Hi-Fi Choice, 4.5 Stars, Recommended Award

ManualsBrandsQ Acoustics ManualsAudioM20 HD Wireless Music System

HOW it

COMPARES

Reviews Reviews

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Acoustics recently launched

its Q Active range of

speakers, packed with wi-,

voice control and other

zeitgeist-surng digital features. The

speakers are pretty expensive, though,

starting at £1,500 for the entry-level

Active 200, so the company has

produced a more affordable alternative

in the shape of the M20, which comes

in at barely one quarter of the price.

It is designed with a focus on

versatility, the company describing it as

a general-purpose system for: “music,

movies and gaming”. That versatility

begins with the compact design of the

twin speakers, which are small enough

to sit easily on a bookshelf, on either

side of a TV or even on a desk alongside

a computer. The build quality doesn’t

reveal any obvious indications of

compromise, with smart, matte-black

cabinets, smoothly curved corners

and sturdy and rigid construction

that uses Q Acoustics’ proprietary

‘point-to-point’ bracing in order to

reduce vibration and distortion.

Join the Q

This bookshelf speaker provides attractive

sound and connectivity at a competitive

price. Cli Joseph just wishes it had wi-i

Each speaker includes a 22mm

decoupled tweeter, 125mm midrange

driver and a passive bass radiator,

providing a claimed 65W output (per

cabinet) and frequency response of

55Hz-22kHz. The entire system is

controlled and driven by the primary,

powered speaker, which houses the

130W amp and provides pass-through

power for its matching passive partner.

The power cable provided for the

primary speaker is 1.8m, while the one

that connects to the passive speaker is

4m. One nice touch is the switch on the

back of the primary cabinet that lets

you assign it to either the left or right

stereo channel, so you shouldn’t have

any problems nding a convenient

power socket when setting up. There’s

an EQ switch as well, which lets you

adjust the bass output depending on

whether placement is close to a wall, in

a corner or in a free-standing position

on a desk or using the optional stands

(£160). And, mindful of that 55Hz

low-end, there’s additionally a rather

handy subwoofer output.

The M20 provides an impressive set

of connectivity features for a system at

this price, with RCA stereo input and

3.5mm aux-in. Digital connections

include USB-B and optical, both of

which support 24-bit/192kHz. The use

of a USB-B connector is a little odd,

though, especially now that most

computers and mobile devices have

adopted the newer USB-C. Many

people may need to buy a suitable

adapter if they want to use this input

– although Q Acoustics probably

assumes that owners of mobile devices

will take the easy option with 3.5mm

cables or just go completely wireless

and use Bluetooth instead.

The M20 works well here too,

including aptX HD with support for

24-bit/48kHz audio via Bluetooth, as

well as the less well-known aptX Low

Latency, designed to enhance audio/

video sync for gaming or streaming

video. And, for Apple devices, it

supports the AAC Bluetooth codec.

The real oddity is that this Wireless

Music System doesn’t actually support

wi-. Q Acoustics says that this is

to keep the M20 down to a highly

affordable price point and to keep it

DETAILS

PRODUCt

Q Acoustics M20

ORigin

UK/China

tyPE

Bluetooth

standmount

loudspeakers

WEigHt

Powered

speaker: 5.5kg

Passive

speaker 5.1kg:

DiMEnSiOnS

(WxHxD)

170 x 279 x 296mm

FEAtURES

1x 22mm tweeter

1x 125mm

mid/bass driver

Inputs: RCA;

3.5mm aux;

USBB; optical

Bluetooth 5.0;

aptX HD/Low

Latency; AAC

DiStRiBUtOR

Armour Home

WEBSitE

qacoustics.co.uk

The M20 can lex its

muscles and displays

a ine balance of

power and restraint

Q Acoustics

M20 £400

simple and easy to use. It’s true that this

would add both cost and complexity,

but if I’m listening to the new Abba

album on my iPad I’d really prefer

the convenience and quality of wi-

streaming. The sluggish response of the

remote control when adjusting volume

levels doesn’t particularly help here

either, leaving me wishing for more

direct control via wi-.

Sound quality

The M20 starts impressively, as I use

the USB connection to play the MQA

Master version of Max Richter’s The

Waves from Tidal on my laptop. A

dramatic crash of waves immediately

sets the scene, panning from speaker

to speaker and laying claim to a wide,

open soundstage that lls the room.

