwiched between two individual layers, this specially developed adhesive dissipates high-frequency vibrations, generated by the moving drivers, into heat to maintain a focused audio performance.
Isolation suspension system
A variation on the hugely effective ‘isolation base’ principle first seen on Concept 300 means the Concept 30 have a suspension system in the form of a sprung baseplate. Two plates are separated by suspension ‘spheres’ that effectively isolates the cabinet from interference from external vibrations, providing tighter stereo imaging, while also bringing greater depth.
P2P™ (Point to Point™) technology
To keep the cabinet as rigid as possible, P2P™ (Point to Point™) internal bracing is employed. First introduced in the Concept 500, reinforcement is fitted to interior areas of the cabinet susceptible to low-end frequency reverberations.
Using Finite Element Analysis and laser interferometry to examine the performance of the cabinet down to a microscopic level, P2P™ bracing has been applied to the speaker cabinet.
Implemented this state-of-the-art technology, Q Acoustics have been able to identify and apply bracing to only the precise points of the cabinet that require additional support and unwanted energy is dissipated rather than transferred throughout the cabinet.
Bi-Wire Terminals
All models in the Concept series features Bi-Wire terminals on the rear of the cabinet. This means, using a compatible speaker cable, two pair of cables can be run from your power source (amplifer) to the speaker. One set of cables carries the high frequency signals, while the second pair transfers the mid/low frequencies.
The advantage of separating these frequencies through bi-wiring are two-fold: Intermodulation distortion caused by interactions between the high and low frequencies traveling down the cable can be minimised, with the result being noticeable improvement in the clarity of the mid-range.
Specification
Bass unit 1 x 125 mm (5.0 in)
Treble unit 1 x 25 mm (1.0 in)
Frequency response(-6dB) 54 Hz - 30 kHz
Nominal impedance 6 Ω
Minimum impedance 3.9 Ω
Sensitivity (2.83V @ 1kHz) 87 dB/w/m
Recommended amplifier power 25-100 W
Crossover frequency 2.4 kHz
Distortion (120Hz - 20kHz, @2.83Vrms) <0.2%
Effective volume 7.0 L
Dimensions (per loudspeaker / HxWxD) 284 x 180 x 319 mm (11.2 x 7.1 x 12.6 in)
Weight (per loudspeaker) 7.9 kg (17.4 lbs)
Review
"Always a keenly contested area for AVForums, the Concept 30 arrived as a serious statement of intent and proceeds to deliver with bells on...The decision to award an Editor's Choice award was a bit of a no brainer really. It looks good, it’s superbly made and completely hassle free to live with. It’s an absolute star turn from Q Acoustics that is comfortably the best speaker at the price point."
AVForums, “Best Mid-Range Speaker” 2022 Award
September 2022
"I think it’s fantastic that a relatively new company like Q Acoustics have managed to position themselves on par with KEF and Sonus Faber – it’s brilliant, well done to them."
September 2022
"The Concept 30s offer a refined sound that has all of the purity claimed for the sturdy, braced, Gelcore damped cabinet used. Add in a pair of quality drive units well integrated electrically and the final result was impressive. I especially enjoyed their smooth accuracy...A balanced and refined sound.. lively and fast. Conspicuously capable all round. Outstanding – Amongst the best."
Hi-Fi World, 5 Globes, September 2022 issue
August 2022
"...these speakers sound almost as fulsome and dynamic as a pair of floorstanders...The whole sound adds up to a coherent feel that enables the listener to concentrate on the music...The Concept 30 speakers from Q Acoustics are stunning performers for the money…Highly Recommended."
July 2022
"The Q Acoustics Concept 30 is an innovative design, a speaker that’s beautifully built with a premium finish that won’t impose itself in your listening space…warm, rich with strong bass and dynamics and very good amounts of detail for speaker around this price – if that’s you then you need to take a closer look and an even closer listen."
A British Audiophile, Highly Recommended Award
March 2022
"….right now? As I write these words? If you’re looking for a balanced speaker offering detail and finesse? The Concept 30s are my No.1 choice for speakers under £1,000."
The Audiophile Man, 9/10, Deeply Groovy Award
March 2022
"This exceptional blend of virtues marks the Concept 30 out as a serious arrival at its price point. It takes the abilities of various rivals, and blends them into something that might have to give ground to each in one specific area, but has a strength in depth that they cannot match. Throw in the ease of positioning and choosing partnering equipment, and the immaculate build, and you have an exceptional speaker that needs to be on any shortlist at this price-point."
Hi-Fi Critic, Highly Recommended Award, Jan/Mar 2022 issue
March 2022
"...these speakers have been crafted and honed to have the most neutral, vibration-free enclosures possible. There's no resonance, no colour to your sound which shouldn't be there. For the price, this just may well be peak audio."
T3, Hot 100, April 2022 issue
March 2022
"Stunning sound at a reasonable price…The Q Acoustics Concept 30 are outstanding loudspeakers that are as beautiful to look at as they are to listen to."
TechHive, 4.75 Stars, Editor's Choice Award
February 2022
"The Concept 30 is magnificently free of issues full stop. It places no great demands on your partnering equipment, is commendably unfussy about where you place it and it manages to look fantastic once you’ve done so. An outstanding speaker that barely puts a foot wrong, the Concept 30 is a superb performer."
Hi-Fi Choice, 5 Stars, Editor's Choice Award
January 2022
"…a speaker that is a genuinely spectacular arrival at this price point…This is an exceptional loudspeaker that needs to go on the audition list… It’s all things to all people and a well-deserved Best in Class."
