B&W DM302 vs. Kef Q1

Of the two speakers that you mention, I would go with the KEF Q1. When compared to the B&W 302s, the KEFs sound more open and more lively and to these ears, definitely more musical. The B&Ws 302s just sounded "off" in the treble region. I never quite understood how Stereophile rated the B &W 302s a "C" level speaker. Over the course of several years , I had paired both the KEFs and B&Ws with receivers from Onkyo (8211 and 434) and Denon (2801).

Have you considered the NHT SB2? For speakers of this size and price range ($300 to $400), I think that the NHTs sound incredible with a wide range of music. I feel that the NHTs sound better than the B&Ws, the KEFs, and the Wharfedale Diamond 8.1s. The EPOS ESL3 come close and are also worth considering.

Regards, Rich

To add to my previous comments ... I see in another post that your budget is in the $500 range. The EPOS M12 would be a stunning choice of speaker for this type of set-up. It normally has a list of $900 new, but is currently available for $600 at Audio Advisor . I know for certain that the EPOS of 10 years ago would qualify for your "proprietary birth to grave preference," when they were manufactured in the UK. I do not know, to what degree they do the same today, in their factories in China. Roy Hall wrote an article a few years back for Stereophile (?) on EPOS' new factories in China.

Regards, Rich