The waves murmur all around, but

Gillian Anderson’s voice is planted

rmly centre stage as she begins

reading from the letters of Virginia

Woolf. There’s an almost crystalline

clarity to the electronic chimes that fade

in behind Anderson’s reading, but

there’s a sharp edge to them too,

creating a sense of unease.

The M20 handles the languid

introduction of the strings with great

restraint, the sound swelling so gently

that it almost merges with the whisper

of the waves. But it can also ex its

muscles and for the next 15 minutes

displays a ne balance of power and

restraint as the entire Deutsches

Filmorchester and the piercing cries of

soprano Grace Davidson slowly build to

a dramatic climax. The sound quality is

excellent, but it’s the sense of balance

and tension between all the sonic

elements that really makes an impact.

Switching from the concert hall to the

coffee house, the speaker adopts a

more intimate tone as I look to Damien

Rice’s Eskimo. The M20 pours itself a

latte and kicks back as Rice begins the

gentle acoustic strumming, catching

all the little nger scratches and

breathy whisper of his vocals. It’s a

relaxed, warm sound, but when the

bittersweet tones of the cello and violin

enter on the chorus the M20 is easily

able to ll the room and make it feel

like a laid-back live performance. And,

of course, there’s the song’s gonzo

operatic nale, with soprano Doreen

Currren belting away in Finnish.

The speaker reveals its power here,

unleashing Curren’s roof-rattling

vibrato in all its glory, and even at 50

percent volume I leap for the mute

button – cursing the sluggish volume

control again – to avoid disturbing

the neighbours. The operatic bombast

does get a little fuzzy around the edges

when I switch to a wireless Bluetooth

connection, but that’s more due to the

low-, home-studio recording of the

original album than anything else. And,

when I return to Richter’s more slickly

produced The Waves again, I struggle to

spot any real loss in quality via the

wireless connection.

After all that drama, I decide to head

for my comfort zone with the 2001

remaster of Blondie’s Rapture. That

opening cymbal crash and the

pace-setting drum beat are delivered

with a crisp brevity that immediately

draws you in, but the M20 can still

relax enough to leave room for the

jangling rhythm guitar that chugs

away in the background. The detail

is impressive, catching the light hand

claps and rattling cowbell that deftly

accompany Debbie Harry’s proto-rap

towards the end of the song.

I’m pleased to nd that the M20

handles the pacey bass riff on Rapture

nicely too, and lands a decent punch

with the bouncing electronic bass that

opens Billy Eilish’s Bad Guy. However,

the slower, more menacing bass effects

that close the song feel a little weak,

while the really deep electronic effects

of Prime Evil by The Orb sound

decidedly unthreatening and remind

me that the subwoofer output on the

back panel is there for a reason.

Conclusion

Even so, the sheer precision and

balance of Q Acoustics’ M20 are still

impressive for such an affordable

speaker system, and its versatile

Bluetooth and wired inputs mean that

it’s well equipped to form part of a

wider entertainment system that also

encompasses lm, video and gaming

LIKE: Precise,

balanced sound;

wide range of inputs

DISLIKE: Bass could

be stronger; no wi-i;

slow remote control

WE SAY: Even without

wi-i, the M20 still

provides attractive

sound quality and

good value for money

OUR vERDiCt

SOUND QUALITY

VALUE FOR MONEY

BUILD QUALITY

EASE OF DRIVE

OVERALL

Q Acoustics

M20 £400

A pair of Sonos One

(HFC 470) smart

speakers cost the

same price as the

M20 and rely

entirely on wi-i

while lacking

Bluetooth or wired

inputs. The Sonos

app supports an

unrivalled selection

of online music

services and also

allows you to pair

two speakers

together for stereo

sound. However,

the M20 wins

hands-down on

sound quality and

its combination of

Bluetooth, aptX HD

and wired inputs

make it a better

choice to form part

of a wider system.

in SigHt

RCA inputs

Subwoofer output

Left/right selector

3.5mm aux input

Rear-facing

bass port

USBB input

Optical input

052-053_482_Q_Acoustic_M20_v3_EHJDW.indd All Pages 08/11/2021 10:42