Q Acoustics 5040

Key Features

• C3 Continuous Curved ConeTM design in the mid/bass driver ensures smoother high-frequency integration with the tweeter and superior bass dynamics.
• Sophisticated clean and contemporary design with dark acrylic baffle motif mirrors the minimalist C3 Continuous Curved ConeTM profile.
• Arrives in four stylish finishes: Satin Black Satin White Santos Rosewood and Holme Oak.
• With a design taken from the Concept series but in a new housing the high-frequency driver is fully hermetically sealed and mechanically isolated from the front baffle to protect from internal cabinet pressure and resonances from the mid/bass driver.
• Ground-up mid/bass driver design delivers increased power handling.
• Point-2-PointTM (P2P) internal bracing stiffens the cabinet to minimise lower frequency vibrations while focusing stereo imaging and improving soundstage.
• Helmholtz Pressure Equalisers (HPETM) reduces internal pressure and standing waves

Ahead of the curve

The new 5000 series from Q Acoustics is a range of stereo and home cinema loudspeakers that will recalibrate your perceptions of how a speaker can look and sound. By embodying genuine and significant advancement in driver design the game-changing C3 Continuous Curved Cone™ mid/bass driver elevates the 5000 series beyond any nominal rival. By incorporating the innovative cabinet technology first deployed in the company’s flagship Concept range the 5000 series is as uncompromised on the inside as it is sophisticated and contemporary on the outside

The reductive nature of the C3 Continuous Curved Cone’s™ appearance is also reflected in the 5000 series minimalist design with its sophisticated but contemporary lines leaning towards the elegant form of the latest Concept speaker series. The baffle fronts are laminated with a layer of butyl rubber and black acrylic trim not only to provide a damping layer to suppress vibration occurring in the baffle but to offer an eye-catching counterpoint to the cosmetically clean front presentation uninterrupted by any fixings.

Mid/bass driver design

At the heart of the ground-up mid/bass driver design is the C3 Continuous Curved Cone™. The cone’s geometry requires good motor strength for optimal performance. Substantial magnets are coupled to large voice coils to increase motor strength - the result is a 50% increase in power handling and control over a comparable driver with 25.4 mm voice coil. The result is an improvement in the dynamic range of the speaker especially in the bass region.

Based on the tweeter design principle found in the newest Concept series the high frequency driver unit is hermetically sealed and mechanically isolated (floating) from the baffle to prevent internal pressure modulations from within the cabinet and adjacent mid/bass driver. The inner chamber is also carefully vented for lower distortion with a lower crossover point for seamless integration through the crossover region.

A genuine advancement in elements of mid/bass driver design the C3 Continuous Curved Cone™ profile is the result of extensive research and expert engineering to combine the bass performance benefits of a traditional straight conic cone with the high/mid-range frequency control of a flared cone.

By creating a single smooth continuous curve profile the advantages are clear. Its excellent dispersion alongside its well-controlled frequency response and reduced harmonic distortion enables smoother integration with the tweeter. Deep bass dynamics are also superior with this and tighter damped low-end sound allowing more flexibility in in placement of speakers near the wall boundaries of the listening room.

P2P™ (Point to Point) bracing

Q Acoustics P2P™ (Point to Point) bracing used throughout the 5000 series supports the parts of the enclosure that need to be stiffened making the new enclosures exceptionally rigid improving the focus of the stereo image and giving the soundstage more accuracy than ever before.

HPE™ (Helmholtz Pressure Equalizer) technology designed to convert pressure to velocity and reduce the overall pressure gradient within the speaker enclosure has been applied to the 5050 floorstanding speakers only to reduce cabinet resonance. This technology is perfect for taller loudspeakers that tend to resonate at a single favoured frequency.

April 2023

"Q Acoustics has done an absolutely fantastic job at bringing the 5040 to market for $1500 a pair. Honestly how do you even do that?"

