QA 1010i 5.1 compared to KEF KHT2005.3

[admin_exported]

A month or so's research and lurking on this forum have persuaded me to abandon the 'all in one' ideas I had (Panasonic SC200 range) and look at separates for my first home cinema experience

I need to wall mount my satellite speakers and current thinking is Q Acoustics 1010i 5.1 pack which looks like great value (although I'm a little concerned on physical size (depth) for wall bracket mounting) or perhaps stretching to the KEF 2005.3 which although more than I had wanted to spend do look great and have good reviews too.

Amp will be new too - current shortlist is Onkyo 607, Denon 1910 (rarer than rocking horse poo to actually find one to listen to...) or possibly Yamaha 763/765.

Will predominantly be used for TV watching, some BluRay/DVD watching and occaisional iPod playing. Does anyone have any feedback on the speaker choices here please - and, if possible, advice on which amp/receiver suits the speaker packages well.

Many thanks.

 

[Clare Newsome]

If you're wall-mounting, i'd go with the latest version of the Q Acoustics package - the 2000 Cinema Pack. As our review explains, it has a clever design that makes it v.flexible to wall-mount. Sounds even better than its predecessor, too.

The Denon AVR-1910 would be a superb partner, as would the Sony '2400ES

 

[Pistol Pete1]

Clare,

How much better is the newer version over the old 1010i system? (Don't worry, I'm not after a new upgrade idea!!)

Would it not be an idea to save a bit of money and buy the older version at a 'knock down' price? Seen it for £349.99, which to me seems a abolute bargain.....

BTW, is the Manchester show shaping up to be a good day out now....really looking forward to my visit on Sunday!!

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks Clare - another one to consider.

I know I don't live in the most populated part of the country, but even so I'm surprised at how hard I am finding it to discover retailers with decent sound rooms where I can listen and compare the kit on my shortlist

I wonder if ths is a common woe - or just me looking in the wrong places....

Keep up the good work - the mag and this site are proving to be invaluable education resources for me.

A

 

[Razzler]

Hi There I have the QA 1010i 5.1 speaker system with a 607 amp, pany blueray and Onkyo Ipod connection really cant fault it at all, great great value and a lot of system for your money

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks Razzler. Did you try any similar combinations before you plumped for this set up?

Which BluRay did you go for? From reading many, many reviews over recent weeks I'm tempted to buy a slightly older model and save some pennies as I'm not convinced I'll notice a massive difference on my 32" Panasonic TV (the larger screens I coveted were rated 'obscene' by SWMBO when I was replacing my trusty, but ill, Triniton CRT a year or two ago

).

Is there advantage in going for a matching brand of iPOD dock (sorry, another numpty question)? On screen track selection would be great.

 

[Oldboy]

Hi Newbie,

I have the Q Acoustics 1010i in 7.1 set up with a Sony STR-DG820 receiver and i simply can't fault them atall. I upgraded from kef 1001 eggs and can confirm that the upgrade was well worth it as the problem i had with my kefs was that the sound was just too full of treble and no bass (except from the sub) which is just due to the type of speaker used as it relys on the sub to do all the bass duties. I loved my kef system for it's aesthetic appeal but always knew the sound could be bettered, i looked at and auditioned the 2005.3 system before i eventually went for the Q Acoustics but was still not impressed with the sound as they sounded a little lightweight to me but the 3005 SE series is awesome in comparison (how i wish i had that ammount to spend!).

I done alot of research at my price point before i settled on the Q Acoustics and just could not find any worthwhile alternative (now the new 2000 series is here that has changed) unless i spent alot more money, if you can afford it then go for it but these speakers in my opinion represent amazing value for money! I was so happy with them that i added 2 more speakers and went for 7.1 which is all you need to know really!

 

[Clare Newsome]

Pistol Pete1:
Clare,

How much better is the newer version over the old 1010i system? (Don't worry, I'm not after a new upgrade idea!!)

