“ Hey , do you desire to review a set of powered desktop Bluetooth speakers ? ” is what my workfellow take me . First , of course I do , because I care speakers and I wish my Book of Job . But one of the most fun parts of reviewing product is when you dig into something new and find that it is n’t what you were expecting .
Sure , theQ Acoustics M20 HDare , at first coup d’oeil , a yoke of poweredBluetooth speakersthat I ’m trusted would be quite content ( can Speaker be content ? ) relegated to any base position desktop . And they were , mirthfully tucked in behind my computer monitor for weeks . I was happy , too . domesticated sound recording bliss . But then I find the “ Powered Wireless Music System ” moniker on the box . Duh .
After removing my palm from my face , I relocated the M20s to a bookshelf in my dining room . Then I tried them withmy turntable . Thenmy video . And my phone . They ’re so moveable I even have them to my cottage . With a ton of connectivity selection , from RCA to USB to 3.5.mm AUX to optical to Bluetooth , there was n’t anything I could n’t try the M20s with , save for Wi - Fi . you could even solicit a subwoofer up to them ( more on that later ) .
Should the Q Acoustics M20 HDs lodge to the screen background Bluetooth loudspeaker lane , or are they a muscularity cable car longing for the opened route ? Should I stop with the car metaphor ? And , more importantly , should you corrupt these utterer ? clasp up .
What’s in the box?
What ’s in the box of the Q Acoustics M20 speakers is as square as the speaker system itself . There ’s one powered main speaker , and a familiar inactive speaker . A small box inside the packaging reveals everything else necessitate to get up and run quickly : a 4 - meter ( 13 - foot ) verbaliser cable television for linking the speakers , a 2 - meter ( 6.5 - foot ) power cable , a remote control with barrage fire an optical line , two foam bungs for the rearward interface , and a user manual .
Design and features
Build and drivers
To be clear , the Q Acoustics M20 speakers are not what I would call a minor duad of desktop speakers like the more compact , budget set ofMonoprice desktops we latterly reviewed — these things are solid , but still moveable . Each speaker weighs a little over 10 pounds ( 11.25 pounds for the passive speaker and 12.2 lb for the powered ) , and they ’re upstanding as a rock with a stylish lustrelessness fatal finish ( they ’re also available in white and walnut ) . The meshwork radiator grille are also courteous , and are sealed loaded to the cabinets with a sleek band of aluminum . This also means that the grilles , alas , do not fare off , which might not be a problem unlessyou demand to cleanse them .
Behind the lattice , each of the M20 ’s speakers houses a 22 mm ( 0.87 - column inch ) “ high frequency ” tweeter that is decoupled from the console , which Q Acoustics says helps understate any undesirable quivering inside . The midbass machine driver is a 125 mm ( 4.92 - inch ) cone that puts out an telling amount of auditory sensation for its size — enough to meet any medium - sized elbow room — and is driven by a ramp up - in 130 - watt amplifier . There ’s also a rear - discharge reflex embrasure on the back to avail with bass dispersion , which can be blocked with the included foam spile to fine - melodic line the low end if the backs of your speaker system need to be cheeseparing to or sluice against a rampart . And you may require to do this because , as I note , these speakers are n’t small , at 11 inches magniloquent by 6.7 inches wide and a shelf - fill up 11.6 inches deep .
There ’s a plethora of connectivity option to this $ 600 music system of rules .
The top of the powered speaker is where you ’ll find a affluent power push button that smartly illuminates a unlike colouration base on what connection is being used , and up / down mass buttons . you could use the ability button to manually scroll through the inputs or you could use the included remote ( a nice speck ) , which is a summary size with all the input clearly marked .
All the connections are well organized on the back of the powered speaker ( we ’ll get into those below ) , with the peaceful speaker clean and clean except for the speaker cable terminal .
Connections
This is where the Q Acoustics M20s get fun . As mentioned in the presentation , there ’s a plethora of connectivity option to this $ 600 euphony system . It ’s of import to note that the M20s are not Wi - Fi - enabled and can not stream anything over a internet like a Sonos organisation ( there is a way , though — read on ) .
Bluetooth is the wireless connectivity here , but it ’s beyond many cheaper scheme on the market in that it supports aptX , aptX Low Latency , SBC , and AAC wireless codecs . It also indorse the aptX HDBluetooth codec , which enable high - resolution wireless audio streaming up to 24 - bit/48kHz . That correctly there is some passably great auditory sensation capacity , but if you ’re even more of an audiophile , you’re able to link up the M20s to a information processing system via the USB porthole or abstract up the Toslink opthalmic port to a compatible component to unlocklossless audioquality at 24 - bit/192kHz — from high - res aboriginal file or through streaming serve such asTidal , Apple Music , andAmazon Music Unlimited . The optic port can also be used to connect the M20s to a compatible TV to die hard strait through that way .
