The best HiFi era is now. I have never had more information at my fingertips about anything and everything ever made in this hobby. People forget that as recent as just 10 years ago there were only scant reviews of non-mainstream gear, and most people didn't know what was out there or how it sounded. You needed your experienced friends and/or copies of old magazines. Now we have reviews, new and archived, for just about anything ever made. The world's your oyster.
i want lists of synergistic setups at various price points to completely bring this hobby to near completion and then focus on other audio delivery methods such as surround sound and then maybe even surrealism. Easier said than done yes but remember this level of access was once an monumentally elusive thing to imagine Now we need just need some investors and friendly gear sharers
If os still possible coment, for me the best era for audio was the late seventies. There was plenty of specialized magazines, lots of information and the beginning of psychoacoustics studies. There was not digital media, so all the improvement was done by fine enginer and research. The end of an era of advetures, but still prolific. Sorry for the english, I haven't spoken it for more than 20 years.
Finally got to hear these speakers! Great sound. A friend bought them based on my recommendation, which was based on your review. We auditioned them, unlike all my purchases which have been blindly based on your reviews.
I am listening to a pair of Q Acoustics M20s at the moment, there has been so much positive response I couldn't resist trying them. The quality is excellent, and especially in terms of features for money. The engineering in these is impressive.
@jcpgenry ...How are you finding the speakers after a year ? Can I ask a question? It has two analogue inputs ...if two devices are connected ( ie: a CD player with analogue only RCA outputs and say a turntable with phono preamp built in ) ..will both units play through the M20s at the same time ? Or is there a switch on the remote to be able to toggle between the two ? I have mailed the manufacturer weeks ago and they haven't even had the decency to answer ( and neither has the OP either here ) Look forward to your response
After watching everything on this channel, and an extended period of indecision, I have ordered a set of these speakers. Thank you Tarun, I appreciate your work.
IMO this is the best audiophile channel on the net. After fumbling around for months watching reviews on gear, I decided to take your recommendation and got these speakers. Incredible, perfect for my small apartment space. Great sound doesn't have to be super expensive, and this is a testimony of what's possible these days. I ordered a subwoofer so I can get the lowest octave. But in terms on sound field, tone and just fun to listen to, these speakers do it for me. I'm sure some day, if given a bigger space, I may opt for something bigger and more powerful with bigger scale, but these are it for me.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Keep up the good work. I know every audiophile is on a quest to find sonic nirvana... and no doubt, a system is only as good as its weakest component, and there is always better. But, "for the money", using these speakers, which I paired with a Golden Ear Forcefield 3; an audiophile grade power conditioner, I'm simply amazed at how holographic and dynamic this system is in my small space. I could roll with this for years, and not really upgrade a thing.
Picked up a pair of these for desktop/work area. They really are extraordinary for listening to music, been really enjoying them. Thanks for the recommendation!
Great review by the way. I have gotten to the point that I listen to other reviews and compare them to yours. Your technical, yet, enthusiastic reviews cut a balance between purely analytical and purely emotional. But don't let it get to your head. Remember, pride comes before a fall. Stay you.
@@abritishaudiophile7314Received the M20 two weeks back here in Bangalore. I like its performance with an overall well balanced sound. I wish it had a little bit more top end air, otherwise it is an excellent package for the money. The speaker cable they provided in the package is of low quality and I replaced it with a better thicker gauge Nordost cable and it improved the low and mid performance of the passive speaker. I could see the internal wiring connecting the tweeter through the base port with the help of a torch light and it is a thick 12awg QED cable. Hence it is better to connect the passive speaker through a similar gauge high quality cable.
I didn't appreciate well-matched components until... I did. It changed my hi-fi audio perspective and my overall enjoyment drastically, especially when working with a tight budget to begin with. Great review.
As I had been reviewing a good number of speaker options for my small living room with a fireplace insert, the YT algorithm probably pointed me in your direction, and I’m glad it did. I’ve enjoyed your commentary a lot. In my living room, I didn’t want speaker wires all over the place, especially crossing over or below my fireplace to connect them to each other. So I decided to go with powered bookshelf speakers (even though a number of audiophiles didn’t cheer too loudly for powered speakers). I settled on the Edifier S3000 Pro powered bookshelf speakers, and I’m glad I did, as they check all the boxes for me: great sound (as tested by the audio experts), small-ish size, wireless connection between the L & R speakers (no need to physically connect them together), plethora of inputs, beautiful styling, and matching stands. They look great and sound even better, and I have no doubt the Qs sound fantastic as well. Not all of us have a perfect listening room, but we can maximize what’s available to us and get as close as we can to audiophile-quality sound. Thanks again for another great review and commentary!
Spot on review. I’ve had mine since launch and love them with all inputs, with TV using optical they are better than a sound bar costing the same. CD player via analog fantastic. And Bluetooth using Apple Music on an iPhone sound just as good.
Thank you for this review. Very helpful. Currently looking to add an audio system to my home office, room is approximately 12 X 12 feet. Was considering passive speakers and an integrated amp. But with limited space, an active speaker makes sense. It also helps keep some dollars in the budget for future upgrades to my main system. My Bryston amp and preamp are now 32 years old. Best HiFi era most likely the 70’s. Started with an Onkyo TX 4500 receiver, Bozak 301 speakers (made in Norwalk Connecticut my home state), with a Dual turntable (all purchased in 1977) and Philips CD 880 (1990 manufactured in Belgium). The late 1960’s and the 70’s was a great time for music. My current music library reflects this. I look forward to viewing more of your reviews. Best Joe H.
Immensely enjoyable review, I’m of an age where I had enough money to progress from my Dansette record player to my first Roger’s Ravensbrook based record system. Magnum K2 speakers that rocked, I was in another world but buying vinyl was also part of the experience and I couldn’t wait to play my music. Leaps forward in tech while great have never replaced that initial WOW of being able to really listen to music. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Fantastic, in-depth review - thank you. My favourite era would have to be late 80's/early 90's. Spending Saturday afternoons in HiFi stores listening to dozens of systems - happy days..!!!
Great review Tarun. I've been looking forward to your next offering and I wasn't disappointed. Wow. Who'd have thunk it? Audio excellence for 400 quid! Amazing. Shows us how advances in technology start to trickle down to us mere budget conscious mortals eh? Being a confirmed hifi nerd, I'll fess up to some gear envy - it must be so cool to listen to all of this above average kit. Good stuff mate. Keep it up.
Late 80's early 90's was the defining period for me. Hi-Fi Mags, Tottenham Court Road, countless auditions in store and home. Fond memories of my system at that time; Michel Gyrodec Turntable, Meridan 206CD, Audiolab 8000A & P - Pre-Power Amp with Kef 104/2 Speakers. Immigrated to the USA mid-90's and have been in pursuit of the perfect system since. Thanks for the great reviews!!
I moved away from London but would often just go on a trip to walk along all the hi-fi shops in Tottenham Court Road. One one such trip found them nearly all closed empty and locked up. The great crash. Hifi shopping never recovered from that. Occasionally a department store at the other end had some interesting gear and another similar department store in Knightsbridge but it was only computer gear in TCR and boring stacking units.
what a great review. Whenever I am browsing stuff this dude keeps coming up trumps…. This is such a great time to be using ur ears. The tech is just amazing. When I came back from USA (1985) having worked in cinema and theatre production the idea of active speakers was almost unheard of. I used mono quad mic amps to power tweeters and a Hafler I made from a kit to power woofers having discarded Tannoy crossovers. Then came CD and digital. Hotel ‘Hifi’ exhibitions and awful recordings of Jean m Jarre in every room. After all that I went back to passive after hearing ATC. My 60 yr old ears have taken a battering but my enthusiasm for the quest of the holy grail goes on. Hi res and gizmos like dragonfly and dacs keeps the fires burning. I am blessed to have mosfets and valves , active and passive and a studio/Workshop to play in and hang traps and wall coverings without kids poking dust caps etc. it’s a lifelong joy and journey and so happy that this audiophile chap is coherent and able to spread the word in such a way. Thank you.
Just picked these M20s up on Amazon's Prime sale day for 375 dollars. A legitimate steal!!!! Looking forward to putting them on my desktop and enjoying the music! Planning to update here after I take delivery.
Lol 😂 Tarun , now I have to go and watch again your AE1 even though you suggested and I also wanted but bought Thieaudio Monarch MKii IEM and have to wait for a while .. it’s always pleasure to watch all your videos again and again and every time I learn something new. Thanks again
Good morning Tarun, looks like a late one for you! Very interesting review. I have had these in mind for my mum for TV and streaming music. She is hard of hearing so I'm going to arrange a demo for her to make sure she can hear enough of their sound. Your review confirms my thoughts on this speaker though. Thanks again. My favourite era was the early 90's as this was when I got into hifi, I got a Systemdec iix record player, Rotel CD player and Amp with small mission 760i speakers. I loved the sound, fast and warm, and had them for many years. Hope you and yours are all feeling better.👍
So i went ahead and bought them. Very happy with them. Only thing I miss is some way of telling what my volume is at each time. I like knowing what my volume is at each time and all the time. Cheers. And good listenings!
When I think of the audio market when I was in university, nearly all beyond a student's budget even when LPs and cassette tape were the only media, the market today is remarkably rich at every level, with a range of excellent choices. This really is the best time for audiophile expression.
My fav period was the mid to late 70s and early 80s. Trips up to Hi-Fi corner and Comet in Edinburgh. Hi-Fi corner especially holds fond memories. A bank of speakers all wired up, a comfy listening seat and a comparison switch box thrust in your hand playing whatever you had brought with you. Bought a set of Spendor BC1 using this setup, they blew everything else away. 😀
Great review tarun, I use a pair of quad A9s active speakers with dac, they are great speaker, my first active speakers were meridian M20 back in the mid 80s, my favourite decade for hifi is mid 80s to mid 90s, equipment just seems better built back in the day, looking forward to seeing another review soon.
Encouraged by positive reviews, I bought this set as a stop gap arrangement while my Amp went for repairs. Having been used to Rega-ATC combination, I was a bit sceptical whether my ears would accept the new sound. I was wrong. This is fantastic VFM product. The only problem I'm facing is that the volume control on the main unit is dim witted. Even with the remote control, the response time is poor. But I'm happy till Rega returns. Thanks.
By the way what and absolute great job done showing the innards of the speakers something consumers rarely get to see even though its all about what one hears.
Damn ! I hope there is a canadian distributor for Q acoustics ! For me, the 90's was the time I discovered and experimented with a wide variety of electronics. Later, caring for a family forced me to settle down with a specific system for more than a decade. Very good review, as usual !
