Q Acoustics Q3030i Bookshelf Speakers, Carbon Black by Addicted to Audio

First let’s talk about the looks, after all speakers are something that you put on display. And these are gorgeous. I opted for the walnut and absolutely love them. Now coming to how to sound. Well, in short just fabulous. I am listening to them in my study which doubles as my office in WFH mode. It’s small and most of my listening is near field with just 6 ft between me and the speakers. I was worried whether the 3030i will be too big for the purpose. But I am glad that I went for these. Even in low volumes the presentation is very clear and the bass is tight. In slightly higher volume these speakers are just brilliant. I started discovering nuances in music that I did not know existed before. A very satisfying buy. Hifimart delivery was fast and the price was very ... MoreFirst let’s talk about the looks, after all speakers are something that you put on display. And these are gorgeous. I opted for the walnut and absolutely love them. Now coming to how to sound. Well, in short just fabulous. I am listening to them in my study which doubles as my office in WFH mode. It’s small and most of my listening is near field with just 6 ft between me and the speakers. I was worried whether the 3030i will be too big for the purpose. But I am glad that I went for these. Even in low volumes the presentation is very clear and the bass is tight. In slightly higher volume these speakers are just brilliant. I started discovering nuances in music that I did not know existed before. A very satisfying buy. Hifimart delivery was fast and the price was very competitive.

A little lacking in detail

These, and a Q Acoustics subwoofer were bought with a 2.1 Marantz AV unit to update an 18 year old Denon system. I just wanted stereo sound from small speakers alongside the TV with a gentle addition of bass from the sub. Happy with the system but had to tweak up the treble, this maybe (probably) because of my 72 year old ears LOL. The 3010is are wall mounted with Q Acoustics brackets and, being close to the rear wall, I have used the foam bungs in the rear port. The setup is for the oft-used sitting room rather than the main lounge listening room and consequently is more background than serious listening.

Astonishingly Musical

At the price, and given the positive reviews, I thought that these would be worth trying for my office set-up (Cyrus Streamer with Cyrus 6 Dac).I had some concern about placement on desktop and possible 'brightness' when matched with the Cyrus.Not a bit of it. Straight out of the box and placed close to wall with no bungs the sound is superbly balanced. So much so I really forget they are there and simply listen to the music. Have being going for over one week and used every day playing Linn Classical, R3, Radio Paradise and a wide selection of blues, jazz, and rock lossless flac files. All presented with the same detail and depth which I am astonished at given the speaker size. QA clearly know how to design and implement a great quality budget speaker, just ... MoreAt the price, and given the positive reviews, I thought that these would be worth trying for my office set-up (Cyrus Streamer with Cyrus 6 Dac).I had some concern about placement on desktop and possible 'brightness' when matched with the Cyrus.Not a bit of it. Straight out of the box and placed close to wall with no bungs the sound is superbly balanced. So much so I really forget they are there and simply listen to the music. Have being going for over one week and used every day playing Linn Classical, R3, Radio Paradise and a wide selection of blues, jazz, and rock lossless flac files. All presented with the same detail and depth which I am astonished at given the speaker size. QA clearly know how to design and implement a great quality budget speaker, just stunning value (even at twice the MRP!).

