Speakers are much too high and far apart too. Sound currently is shooting over your head. Should be on 24” stands and probably no more than around 5 ft. apart. I’d start with speaker placement and go from there. Component selection and compatibility seem fine.
Looking for Advice on My Nearfield Setup – KEF Q350 + Yamaha A-S501 + Topping E30 II
Hey everyone,
Hoping to get some feedback on my current setup and whether I’m heading in the right direction for nearfield listening.
Right now I’m running:
DAC: Topping E30 II (in DAC mode, not preamp)
Amp: Yamaha A-S501BL
Speakers: KEF Q350 Bookshelf Speakers
The setup is in my office, which is 11' x 12' with 10' ceilings. The speakers are spaced 8 feet apart and sit 42" high on custom stands. My listening position is about 4.5 feet from the speakers, and they’re toed in just slightly—essentially aimed right at my ears.
While I understand that KEF speakers are very dependent on proper positioning and imaging, I’m just not loving the sound right now. I’ve experimented a bit with the filters on the DAC and tone/loudness adjustments on the Yamaha, but I still feel like something is off—maybe the synergy, or maybe this setup isn’t ideal for nearfield use?
I’m still within my return window for the amp and speakers, so I’m open to making a change if needed. My budget is about $1200 for both the amp and speakers, though I could stretch a bit (painfully) to something like the KEF LS50 if it’s really worth it. That said, I’m totally open to other brands—both speaker and amp.
While I appreciate the clarity and imaging the KEF Q350s are known for, I'm finding the overall sound a bit sterile and lacking warmth. Vocals and instruments feel a little distant or cool, rather than full-bodied and engaging. I was hoping for something more rich, natural, and emotionally involving-the kind of sound that wraps around you and feels organic, not clinical.
Even at lower volumes, I want a sense of presence and fullness, but instead, I feel like I'm getting a flatter, more analytical presentation. There's good detail, but not much soul or musicality-if that makes sense.
Appreciate any advice on:
Better placement tweaks for nearfield listening
Alternative speakers or amps that work better in a small room
Whether the Q350s just aren't the best match for nearfield
Suggestions on getting more out of the current gear before swapping
Thanks in advance for any help—really just trying to learn and get the best sound possible without throwing money at the wrong solution.
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I can't seem to figure out how to post individual responses as it's only giving me one option. So just wanted to respond in one message to everyone.
waltonj, your EQ suggestion and comments on the Yamaha A-S501’s tone controls were super helpful. I hadn’t really explored those settings in depth yet, so I’ll definitely experiment with them to see if I can tailor the sound more to my taste.
guyver1stclass, your mention of the sonic difference between high-quality components and less revealing speakers was insightful. It helped me realize that maybe I’m not fully hearing the potential of my setup just yet, and I might need more time and positioning tweaks before making final judgments.
roberttcan, that point about the KEF Q350’s distance from the rear wall really got me thinking. I’ve been trying to balance ideal placement with the constraints of my space, but I’ll play with the toe-in and pull them out a bit more from the wall as you recommended. Also, your detail about the Yamaha’s 3D/imaging tradeoff vs. something like a Marantz gave me a clearer picture of what to expect from different sound signatures.
coral_213, your visual with the equilateral triangle was perfect — sometimes a simple graphic is the best way to drive a point home. I’m going to recheck my speaker/listener distances to match that geometry and dial things in tighter.
glupson, thanks for the link — I hadn’t seen that resource yet, and it looks like a great read for getting deeper into the tuning process.
marcel, I appreciate you pointing out the Q350s’ capabilities and how they might scale with better gear. It gave me confidence that I made a solid speaker choice and just need to keep refining things.
Again, big thanks to all of you — it means a lot to get this kind of guidance from experienced listeners. I'm going to keep experimenting and fine-tuning based on all this great advice. |
you need a subwoofer... SBIR effects in your room is giving you nulls (to be expected, can't cheat physics) and the only way to get that fixed is by good subwoofer integration @vail3000 |
Not what you want but Cambridge SX50 came to mind for some reason. |
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