Thank you Yves. Hifi took a back seat for me with start of this millennium until about 5 years ago. I still kept in touch with friends in the industry and listened to music on different gear but was not as active. There were other priorities. It is a big part of my life again now and I am really enjoying it 😊👍
Great review. I have to say, for me, the 80s /90s got me into hi fi. But it's the latter technical developments that have held and pushed my interest. I had a budget Cambridge audio amp with a pair of eltax speakers for years (I tried with various higher end CD players (marantz/arcam)) and while satisfying, ironically the best audio performance I got was when playing CDs through a Toshiba DVD player!! Roll on to last year, and I picked up an ifi zen DAC V2 to use with senheiser hd560s, and realised I could connect the outs to the old Cambridge /eltax combo when used with my pc setup.. Absolutely brought them to life in a way I never imagined possible. That's what I like about hifi, sometimes things just click, and when they do, it brings a smile to your face. The head phone/DAC combination is great as well.
Regardless of the content, I always look forward to clicking on one of your videos... it's not just your knowledge but also the way your knowledge is delivered! 👍
Small world. My girlfriend had a pair of those BT3 jobbies when we met which still do a nice job on her desk. "Interesting, it appears I've found someone who sees value in better sound than that which comes free with your tv or laptop... I bet she'd come around to the idea of lots of boxes, wires, remotes, speakers 2m out from the wall invading every room, and monolithic cubes that make things fall off shelves when watching movies with a Zimmer soundtrack." It's been tough at times but she's stuck around:D Enjoyable as always dude, keep 'em coming.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 - A somewhat daft change of direction, but I've been meaning to ask: Have you any listening experience with Quad II monoblocks in a modern context? I'm fairly sure that means I must have asked already and forgot the answer... I must work on that. If ever you need to get your hands on a pair to make that "how to refurbish and modernise old valve amplifier stuff" series you've always been dreaming of, do give me a shout:D
@@yyams I may have heard them a long time ago at a show but nothing recently. Thank you for the offer Mr. J. I am always apprehensive about borrowing peoples in loved gear. The life of a reviewer constantly involves moving things in and out of your system. The potential for damage is always a real possibility 😊
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Ahh, can't be too precious about 'em and far from mint! When it happens I will probably replacing everything but valve bases, a resistor here and three, transformers, and the rather beautiful wiring loom. I suspect, however, that you may have seen through my cunning attempt to get someone far more electrically minded than myself to carry out the actual work in the name of good content.
Most influential period for me was the late 70's . Vinyl was plentiful hosting the greatest British bands ever! Latin jazz imports were wonderful bringing an array of top session musicians together. My early system comprised of Rogers LS35A s , Garrard 401 with Hadcock arm, tracking a Shure V15 cartridge (replaced later with Linn LP12, Rega silver arm , Ortofon Red M.C., Black box power supply) Amplifier Musical Fidelity A1. Apart from the deck, everything has been replaced in the last few months, but that 70's period, was the inaugural time of my musical nirvana and has never abated. Well done Taron for your insightful appraisal for all things hifi.
Hmmmm… Is that a Denafrips Hades/Thallo stack in the background that you are teasing us with? Now THAT has my full attention! 😎 I recently took delivery of a Denafrips Athena Preamp…and may also make the wire transfer for a Pontus II DAC. Thanks for another interesting review…you are very curious/knowledgeable about powered/active speakers and I have learned soooo much about them by watching your channel, Tarun.
I think the late 90's early 2000's were the golden years. Top notch stuff, made in the proper countries of origin, amps rated all channels driven full range weighing as much as a St Bernard, no fans running, ever.
Purchased these speakers about a month ago after pondering for weeks about which speakers to buy. I was initially going to buy the kanto yu6 speakers but I believe the m20s were the better choice. They sound superb. My next buy is the subwoofer to beef things up a bit. I think it was the 3060s? Can't wait
From the Early 80s and then for the next decade for me... Though, now for performance.... and I don't HEAR it slowing down! Another great video Tarun👍🏻
Late 80’s was fun. Linn updating the LP12 every week, Pink Triangle, Roksan and Townsend trying to knock them off the top and a range of amps and speakers competing with the NAD 3020 and KEF Coda III’s to be your next upgrade.
Another thorough review Tarun. I still have a pair of Q Acoustics 2020i's although not my main speakers I do like to put them through their paces with my Exposure amp from time to time. IMO Q Acoustics offer excellent value for the money. 1970's and 1980's for me. Brands I owned ..Sonab/Nakamichi/DCM Time Window/ Marantz/Mission/Thorens/Denon/Wharfdale Teac (RtoR).This was an era that had an abundance of bricks and mortar stores with decent sized demo rooms.
Hi Tarun, My favour period of hi-fi was the seventies, when my father bought us a complete set top of the range Sony hi-fi. STR -7065A receiver, Sony cassette deck, Sony fully automatic turntable and a pair of Sony speaker. My father just gone at 94.
You can get great sound for even less than the price of these Q Acoustics. In my second system I'm using Adam Audio T5V active speakers. Air Motion Transformer tweeters for £250!!! I have interconnects that cost more than twice as much in my living room system, I can't believe how good they are for this price. The T5Vs are Pro monitors and, unlike 'Hi-fi' speakers, are designed for near field use, but I expect I'm not the only audiophile who wants that design goal for their second system.
Back when I was single I didn't have much money, but I bought myself a cambridge audio A500 amp and some Kef Cresta 2's.. not expensive stuff by any means, but I remember that listening to music went from something that was alright to something magical. I spent a lot of time positioning my speakers and listening to music became not something I just did while doing something else, but it's own special event. Unfortunately I had to sell that kit when I moved to a different country but I have a feeling the M20's here would deliver a similar sound. Gonna have to check 'em out!
Hi Tarun interesting video . When this type of speaker started to appear I must confess I didn’t think the idea would stay the course . Well I definitely got that wrong , I suppose it’s helped by how the market has changed . Being able to have access to a good setup with out all the other bits of kit , is now beginning to make a lot of sense . And quite frankly it’s a refreshing change, and as they say what’s not to like . As for a time in hifi we’ll how long have you got . I first entered the hobby in 1972 , with a leek wharfedale lenco system . But I still think all these years later , now is the best time . The quality of sound that is available today is amazing for the money . Best wishes and kind regards as always 😀👍👍👍
Just for fun, try to get your hands on a pair of Kali active monitors. They’ve recently put out a 3-way design with a concentric tweet/midrange and come in a 6” or 8” woofer size. My 2-channel system is Magnepan, emotiva xpa-1 gen 2 mono-blocks, Thorens turntable and a pair of custom designed (for Ray Kimber) 21” subs; because they’re super fast and match the Maggies well. Back to the Kali monitors. The older 2-way designs are ridiculously affordable - LP-6 and LP-8. Yes I know these aren’t “audiophile” speakers and are meant for recording studios. I’m asking because it’s nearly impossible for me to hear any active “audiophile” speakers unless I purchase them. But I see video after video of studios raving about the Kalis so I did buy a pair of LP-8’s that I use as a secondary pair of monitors in my recording studio and... yeah they sound “good” and are reasonably revealing etc. But I’ve never heard an active monitor designed for an audiophile setup. Plus if you do pick up the Kalis and they aren’t up to snuff, you could always put them on your patio or in your garage because they really are very affordable. Now that I’ve typed all this out, I hope it doesn’t seem ridiculous. It is 1am now where I am and I should probably go to bed. Unfortunately (or fortunately) your channel has kept me up past my bedtime because I’ve been binge watching it. Ok I’m done. Thank you sir for your perspective on hifi and you have a new subscriber.
OK. I bought a pair of M20's (Second hand) I added a Sunfire 10" powered Sub NOW I HAVE MUSIC! The package is just wonderful. I've spent the day listening to a good selection of my music collection. Eva Cassidy had me in tears. Bach had me enthralled. U2 sounded wonderful Dark Side of the Moon was as good as I've heard. Smoke on the water could have done with a tad more volume (as could AC/DC) James Taylor had me on the stage with him. I completely agree with your rating These speakers are OUTSTANDING! Best wishes Bruce
@@abritishaudiophile7314 finding them a bit dry, clinical and fatiguing... Any suggestions what I could do to improve the sound? Should point out the room is a fair size (5x4.5m) with high vaulted asymmetrical ceiling, hard wood flooring and no acoustic treatment, other than furniture and big rug in front of speakers.
I agree with the last comment. The best time is NOW! With computers, software, DSP and quality equipment, companies can build better speakers, amps and DACs. There's more choice than ever. I just wish I had the money to buy it. If I didn't already have a system I would definitely buy the Q Acoustics for my small room. I'm not a fan of class D sound (at least my class D amp), though it looks like these speakers' amps don't suffer from some of the class D traits.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 I guess I was starting to get into HiFi in my teens in the 70's but I had no money so started with one of those infamous Amstrad set-ups. I managed to get a slightly unusual one which was a bit less rubbish than most of them. As I started to earn a bit of money in the 80's I further experimented upgrading things until I got hold of some pretty decent components between 1988-1991, some of which I still treasure today.
His name is Tarun ... I don't mean to be a smart-ass but if you have high standards for audio it follows that you also have high standards for accuracy in general.
Hi Tarun - I'm sure you know that for many audiophiles active speakers are right off the list because they take away the choice of power amplifier. But as you point out that can also be a good thing. They eliminate the possibility of making a mistake and endless fussing over specifications. Good for some, not good for others. What impressed me was your observation that instruments sound as they should. For myself that's the definition of tone and is crucial to the enjoyment of recorded music. I don't count myself among the market for these speakers but I'd still like very much to hear them. Well done, as always.
I think for enjoying music through a good system we now benefit of all developments over the past century. My Revox B795 turntable, highly rate in the 80s gave up the ghost well over 20 years later. It’s replacement - Project Classic - was an eye opener. My first CD player - Sony Discman - was an eye opener at the time, now you would describe the sound as a bit harsh and ‘digital’. Fortunately those development also come to light in digital classical recordings which have improved massively over the past 20 years or so. Just enjoy the music.
thanks for this review Tarun! I've decided to give these a try for a second system into which I can integrate my smartphone and access my Amazon HD playlist. Unfortunately my Denon streamer running the HEOS app does have this functionality (algorithm based stations and searched albums or songs are fine, but I think Amazon purposesly holds back the ability to play compiled playlists). Since I do a lot of near field listening, I think the Q Acoustics will be perfect for that. In the meantime, eagerly awaiting your eventual review of the B&W 805 D4s. I have the original 805s, now 20 years old, but like your beloved ProAcs, I still love the way they sound, although I could always be tempted into a upgrade. In the meantime, the 805s driven by a similarly 20 year old Bryston B60 integrated, and a Denon DCD A110 CD system, make a great set up for my extensive jazz and classical CD collection. Thanks again for you expert and insightful videos. All the best!
