It’s a good day for fans of Q Acoustics, as the British audio device maker today unveiled a new member of its award-winning 5000 series of stereo and home theater speakers, the 5050 passive floorstanding speakers. On sale now and priced at $1,999, the new flagship speakers are now the largest in the range and designed to fill big rooms, either on their own or paired with other 5000 series speakers for a complete home theater system.
Consistent with Q Acoustics’ modern and sophisticated look, one that we love from our time with its M20 HD desktop speakers, the 5050s push the 5000 series range to new heights with their 40-inch tall cabinets that house the largest drivers in the range — two 6-inch mid/bass drivers that flank a centered 1-inch tweeter.
Q Acoustics continues to make good use of its C3 (Continuous Curved Cone) design that it derived from its flagship Concept series speakers. The company says the design “ensures smoother high-frequency integration with the tweeter and superior bass dynamics.” The entire 5000 series features this design, and it was most recently added to its latest powered “micro tower” speakers, the Q Acoustics M40s.
The C3 design, Q Acoustics, says, increases power handling by 50% when compared to a similar driver with a 25.4mm voice coil, resulting in better dynamic range and bass. The internals of the cabinet have also been reinforced in areas that are “susceptible to low-end frequency reverberations,” and there are even pressure equalizer tubes (Helmholtz pressure equalizers, to be precise) that reduce unwanted standing waves that can build up, improving frequency response.
That’s a lot of fancy tech talk to say that the 47-pound (each) Q Acoustics 5050 are built to “fill even the largest listening rooms with dynamic and natural sound.” The company says they should be paired with the recommended 25-watt to 150-watt amplifier.
But the 5050s aren’t just to be used on their own. As part of the 5000 family, they can be combines with the 5010 bookshelf speakers, the 5020 standmounts, 5040 floorstanders, and with the 5090 center-channel speaker, completing a home cinema speaker setup.
The Q Acoustics 5050 come with solid aluminum stabilizers on the bottom that feature top-adjustable spikes for anti-resonance and easier leveling. The speakers are available in four finishes, including Satin Black, Satin White, Santos Rosewood, and Holme Oak, and we wouldn’t be surprised to find them on our list of the best speakers.
The Q Acoustics 5050 floorstanding speakers are available now at the Q Acoustics website and cost $1,999.
Instagram is making its way to yet another screen, and this time, Apple TV is getting a taste of the Reels rabbit hole. The company has launched a dedicated Instagram app for Apple TV, bringing Reels, longer videos, and live shows to the big screen. So, if watching one quick clip on a phone somehow turns into an hour of scrolling, there's now a much larger screen for that.
Instagram brings Reels and more to Apple TV
Audio-Technica, a brand well known for making some of the best studio and professional headphones on the market, has just come out with the ATH-AWX7000, which the company itself claims to be its "finest headphones ever." The new flagship closed-back headphone has debuted at an eye-watering price of $3,799. It combines hand-finished Japanese woodwork with a newly developed 58mm driver.
The earcups are made from Kiso cypress, a prized wood historically used for Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. Each housing is finished by hand with traditional Echizen lacquer, which brings out the grain and is expected to darken over time. The frame and sliders are finished in a deep navy kachi-iro shade traditionally associated with samurai.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
Technology evolves every day, transforming how we live and work. Our devices are becoming more than tools we use. They are increasingly capable companions that help streamline day-to-day routines and spark creative ideas. If you have been waiting for the right moment to upgrade your tech setup, the Discover Samsung Shopping Event offers an opportunity to explore what connected, AI-powered living can look like.