Q ACOUSTICS 5050 Floorstanding Speakers Holme Oak – 2 x 6 Mid/Bass Drivers, 1" Tweeter - TV Speakers for Surround Sound System - Vinyl Record Player Speakers Hifi, Gaming PC Speakers

Hi end indeed. From brand new they need 2 to 3 weeks running in before they give of their best. Amplification needs to be hi end too. Most amps quote power output into 8 ohms nominal impedance which would usually do but these speakers are 6 ohms nominal and dip as low as 3 ohms across the frequency range. Many amps will clip and must be avoided. I run NAIM amplification which is designed to deliver with difficult loads. I was initially surprised at the physical size, being a good 20cms taller than my old speakers it took a little bit getting used to. My room is maybe on the small side for these speakers, but it means with the efficiency of the design that at low levels they still sound full and musical giving an almost laid-back effortless presentation. That is not to say they lack punch because if you give it the beans, they will pin you to the seat with the best of them. Sound sources are treated agnostically in that it favours no source over another and video sourced sound from films sound as detailed and pinpoint imaged as digital or turntable sourced music. The overall impression is of an accurate and clear sound stage, indeed many tunes revealed detail previously buried in the mix. But these speakers are in no way clinical. Costs have been paired down in the finish, in so far as they look fine but it is not the best veneer finish to the cabinets, but they are easy to live with and look good within the selections of room furniture. This is a British design obviously designed to what is expected in the best of British speakers, but they are built in China taking advantage of the lower build costs in that country. Overall, at the asking price they are astonishing in their value for money and easily compare with floor standing speaker 3 and 4 times the price. Speaking subjectively, I am very pleased with my purchase. Objectively if that is even possible, I can heartily recommend these speakers to anyone, bearing in mind the caveats mentioned.

Decent. Was hoping for better. They sound like what they cost, definitely not hitting above they're weight class. They're clear and detailed, but can't push much in the way of volume before they break up. They also don't get any energy until they're just past a good listen volume. Using them as mains with a Denon avc 3800.

Usage: Home Theatre, Music, and Gaming; Marantz preamp and amps with Audyssey XT32; crossovers at 40hz or 60hz with two JL sealed subwoofers in a large room. With Audyssey XT32 and 5-channel music sources, the soundstage is less like headphones and more like the room and speakers disappear. The 5050s seem eerily effortless, with a deep and wide IMAX-like soundstage and liquid clarity that I initially had to get used to--a combination that no headphones can manage. Stereo sources without Audyssey are equally clear and have an excellent, if more traditional, stereo image. The frequency response and soundstage seem constant at low and high levels, requiring a warning sign like a side mirror on a car: "Sonic Images are Louder Than They Appear"; effortless power-handling. The build quality is excellent, and I love the modest size compared to the ease with which they handle the large room. They are very attractive compared to many alternatives. The 5050s are paired with a KEF center channel and side channels. I am pleased and relieved that they work so well together--I've had difficulty matching the concentric midrange/tweeter of the KEFs with other high-efficiency speakers in the past. Among my other contenders were Polk R700s and KEF floorstanders. Either of those would have been excellent for this setup. I chose the Q5050s for their efficiency, availability (i.e., R700s were on backorder), looks, and the flood of positive reviews from sites that tend to review new English-designed speakers. Now that I've heard them, I cannot criticize the press! These will always be paired with subwoofers, so I don't need floor standers with built-in subwoofers. Likewise, why choose stand-mounts when such beautiful, diminutive floor standers come with more box for the boom? I test my portable bass guitar effects through this system, and I can confirm that between 40hz and ~550hz, these pound out the worst bass abuse at any legal level--I have felled some giants with this test. There are many excellent alternatives in this price range, so some homework is worthwhile before making a leap--If you jump this way, I doubt you'll have regrets. Note: One of the two I received initially was DOA--I'd guess from an internal connection rattling loose during shipping. The easy return and replacement process through Amazon eliminated the frustration snowball that can start rolling after a problem with a piece of expensive audio equipment.