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Your review was spot on! Straight out of the box, the speakers are impressive, particularly for their size. I do notice that sound is fuller when I connect my phone via a 3.5 mm jack as opposed to using the Bluetooth connection. You had mentioned that the Bluetooth is the least preferable way to connect, and that seems to be the case. My Samsung Galaxy S10+ does have BT 5.0 but I think the codex is APTx , not APTx HD. I wonder how the DAC in the phone compares to that in the M20s? Either way, cabled connection seems to be the way to go.
In the mid 90's, I spent more for a stereo system than I had on my 1985 VW Golf. Still have the Klipsch KG series spkrs, and the Onkyo Integra amp, but the Golf didn't survive the decade. The 90's was a great time to be young and reckless but the music? Well, I'll never grow tired of Rage against the Machine, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, The Cranberries, U2, Jane's Addiction, REM, Tool and so much more!
It's amazing how good a pair of active speakers is. I've had my 260 pound Adam Audio T5V studio monitors for just over a year now and each time I listen to them I end up listening for longer than I planned. Just one more track. Never heard that much detail before. It's close to listening to the band live. Not quite as warm/rich as live music in the flesh but closer than I've got before with thousands of pounds of speakers and amplification and toe tappingly enjoyable. Before that I had musical fidelity XA1 and PMC FB1. Not a cheap set up. Quite well used when I got them. My friend bought the Adams for his studio and liked them. He bought them over to try at mine and I was expecting my system to be far superior. But in comparison mine was a bit woolly and less detailed. Do I try an upgrade or do I just sell up and buy the Adams. I tried an amp. Dad had a spare award winning 500 pound marantz amp. But amazingly it wasn't as good as the XA1. So I bought the Adams. The ribbon tweeters are detailed and there is a lovely raw live sound to instruments. But I bought the more expensive 7s. Didn't take me long to realise they were worse. Do not assume a more expensive bigger version of a speaker will be better. No where near as precise in the midrange. Bigger soundstage but muddier. Had to end up buying the 5s anyway 7s sold for a loss. Quite shockingly the last improvement (almost feeling like I'd upgraded the DAC) was windows 11. What that has done I've no idea but detail, timing, decay of instruments is 20 percent better again. Computer is running far cooler and therefore quieter. Lack of fan noise means near silence in quiet sections. Background noise effects audio quality.
i'm looking to upgrade my current pioneer dm40bt monitors and have been suggested the adam t5vs however i was also looking at the m20s and the kanto yu6. I'm not sure which path to take to be honest. I have a desktop setup in my bedroom where the speakers sit 1m apart and i sit around 80cm away from them when sitting at desk so i'm quite nearfield. When i listen to music from my bed (the bed is directly facing the desk/speakers) i am around 3 - 3.5m away from speakers. Speakers are also 5inches away from the wall although the wall is treated with standard foam isolation panels. I listen to music via my turntable, casually listening i will stream via spotify and i also occasionally dj house/techno music. Would you recommend the t5vs over the m20? My only concern about the m20s is how deep they are.
@@Nath-rg2qd i haven't tried the m20s. I never even intended to have studio monitors until my friend compared his to my hifi and I found them a big upgrade. My computer being my only music source. Biggest advantage of the Adams is they are not fatiguing. I can listen to them for hours at once. The ribbon tweeters are good for clarity though you do need to position yourself in the sweet spot. The midrange clarity is really good. The bass is pretty good for the size but they are rear ported so you do need them a metre from a wall minimum ideally. But you could block up the ports with socks. Which does have a big impact. They're musical and enjoyable to listen to. From what I've read some other monitors like Yamaha HS are more revealing and perhaps flatter response too but they are also more fatiguing in the treble. These are more easy going. Probably less so than a hi-fi speaker (slightly less refined and more honest) but I can listen for hours. They are quite bright/forward. Not overly so but worth mentioning. With complex stuff you will hear everything. It's frustrating it's hard to audition stuff these days. You need good cables (50 pound plus) Using cheap ones and these won't sound anywhere near as good.
For me it has been since 2010. Our audio system is settled and it is one that we both love and listen to vastly differing music on. I have completed the upgraditis part of life, since discovery of hifi in the late 1970s, from the 80s to 00s and now focus on exploration of anything and everything. E.g. John Darko recently mentioned Doom Jazz, never heard of it so off I went, dialled up Spotify and spent a good few hours listening to this from all over the world. Yes, I found one or two artists that warrant further listening. If they are STILL holding my attention then I will purchase CDs or High quality DLs. In years gone by I have wasted so much time (and money) on recordings for them to sit on a shelf...what can be better than that? Similarly with Hifi. The VFM with today's components is fantastic AND for the most part you can audition before you buy, even at home.....what can be better than that? The downside is that the higher the quality that want (not need) the fewer the stockists and generally none in many countries, mine included Wales. So ..... don't worry, be happy, and keep on listening. And watching Tarun's channel of course.
Great review. And as I have 2 pairs of Q Acoustics speakers (what I considered a a decent step into proper Hifi but I rarely play the pair that are connected), I knew I could potentially like he M20s for my desk. I went and listened to them last week after watching this and these impressed me more than a pair of Dali £1200 active speakers. I loved the sound of the M20s but do prefer to see the cones/drivers. So I’m wondering how Kanto YU4s compare.
Thank you for sharing your experiences PA. I would have to get the YUA’s home to be sure but they sounded more like a smaller speaker than the M20s from what I recall 😊👍
What an excellent review, I've purchased a new Sony 55" TV and really didn't want a soundbar or a full surround system as I prefer wathcing movies in stereo, these will be perfect! Thanks.
Great video. Nice to see an Outstanding at this price level. I think the best hi fi era for me is more closely related to my income than anything else 🤦🏻♂️
Another great video thanks. Its interesting to see more and more powered Hi-Fi speakers these days. They've been used in production for quite some time now, although some are pretty flat and Ive also used them for DJ Monitors before. I would love to hear a nice set of high end ATC's or PMC's, I bet they sound amazing : ) Ive only just got more into Hifi the past 4 or 5 years, before that all my equipment has been DJ stuff, turntables, mixers, CDJ's etc. 15-18" bass bins and PA speakers. I also liked my Home theatre so had a nice surround set up. Ive now combined my Hifi with my HT and just about fully treated my room. Just got to save for some more diffusion to finish it off. Im more into watching Reviews than Raves these days hahaha. : ) Must be getting older hahaha
Probably this era. The quality available from streaming services is now great and so much music to choose from. That said loved the 90s. My dad would often get a new piece of hifi to take home and audition and I used to love and listen and compare to what he had. Meanwhile I was using old separates from 1994 with massive Goodman's 1970s speakers and Sony amp with vu meters and an ancient Phillips cd 160. 16 bits. The sound was fun, surprisingly musical, more so than my dad's set up! Not refined! The component I had most trouble replacing was the Sony TA F5a amp. Everything I tried to replace it with was more detailed and less soft but less musical. For whatever reason it just made your toes tap to the music. Took nearly 10 years before that got replaced with my dad's old XA1.
My favourite period in hi-fi history? Boring, but it's the last few years, after a near 15-20 year hiatus. Never has it been so exciting and rewarding to get together a hi-fi system. I wanted to save money at first and so bought a fairly decent Sony DN1080 A/V amp and Q Acoustics 3020i for music and video, to which I later added a pair of Quad S2s and a separate Audiolab 6000A amp. Then came an XTZ A2-300 class D power amp (£500), and recently an Earmen Tradutto DAC (now £799, but £699 when I bought it), which one reviewer rates up there with the Denafrips Ares II. Shortly I'll have an Acoustic Invader class A JFET preamp arriving (£1170 before shipping and taxes), hand made in Serbia, which the same reviewer rates higher than a Hegel H190. To be fair, that's in conjunction with its matched, similarly-priced class D power amplifier, which is more powerful than mine, but from his description should sound similar. Thing is, back in the day, nothing I could readily afford actually sounded that good. Hence, I was never really engaged with my sizeable collection of (mainly) CDs. But these days, each step I'm taking definitely increases my musical enjoyment (quite apart from the secret, guilty delights of philatelic accumulation). I can't wait for the Invader to be delivered, and if that pans out, I'll move the 6000A to my study to improve my desktop system (it will rest on a shelf above the actual desktop). Back in the day, it was hard to explore the remoter highways and byways of Hi-fi. All we had were magazines and dealers to visit, and they tended mostly to talk about/stock the most popular brands. If you wanted the really good stuff, you'd have to spend a fortune, and so I rarely sampled it myself. Even at the hi-fi shows, there was very little that was both affordable and a cracking listen. IMHO, most of it sounded pretty much pants. Well, all that's changed. There's an embarrassment of riches, not to mention of good reviewers like yourself to spend hours perusing and comparing on UA-cam. There are sound demos -- not the very best quality, to be sure, but more informative than mentions of specific tracks that one might or might not have readily available. Plus, we once had mostly only the obscure sound descriptors, many of which to this day I'm not 100% sure I understand.
My favourite era was the early 1980s when we had crazies like Stig Carlsson and David Hafler experimenting with new things while companies like Linn and Celestion held the traditional market. It also saw the emergence of companies like NAD, who changed a lot of perceptions. But sound reproduction quality has never been better than it is today.
The Best HiFi era for me is all through my life. Equipment vise, I am happy to have been able to live through all the changes and development that has happened. However, The Recording and Mastering of Recordings have since Loudness wars been a constant source of grief ever since it started. So I was happier before that happened, or rather when it started to effect me.
My first thought was (and then you mentioned his name) I wonder how these compare to the elac navis active speakers similar in size features & price I believe. Great review again tarun & my favourite period for hifi was & is any time I buy some new gear 😁
For me, late 80's early 20's was the best era for Hifi, the choice of manufacturers and competition meant loads of innovation and very competitive prices, bi-wired speakers were basically standard with speakers as cheap as £150, my £200 Elatx Liberty 5+, are built solid, braced well, bi-wired, beautifully crafted cabinet with bevelled edges and ingrained, 15kg each, spikes 38-22khz, sound superb with my Denon dm41, giant slaying Amplifiers from the likes of Pioneer A-400, Marantz signature series, Technics SU series all retailing under £350, I partnered My Technics SU-570 PX capacitors with a Missions 731i with Missions Micrometer Stands, the sound was so emotional, being new to hifi I sold the speakers getting the Elatx floor standers, but to me it felt I sacrificed all the emotions of the Missions for a more fuller dynamic sound of the Elatx, but now I yearn for the emotions and feelings the Missions bought out of the music, and nowadays being grown-up and having financial obligations, I fear I might never regain that sound, I know I never imagined it, as my Ford Fiesta head unit coupled with uprated Kenwood speakers manages to bring out those emotions, but sadly I sold that car aswell, one of my favourite albums of the last 10 years has been Daft Punks Random Access Memories, it's impeccably recorded so sounds good on anything, but their's certain tracks on their, for instance 'Beyond ' that on some systems will touch your heart and on other systems sound just like good dynamic dance music, sparkling high's and solid well gripped bass and separation can for me only do so much, for me now it's all about capturing the emotions and soul, I'm thinking now I may only achieve this sound through a valve amp and possibly Wharfedale Linton speaker set up, but that's out of my budget, so hoping Marantz 6007 with Wharfedale diamond's 12.3's which might capture that when funds are available in 2 year's time hopefully 🙏. Great reviews as usual Taran 🙂🙏.
