Q Acoustics 3040c Slots a Compact 6.7-Inch-Wide Floorstander Into the 3000c Series
Shopping for speakers in a medium-sized room often forces a choice between a standmount monitor sitting on steel pillars that occupy the exact same floor footprint as a tower, or a full-sized floorstander that overpowers the room’s bass modes. British loudspeaker maker Q Acoustics built its new 3040c specifically for the space in between.
Announced in October 2026 as the sixth member of the 3000c lineup, the 3040c slots directly between the 3030c standmount ($699/pair) and the larger 3050c floorstander ($1,199/pair). List pricing is set at $1,099 per pair in the U.S. (£599 in the UK / €899 in Europe), though Q Acoustics’ U.S. direct store currently lists the pair at $999.
C³ Continuous Curved Cones in a 6.7-Inch Baffle
Founded in 2006 under UK parent Armour Home Electronics, Q Acoustics has consistently migrated cabinet and driver engineering down from its Concept and 5000 lines into its entry-level 3000 series. On the 3040c, the cabinet baffle measures 6.7 inches (170 mm) wide and stands 37.1 inches (942 mm) tall including its solid aluminum rear outrigger stabilizers and top-adjustable carpet spikes.
Rather than using the 5.5-inch drivers from the 3050c, the 3040c employs a pair of 4.75-inch (120 mm) mid/bass units built with Q Acoustics’ C³ Continuous Curved Cone™ geometry, first developed for the 5000 series. The single, continuous cone profile combines the low-frequency stiffness of a straight-sided cone with the high-frequency breakup control of a flared cone, driven by oversized ferrite magnets and voice coils that raise motor strength while reducing harmonic distortion. Because the cone is damped enough to place near room boundaries, the Q Acoustics 3000c series user manual notes that the rear-ported enclosure can sit closer to a rear wall—with two-piece foam port bungs included if corners still prove too lively.
Isolated Tweeter, P2P Bracing, and Helmholtz Tubes
Above the twin mid/bass drivers sits a 0.9-inch (22 mm) soft-dome tweeter derived from the Concept series. Its chamber is hermetically sealed and mechanically isolated from the front baffle by a compliant suspension gasket, preventing back-wave pressure from the two woofers inside the 26.8-liter cabinet from modulating the tweeter dome across the 2.4 kHz crossover point.
Tall, narrow tower cabinets naturally behave like organ pipes, building up internal vertical standing waves. To suppress those resonances without packing the box full of lifeless fiberfill, Q Acoustics fits the 3040c with internal HPE™ (Helmholtz Pressure Equaliser) tubes that convert internal pressure velocity into heat, alongside computer-modeled P2P™ (Point-to-Point) internal bracing at the specific panel nodes that flex under bass loads. Sensitivity is rated at 88.0 dB (2.83V @ 1 m) with a 6-ohm nominal impedance (4.0-ohm minimum), making it a straightforward load for integrated amplifiers between 25 and 120 watts per channel.
Q Acoustics 3040c Specifications
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Enclosure Type | 2-way rear-ported bass reflex with P2P™ bracing and HPE™ Helmholtz Pressure Equaliser tubes (foam port bungs included) |
| Mid/Bass Drivers | 2 × 120 mm (4.75 in) C³ Continuous Curved Cone™ units |
| Tweeter | 1 × 22 mm (0.9 in) hermetically sealed, mechanically decoupled soft dome |
| Effective Internal Volume | 26.8 Liters (1,635 cu in) |
| Frequency Response (-6 dB) | 43 Hz – 30 kHz |
| Nominal Sensitivity | 88.0 dB (2.83 V @ 1 m, free space) |
| Impedance | 6 Ω nominal / 4.0 Ω minimum |
| Crossover Frequency | 2.4 kHz |
| Recommended Amplifier Power | 25 – 120 W |
| Dimensions (H × W × D, including spikes & stabilizers) | 37.1 × 11.2 × 11.1 in (942 × 285 × 281 mm); cabinet width 6.7 in (170 mm) |
| Weight (per speaker) | 32.1 lbs (14.6 kg) |
| Finishes | Pin Oak, Claro Walnut, Satin White, Satin Black (with magnetic grilles and satin metallic driver trims) |
| Price & Availability | $1,099 USD SRP ($999 on qacoustics.com US) / £599 GBP / €899 EUR per pair; available now |
