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IQ Acoustics makes a long-awaited return to our home cinema test room with its new 3050c 5.1 speaker package.
Built around components from the newly launched entry-level 3000c series, this surround sound system inherits key driver technology and design cues from the high-end Q Acoustics.
This brand has built an impressive reputation over the years for delivering big, room-filling sound to both hi-fi and home cinema enthusiasts, so expectations are high for this surround sound package.
We’re also eager to see how the pull-down speaker technology works in practice; High-end engineering doesn’t always mix easily with mid-range stuff, after all. So, how does the 3050c 5.1 package work?
Price
IQ Acoustics does not officially sell the system provided to us as a complete set, although it has quoted a combined price of £1,896 / $3,506 for this package. It sells a pack with the same name on its website and other retailers, although this comes with a different subwoofer, so we expect performance to be different.
The supplied package includes 3050c floorstanders (£749 / $1349 per pair), 3010c bookshelf surrounds (£249 / $479 per pair), 3090c channel speaker (£229 / $399), and Q subwoofer / 100 active Q SUB99 ($100 / $100). The most widely available pre-assembled package swaps the Q SUB100 for a 3060S subwoofer, and costs £1626 here in the UK.
Competition at this price remains on par with the award-winning Bowers & Wilkins 606/607 S3 speaker system, which is currently available from various retailers for around £1950, down from its original price of £2496.
The B&W package has proven to be a problem for Q Acoustics before, as they edged out the 5040 5.1 package at our 2023 Awards – who doesn’t like a repeat?
Build & draw
The 3050c 5.1 package is a good-looking and well-built set of speakers. They sport smooth corners and metal accents, resulting in a modern, high-quality look that should blend in well with most living rooms or home theaters.
IQ Acoustics 3050c 5.1 technical specifications
It ends x 4 (Satin White, Satin Black, Pin Oak, Claro Walnut)
Two strings? No
Limits:
Dimensions (hwd) 102 x 32 x 32cm
Weight 18kg (each)
Surroundings:
Dimensions (hwd) 25 x 16 x 25cm
Weight 4.4kg (each)
Institution:
Dimensions (hwd) 16 x 43 x 22cm
Weight 6.5 kg
Title:
Dimensions (hwd) 35 x 35 x 38cm
Weight 17 kg
Our system is finished in Satin White, although you can also purchase speakers in Satin Black, Claro Walnut, or Pin Oak finishes. All colors come with a unique champagne-gold baffle around the drivers, giving them a premium look. The speakers also include magnetic grilles in the box.
The 3050c are a mid-range pair that sit on the ground, measuring 102 x 32 x 32cm (hwd, including spikes and stabilizers), and the 3010c are a more compact set around 25 x 16 x 25cm (hwd).
Although it’s the 3090c that surprises us the most; at 16 x 43 x 22cm (hwd), it’s one of the smallest center channel speakers to cross the threshold of our home cinema room in recent memory. The IQ SUB100 also keeps things compact at 35 x 35 x 38cm (hwd).
The 3000c family sports a number of design features aimed at improving sound. All components feature rear ports, and Q Acoustics has used its P2P (Point-to-Point) integration system across the range to boost stability, which aims to “enhance the focus of the stereo image and give the soundstage greater precision than ever”, according to Q Acoustics.
Specific to the 3050c floorstanders is the inclusion of HPE (Helmholtz Pressure Equaliser) tubes, which are placed inside the speakers to neutralize internal cabinet pressure and improve frequency response, all in an effort to eliminate unwanted standing waves and coloration.
Features
Key to the 3000c series is Q Acoustics’ C3 Continuous Curved Cone driver design, which debuted in the 5000 series of speakers; namely the award-winning 5040 floorstanders.
Found here among the bass drivers, the proprietary speaker design is reported to boast “the bass performance benefits of a traditional straight cone with midrange control and a flared cone high end”.
Similarly, the tweeter design of this range also takes inspiration from the more expensive 5000 series speakers. The high frequency drivers in the 3000c series are sealed and mechanically separated from the baffle, which Q Acoustics says will prevent “internal pressure fluctuations within the cabinet and the adjacent mid/bass driver”.
