Floor standing speakers have long been the ‘proper’ speaker solution for the true Hi-Fi buff. The large cabinet volume and multiple drivers (speakers) produce a fuller and more dynamic sound stage. The tweeters are positioned at the top of the speaker so that is at the listener’s ear height when you are sat in the chair positioned perfectly in your acoustic panel lined ‘Listening room’. Most homes, lifestyles and budgets don’t allow for a dedicated listening room.

Q Acoustics have recently released a real-world floor standing speaker solution. The Q Acoustics M40 Speakers stand just 71cms tall, to put that into context about the height of an office desk. In rooms where speakers come in at a lower priority than the interior design or the practicality of the room the M40s are a great solution.

The M40s don’t just look good they are a ‘speaker system’. They have their own internal amplifiers (which means fewer boxes), and they are wireless. A length of speaker cable runs between the two speakers but only one needs to be plugged into mains power.

For an ultra-minimalist approach, you can just have the M40s and your favourite music streaming app on your smartphone connected via Bluetooth, not just any Bluetooth but aptX for the Android owners and Bluetooth 5.0 (not Airplay 2) for the iOS crowd. Bluetooth is good but the music will be compressed to a lower bitrate in transmission losing sound quality along the way. 

The Q Acoustics M40s have physical audio inputs on the rear of the powered unit of the pair. The analogue inputs are a pair of analogue phono sockets and an analogue 3.5mm stereo jack. Both of the digital inputs can handle resolution up to 24bit/19kHz resolution via a Digital Optical socket (ideal for TV connections as there is no HDMI) or a USB Type B connecter. 

It’s at this point that that the M40 system would benefit from a Sonos Port or Bluesound Node hidden behind the powered M40 to allow the speakers to play that pure 24bit /92kHz music. This would then link the M40s in with other products of the same Sonos/Bluesound family. 

Alternative options to getting your music to the M40s with some added voice control would include Google’s discontinued Chromecast Audio (Not a Google Nest), Amazon Alexa’s Echo Dot, WiiM Mini or a very clunky setup with Apple TV for Siri. Other cabled input options to connect to the M40s include a turntable (at line-level) or your TV.

In the tech specs of the Q Acoustics you’ll see two power ratings that add an element of confusion: 

2 x 100 Watts Peak Power Output, the momentary maximum power shortly before the end of your speaker’s life.

2 x 50 Watts RMS (with a THD <0.7%), the proper measurement of power. It’ll safely play music for hour after hour at this level. It’ll be loud and you may hear a little bit of distortion.

The frequency response of the M40s goes down to an impressive 38Hz, If this isn’t enough bass for you the powered M40 has a subwoofer output allowing you to add an external sub, Simply Sound and Vision have a wide range of subs to pair with the M40s.

Lastly, the speakers come with a handy remote, most useful for the moment of panic when the phone rings and you need to stop the music before answering it. 

Overall, the M40s offer crisp detailed high frequencies from the decoupled tweeters and rich controlled bass going deeper than expected thanks to some clever cabinet internals. 

Pros:

• Well built, great sounding speakers, a good first step into proper hi-fi.
• Fine looking speakers that find a comfortable balance between aesthetically pleasing and high-quality audio.
• Built in Bluetooth and amplifier means fewer boxes and less clutter. The amplifiers and speakers have been perfectly matched to compliment one another.
• Fantastic performance for this price point.
• If the M40s are still too big for you there is still the smaller Q Acoustics M20s.

Cons:

• The fabric speaker grills cannot be removed for the ‘naked speaker’ appeal. The grill’s design assists in the speaker’s cabinet rigidity and audio quality.
• A speaker cable between the left and the right. It’s not a big deal and to have the pair working wirelessly together would have required another power supply and more electronics which would inevitably increased the price.

The Q Acoustics M40s are available in black, white, and walnut finishes. The team at Simply Sound and Vision are already big fans.

If you have any questions or would like to treat yourself to a pair, give the team a call on 0208 977 8633 or contact us at [email protected] or order online for quick, free delivery.

Read Q Acoustics’ full description here.