Awesome Dialogue Clarity & An Amazing Improvement

My previous budget home audio setup suffered in the dialogue department and it was hard to hear quieter voices especially for those whose struggled to hear in the first place. This resulted in loud volumes, problems with dynamic range and not being able to watch certain content. After speaking to James at the Edinburgh store over a video call (which was very convenient as I live three hours from the store), to see my setup and see if there were any settings or configuration I needed to do, we determined that buying new speakers would provide the needed improvement. He was very helpful and agreed with my desire to upgrade from my budget Jamo speakers to the Q Acoustics 3000 line with two Q3030is and a Q3090Ci since they had good reviews from my research and would fit ... MoreMy previous budget home audio setup suffered in the dialogue department and it was hard to hear quieter voices especially for those whose struggled to hear in the first place. This resulted in loud volumes, problems with dynamic range and not being able to watch certain content. After speaking to James at the Edinburgh store over a video call (which was very convenient as I live three hours from the store), to see my setup and see if there were any settings or configuration I needed to do, we determined that buying new speakers would provide the needed improvement. He was very helpful and agreed with my desire to upgrade from my budget Jamo speakers to the Q Acoustics 3000 line with two Q3030is and a Q3090Ci since they had good reviews from my research and would fit well with my interior. I booked an appointment in store and went to demo them. While I couldn't demo the exact configuration I wanted (since the 3030is were direct to order), they managed to get as close as possible and the demo experience was excellent. James had everything set up for us and he took care of everything after handing over the USB stick I had preloaded with problematic dialogue content. We were blown away at the difference. Everything was so much clearer even at lower volumes. We could both hear every word and didn't need to turn the volume up. It resulted in a much more pleasurable listening experience since I don't like listening at too high a volume and it was much less fatiguing. There was far more separation from the three speakers even when positioned close to each other. We were convinced this was the upgrade we wanted and the purchase process was very easy. James was great to talk to and chat about music and TV in general as well as helpful about how to configure levels since my AV receiver doesn't have auto callibration. Delivery was so quick. In fact, I had to delay delivery because even though we purchased around 4PM, some of our delivery would be delivered the next day and we were worried we wouldn't be back home in time. Even the direct from manufacturer order was due to be delivered the day after that. All the contents were packaged well. It was easy to unbox and put into place. Once we'd turned on our TV, we will still blown away as we were in the store. Extremely happy with our purchase and it just goes to show you don't need to spend the earth to get an awesome audio experience. Would highly recommend.

Excellent sound for the money

I auditioned the 3020i and the 3030i in order to make an informed decision and I am glad I did because I have found the sound of 3030i to be superior in all aspects. I think the 3020i need a subwoofer, otherwise the bass is somehow lacking (in my opinion). With the 3030i I feel the bass is so good that I don't need a subwoofer. I was afraid initially that the highs might not be too well reproduced because the bass might be too dominant. I am glad to say the highs are good (a bit on the warmer though). I like good highs and I am definitely pleased with the highs the 3030i reproduce. My advice is to pair this with an amp which has tone controls so that you can adjust the bass to your like. I used these speakers for the TV and I am very pleased with them as TV ... MoreI auditioned the 3020i and the 3030i in order to make an informed decision and I am glad I did because I have found the sound of 3030i to be superior in all aspects. I think the 3020i need a subwoofer, otherwise the bass is somehow lacking (in my opinion). With the 3030i I feel the bass is so good that I don't need a subwoofer. I was afraid initially that the highs might not be too well reproduced because the bass might be too dominant. I am glad to say the highs are good (a bit on the warmer though). I like good highs and I am definitely pleased with the highs the 3030i reproduce. My advice is to pair this with an amp which has tone controls so that you can adjust the bass to your like. I used these speakers for the TV and I am very pleased with them as TV speakers. I don't feel I need a soundbar. I watched and read many reviews before taking a decision. All of them described the 3030i's sound characteristics well, however, I think it is important that you test the speakers for yourself before buying. Sound is something very personal to you. Unfortunately Richer Sounds do not have these available for testing in their stores, so if you want to test them, you have to do this in the competition's stores. I hope Richer Sounds is going to resolve this problem in the future. I am very happy with the 3030i and I highly recommend them. Oh, yes, one more thing: a good pair of speaker stands is a must with these, so make sure you budget for the stands as well (new or used ones).

Fabulous sound, good looks, excellent value

I'm no audiophile and, even if I was rich, my ears would remain the same but hese speakers sound amazing and worth every penny. Soundstage is perfect, bass is punchy—even without a sub and wall mounted with the excellent brackets. My partner and I haven't enjoyed our music as much, ever. Ideal for movies too though I did plugin some old Denon surround speakers for the rear channels. I'm considering replacing those with another pair of Q3010i! Just brilliant.

Great if your not allowed a sub woofer!

