Short answer: the Q Acoustics 5040. It ranks #23 of 54 floorstanding speakers by sound quality at $1236.49; the Dynaudio Emit 30 ranks #41 and costs $1274.25, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
What the Q Acoustics 5040 offers: C3 (Continuous Curved Cone) driver profile technology provides smooth midrange integration, controlled cone breakup, and improved bass damping. Watch for: Free-field frequency response exhibits a noticeable mid-bass scoop around 200Hz (~6dB lower than mean SPL), causing an F3 of 70Hz (F10 of 39Hz) in open space and requiring boundary placement (11-22 inches from front wall) to…
What the Dynaudio Emit 30 offers: A 2.5-way floorstander: two 5.25” mid-woofers paired with a roughly 1” dome tweeter, driven through dual rear bass-reflex ports. Watch for: A dip and inconsistency in the lower-treble presence region (roughly 2-5kHz) makes the top end sound uneven - sometimes soft, sometimes forward - depending on the specific instrument or frequency being reproduced; male vocals can…
Buy the Q Acoustics 5040. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Dynaudio Emit 30 and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
If sound quality matters at all to you, skip the Dynaudio Emit 30. It ranks near the bottom of the 54 floorstanding speakers, so look higher up the list instead.
Specifications Side By Side
| Q Acoustics 5040 | Dynaudio Emit 30 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,236.49 | $1,274.25 |
| Ranked | #23 of 54 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers | #41 of 54 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 39Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 36Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 70Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 44Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 38.1"H x 11.5"W x 14.2"D (967 x 293 x 361 mm) | 35.4"H x 6.7"W x 10.7"D (900.0 x 170.0 x 272.0 mm) |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal (3.0 ohms minimum, measured by Erin’s Audio Corner) | 4 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 91.5dB (measured average, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 87dB |
| Drivers | 0.88 in. decoupled dome tweeter, twin 5.0 in. C3 Continuous Curved Cone woofers | Dual 5.25" mid-woofers, 1" soft dome tweeter |
| Weight | 39.7 lbs / 18.0 kg each | 34.2 lbs / 15.5 kg |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear | ported, rear (dual) |
| Frequency Response | - | 44Hz - 25kHz (±3dB, manufacturer specified) |
| Power Handling | - | 180W (IEC rated) |
| Country of Origin | - | Denmark |
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The Two Speakers In Full
Q Acoustics 5040: $1,236.49 Amazon
Pros: C3 (Continuous Curved Cone) driver profile technology provides smooth midrange integration, controlled cone breakup, and improved bass damping. High voltage sensitivity (91.5dB SPL at 2.83V/1m) allows loud listening with low-to-moderate amplifier wattage. Cabinet features Point-to-Point (P2P) internal bracing and Helmholtz Pressure Equalizer (HPE) tubes to suppress internal standing waves and panel vibrations.
Cons: Free-field frequency response exhibits a noticeable mid-bass scoop around 200Hz (~6dB lower than mean SPL), causing an F3 of 70Hz (F10 of 39Hz) in open space and requiring boundary placement (11-22 inches from front wall) to reinforce upper bass output. Measurements indicate an enclosure resonance near 300Hz visible in sound power data. Minimum impedance drops to 3.0 ohms, demanding a stable 4-ohm rated amplifier despite high sensitivity.
Full Q Acoustics 5040 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 39Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 70Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 38.1"H x 11.5"W x 14.2"D (967 x 293 x 361 mm) |
| Drivers | 0.88 in. decoupled dome tweeter, twin 5.0 in. C3 Continuous Curved Cone woofers |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal (3.0 ohms minimum, measured by Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 91.5dB (measured average, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 39.7 lbs / 18.0 kg each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear |
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Dynaudio Emit 30: $1,274.25 Amazon
Pros: A 2.5-way floorstander: two 5.25” mid-woofers paired with a roughly 1” dome tweeter, driven through dual rear bass-reflex ports. The two woofers hand off at staggered crossover points (around 1kHz and 3.5kHz) rather than sharing one, which avoids the acoustic lobing a shared crossover point would cause between the tweeter and the lower woofer, and adds a few dB of sensitivity in the process. Genuinely deep bass for a speaker around this price - measured F3 near 44Hz and extends audibly down to about 40Hz in-room without much difficulty. Harmonic distortion measures clean and low at both 86dB and 96dB SPL/1m. Good CTA-2034 sound power and uniform directivity mean the speaker takes EQ correction well if a listener wants to dial in its one tonal weak point. Dynamic range and compression performance are strong overall, with only a minor, high-Q compression artifact tied to a cone-edge resonance that’s unlikely to be audible. Wide, consistent horizontal dispersion around ±70° with just a small ~10° narrowing between 1-3kHz, and a reasonably forgiving ±20° vertical window centered on the tweeter axis.
Cons: A dip and inconsistency in the lower-treble presence region (roughly 2-5kHz) makes the top end sound uneven - sometimes soft, sometimes forward - depending on the specific instrument or frequency being reproduced; male vocals can lack presence and cymbals can lack sizzle as a result. A cone-edge surround resonance shows up around 1-1.3kHz in burst-decay measurements (a trait the reviewer has also seen on other Dynaudio models) and lines up with elevated multitone distortion across roughly 600Hz-1.5kHz. An enclosure resonance appears around 350Hz in the impedance curve. Placed too close to a rear wall, the dual ports make the bass noticeably boomy - pulling the speaker out is needed to keep the low end from overloading the room. Fully resolving the top-end inconsistency needs a modest EQ correction (roughly +2dB with a Q of about 1, centered 3-6kHz), so out-of-the-box tonal accuracy in that band isn’t quite class-leading despite otherwise strong measured performance.
Full Dynaudio Emit 30 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 36Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 44Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Country of Origin | Denmark |
| Dimensions | 35.4"H x 6.7"W x 10.7"D (900.0 x 170.0 x 272.0 mm) |
| Drivers | Dual 5.25" mid-woofers, 1" soft dome tweeter |
| Frequency Response | 44Hz - 25kHz (±3dB, manufacturer specified) |
| Impedance | 4 ohms |
| Power Handling | 180W (IEC rated) |
| Sensitivity | 87dB |
| Weight | 34.2 lbs / 15.5 kg |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear (dual) |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
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- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
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