Q Acoustics BT3

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Expensive? Compared to what exactly? You get a nice pair of speakers, amps, a DAC, Bluetooth option and great sound for under £400. Where else would you get that?

I used to be an “audiophile” myself and spent thousands on HIFI equipment and suffering from ‘upgradatitis’ in the process but now I’ve settled for a pair of active speakers. Yes, they cost more than three times than the Q-acoustics but they also play better than anything else costing ten times as much. Active speakers with digital cross-overs are the future. Passive speakers and separates are on their way out.

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Would these sound better than the Canton DM50 soundbase?

Can you also comment on the quality of speech compared to the Canton on tv programs and in movies as the Canton has been criticised for that.

Thanks

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In my opinion having heard both products the BT3 has a better mid range presence than the Canton DM50

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Thanks for that evaluation – that is a question I have had too. Suspected the Q’s would be better, nice to hear it from someone that has heard them both.

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As a result of this review, hearing other Q Acoustics speakers live, and the comments below, I suggested these to my girlfriend as an accompaniment to her new Sony W7 TV. They were more expensive than her original budget, but even she (a total techophobe) was totally unimpressed by the Sony soundbars and even the Sony soundbase she listened to. She ordered these ear-unheard based upon my recommendations.

They arrived well-packed, and after a bit of unpacking and connecting they were set to go. They are configured via the ARC (Audio Return Channel) from the TV via an digital optical cable, and the TV itself is connected via WiFi to a DNLA digital music server. They are currently sitting on a large TV bench, but speaker stands are the next order of business. The room is an average sized (UK) lounge, with thick carpeting.

Disappointingly, the grill covers do not seem to be removable, but the Q Acoustics logo plate swivels to either a vertical or horizontal speaker placement. The cabinets are well finished and well made (for the price point – not going to compare them to my Epos M-series which cost a lot more).

Oh, how is the sound? Again, for the price point – amazingly impressive. They are VERY easy on the ear, with few noticeable flaws. TV and movies are well voiced, and the dialog is clear. On music, they handle everything we have thrown at them, ranging from classical, to pure jazz, to belly dancing music, to punk. They simply take it all in stride – and while they may not have the deepest resolution or widest soundstage I have heard, that is in comparison to my Arcam/Epos/REL 5.1 system which cost about £3500 in list price. Or, exactly 10 TIMES what these cost.

The Bluetooth implementation is easy to use, and sounds decent enough. It gives an easy way for visitors (such as my self) to easily play music from portable devices when visiting.

There are two minor disappointments. The first is that the included batteries in the remote control seem to have died within a couple weeks of delivery. That or the remote is dead – as she hasn’t bought more batteries yet to test.

The second is a bit more of a hassle. The speakers have a very nice power management feature that puts them into standby when they are not being used for a while. When connected to an analogue input, such as the RCA plugs or the 3.5mm input jack, any new signal will bring them out of standby into the mode they were previously left. Unfortunately, we have not been able to get this to work for digital signals on the optical input! So there will always have to be another button push to power on the speakers, which is a small pain. Given that the DAC feature of these is a large part of their attractiveness, not having the power management work with a digital signal seems a large oversight.

So, in summary – how good are these speakers? They cannot and would not try to replace my main AV system as described above. However, my kitchen has a very nice Creek Evo integrated amp, connected to a pair of Epos 12Ms, playing streaming music off iTunes (much of it uncompressed high-res sources). If I hadn’t paid for that system previously, I would see no reason to NOT replace it with these speakers! They are simply that good, and that listenable, and frankly I don’t listen THAT critically in the kitchen unless I plug in my headphones.

So unless you want the whole 5.1 channel experience (or 7.1, or whatever), or have true audiophile requirements – these speakers simply must be auditioned to provide sound for a slimline TV (or trust John Lewis’s return policy). My girlfriend outstripped her budget for these (she terms it in the shoes she could have bought instead!), and she has ZERO buyer’s remorse now that she has listened to them. The one additional cost? She now plays her music and TV at a higher volume, because it is so much more enjoyable. So now we have to go buy an electronic door chime, as her mechanical door knocker is now insufficient to get heard when the TV or music is on. THAT’S how good they are…

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Hello my friend.Please help me!I am from Greece.
I have the Samsung UE-46H7000.
I Would like to purchase BT3 in order to disable Samsung’s speakers.
Is it possible to adjust the volume of BT3 from the Samsung Remote?
I do not want to mess with many remotes.I just want to open my TV and adjust the volume from the UE-46H7000 Samsung’s Remote.
I will connect them with Optical input.
Is this possible?Thank you for your time.

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Hello my friend.Please help me!I am from Greece.
I have the Samsung UE-46H7000.
I Would like to purchase BT3 in order to disable Samsung’s speakers.
Is it possible to adjust the volume of BT3 from the Samsung Remote?
I do not want to mess with many remotes.I just want to open my TV and adjust the volume from the UE-46H7000 Samsung’s Remote.
I will connect them with Optical input.
Is this possible?Thank you for your patient.

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No,, the volume from ANY optical out will not be changed from the TV, on any TV than I know of. You can get variable volume from the 3.5mm analog jack, but not the digital. But that is a function of the TV, not the speakers….and these remain very, very good speakers.

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Thank you very much for your answer!

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HI,

I am looking for active, bluetooth speakers. I consider buying Q Acoustic BT3 or Philips Fidelio E2. What do you recommend?