Q Acoustics Concept 20 Bookshelf Speakers Gloss White (Pair)

The Q Acoustics Concept 20 sits at the heart of the Concept range, offering a level of cabinet engineering usually reserved for speakers costing several times more. Designed in the UK, the Concept 20 was the first Q Acoustics speaker to feature Gelcore™ cabinet construction — a technique that has since become a hallmark of the brand’s higher-end models.

Gelcore™ Cabinet Construction

The Concept 20’s enclosure is built from two separate shells of MDF bonded together with a bespoke, non-setting adhesive. This compound converts the kinetic energy of cabinet vibration into heat, substantially reducing resonance and the colouration it causes. The result is a cabinet that is far quieter than a conventional single-skin MDF box, allowing the drive units to operate with less interference from the enclosure itself.

Drive Units

A 125mm mid/bass driver with a ceramic-coated paper cone handles the lower frequencies, crossing over at 2.9kHz to a 25mm soft-dome tweeter. The ceramic coating on the mid/bass cone adds stiffness without significant mass, improving transient response and reducing breakup modes. Bass loading is via a rear-firing reflex port, with supplied foam bungs for fine-tuning low-frequency output when the speakers are placed close to a rear wall.

Build & Finish

The Concept 20 is finished in a high-gloss lacquer available in Gloss Black or Gloss White. The deep-gloss finish is applied over the Gelcore cabinet, giving the speaker a premium look that belies its price point. Each speaker weighs 5.6kg and measures 260 × 170 × 280mm (H × W × D overall), making it compact enough for shelf placement, though Q Acoustics recommend their dedicated Concept 20 stands for optimum performance.

What the Press Says

• What Hi-Fi? Awards 2014 — Best Stereo Speaker £200–£400
• “Impressive clarity, seamless presentation.” — What Hi-Fi? ★★★★★