WOW! Now I just followed the Words of Tarun and watched the Review from the link below (AE1), and all I remember now is a little gorgeous puppy! OMG! 🤣
The best era was the 70s to late 80s; when you had brick and mortar store fronts. One could go in and listen for hours and in the process learn a great deal. I loved finding a piece and saving up for it all the while going to the store to sample its piece from time to time. It kept me motivated. There were so many brands to choose from.
Thanks Tarun for another outstanding review. Would have been keen to hear your thoughts of a direct comparison to the Kef LSX (especially as a desktop setup) . As for my favorite HiFi period ? That would be the era when I could afford to buy some HiFi from a Audio-T as opposed to Laskys/Argos. In my case late 80's which saw the acquirement of a Naim pre/power and a Linn LP12. Second period that springs to mind early 00's when the first streamers became available. Adding Jukebox capabilities to your HiFi ? Awesome !!
Your review on these speakers was the icing on the cake. I ordered the speakers and damnn they sound great! BT is a no go so I ordered the wiim mini for airplay. Yes I mis that punch when it comes to listening to 50 or 2pac etc sooooo my questions. Any recommendations on 1 sub 2. Speaker cables (you said the one you own are older ones)
I love this site and have been a subscriber for some time now. I am in a quandary as whether to purchase the Acoustic Energy AE1 or the Q Acoustics M20 with a sub. The AE1 would obviously need a decent DAC and I feel the M20s would need the sub. I would basically be running the speakers thru my TV / Apple Play, etc. Tarun, please give me some feedback and thanks for all your good advice and depth of knowledge on the channel!
Another great video, thank you. Lots of great tips too, I never would have thought to place my speaker stands on blocks to raise the height of the tweeters, I’ve been couch slouching for years!! As for favourite period in hifi, we’ll for me it was the mid 80’s to mid 90’s. Especially companies like Nakamichi, NAD and Audiolab, all standard width components which soothed my OCD and charming aesthetics. As for sound, well I’ve still not had the chance to hear Nakamichi or Luxman gear, that experience is still on my bucket list. Would you recommend and hifi stores near you for listening demonstrations?
There are better/cheaper options out there. I did a side by side comparison using various test tracks, and out of the box the main differences I noticed between the M20 and my smaller edifiers S350DB are the slightly better stereo separation and lack of low end on the M20. My wife and kids also preferred the S350DB in blind tests. The Edifiers have more inputs (the 3.5mm input doesn't disable the AUX input like on the M20). The knobs on the S350DB are also sturdier and durable than the three rubber buttons on the M20. The M20 might rival the S350DB with a subwoofer, but then you are dropping another $500.
I'm going to have to say mid to late 90's. Thumbing well worn copies of Hi Fi Choice and looking for the Best Buys at my price point to build my first listening room or just kit to short list. I'm going to have now as a close second. Streaming has made music way more accessible and Vinyl is making a bit of a come back.
Nice touch, the foam plug. It's useful with bloated bass that many speakers at this size suffer from. I bet the digital amp had a great effect in lowering the price (or did it?) leaving a greater part of the budget to dedicate to the acoustical/mechanical components. Re. the favourite period in hifi, I reckon it has to be the '80s: enough high end products without the onslaught (and subsequent cheapening out) that the CD/digital media playback devices brought with them later. Back then, you had to pay real money for a half decent system but at least you knew it would last you nearly forever. The digital era meant that a lot of good formats disappeared forever and got replaced by short lived, cheap digital fads while the analogue media themselves (some irreplaceable) ended up in second hand shops or in the bin. The only thing I don't miss from the 80's is the speakers: budget ones have improved no end since then and higher price ones are really great performers in the '90s and '00s. It's amazing to think of the progress made in a decade and a half, in what was, essentially, the same technology. Unfortunately, the lower cost segments also have been cheapening out with the new onslaught nowadays - that of personal, on-the-go, players and headphones.
Tarun, my “cheap and cheerful” Paradigm V8 subwoofers take offence of that statement of yours. 😝😉😀 Favourite period for HIFI: I’ve been into audio since the early 90s and I would say right now is the best time. The quality of affordable products being produced today by all manufacturer is nothing short of amazing Brian.
Hi Tarun, thanks for the great review! I love that you mention the Q BT3's that I still use to this day. I think they're great, though I'd like to retire them as desktop speakers and get something new for my 35m²-ish living room. Thinking about the M20's as Q Acoustics has earned my trust with the Q BT3's. You did say in a previous video, however, to avoid "bite size" improvements, and the M20's are essentially the same price as the BT3's when I bought them back in 2015 (gosh, is my age starting to show?). Your rule of thumb was to x3 the price of the previous gear, hiking the budget to KEF LSX II territory. What are your thoughts? I want to feel a new and improved music experience, so are the 'ABA 2022 speaker of the year' M20's a significant and justifiable improvement over the QBT3's or should I consider going all in with the LSX II or similarly priced speakers ? Cheers!
I'm enjoying hi-fi more than ever now. I think digital is finally sounding fantastic and music availability to discover new things is unmatched with streaming services, soundcloud, bandcamp and all the other usual suspects.
Do you know if the DSP applies a high pass filter when a sub is connected? I know this is an old video now, but I am looking for new desktop speakers to replace my current 2.1 passive stack in my office.
Thank you for your in-depth review; it greatly helped me in making the decision to buy these. Just out of curiosity, which sub would you recommend for the M20's?
The best HiFi era is now. I have never had more information at my fingertips about anything and everything ever made in this hobby. People forget that as recent as just 10 years ago there were only scant reviews of non-mainstream gear, and most people didn't know what was out there or how it sounded. You needed your experienced friends and/or copies of old magazines. Now we have reviews, new and archived, for just about anything ever made. The world's your oyster.
Very good points. Well said 😊👍
i want lists of synergistic setups at various price points to completely bring this hobby to near completion and then focus on other audio delivery methods such as surround sound and then maybe even surrealism.
Easier said than done yes but remember this level of access was once an monumentally elusive thing to imagine
Now we need just need some investors and friendly gear sharers
Totally agree with this. You can get so much value for your money these days.
Agreed. And I bought these days on your review! Love them ❤
If os still possible coment, for me the best era for audio was the late seventies. There was plenty of specialized magazines, lots of information and the beginning of psychoacoustics studies. There was not digital media, so all the improvement was done by fine enginer and research. The end of an era of advetures, but still prolific. Sorry for the english, I haven't spoken it for more than 20 years.
Finally got to hear these speakers! Great sound. A friend bought them based on my recommendation, which was based on your review. We auditioned them, unlike all my purchases which have been blindly based on your reviews.
Glad he is enjoying them Jeremy 👍👍
I am listening to a pair of Q Acoustics M20s at the moment, there has been so much positive response I couldn't resist trying them. The quality is excellent, and especially in terms of features for money. The engineering in these is impressive.
That is great 👍
@jcpgenry ...How are you finding the speakers after a year ? Can I ask a question? It has two analogue inputs ...if two devices are connected ( ie: a CD player with analogue only RCA outputs and say a turntable with phono preamp built in ) ..will both units play through the M20s at the same time ? Or is there a switch on the remote to be able to toggle between the two ? I have mailed the manufacturer weeks ago and they haven't even had the decency to answer ( and neither has the OP either here )
Look forward to your response
After watching everything on this channel, and an extended period of indecision, I have ordered a set of these speakers. Thank you Tarun, I appreciate your work.
That is great Nic. Please let me know how you get on 😊👍
Checking in from the future! How are you liking the speakers?
@@FamilyRoyalty They're really nice, very pleased with them. Had no issues at all.
This is a comprehensive review. Thank you Tarun for taking the time.
Thank you. Much appreciated 😊👍
IMO this is the best audiophile channel on the net. After fumbling around for months watching reviews on gear, I decided to take your recommendation and got these speakers. Incredible, perfect for my small apartment space. Great sound doesn't have to be super expensive, and this is a testimony of what's possible these days. I ordered a subwoofer so I can get the lowest octave. But in terms on sound field, tone and just fun to listen to, these speakers do it for me. I'm sure some day, if given a bigger space, I may opt for something bigger and more powerful with bigger scale, but these are it for me.
It is great to have feedback like that. Much appreciated 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Keep up the good work. I know every audiophile is on a quest to find sonic nirvana... and no doubt, a system is only as good as its weakest component, and there is always better. But, "for the money", using these speakers, which I paired with a Golden Ear Forcefield 3; an audiophile grade power conditioner, I'm simply amazed at how holographic and dynamic this system is in my small space. I could roll with this for years, and not really upgrade a thing.
What subwoofer did you buy? I just purchased these and will pair with a bluesound node.
Picked up a pair of these for desktop/work area. They really are extraordinary for listening to music, been really enjoying them. Thanks for the recommendation!
Great to hear! 👍
Another great review. The best time is now to be an audiophile, especially on a budget. Thanks Tarun!
I agree. Apart from the decline of dealers, there has never been a better time to be into music and Hifi 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Yes, I am one of the lucky ones with multiple dealers in my town. Thanks again ABA.
Just noticed you now have 44.1k subscribers :)
Great content, as usual, thank you!
That is very cool. I enjoyed it while it lasted 😂👍
Great review by the way. I have gotten to the point that I listen to other reviews and compare them to yours. Your technical, yet, enthusiastic reviews cut a balance between purely analytical and purely emotional. But don't let it get to your head. Remember, pride comes before a fall. Stay you.
Thank you buddy. Much appreciated. Don’t worry, my feet and (head) are well grounded 👍😊👍
After watching your review I ordered a pair of M20 today!