Andrew Robinson

April 2023

"Their accuracy and clarity with a smooth and detailed midrange and well-defined bass response make them one of our top choices between $1 000 and $2 000 in the floorstanding loudspeaker category…The competition should be nervous…. If the budget allows — consider these a must audition in 2023."

ecoustics

Specifications

• Bass unit2 x 125 mm (5.0 in)
• Treble unit1 x 25 mm (1.0 in)
• Frequency response(-6dB)39 Hz - 30 kHz
• Nominal impedance6 Ω
• Minimum impedance3.0 Ω
• Sensitivity (2.83V @ 1kHz)91.5 dB/w/m
• Recommended amplifier power25-150 W
• Crossover frequency2.5 kHzz
• Effective volume27 L
• Dimensions (per loudspeaker / HxWxD)Inc spikes and stabiliser: 967 x 361 x 293 mm (38.1 x 14.2 x 11.5 in)
• Weight (per loudspeaker)18.0 kg (39.7 lbs)

In The Box

• 1x 5040 loudspeaker
• 1x Owner’s manual
• 1x Foam bung
• 4x Spike feet
• 4x Spike cover
• 4x M5 screw
• 2x Rear stabiliser

January 2024

"…even without taking its affordable price into consideration Q Acoustics’ 5040 offers superb sound quality. It combines sufficient low-frequency extension and articulation with excellent clarity and imaging and low coloration…Highly recommended."

Stereophile

December 2023

"This speaker is an absolute beast..."

Andrew Robinson Mid-Fi Speaker of the Year $1001 - $3000

December 2023

"…these were one of the most important releases of 2023. The floor standing 5040 at $1 500 need to be at the top of your audition list… Q Acoustics raised the bar with these under $1 500 and there is nothing else in the same price range that I’ve heard that I would rather own."

ecoustics Editor's Choice 2023 Award

November 2023

"...blew us away...The Q Acoustics 5040 are even-handed performers that simply step out of the way of the music and let it shine...wonderfully expressive and insightful performance that’s class-leading at this level."

What Hi-Fi? Product of the Year 2023

November 2023

"What you are getting for your £999 with the 5040s puts them into a class of their own...exceptional sound quality...Respectful and appreciative of every genre from floor thumping bass to delicate strings these are a joy to listen to and clearly designed by people who love their music."

Sound Advice

October 2023

"Combining a very attractive design with excellent sound quality at an MSRP of $1500 the Q Acoustics 5040 speakers just deliver and are an easy recommendation for a floor-standing loudspeaker at this price point."

Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity

October 2023

"The Q Acoustics 5040 are even-handed performers that simply step out of the way of the music and let it shine...wonderfully expressive and insightful performance that’s class-leading at this level."

What Hi-Fi? Awards 2023 Best Floorstanding Speaker £500 - £1 500

September 2023

"The 5040s elevate themselves above the competition…I think this is a speaker that will appeal to everyone…May be the best floorstanding speaker I’ve heard."

The Cheap Audioman

August 2023

"The Q Acoustics 5040 are even-handed performers that simply step out of the way of the music and let it shine...wonderfully expressive and insightful performance that’s class-leading at this level."

What Hi-Fi? 5 Stars

July 2023

"Detailed and dynamically impressive the 5040 faithfully reproduces recordings with precise tonal accuracy and fine spatial definition within the soundstage…The 5040 is never less than fun to listen to."

StereoNET Applause Award

July 2023

"If you’re looking to spend around a £1 000 and are in the market for some classy and comparatively compact floorstanders put the 5040s at the top of your shortlist. You will be hard pressed to find something more musically rewarding."

The Ear Best Buy

April 2023

"Q Acoustics has done an absolutely fantastic job at bringing the 5040 to market for $1500 a pair. Honestly how do you even do that?"

Andrew Robinson

April 2023

"Their accuracy and clarity with a smooth and detailed midrange and well-defined bass response make them one of our top choices between $1 000 and $2 000 in the floorstanding loudspeaker category…The competition should be nervous…. If the budget allows — consider these a must audition in 2023."

ecoustics