Jessica PereiraQ Acoustics has announced the arrival of the 5050 – the flagship model in its 5000 stereo and home cinema loudspeaker series. The largest speaker in the range, this floor-standing speaker, according to Q Acoustics, has the scale, power and poise to bring the user’s music to life. Boasting the biggest-sized mid/bass drivers in the series, the 5050 will fill even the largest listening rooms with dynamic and natural sound.
Showcasing advancement in driver design, the introduction of the C3 Continuous Curved Cone profile in the mid/bass driver elevates the 5050 and 5000 series beyond its class and forms a technical platform for years to come. Alongside its series siblings, the 5050 also inherits innovative cabinet and driver technology from the company’s flagship Concept range for a sonic performance while bringing sophistication to any listening room with its contemporary and minimalist design lines, says Q Acoustics.
The 5050 joins the 5000 family, comprising the 5010 bookshelf, 5020 stand mount and 5040 floor-stander, with the 5090 centre channel completing the line-up for a home cinema speaker set-up.
5050 audio innovations include:
• C3 (pronounced ‘C-cubed’) Continuous Curved Cone design in the mid/bass driver ensures smoother high-frequency integration with the tweeter and superior bass dynamics.
• Boasting six-inch mid/bass drivers for a commanding but nuanced room-filling sound.
• Sophisticated, clean and contemporary design with dark acrylic baffle motif mirrors the minimalist C3 Continuous Curved Cone profile.
• With a design from the Concept series but in 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-Point (P2P) internal bracing stiffens the cabinet to minimise lower frequency vibrations while focusing on stereo imaging and improving the soundstage.
• Four Helmholtz Pressure Equalisers (HPE) tubes are fitted inside the 5050 to reduce internal pressure and standing waves.
C3 Continuous Curved Cone design
Described as a genuine advancement in elements of mid/bass driver design, the C3 Continuous Curved Cone’s profile is the result of extensive research and 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 and continuous curve profile, the advantages are manifold. Firstly, its dispersion, alongside its well-controlled frequency response, enables smoother integration with the tweeter. Deep bass dynamics are also superior, and this tighter, damped low-end sound allows more flexibility in the placement of the speakers near the wall boundaries of the listening room. Harmonic distortion is also reduced, ensuring the 5050 and the 5000 series deliver a sonic performance and wide soundstage that belies its ranking.
The C3 Continuous Curved Cone profile has successfully addressed shortcomings in one of the basic geometrical elements of drive unit design to deliver the best characteristics of both straight and flared cones, says the maker.
Sophisticated design
The reductive nature of the C3 Continuous Curved Cone’s appearance is also reflected in the 5050’s 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 the vibration occurring in the baffle but to offer an eye-catching counterpoint to the cosmetically clean front presentation uninterrupted by any fixings.
As with the entire 5000 series, the 5050 arrives in a choice of four modern but classic finishes offered to complement any living space, including a new lighter wood veneer. High-quality finishes include Satin Black, Satin White, Santos Rosewood and Holme Oak.
The 5050 floor-standing model comes with stylish solid aluminium stabilisers that feature top adjustable spikes for easier levelling adjustment, while durable low-profile speaker terminals provide a tidy appearance, enabling the speaker to be closer to the back wall if required.
Premium cabinet and driver innovations
All models in the 5000 series feature acoustic cabinet innovations first introduced in the flagship, high-end Concept range, including tweeter design, Point-2-Point (P2P) bracing and Helmholtz Pressure Equalisers (HPE) tube technology.
High-frequency driver design
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 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.
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, and the result is a 50% increase in power handling and control over a comparable driver with a 25.4mm voice coil. The result is an improvement in the dynamic range of the speaker, especially in the bass region.
Point-2-Point (P2P) and Helmholtz Pressure Equalisers (HPE) technology
Point-2-Point (P2P) internal bracing is fitted to internal areas of the cabinet susceptible to low-end frequency reverberations. This reinforcement delivers a more focused stereo image and a wider soundstage. All floor standing speakers are vulnerable to internal build-up of pressure that causes unwanted standing waves and colouration. To prevent this occurring, the 5050, like its smaller 5040 sibling, is fitted with specially designed Helmholtz Pressure Equalisers (HPE) tubes inside the cabinets (four inside the 5050 and two inside the 5040) to improve frequency response.
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