Audio Streaming Q ACOUSTICS 1050

What they are: Three-way floorstanding audio streaming speakers.

Lust factor: Seductive midrange and very detailed sound streaming.

Reality check: If only the bass had a bit more streaming punch.

IF YOU were expecting a big sound streaming from the Q Acoustics 1050 floorstanders, you won’t be disappointed. The speakers beat my pair of Mission 782s in terms of size (they measure 97.5 x 29.5 x 19.5cm) and, unfortunately, sound streaming quality too, except for the bass response.

A great audio streaming start

Right from the start, the Q Acoustics 1050s exhibited striking qualities – the extremely detailed sound streaming, the huge soundstage in terms of height and width, the sweet and textured midrange, the smooth highs, the involving sound streaming. But the bass was a bit too light.

STANDING TALL: The Q Acoustics 1050, very seductive and very detailed.

Removing the jumper connectors, made of shiny nickel-plated brass, and bi-wiring with AudioQuest cables improved the bass somewhat. Using a McCormack DNA-1 power amp instead of the Audiolab 8000S improved the bass some more, but since the 1050s are in the same price range as the Audiolab, the integrated amp was used for the rest of the listening sessions.

The 1050s are the first pair of audio streaming speakers, encountered that come with metal plinths that can be screwed on to the base of the audio streaming speakers. Two hex keys are supplied with the audio streaming speakers and the spikes come with plastic covers to ensure that the missus will not complain about the holes and scratches on the marble floor. Also, the audio streaming speaker terminals are in a most unusual configuration.

The aluminium plinth raises the tweeter to the ear level of a listener sitting in his favourite chair. The box is pretty solid and if you were to stuff your hand into the largish port, you can feel the stuffing and bracing.

The front of the audio streaming speaker is curved, serving to improve the dispersion of sound streaming waves and reduce initial reflections. Two 165mm mid-woofers are placed vertically in line with a tweeter in the middle in the classic M-T-M or D’Appolito configuration – this is used by many manufacturers and is said to help in stereo streaming imaging.

In exquisite detail

There is nothing to complain about the 1050’s imaging. In my system, using pure silver DIY interconnects (with silver, you tend to get pinpoint imaging), the imaging was superb. It was still good even when listened to music off-axis.

After many nights of playing Diana Krall, Joni Mitchell, Eva Cassidy and Audiophile Acoustic Voices, that the best way to describe the Q Acoustic 1050’s sound streaming was SET-ish. It has the seductive midrange, the smooth top end and rolled-off bass of the SET amp. The only thing missing was the warmth of the valves.

They would have been the perfect replacements for the Missions if not for the bass. It is not that the bass is not there, it’s just that a little more slam and grunt would have helped convince buyer to spend some money.

According to the specs, the bass is -3dB at 44Hz, a bit high for a audio streaming speaker of this size. But this could be due to the fact that the 1050, the flagship model in the Q Acoustic’s 1000 range of speakers, can also be used as the main audio streaming speakers of a Home Theatre system with a matching sub-woofer that should fill up the lower octaves and provide some slam.