That's fair enough Peter. I guess it's hard not to take a subjective view when auditioning speakers in terms of how the speaker might sound and fit into your room requirements. For me, whilst the Q series cabinet might have a bit less self-noise, the S5 Mk2 (of which I'm most familiar with) has a better midrange and tweeter, throws a bigger soundstage, goes deeper in the bass & sounds more dynamic. The Q3 might be a touch more transparent, but the S5 Mk2 has more meat on the bones. And although this is subjective, I personally prefer the M-coat titanium finish. That said, I recognize the S1/S3 Mk2 or Q1/Q3 would work better in a smaller size room.
