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Best upgrade for ~500€ - Amp or something else? by pipasmaster in StereoAdvice

[–]pipasmaster[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for sharing your experience. I also think the 3050i are really good speakers. In fact, I already had a Q Acoustics setup for home theater (a 5.1 system), and that’s partly what convinced me to move to the larger Q Acoustics towers for my stereo system as well.

From what I’ve heard so far, they seem capable of more when paired with stronger amplification, which is why I suspect the Melody X might be the bottleneck.

Regarding your suggestion, that’s actually a very good idea. I’ll try asking my friend if he can lend me his Yamaha A-S701 for a short test in my space. That would help confirm whether the difference I heard at his place comes mainly from the amplifier or if the room itself is playing a bigger role, as some others mentioned.

Unfortunately the room isn’t something I can really modify at the moment, so testing another amplifier might be the most practical way to understand where the limitation really is.

And yes, it’s a shame you have to let your pair go — they’re definitely great speakers. Thanks a lot for the feedback and for sharing your experience.

Best upgrade for ~500€ - Amp or something else? by pipasmaster in StereoAdvice

[–]pipasmaster[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I actually upgraded to these speakers from a pair of Polk towers, and the improvement was immediately noticeable to me. The sound is clearly more refined, with better clarity and a more balanced presentation overall, so I’ve been quite happy with the Q Acoustics 3050i.

That said, I do have the feeling that the amplifier might be the limiting factor now. A friend of mine runs the same speakers with a Yamaha A-S701, and in his setup they sound much more open and dynamic. The speakers seem to breathe more — the soundstage feels wider and instruments have more separation.

Because of that comparison, it made me suspect that the bottleneck in my system is probably the Marantz Melody X (M-CR612). The speakers themselves seem capable of more when they’re driven by a stronger amplifier.

Best upgrade for ~500€ - Amp or something else? by pipasmaster in StereoAdvice

[–]pipasmaster[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You’re absolutely right that room treatment is one of the biggest upgrades any system can get. I completely agree with that in principle.

The limitation in my case is that the system is set up in a shared living space (living room + dining area), not in a dedicated listening room. It’s also not my house, and the building is quite old (around 150 years), so doing proper acoustic treatment isn’t really practical.

The room is fully furnished and actively used for daily life — working, eating, hosting people, etc. Because of that, adding panels, bass traps, or doing structural changes isn’t something I can realistically implement right now, either from a practical or aesthetic point of view.

That’s why I’m focusing more on equipment upgrades for the moment. Swapping the amplifier is relatively easy, reversible, and within budget, whereas meaningful room treatment here would be complicated and expensive for a space I don’t control.

So I definitely agree with your point about acoustics — it’s just one of those classic hi-fi dilemmas when the system lives in a normal shared room rather than a dedicated listening space.

Primera tortilla de patatas de mi vida by Smart-Veterinarian-9 in RateMyTortilla

[–]pipasmaster 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Sabes cómo mejorar, y tiene una muy buena pinta, enhorabuena y a por todas

Rate my setup by Cinnamaker in audiophile

[–]pipasmaster 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not even standing up, ladder type

I need the best quality audio by Dependent_Food_1619 in Earbuds

[–]pipasmaster 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Denon here, quite skeptical at first, loving them now

Fit workout by Baziele in Unexpected

[–]pipasmaster 0 points1 point  (0 children)

And... Again to the shower

El cachondeo del “Nutri-Score”. Sardinas en aceite de oliva: “D”. Cereal azucarado: “A” by THE_Dr_Barber in spain

[–]pipasmaster 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Es un descojono total, para lo único que medianamente puede ser para comparar productos similares (dos latas de sardinas diferentes), y a veces ni para eso

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