Whether in a home theater or as part of a multi-room audio system, ceiling-mounted speakers, also known as architectural speakers, have been around for decades. But the amplifiers used to drive those speakers have typically been located in a cabinet or mounted in an equipment rack. The brand-new Q Acoustics E300A stereo amplifier is designed to be flush mounted in a ceiling right along with the speakers, and it can be operated with voice commands thanks to having Alexa onboard.
The E300A can drive two or four architectural speakers mounted in a ceiling or wall. Such installations are usually done during new construction or as part of a remodel. Most installations will see the amp connected to a home’s Wi-Fi network (or hardwired to a network via its two-port ethernet switch on its back panel), but the amp also has a Bluetooth 5.2 radio for direct streaming from a smartphone, laptop, tablet, or other device.
It’s compatible with streaming music services such as Amazon Multi-Room Audio, Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, or Tidal Connect.
The Q Acoustics E300A audio amplifier is designed to be installed in a ceiling to drive architectural speakers. It can also control a home’s smart devices, thanks to an Alexa integration.
Q Acoustics
Having this Alexa-powered amp in your ceiling is an opportunity to reduce clutter in a room, eliminating not only an amplifier but also any Echo speaker that might be on a table or shelf. The amp is outfitted with three far-field microphones, so you can summon Alexa from any spot in the room. An LED light ring encircling the amp glows in recognition of hearing the Alexa wake word, while a surface-mounted light sensor adjusts the ring’s brightness in line with the room’s ambient light level.
Q Acoustics provides a remote control with the amp, and it can also be set up and managed—including bass, treble, and balance EQ adjustments—with the Q Net app, which is available for Android and iOS devices. You can mute its onboard mics using the remote or the app, and there’s also a mic-mute button on the amp itself, as well as a hardware-reset button.
In addition to having an onboard Wi-Fi adapter, the Q Acoustics E300A ceiling-mounted amplifier also has two ethernet ports for hardwired network connectivity.
Q Acoustics
The ceiling-mounted Q Acoustics E300A features a Class D amplifier delivering 2 x 25 watts of power at 6 ohms (2 x 50W peak power). Total harmonic distorition is rated at 0.2% at rated power, signal-to-noise ratio is greater than 70dB at rated power, and frequency response is 20Hz to 20kHz, +/- 1dB.
While it’s optimized for Q Acoustics’ range of in-ceiling and in-wall loudspeakers, the amp is not limited to Q Acoustics speakers. In addition to streaming music over the internet, the amp is outfitted with AUX audio inputs (both 3.5mm analog and mini TOSlink).
The Q Acoustics E300A is priced at £599/€749. The amplifier will be available in the U.S. in early 2025, but U.S. pricing has not been announced.
Author: Michael Brown, Executive Editor, TechHive
Michael is TechHive's lead editor, with 30+ years of experience covering smart homes, home networking, and home audio/home theater. He holds a BA in Multimedia Journalism, authored the book Desktop Video Production, and was awarded Best Online Review by the Computer Press Association. Michael built a smart home in 2007 and used it as a real-world product-testing lab. Now living in the Pacific Northwest, he is converting his 1890 Victorian bungalow into a modern smart home. Michael has worked at CNET, PCWorld, Electronic Musician, and Maximum PC. As a freelancer, he contributed to New Media, Camcorder, MacWeek, and more.