Напольная акустика — Q-Acoustics M40

The M40 is a powered floorstanding stereo pair from Q Acoustics, built so that a complete system fits into two slim columns only 71 cm tall. The British company describes it as a convenient way to get full-size output at home without large, imposing boxes. The amplification, Bluetooth receiver and all inputs sit in one cabinet, and its partner has no electronics and is fed from it by speaker cable. The US price is USD 1,699 per pair, and the finishes are Matte Black, Matte White and Walnut veneer.

Key specs that matter

The acoustic design is a ported two-way layout with a crossover at 2.5 kHz, and the specification lists two 125 mm (5.0 in) mid/bass units together with a 22 mm (0.9 in) treble unit. Frequency response is quoted as 38 Hz to 22 kHz at -6 dB. Class D amplification is rated at 2 x 50 W RMS with THD below 0.7 percent at that level, while 2 x 100 W is the peak output figure. External dimensions with stabilisers fitted are 250 mm wide, 710 mm high and 296 mm deep. The powered speaker weighs 12.4 kg and the passive one 11.8 kg.

Engineering and use context

Onboard DSP handles signal processing ahead of the amplifiers. The mid/bass drivers use the C3 Continuous Curved Cone profile, a shape that borrows low-frequency strength from straight cones and midrange control from flared ones, and the tweeter is decoupled from the cabinet. Inside the enclosures, HPE (Helmholtz Pressure Equaliser) devices cut internal standing waves and Point to Point (P2P) bracing stiffens the walls. Connections cover Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX, aptX HD, aptX Low Latency, AAC and SBC, an optical S/PDIF input, a USB Type B port, a pair of RCA analogue inputs and a 3.5 mm jack. Optical and USB accept signals up to 24 bit and 192 kHz. The RCA input has a sensitivity of 700 mV and takes up to 2.15 V, the 3.5 mm jack 400 mV with a 1.25 V maximum. A subwoofer output delivers up to 1 V. The mains supply accepts 100 to 240 V at 50 or 60 Hz, typical consumption is about 10 W and standby draw stays below 0.5 W. A remote handset with batteries, a 4 m speaker cable, UK and EU power cords, foam bungs, stabilisers and spike feet are supplied.

Pairing

No separate amplifier is needed - a TV connects over optical, a computer over USB, and phones over Bluetooth. Through the sub output an active subwoofer can join the pair when a room of around 20 m2 or more calls for extra low-end output.

Alternatives

The Q Acoustics Q Active 400 is a more powerful active floorstanding pair, with a separate amplifier for each of its eight drivers.