Cool 😎 please let me know how you get on 👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314Received the M20 two weeks back here in Bangalore. I like its performance with an overall well balanced sound. I wish it had a little bit more top end air, otherwise it is an excellent package for the money. The speaker cable they provided in the package is of low quality and I replaced it with a better thicker gauge Nordost cable and it improved the low and mid performance of the passive speaker. I could see the internal wiring connecting the tweeter through the base port with the help of a torch light and it is a thick 12awg QED cable. Hence it is better to connect the passive speaker through a similar gauge high quality cable.
I didn't appreciate well-matched components until... I did. It changed my hi-fi audio perspective and my overall enjoyment drastically, especially when working with a tight budget to begin with. Great review.
Thank you for watching and sharing Brett 😊👍
As I had been reviewing a good number of speaker options for my small living room with a fireplace insert, the YT algorithm probably pointed me in your direction, and I’m glad it did. I’ve enjoyed your commentary a lot. In my living room, I didn’t want speaker wires all over the place, especially crossing over or below my fireplace to connect them to each other. So I decided to go with powered bookshelf speakers (even though a number of audiophiles didn’t cheer too loudly for powered speakers). I settled on the Edifier S3000 Pro powered bookshelf speakers, and I’m glad I did, as they check all the boxes for me: great sound (as tested by the audio experts), small-ish size, wireless connection between the L & R speakers (no need to physically connect them together), plethora of inputs, beautiful styling, and matching stands. They look great and sound even better, and I have no doubt the Qs sound fantastic as well. Not all of us have a perfect listening room, but we can maximize what’s available to us and get as close as we can to audiophile-quality sound. Thanks again for another great review and commentary!
Thank you Danny. I appreciate you watching. Seems that you have the perfect solution for your scenario 😊👍
Spot on review. I’ve had mine since launch and love them with all inputs, with TV using optical they are better than a sound bar costing the same. CD player via analog fantastic. And Bluetooth using Apple Music on an iPhone sound just as good.
Thank you Steve. Much appreciated 😊👍
I just ordered this for my friend...and came to this review...great review as always...for me the late 80s...
Thank you Pradeep. I hope your friend enjoys them 😊
Thank you for this review. Very helpful.
Currently looking to add an audio system to my home office, room is approximately 12 X 12 feet. Was considering passive speakers and an integrated amp. But with limited space, an active speaker makes sense. It also helps keep some dollars in the budget for future upgrades to my main system. My Bryston amp and preamp are now 32 years old.
Best HiFi era most likely the 70’s. Started with an Onkyo TX 4500 receiver, Bozak 301 speakers (made in Norwalk Connecticut my home state), with a Dual turntable (all purchased in 1977) and Philips CD 880 (1990 manufactured in Belgium). The late 1960’s and the 70’s was a great time for music. My current music library reflects this.
I look forward to viewing more of your reviews.
Best
Joe H.
Thank you 👍
Great detailed review, absolute class
@@House-Techno-Studio thank you kindly 😊👍
Immensely enjoyable review, I’m of an age where I had enough money to progress from my Dansette record player to my first Roger’s Ravensbrook based record system. Magnum K2 speakers that rocked, I was in another world but buying vinyl was also part of the experience and I couldn’t wait to play my music. Leaps forward in tech while great have never replaced that initial WOW of being able to really listen to music. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Thank you Mike. Much appreciated. Great to learn about your experiences 👍😊👍
Fantastic, in-depth review - thank you. My favourite era would have to be late 80's/early 90's. Spending Saturday afternoons in HiFi stores listening to dozens of systems - happy days..!!!
Thank you buddy 😊👍
Great review Tarun. I've been looking forward to your next offering and I wasn't disappointed. Wow. Who'd have thunk it? Audio excellence for 400 quid! Amazing. Shows us how advances in technology start to trickle down to us mere budget conscious mortals eh? Being a confirmed hifi nerd, I'll fess up to some gear envy - it must be so cool to listen to all of this above average kit. Good stuff mate. Keep it up.
Thank you Rafe. Much appreciated. It is amazing what you can get for less than £400 these days 👍😊👍
As usual, I enjoyed this presentation. Well done!
Thank you 👍
Late 80's early 90's was the defining period for me. Hi-Fi Mags, Tottenham Court Road, countless auditions in store and home. Fond memories of my system at that time; Michel Gyrodec Turntable, Meridan 206CD, Audiolab 8000A & P - Pre-Power Amp with Kef 104/2 Speakers. Immigrated to the USA mid-90's and have been in pursuit of the perfect system since. Thanks for the great reviews!!
Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences Cliff. I have made many a trip to Tottenham Court Road too over the years 😊👍
Cliff, same here, Tottenham Court Rd to US also, but via Australia for a few years.
I moved away from London but would often just go on a trip to walk along all the hi-fi shops in Tottenham Court Road. One one such trip found them nearly all closed empty and locked up. The great crash. Hifi shopping never recovered from that. Occasionally a department store at the other end had some interesting gear and another similar department store in Knightsbridge but it was only computer gear in TCR and boring stacking units.
@@geraldmcmullon2465 that was a real shame 😢
what a great review. Whenever I am browsing stuff this dude keeps coming up trumps…. This is such a great time to be using ur ears. The tech is just amazing. When I came back from USA (1985) having worked in cinema and theatre production the idea of active speakers was almost unheard of. I used mono quad mic amps to power tweeters and a Hafler I made from a kit to power woofers having discarded Tannoy crossovers. Then came CD and digital. Hotel ‘Hifi’ exhibitions and awful recordings of Jean m Jarre in every room. After all that I went back to passive after hearing ATC. My 60 yr old ears have taken a battering but my enthusiasm for the quest of the holy grail goes on. Hi res and gizmos like dragonfly and dacs keeps the fires burning. I am blessed to have mosfets and valves , active and passive and a studio/Workshop to play in and hang traps and wall coverings without kids poking dust caps etc. it’s a lifelong joy and journey and so happy that this audiophile chap is coherent and able to spread the word in such a way. Thank you.
Thank you Jimmy. That is very kind. Great to learn about your experiences 😊👍
Just picked these M20s up on Amazon's Prime sale day for 375 dollars. A legitimate steal!!!! Looking forward to putting them on my desktop and enjoying the music! Planning to update here after I take delivery.
Cool 😎 please keep me posted 👍
Lol 😂 Tarun , now I have to go and watch again your AE1 even though you suggested and I also wanted but bought Thieaudio Monarch MKii IEM and have to wait for a while .. it’s always pleasure to watch all your videos again and again and every time I learn something new. Thanks again
Thank you Atri. Much appreciated 😊👍
I appreciate the professionalism and the amount of useful information that comes out of ALL of your videos. Most helpful! Thank You!
Thank you buddy. Very kind of you to say 👍😊👍
Good morning Tarun, looks like a late one for you! Very interesting review. I have had these in mind for my mum for TV and streaming music. She is hard of hearing so I'm going to arrange a demo for her to make sure she can hear enough of their sound. Your review confirms my thoughts on this speaker though. Thanks again. My favourite era was the early 90's as this was when I got into hifi, I got a Systemdec iix record player, Rotel CD player and Amp with small mission 760i speakers. I loved the sound, fast and warm, and had them for many years. Hope you and yours are all feeling better.👍
Thank you Philip. I hope the demo with your mum goes well 😊👍
So i went ahead and bought them. Very happy with them. Only thing I miss is some way of telling what my volume is at each time. I like knowing what my volume is at each time and all the time.
Cheers. And good listenings!
Thank you 😊
When I think of the audio market when I was in university, nearly all beyond a student's budget even when LPs and cassette tape were the only media, the market today is remarkably rich at every level, with a range of excellent choices. This really is the best time for audiophile expression.
Totally agree 👍
My fav period was the mid to late 70s and early 80s. Trips up to Hi-Fi corner and Comet in Edinburgh. Hi-Fi corner especially holds fond memories. A bank of speakers all wired up, a comfy listening seat and a comparison switch box thrust in your hand playing whatever you had brought with you. Bought a set of Spendor BC1 using this setup, they blew everything else away. 😀
Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences Graham 😊👍
Great review tarun, I use a pair of quad A9s active speakers with dac, they are great speaker, my first active speakers were meridian M20 back in the mid 80s, my favourite decade for hifi is mid 80s to mid 90s, equipment just seems better built back in the day, looking forward to seeing another review soon.
Thank you Paul. I have many fond memories from that period too 😊👍
Encouraged by positive reviews, I bought this set as a stop gap arrangement while my Amp went for repairs. Having been used to Rega-ATC combination, I was a bit sceptical whether my ears would accept the new sound. I was wrong. This is fantastic VFM product. The only problem I'm facing is that the volume control on the main unit is dim witted. Even with the remote control, the response time is poor. But I'm happy till Rega returns. Thanks.
That is great. Thank you for sharing 😊
Thank you for an excellent review as always.
Thank you Paul. Much appreciated 😊👍
The best reviews by an absolute mile 👋👋👋👋
Thank you Neale. Very kind and much appreciated 😊👍😊
what a lovely OMEGA your wearing there Tarun. Good to see you got thur your family share all well and good:)
Th am you my friend. We are feeling much better 😊👍
By the way what and absolute great job done showing the innards of the speakers something consumers rarely get to see even though its all about what one hears.
Thank you my friend 👍😊👍
Oustanding review, as usual!
Btw, right targeted item and the very interesting one for
the most of audiophile viewers.
Best regards Tarun
Thank you my friend 👍😊👍
Damn ! I hope there is a canadian distributor for Q acoustics ! For me, the 90's was the time I discovered and experimented with a wide variety of electronics. Later, caring for a family forced me to settle down with a specific system for more than a decade. Very good review, as usual !
Thank you Yves. Hifi took a back seat for me with start of this millennium until about 5 years ago. I still kept in touch with friends in the industry and listened to music on different gear but was not as active. There were other priorities. It is a big part of my life again now and I am really enjoying it 😊👍
Great review. I have to say, for me, the 80s /90s got me into hi fi. But it's the latter technical developments that have held and pushed my interest. I had a budget Cambridge audio amp with a pair of eltax speakers for years (I tried with various higher end CD players (marantz/arcam)) and while satisfying, ironically the best audio performance I got was when playing CDs through a Toshiba DVD player!! Roll on to last year, and I picked up an ifi zen DAC V2 to use with senheiser hd560s, and realised I could connect the outs to the old Cambridge /eltax combo when used with my pc setup.. Absolutely brought them to life in a way I never imagined possible. That's what I like about hifi, sometimes things just click, and when they do, it brings a smile to your face. The head phone/DAC combination is great as well.
Thank you David. Great to learn about your experiences 👍
Regardless of the content, I always look forward to clicking on one of your videos... it's not just your knowledge but also the way your knowledge is delivered! 👍
Thank you buddy. Always great to have you watching and your support 👍😊👍
Thanks Tarun. This was "outstanding"
Thank you Issac 😊👍
Small world. My girlfriend had a pair of those BT3 jobbies when we met which still do a nice job on her desk.