Had these a couple of weeks now. Really pleased with them. I've tried the monitor audio bronze 100's but these just sound more pleasant overall. The low bass is ever so slightly muddier but they buck the current trend for really bright treble that seems to overpower my ears. They are on the warm side which I love. I found the monitor audios tiring after a while and just a bit empty sounding in the mid range.They look fantastic for cheaper speakers as well which went down well with the wife.Thanks to everybody at RS cheltenham. Really patient, friendly and knowledgeable.

Great value and sound.

3030i are a great speaker for me, my set up and the price. The soundstage is very wide and detailed, depth of sound also (I was listening to tubular bells 2 a week ago and, in the first track, the breathy female vocals appeared to actually be behind my head!). They are quite a warm sounding speaker. Not too bright and, therefore, not tiring to listen to over extended periods. I run them via Marantz amp. Rega Apollo CD and ProJect DC carbon deck with a separate phono stage.

Nice speakers, great design and sound

I bought the 3010i bookshelf speakers as part of a package consisting of a pair of 3020i for the fronts, a pair of 3010i as the rears, the 3090Ci as the centre and the 3060S as the sub. Richer Sounds price matched another Company (and actually beat the price by £19!!) and I was able to choose different colours for the different speakers as I required. These two bookshelf speakers I'm using as my rear speakers and they sound great, providing good low end and high frequency decent sounds to complement the other speakers. They are well matched to the other speakers in the 3000i range to give a strong, well balanced surround sound. These speakers are smaller than the 3020i's but they are still quite deep (in size) so you may need to consider the space available (I'm ... MoreI bought the 3010i bookshelf speakers as part of a package consisting of a pair of 3020i for the fronts, a pair of 3010i as the rears, the 3090Ci as the centre and the 3060S as the sub. Richer Sounds price matched another Company (and actually beat the price by £19!!) and I was able to choose different colours for the different speakers as I required. These two bookshelf speakers I'm using as my rear speakers and they sound great, providing good low end and high frequency decent sounds to complement the other speakers. They are well matched to the other speakers in the 3000i range to give a strong, well balanced surround sound. These speakers are smaller than the 3020i's but they are still quite deep (in size) so you may need to consider the space available (I'm going to need the wall brackets!). The feet are positioned such that you need to choose speaker stands carefully as the footprint is quite narrow due to the beautifully curved edges. Performance overall is great for surround sound but I've not tried them on their own as a stereo pair for music. The design and build quality is excellent and all the 3000i series speaker boxes sound solidly built and feel reassuringly weighty. The speaker terminals are a nice neat design and the supplied foam port plugs mean you can place the speakers near to a wall and still control the bass. Removing the magnetic grills makes all the 3000i series look even nicer plus the choice of colours make it easier to integrate them into your living room.

Thiccc

Solid pair of 5/5 speakers (if not 10/10) The pair are incredible for the price and really shouldn't be missed out on. Dynamic wise; The bass has an incredible natural sound and isn't forced with the treble being clean and amazingly clear; you can hear everything (sometimes too much) and the best sounding for this price range. Sizing: Height and width; small and compact BUT the depth has to compensate and is rather large in that aspect which may require some planning depending on how much room you've got to spare. Build: Despite being quite long in depth which may make them awkward to carry, the speakers are incredibly light and easy to move around. The body material is tough, very smooth and easy to clean so whichever colour you choose there will be a nice shine to ... MoreSolid pair of 5/5 speakers (if not 10/10) The pair are incredible for the price and really shouldn't be missed out on. Dynamic wise; The bass has an incredible natural sound and isn't forced with the treble being clean and amazingly clear; you can hear everything (sometimes too much) and the best sounding for this price range. Sizing: Height and width; small and compact BUT the depth has to compensate and is rather large in that aspect which may require some planning depending on how much room you've got to spare. Build: Despite being quite long in depth which may make them awkward to carry, the speakers are incredibly light and easy to move around. The body material is tough, very smooth and easy to clean so whichever colour you choose there will be a nice shine to it. As a second buy into my collection of speakers, I can gladly say I've made the correct purchase with these as I'm still taken back by how much you can get out of them for the price; build, size, sound - etc I can't word my enthusiasm behind my review on these enough as they are just *that good* and I hope that Q Acoustics will bring out some more little surprises in the future! Thanks Richer Sounds