Would it not be an idea to save a bit of money and buy the older version at a 'knock down' price? Seen it for £349.99, which to me seems a abolute bargain.....

BTW, is the Manchester show shaping up to be a good day out now....really looking forward to my visit on Sunday!!

The 2010 design is a whole rebuild, rather than a tweak, of the 1010i design, so it's been built to match/exceed the performance of higher-price/class speakers. (Eg Tannoy Mercury Custom etc). That just makes it a more sophisticated speaker all round; add in the aesthetic (eg black or white gloss-finish options) and positioning advantages (the clever connectivity/mounting design) and it's worth the premium if those extra elements matter to you.

As ever (and we've discussed on other threads!) it wouldn't be a significant upgrade if you already had the 1010i package (which remains a belter - and an utter bargain at £349!), but if you're making your first move into surround speakers, i'd definitely consider both options and decide which offers the best all-round value for your needs.

And have a listen, of course!

Re Manchester: yep, looking v.good indeed. We'll have some very special offers on our stand, plus a corking demo, and I know some of the manufacturers are planning some neat offers/experiences...

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks Oldboy

The current price of the 1010i 5.1 set is very tempting, but I will look at the others suggested here (new QA2000 and KEF 2005.3) - I expect I'll be keeping whatever I select for quite a while. I have a session at RS Cambs booked for Friday evening - although, in common with everywhere else I've tried, no one seems to have a Denon 1910 in stock for me to listen to them through which is really frustrating as I'd really like to audition this gven the reviews it has received (is it just me or is it a little short sighted for retailers to sell their demo models before securing replacement stock? In my case it's preventing a purchase decision....).

Thanks for all the advice and comments.

SN

 

[Oldboy]

Well done just for being able to demo in the first place! I know what a frustrating experience it can be to demo kit before you buy and it's so frustrating that most dealers simply don't hold stock to demo, and if like me you are outside a major city then you may aswell forget it or prepare to travel a long way for a demo!! Why is it like this? I would have thought that retailers would use this as an opportunity to get that personsal customer service and to distance themselves from online retailers, after all i know alot of people who would pay extra for that sort of service!

 

[Anonymous]

Just seen this thread, I have a 7.1 set up with 2005.3 front and centre, with 1005 as the 4 surrounds,but am still keen to upgrade the dialogue, i was looking at a new centre or new front 3 and replace the 1005 with the 2005 (6.1), As i am wall mounting on a white wall and the Q2000 SERIES come in white,would they work together (3 x Q across front and 3x KEF 2005 across the back) and would it improve the dialogue and effects, as the front does most of the work.

Im still trawlling the classifieds for 3x second hand 3000 / 5000 series but was considering other options? The Q2000 FRONT LINE UP CAN BE HAD FOR 200 quid

Any advice

S

 

[Anonymous]

Well, for anyone interested, I've now been out and listened properly to both of the above (thank you Richer Sounds, Cambridge and the patient Johnny). I was really impressed with the QAs - at £349 extremely good value indeed and in the opinion of my wife and I better than the KEF set up for our audio CDs (and yes, I do recognise that a BluRay player is not necessarily the best way to play pure audio CDs). The KEFs however, to our ears, were much better at movie action with a great bass. As we'll mostly be using this set up for TV and movies, coupled with the relative bulk of the QA satellite speakers, we've opted for the KEFs and I may even persuade my better half to let me keep my existing audio set up for CD audio (ancient but rather pleasing ARCAM separates and Rega EL8 speakers). Probably a little unfair comparing the QAs with something twice the price - but an excellent use of an hour for us.

The next challenge is to try and make my mind up on how much, and where, to spend my pennies on cables and interconnects - looks like even harder work

 

[Clare Newsome]

Thanks for the update- shows that once you get auditioning, price isn't everything!

If you get too tangled up (hopefully not literally!) in cables, just start another thread. Good luck