"Interesting, it appears I've found someone who sees value in better sound than that which comes free with your tv or laptop... I bet she'd come around to the idea of lots of boxes, wires, remotes, speakers 2m out from the wall invading every room, and monolithic cubes that make things fall off shelves when watching movies with a Zimmer soundtrack."
It's been tough at times but she's stuck around:D
Enjoyable as always dude, keep 'em coming.
You are a luck man, my friend. Thank you for watching and sharing 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 - A somewhat daft change of direction, but I've been meaning to ask:
Have you any listening experience with Quad II monoblocks in a modern context?
I'm fairly sure that means I must have asked already and forgot the answer... I must work on that.
If ever you need to get your hands on a pair to make that "how to refurbish and modernise old valve amplifier stuff" series you've always been dreaming of, do give me a shout:D
@@yyams I may have heard them a long time ago at a show but nothing recently. Thank you for the offer Mr. J. I am always apprehensive about borrowing peoples in loved gear. The life of a reviewer constantly involves moving things in and out of your system. The potential for damage is always a real possibility 😊
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Ahh, can't be too precious about 'em and far from mint! When it happens I will probably replacing everything but valve bases, a resistor here and three, transformers, and the rather beautiful wiring loom.
I suspect, however, that you may have seen through my cunning attempt to get someone far more electrically minded than myself to carry out the actual work in the name of good content.
Most influential period for me was the late 70's . Vinyl was plentiful hosting the greatest British bands ever! Latin jazz imports were wonderful bringing an array of top session musicians together. My early system comprised of Rogers LS35A s , Garrard 401 with Hadcock arm, tracking a Shure V15 cartridge (replaced later with Linn LP12, Rega silver arm , Ortofon Red M.C., Black box power supply) Amplifier Musical Fidelity A1. Apart from the deck, everything has been replaced in the last few months, but that 70's period, was the inaugural time of my musical nirvana and has never abated. Well done Taron for your insightful appraisal for all things hifi.
Thank you Glyn. Much appreciated 👍
Hmmmm… Is that a Denafrips Hades/Thallo stack in the background that you are teasing us with? Now THAT has my full attention! 😎 I recently took delivery of a Denafrips Athena Preamp…and may also make the wire transfer for a Pontus II DAC. Thanks for another interesting review…you are very curious/knowledgeable about powered/active speakers and I have learned soooo much about them by watching your channel, Tarun.
Thank you Bob. Much appreciated. Hades/Thallo review is in the wings 😊👍👍
I think the late 90's early 2000's were the golden years. Top notch stuff, made in the proper countries of origin, amps rated all channels driven full range weighing as much as a St Bernard, no fans running, ever.
I thoroughly enjoyed the 90’s hifi era too 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Cheers.
Purchased these speakers about a month ago after pondering for weeks about which speakers to buy. I was initially going to buy the kanto yu6 speakers but I believe the m20s were the better choice. They sound superb. My next buy is the subwoofer to beef things up a bit. I think it was the 3060s? Can't wait
Cool 😎 thank you for sharing 😊
From the Early 80s and then for the next decade for me... Though, now for performance.... and I don't HEAR it slowing down!
Another great video Tarun👍🏻
Thank you Marcus 😊👍
Late 80’s was fun. Linn updating the
LP12 every week, Pink Triangle, Roksan and Townsend trying to knock them off the top and a range of amps and speakers competing with the NAD 3020 and KEF Coda III’s to be your next upgrade.
I have fond memories of that time too Billy. Thank you for sharing 😊👍
Another thorough review Tarun. I still have a pair of Q Acoustics 2020i's although not my main speakers I do like to put them through their paces with my Exposure amp from time to time. IMO Q Acoustics offer excellent value for the money.
1970's and 1980's for me. Brands I owned ..Sonab/Nakamichi/DCM Time Window/ Marantz/Mission/Thorens/Denon/Wharfdale Teac (RtoR).This was an era that had an abundance of bricks and mortar stores with decent sized demo rooms.
Thank you for sharing buddy. I remember there were so many hifi dealers around and it was so easy to listen to gear back then 😊👍
Hi Tarun, My favour period of hi-fi was the seventies, when my father bought us a complete set top of the range Sony hi-fi. STR -7065A receiver, Sony cassette deck, Sony fully automatic turntable and a pair of Sony speaker. My father just gone at 94.
I am sorry for your loss James. I am sure you have many great memories and a lot to thank him for 👍🙏👍
Another great review
Thank you 😊👍
Nearly 45 thousand subscribers , when will Proac smell the coffee ? Thanks for another great video Tarun.
Thank you Pierre. I don’t they will change their mind anytime soon 😊
You can get great sound for even less than the price of these Q Acoustics.
In my second system I'm using Adam Audio T5V active speakers. Air Motion Transformer tweeters for £250!!! I have interconnects that cost more than twice as much in my living room system, I can't believe how good they are for this price.
The T5Vs are Pro monitors and, unlike 'Hi-fi' speakers, are designed for near field use, but I expect I'm not the only audiophile who wants that design goal for their second system.
Thank you for watching and sharing 😊👍
Back when I was single I didn't have much money, but I bought myself a cambridge audio A500 amp and some Kef Cresta 2's.. not expensive stuff by any means, but I remember that listening to music went from something that was alright to something magical. I spent a lot of time positioning my speakers and listening to music became not something I just did while doing something else, but it's own special event. Unfortunately I had to sell that kit when I moved to a different country but I have a feeling the M20's here would deliver a similar sound. Gonna have to check 'em out!
Hi Tarun interesting video . When this type of speaker started to appear I must confess I didn’t think the idea would stay the course . Well I definitely got that wrong , I suppose it’s helped by how the market has changed . Being able to have access to a good setup with out all the other bits of kit , is now beginning to make a lot of sense . And quite frankly it’s a refreshing change, and as they say what’s not to like . As for a time in hifi we’ll how long have you got . I first entered the hobby in 1972 , with a leek wharfedale lenco system . But I still think all these years later , now is the best time . The quality of sound that is available today is amazing for the money . Best wishes and kind regards as always 😀👍👍👍
Thank you Michael. Great to learn about your experiences 😊👍
Your intelligent analysis made me subscribe 👍
Thank you. I appreciate your support 👍😊👍
Just for fun, try to get your hands on a pair of Kali active monitors. They’ve recently put out a 3-way design with a concentric tweet/midrange and come in a 6” or 8” woofer size.
My 2-channel system is Magnepan, emotiva xpa-1 gen 2 mono-blocks, Thorens turntable and a pair of custom designed (for Ray Kimber) 21” subs; because they’re super fast and match the Maggies well.
Back to the Kali monitors. The older 2-way designs are ridiculously affordable - LP-6 and LP-8.
Yes I know these aren’t “audiophile” speakers and are meant for recording studios. I’m asking because it’s nearly impossible for me to hear any active “audiophile” speakers unless I purchase them. But I see video after video of studios raving about the Kalis so I did buy a pair of LP-8’s that I use as a secondary pair of monitors in my recording studio and... yeah they sound “good” and are reasonably revealing etc. But I’ve never heard an active monitor designed for an audiophile setup.
Plus if you do pick up the Kalis and they aren’t up to snuff, you could always put them on your patio or in your garage because they really are very affordable.
Now that I’ve typed all this out, I hope it doesn’t seem ridiculous. It is 1am now where I am and I should probably go to bed. Unfortunately (or fortunately) your channel has kept me up past my bedtime because I’ve been binge watching it.
Ok I’m done. Thank you sir for your perspective on hifi and you have a new subscriber.
Thank you Darren. Sorry for keeping you up so late. The support is greatly appreciated though. I appreciate the suggestion too 👍😊👍
OK. I bought a pair of M20's (Second hand)
I added a Sunfire 10" powered Sub
NOW I HAVE MUSIC!
The package is just wonderful.
I've spent the day listening to a good selection of my music collection.
Eva Cassidy had me in tears.
Bach had me enthralled.
U2 sounded wonderful
Dark Side of the Moon was as good as I've heard.
Smoke on the water could have done with a tad more volume (as could AC/DC)
James Taylor had me on the stage with him.
I completely agree with your rating
These speakers are OUTSTANDING!
Best wishes
Bruce
That is great 😊👍
U2 have never been wonderful
@@CaptainDarrick OK -- a bit of poetic licence -- they sound wonderful - so do ACDC, The WHO, The Beatles, Jethro Tull, Metalica -- OK I'll stop now.
@@Dr-TIt's ok mate, music is subjective...I just hate Bono
@@CaptainDarrick 😁
Getting mine today 🙌 Cannot wait!
Cool. Please let me know how you get on 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 finding them a bit dry, clinical and fatiguing... Any suggestions what I could do to improve the sound? Should point out the room is a fair size (5x4.5m) with high vaulted asymmetrical ceiling, hard wood flooring and no acoustic treatment, other than furniture and big rug in front of speakers.
@@k-doggy1762 the sound hardens up when pushed. They may be a bit too small for your room 😊
I agree with the last comment. The best time is NOW! With computers, software, DSP and quality equipment, companies can build better speakers, amps and DACs. There's more choice than ever. I just wish I had the money to buy it. If I didn't already have a system I would definitely buy the Q Acoustics for my small room. I'm not a fan of class D sound (at least my class D amp), though it looks like these speakers' amps don't suffer from some of the class D traits.
Thank you Ada. You are right, the M20s don’t have the lean midrange associated with many class D amps 😊👍
Thanks for another excellent review Tarun. As for my favourite HiFi era ..... has to be the late 80's.
Thank you Keith. Much appreciated. I have fond memories of the 80’s as I was getting into to Hifi 👍😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 I guess I was starting to get into HiFi in my teens in the 70's but I had no money so started with one of those infamous Amstrad set-ups. I managed to get a slightly unusual one which was a bit less rubbish than most of them. As I started to earn a bit of money in the 80's I further experimented upgrading things until I got hold of some pretty decent components between 1988-1991, some of which I still treasure today.
@@keithwood4031 that is great Keith. We all have to start some where. Mine was a Philips ghetto blaster 😊
🤗 THANKS DARAN…FOR REMINDING US…IT IS REALLY ALL ABOUT THE SYNERGY 👍😍😍😍
You’re welcome buddy. Thank you for watching 😊👍👍
GREAT REVIEW…AND GREAT NEWS FOR BEGINNERS WITH A SMALL BUDGET 🤗😍😍😍
His name is Tarun ... I don't mean to be a smart-ass but if you have high standards for audio it follows that you also have high standards for accuracy in general.