A set of RCA inputs opens thing up even more , reserve connection to everything from CD and videodisc players to turntables — and just about anything with the veracious cables and adapters . you may even apply the RCA line - in to connect to Wi - Fi connection streaming devices like theBluesound Nodeor theSonos Port — now you ’ve got yourself a comme il faut connection stream setup .
The M20s are superb - sounding loudspeaker , offering amazing tonic equaliser , a wide soundstage , and impressive volume for their size of it .
There ’s also a embrasure for connecting an external subwoofer should you revel big bass voice , and even if a single 3.5 mm cable is all you have , there ’s one of those on the back , too — I like to have one connected in case friends need to lift up their phones to the verbaliser without fuss with Bluetooth .
Setup
No motive to get too into the weeds here : setting up the M20s is gentle and really configurable . Once you ’ve chosen their location ( shelf , desk , media building block ) , just secure in the power and link the two utterer together with the included verbaliser cable and the scarlet / bootleg speaker unit terminals on each speaker .
Q Acoustics then survive that minuscule superfluous distance with a pair of handy toggle switches on the back of the powered speaker . One lets you prefer the left-hand / right orientation of the powered speaker ( which is great if you require the main verbalizer in a sealed position to get to the power button or the inputs ) , and the other is a three - way chooser that lets you fine - melodic line the EQ if the speakers are set up in a niche , against a wall , or in an open space . Q Acoustics says that the system expend digital processing to optimize the speech sound , which comes in handy if you be after on incite the speakers around , which you might very well do .
There ’s a Bluetooth button on the back for leisurely initial pairing , or you could hold down chief power release in Bluetooth mode to put the speakers in pairing mood . Otherwise , connecting your choose wired connection is probably the toughest decision you ’ll have ( note that other than the visual cable television service , the M20s do not come with any other cables ) . Now all you have to do is utilize the remote or the top business leader push to take your input .
Sound quality and performance
What can I say , the M20s are superb - sounding Speaker , offer amazing tonal balance , a wide soundstage , and telling loudness for their size . They sound crystal clear and fuddled , specially in the mid and high frequencies , and even at higher volume , no matter the medicine style or source . I fed the M20s everything from The Beatles and Pantera to Michael Bublé Christmas tunes to Billy Eilish and the Jonas Brothers ( I have a 12 - year - old ) . I did this from Hawaii - res lossless Apple Music , Tidal , and Amazon Music , as well as over Bluetooth , from my computer through the USB port , and even through a phono preamp so I could play some vinyl . Everything sound expectant . Spotify Premium ’s 320kbps was the only source that sounded slightly less define compared to the others , but that ’s on them .
The Q Acoustics M20s more than lives up to its name as a Powered Wireless Music System , and it ’s easy one of the most various and best - vocalize loudspeaker organisation I ’ve ever heard .
Positioning tractableness is one of the M20 ’s best lineament , and they did indeed sound slap-up no matter where I put them — behind my computing machine monitor , on a bookshelf in my dining room , with my turntable setup in my aliveness room . The EQ switch came in really ready to hand , and experiment with the toggle ground on where I put them riposte subtle nuances in the sound , but I could by all odds tell the difference . This facilitate me pull the respectable sound from the M20s , except … .
The one area I felt was a little deficient was in the depressed closing , where even Eilish ’s bass voice - drenched trackXannycould practice some help . I must confess , though , I do prefer more bass than most . I will say that the EQ transposition did help here , balancing the humiliated destruction reckon on where in the way I was standing . Using the froth bung inserted in my desktop computer setup also yielded good solvent there . The best audio I manage to get was with the speakers around 5 inches from the wall , in a corner , with the speakers somewhat lean inward and with the froth inserts removed . But if the M20s are going to be your main system , either for medicine , play , or home theater , I ’d recommend adding a subwoofer , even a small one . When I did that for this review , the lowly end was on a whole other level , well - balanced and full .
The bottom line
The Q Acoustics M20s more than inhabit up to its name as a Powered Wireless Music System , and it ’s well one of the most versatile and best - sounding speakers systems I ’ve ever hear . They are beyond simply being a set of desktop Bluetooth speaker unit , so if that ’s all you ’re after , then attend elsewhere , as you ’ll be holding these thing back from their full potential . And fora more - than sane $ 599 , they ’re worth every penny . Q Acoustics also assure me at the time of this committal to writing that there ’s a promo price of $ 499 on the M20s , so there ’s that as well .
Unfussy in their setup and placement , I struggled to find anywhere in my menage where they did n’t voice great , even if they accept a little sweet-talk , which Q Acoustics cleverly adopt into consideration by making them so easy to configure . Connectivity options abound with the M20s , which give them longevity no matter what new machine descend along . As far as competition to the M20s , you could have a look at background speakers like theKanto YU6or save a little money with theAudioengine A2 + , but neither can vie with the M20s .
Should you buy them ? A wholehearted yes .