The floorstanding 3050c sandwiches a 22mm tweeter between two 14cm mid/bass direct drivers. The 3010c’s surround channels and the 3090c’s center channel share the same tweeter, paired with a single 10cm driver for each surround speaker and a balanced, dual-driver layout for the tweeter in the center speaker.
Moving on to the subwoofer, the Q SUB100 (and for that matter, the entire Q Sub range) is said to be more powerful than the Q12 subwoofer included in the 5040 5.1 package. It sports a 25cm driver, 500W peak amplification power, and an intelligent source detection system that can distinguish the type of input (whether that’s a stereo amplifier or a multi-channel home cinema receiver) and the level of adaptation of the bass performance.
The sound
The good looks and extensive feature set tell only a small part of the story; it’s audio performance that we care about the most.
We have the 3050c 5.1 package connected to the Award-winning Marantz Cinema 30 for review. Although this amplifier undeniably surpasses the speaker package of this price, its expressive sound and abundant power should help us identify the strengths and weaknesses of this system.
We also have a Bowers & Wilkins 606/607 S3 speaker package for reference, and raided our library of reference 4K discs to test performance.
It starts with F1: Filmthe 3050c 5.1 has taken off. The power and speed of this speaker system is immediately evident, resulting in a thrilling, almost nerve-wracking soundtrack during the intense 24 hours of the Daytona race at the start of the film. As the cars boldly pass by and roll out in a killer fashion, the versatility of the Q Acoustics is evident.
The 3050c 5.1 also does an admirable job of putting us through games. The integration between the front and surround channels is excellent, ensuring that there are no visible gaps. As such, the surround speakers are also well-integrated, meaning they are not distractingly loud.
The concept of space and height is also a prominent feature of this system. David Croft and Martin Brundle’s vocals as they commentate on the races have a real sense of superiority, and the wide, enclosed soundstage puts us right in the center of the action.
It’s moving forward Dune: Part One, we watch the sequence where the Atreides family explores the spice desert from the air. The vocals are clear and punchy, making the dialogue easy to understand, and the booming drums that command the song flex the Q SUB100’s muscles with a strong lead edge on each strike, and a variety of tonal touches that sprinkle some texture and life into the rhythmic beats.
We change our test disc to Marvel’s Thunderwe use a sequence in which the anti-heroes flee to the desert with the mysterious Bob. The good features of the speaker system are perfectly suited to this sequence; its fast and exciting nature makes the fight sequences feel incredibly intense, and the capable subwoofer brings a lot of bass to loud explosions and gunfire.
However, this scene also confirms the shortcomings of the package, especially the center channel. While most of the system works in harmony to create a coherent and cinematic sound, the center channel feels like the only part that conflicts with that.
Voices sound very thin and focused, letting us know exactly where they are coming from. While this helps vocal clarity, it also means that vocals don’t sound well integrated into the main mix. They also sound very low-key, making the snide jabs thrown from one member of the group to another feel a bit out of character.
This package has a clear tendency to sound dependent. Fastness and brightness, which is empty space, are two good qualities that can also lead to the 3050c’s system sounding a little forward and, at times, a little persistent. It lacks the touch of warmth and naturalness that the Bowers & Wilkins 606/607 S3 5.1 system brings to the table.
This is especially true when it comes to music. Switching to Pure Direct for some stereo content, we find that Maggie Rogers’ Age of the DogBon Iver’s There’s a Rhythm and Phoebe Bridgers’ The Lost Boys it all sounds like a bit of shouting, despite the fact that all the tracks sound great.
That said, we can’t argue with the 3050c’s specs and timing, as both are excellent when listening to music through them.
The decision
IQ Acoustics has introduced another eye-catching and exciting sounding home cinema package that will appeal to those looking for a 5.1 system that overflows with power. While we feel it can sound a little too thin at times, and wish the center channel was better matched to the rest of the system, we still think there’s a lot to like here.
POINTS
MORE:
Read our review of Bowers & Wilkins 606 & 607 S3 speaker package
Think again about Fyne Audio F500E AV Pack 2
Read ours Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 Home Cinema Pack review
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