@@g.d.1722 MY MISTEAK …😱PLEASE FORGIVE ME 🥺😉😍😍😍
@@budgetaudiophilelife-long5461 no worries. I have been called a lot worse 😂👍
Hi Tarun - I'm sure you know that for many audiophiles active speakers are right off the list because they take away the choice of power amplifier. But as you point out that can also be a good thing. They eliminate the possibility of making a mistake and endless fussing over specifications. Good for some, not good for others. What impressed me was your observation that instruments sound as they should. For myself that's the definition of tone and is crucial to the enjoyment of recorded music. I don't count myself among the market for these speakers but I'd still like very much to hear them. Well done, as always.
Thank you Gary. That is a great synopsis of what I was hoping to get across 😊👍
I think for enjoying music through a good system we now benefit of all developments over the past century. My Revox B795 turntable, highly rate in the 80s gave up the ghost well over 20 years later. It’s replacement - Project Classic - was an eye opener. My first CD player - Sony Discman - was an eye opener at the time, now you would describe the sound as a bit harsh and ‘digital’. Fortunately those development also come to light in digital classical recordings which have improved massively over the past 20 years or so. Just enjoy the music.
Thank you for sharing Wouter 😊👍
thanks for this review Tarun! I've decided to give these a try for a second system into which I can integrate my smartphone and access my Amazon HD playlist. Unfortunately my Denon streamer running the HEOS app does have this functionality (algorithm based stations and searched albums or songs are fine, but I think Amazon purposesly holds back the ability to play compiled playlists). Since I do a lot of near field listening, I think the Q Acoustics will be perfect for that. In the meantime, eagerly awaiting your eventual review of the B&W 805 D4s. I have the original 805s, now 20 years old, but like your beloved ProAcs, I still love the way they sound, although I could always be tempted into a upgrade. In the meantime, the 805s driven by a similarly 20 year old Bryston B60 integrated, and a Denon DCD A110 CD system, make a great set up for my extensive jazz and classical CD collection. Thanks again for you expert and insightful videos. All the best!
Thank you Steven. Much appreciated. Please let me know how you get on with the M20s 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Your review was spot on! Straight out of the box, the speakers are impressive, particularly for their size. I do notice that sound is fuller when I connect my phone via a 3.5 mm jack as opposed to using the Bluetooth connection. You had mentioned that the Bluetooth is the least preferable way to connect, and that seems to be the case. My Samsung Galaxy S10+ does have BT 5.0 but I think the codex is APTx , not APTx HD. I wonder how the DAC in the phone compares to that in the M20s? Either way, cabled connection seems to be the way to go.
In the mid 90's, I spent more for a stereo system than I had on my 1985 VW Golf. Still have the Klipsch KG series spkrs, and the Onkyo Integra amp, but the Golf didn't survive the decade. The 90's was a great time to be young and reckless but the music? Well, I'll never grow tired of Rage against the Machine, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, The Cranberries, U2, Jane's Addiction, REM, Tool and so much more!
Thank you for sharing 😊
It's amazing how good a pair of active speakers is. I've had my 260 pound Adam Audio T5V studio monitors for just over a year now and each time I listen to them I end up listening for longer than I planned. Just one more track. Never heard that much detail before. It's close to listening to the band live. Not quite as warm/rich as live music in the flesh but closer than I've got before with thousands of pounds of speakers and amplification and toe tappingly enjoyable. Before that I had musical fidelity XA1 and PMC FB1. Not a cheap set up. Quite well used when I got them. My friend bought the Adams for his studio and liked them. He bought them over to try at mine and I was expecting my system to be far superior. But in comparison mine was a bit woolly and less detailed. Do I try an upgrade or do I just sell up and buy the Adams. I tried an amp. Dad had a spare award winning 500 pound marantz amp. But amazingly it wasn't as good as the XA1. So I bought the Adams. The ribbon tweeters are detailed and there is a lovely raw live sound to instruments. But I bought the more expensive 7s. Didn't take me long to realise they were worse. Do not assume a more expensive bigger version of a speaker will be better. No where near as precise in the midrange. Bigger soundstage but muddier. Had to end up buying the 5s anyway 7s sold for a loss. Quite shockingly the last improvement (almost feeling like I'd upgraded the DAC) was windows 11. What that has done I've no idea but detail, timing, decay of instruments is 20 percent better again. Computer is running far cooler and therefore quieter. Lack of fan noise means near silence in quiet sections. Background noise effects audio quality.
i'm looking to upgrade my current pioneer dm40bt monitors and have been suggested the adam t5vs however i was also looking at the m20s and the kanto yu6.
I'm not sure which path to take to be honest. I have a desktop setup in my bedroom where the speakers sit 1m apart and i sit around 80cm away from them when sitting at desk so i'm quite nearfield.
When i listen to music from my bed (the bed is directly facing the desk/speakers) i am around 3 - 3.5m away from speakers. Speakers are also 5inches away from the wall although the wall is treated with standard foam isolation panels.
I listen to music via my turntable, casually listening i will stream via spotify and i also occasionally dj house/techno music.
Would you recommend the t5vs over the m20? My only concern about the m20s is how deep they are.
@@Nath-rg2qd i haven't tried the m20s. I never even intended to have studio monitors until my friend compared his to my hifi and I found them a big upgrade. My computer being my only music source. Biggest advantage of the Adams is they are not fatiguing. I can listen to them for hours at once. The ribbon tweeters are good for clarity though you do need to position yourself in the sweet spot. The midrange clarity is really good. The bass is pretty good for the size but they are rear ported so you do need them a metre from a wall minimum ideally. But you could block up the ports with socks. Which does have a big impact. They're musical and enjoyable to listen to. From what I've read some other monitors like Yamaha HS are more revealing and perhaps flatter response too but they are also more fatiguing in the treble. These are more easy going. Probably less so than a hi-fi speaker (slightly less refined and more honest) but I can listen for hours. They are quite bright/forward. Not overly so but worth mentioning. With complex stuff you will hear everything. It's frustrating it's hard to audition stuff these days. You need good cables (50 pound plus) Using cheap ones and these won't sound anywhere near as good.
Thank you for sharing your experiences 😊👍
For me it has been since 2010. Our audio system is settled and it is one that we both love and listen to vastly differing music on. I have completed the upgraditis part of life, since discovery of hifi in the late 1970s, from the 80s to 00s and now focus on exploration of anything and everything. E.g. John Darko recently mentioned Doom Jazz, never heard of it so off I went, dialled up Spotify and spent a good few hours listening to this from all over the world. Yes, I found one or two artists that warrant further listening. If they are STILL holding my attention then I will purchase CDs or High quality DLs. In years gone by I have wasted so much time (and money) on recordings for them to sit on a shelf...what can be better than that? Similarly with Hifi. The VFM with today's components is fantastic AND for the most part you can audition before you buy, even at home.....what can be better than that? The downside is that the higher the quality that want (not need) the fewer the stockists and generally none in many countries, mine included Wales. So ..... don't worry, be happy, and keep on listening. And watching Tarun's channel of course.
Thank you Caroline. Great to have your perspective and support 👍😊👍
Excellent review
Thank you Doug 😊👍
Great review. And as I have 2 pairs of Q Acoustics speakers (what I considered a a decent step into proper Hifi but I rarely play the pair that are connected), I knew I could potentially like he M20s for my desk. I went and listened to them last week after watching this and these impressed me more than a pair of Dali £1200 active speakers. I loved the sound of the M20s but do prefer to see the cones/drivers. So I’m wondering how Kanto YU4s compare.
Thank you for sharing your experiences PA. I would have to get the YUA’s home to be sure but they sounded more like a smaller speaker than the M20s from what I recall 😊👍
What an excellent review, I've purchased a new Sony 55" TV and really didn't want a soundbar or a full surround system as I prefer wathcing movies in stereo, these will be perfect! Thanks.
Thank you SR. Much appreciated. I can see a lot of people using them exactly as you intend 😊👍
Great video. Nice to see an Outstanding at this price level. I think the best hi fi era for me is more closely related to my income than anything else 🤦🏻♂️
Thank you Jeremy 😊👍
Another great video thanks. Its interesting to see more and more powered Hi-Fi speakers these days. They've been used in production for quite some time now, although some are pretty flat and Ive also used them for DJ Monitors before. I would love to hear a nice set of high end ATC's or PMC's, I bet they sound amazing : ) Ive only just got more into Hifi the past 4 or 5 years, before that all my equipment has been DJ stuff, turntables, mixers, CDJ's etc. 15-18" bass bins and PA speakers. I also liked my Home theatre so had a nice surround set up. Ive now combined my Hifi with my HT and just about fully treated my room. Just got to save for some more diffusion to finish it off. Im more into watching Reviews than Raves these days hahaha. : ) Must be getting older hahaha
Thank you my friend. Great to learn about your experiences 😊👍
Probably this era. The quality available from streaming services is now great and so much music to choose from. That said loved the 90s. My dad would often get a new piece of hifi to take home and audition and I used to love and listen and compare to what he had. Meanwhile I was using old separates from 1994 with massive Goodman's 1970s speakers and Sony amp with vu meters and an ancient Phillips cd 160. 16 bits. The sound was fun, surprisingly musical, more so than my dad's set up! Not refined! The component I had most trouble replacing was the Sony TA F5a amp. Everything I tried to replace it with was more detailed and less soft but less musical. For whatever reason it just made your toes tap to the music. Took nearly 10 years before that got replaced with my dad's old XA1.
Thank you Paul 😊👍
Hi Tarun, another very interesting video. Any news of the Harbeth M30s yet .Please carry on the excellent work.
Thank you Richard. I am just clearing through present commitments. Then I will be on to Alan Shaw 😊👍
You’re still the man Tarun 👍🏻
Thank you David 😊👍
My favourite period in hi-fi history? Boring, but it's the last few years, after a near 15-20 year hiatus. Never has it been so exciting and rewarding to get together a hi-fi system.
I wanted to save money at first and so bought a fairly decent Sony DN1080 A/V amp and Q Acoustics 3020i for music and video, to which I later added a pair of Quad S2s and a separate Audiolab 6000A amp.
Then came an XTZ A2-300 class D power amp (£500), and recently an Earmen Tradutto DAC (now £799, but £699 when I bought it), which one reviewer rates up there with the Denafrips Ares II. Shortly I'll have an Acoustic Invader class A JFET preamp arriving (£1170 before shipping and taxes), hand made in Serbia, which the same reviewer rates higher than a Hegel H190. To be fair, that's in conjunction with its matched, similarly-priced class D power amplifier, which is more powerful than mine, but from his description should sound similar.
Thing is, back in the day, nothing I could readily afford actually sounded that good. Hence, I was never really engaged with my sizeable collection of (mainly) CDs. But these days, each step I'm taking definitely increases my musical enjoyment (quite apart from the secret, guilty delights of philatelic accumulation). I can't wait for the Invader to be delivered, and if that pans out, I'll move the 6000A to my study to improve my desktop system (it will rest on a shelf above the actual desktop).
Back in the day, it was hard to explore the remoter highways and byways of Hi-fi. All we had were magazines and dealers to visit, and they tended mostly to talk about/stock the most popular brands. If you wanted the really good stuff, you'd have to spend a fortune, and so I rarely sampled it myself. Even at the hi-fi shows, there was very little that was both affordable and a cracking listen. IMHO, most of it sounded pretty much pants.
Well, all that's changed. There's an embarrassment of riches, not to mention of good reviewers like yourself to spend hours perusing and comparing on UA-cam. There are sound demos -- not the very best quality, to be sure, but more informative than mentions of specific tracks that one might or might not have readily available. Plus, we once had mostly only the obscure sound descriptors, many of which to this day I'm not 100% sure I understand.
Great to learn about your experiences John. I agree, this is a fantastic time to be into Hifi 👍😊👍
My favourite era was the early 1980s when we had crazies like Stig Carlsson and David Hafler experimenting with new things while companies like Linn and Celestion held the traditional market. It also saw the emergence of companies like NAD, who changed a lot of perceptions. But sound reproduction quality has never been better than it is today.
Thank you. Great brands 👍
The Best HiFi era for me is all through my life. Equipment vise, I am happy to have been able to live through all the changes and development that has happened. However, The Recording and Mastering of Recordings have since Loudness wars been a constant source of grief ever since it started. So I was happier before that happened, or rather when it started to effect me.
Thank you for sharing 😊👍
My first thought was (and then you mentioned his name) I wonder how these compare to the elac navis active speakers similar in size features & price I believe.
Great review again tarun & my favourite period for hifi was & is any time I buy some new gear 😁
Thank you buddy 😊👍
For me, late 80's early 20's was the best era for Hifi, the choice of manufacturers and competition meant loads of innovation and very competitive prices, bi-wired speakers were basically standard with speakers as cheap as £150, my £200 Elatx Liberty 5+, are built solid, braced well, bi-wired, beautifully crafted cabinet with bevelled edges and ingrained, 15kg each, spikes 38-22khz, sound superb with my Denon dm41, giant slaying Amplifiers from the likes of Pioneer A-400, Marantz signature series, Technics SU series all retailing under £350, I partnered My Technics SU-570 PX capacitors with a Missions 731i with Missions Micrometer Stands, the sound was so emotional, being new to hifi I sold the speakers getting the Elatx floor standers, but to me it felt I sacrificed all the emotions of the Missions for a more fuller dynamic sound of the Elatx, but now I yearn for the emotions and feelings the Missions bought out of the music, and nowadays being grown-up and having financial obligations, I fear I might never regain that sound, I know I never imagined it, as my Ford Fiesta head unit coupled with uprated Kenwood speakers manages to bring out those emotions, but sadly I sold that car aswell, one of my favourite albums of the last 10 years has been Daft Punks Random Access Memories, it's impeccably recorded so sounds good on anything, but their's certain tracks on their, for instance 'Beyond ' that on some systems will touch your heart and on other systems sound just like good dynamic dance music, sparkling high's and solid well gripped bass and separation can for me only do so much, for me now it's all about capturing the emotions and soul, I'm thinking now I may only achieve this sound through a valve amp and possibly Wharfedale Linton speaker set up, but that's out of my budget, so hoping Marantz 6007 with Wharfedale diamond's 12.3's which might capture that when funds are available in 2 year's time hopefully 🙏. Great reviews as usual Taran 🙂🙏.
Thank you for watching Naresh. Great to learn about your experiences 😊👍
WOW! Now I just followed the Words of Tarun and watched the Review from the link below (AE1), and all I remember now is a little gorgeous puppy! OMG! 🤣
Thank you Bernhard. His is 18 months old now 🐶👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 And playful and happy I hope! A real Teenager as we say...
@@bernhardmichaelfux308 very much so 😊👍
The best era was the 70s to late 80s; when you had brick and mortar store fronts. One could go in and listen for hours and in the process learn a great deal. I loved finding a piece and saving up for it all the while going to the store to sample its piece from time to time. It kept me motivated. There were so many brands to choose from.
Thank you Michael 😊👍
Thanks Tarun for another outstanding review. Would have been keen to hear your thoughts of a direct comparison to the Kef LSX (especially as a desktop setup) . As for my favorite HiFi period ? That would be the era when I could afford to buy some HiFi from a Audio-T as opposed to Laskys/Argos. In my case late 80's which saw the acquirement of a Naim pre/power and a Linn LP12. Second period that springs to mind early 00's when the first streamers became available. Adding Jukebox capabilities to your HiFi ? Awesome !!
Thank you Neil. Great to learn about your experiences 😊
Your review on these speakers was the icing on the cake. I ordered the speakers and damnn they sound great! BT is a no go so I ordered the wiim mini for airplay. Yes I mis that punch when it comes to listening to 50 or 2pac etc sooooo my questions. Any recommendations on
1 sub
2. Speaker cables (you said the one you own are older ones)
So,please you are enjoying them. The Q Acoustics 3070s is a well priced sub. I would use OFC cable with a 12AWG thickness 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 thank you ☺️. Shopping time! 😬
I buyed these speakers and a Rel Zero MKIII subwoofer .... the sound is amazing ....
Cool 😎
I love this site and have been a subscriber for some time now. I am in a quandary as whether to purchase the Acoustic Energy AE1 or the Q Acoustics M20 with a sub. The AE1 would obviously need a decent DAC and I feel the M20s would need the sub. I would basically be running the speakers thru my TV / Apple Play, etc. Tarun, please give me some feedback and thanks for all your good advice and depth of knowledge on the channel!
Thank you Lew. Both speakers would benefit from a sub but don’t necessarily need one 👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 GOTCHA! But which would you choose?
Nice review! These look cool - and very similar to the PSB AM5 active speakers
Thank you. I would mind taking a look at the AM5 at some point 😊
Another great video, thank you. Lots of great tips too, I never would have thought to place my speaker stands on blocks to raise the height of the tweeters, I’ve been couch slouching for years!! As for favourite period in hifi, we’ll for me it was the mid 80’s to mid 90’s. Especially companies like Nakamichi, NAD and Audiolab, all standard width components which soothed my OCD and charming aesthetics. As for sound, well I’ve still not had the chance to hear Nakamichi or Luxman gear, that experience is still on my bucket list. Would you recommend and hifi stores near you for listening demonstrations?
Thank you John. The 80’s and 90’s could arguably be the golden age of Hifi 😊👍
There are better/cheaper options out there. I did a side by side comparison using various test tracks, and out of the box the main differences I noticed between the M20 and my smaller edifiers S350DB are the slightly better stereo separation and lack of low end on the M20. My wife and kids also preferred the S350DB in blind tests.
The Edifiers have more inputs (the 3.5mm input doesn't disable the AUX input like on the M20). The knobs on the S350DB are also sturdier and durable than the three rubber buttons on the M20.
The M20 might rival the S350DB with a subwoofer, but then you are dropping another $500.
The 1970s .. the love of music, vinyl, equipment .. it was magical
Thank you 😊
I'm going to have to say mid to late 90's. Thumbing well worn copies of Hi Fi Choice and looking for the Best Buys at my price point to build my first listening room or just kit to short list. I'm going to have now as a close second. Streaming has made music way more accessible and Vinyl is making a bit of a come back.
Thank you for sharing Clive 😊👍
Nice touch, the foam plug. It's useful with bloated bass that many speakers at this size suffer from. I bet the digital amp had a great effect in lowering the price (or did it?) leaving a greater part of the budget to dedicate to the acoustical/mechanical components.
Re. the favourite period in hifi, I reckon it has to be the '80s: enough high end products without the onslaught (and subsequent cheapening out) that the CD/digital media playback devices brought with them later. Back then, you had to pay real money for a half decent system but at least you knew it would last you nearly forever. The digital era meant that a lot of good formats disappeared forever and got replaced by short lived, cheap digital fads while the analogue media themselves (some irreplaceable) ended up in second hand shops or in the bin.
The only thing I don't miss from the 80's is the speakers: budget ones have improved no end since then and higher price ones are really great performers in the '90s and '00s. It's amazing to think of the progress made in a decade and a half, in what was, essentially, the same technology. Unfortunately, the lower cost segments also have been cheapening out with the new onslaught nowadays - that of personal, on-the-go, players and headphones.
Thank you for sharing your experiences Stelios 😊👍
Tarun, any chance you might review the new M40?
Thx for the suggestion 😊
Tarun, my “cheap and cheerful” Paradigm V8 subwoofers take offence of that statement of yours. 😝😉😀
Favourite period for HIFI: I’ve been into audio since the early 90s and I would say right now is the best time. The quality of affordable products being produced today by all manufacturer is nothing short of amazing
Brian.
Th am you for sharing FC. That sub isn’t cheap and cheerful 😂👍
Hi Tarun, thanks for the great review! I love that you mention the Q BT3's that I still use to this day. I think they're great, though I'd like to retire them as desktop speakers and get something new for my 35m²-ish living room. Thinking about the M20's as Q Acoustics has earned my trust with the Q BT3's.
You did say in a previous video, however, to avoid "bite size" improvements, and the M20's are essentially the same price as the BT3's when I bought them back in 2015 (gosh, is my age starting to show?). Your rule of thumb was to x3 the price of the previous gear, hiking the budget to KEF LSX II territory.
What are your thoughts? I want to feel a new and improved music experience, so are the 'ABA 2022 speaker of the year' M20's a significant and justifiable improvement over the QBT3's or should I consider going all in with the LSX II or similarly priced speakers ?
Cheers!
The Acoustic Energy AE1s would be top of my audition list 🙂
I'm enjoying hi-fi more than ever now. I think digital is finally sounding fantastic and music availability to discover new things is unmatched with streaming services, soundcloud, bandcamp and all the other usual suspects.
Thank you for watching and sharing Neil 😊👍
Do you know if the DSP applies a high pass filter when a sub is connected? I know this is an old video now, but I am looking for new desktop speakers to replace my current 2.1 passive stack in my office.
Best to ask them directly 😊
1980s! Digital was new and developing rapidly, and analog was still improving massively. Then there was walkmans and Laser Disc!
Thank you Alex 😊👍
Thank you for your in-depth review; it greatly helped me in making the decision to buy these. Just out of curiosity, which sub would you recommend for the M20's?
Thank you. The Q Acoustics 3070s may be a good place to start 😊