Quote Originally Posted by Ryukyu
And just to give you a frame of reference as to why it's so important to hear them yourself, I recently went to listen the IQ7s and IQ9s, and I did not like them at all.
To me, they detailed, but harsh sounding and I thought that they were way too forward sounding in the mid-range. I'm not trying to bash anybody's speakers, but just trying to reinforce the notion of listening for yourself. If it means making a trip, I think it's important enough that you try to do so.
I haven't heard the Wharfedales so I can't comment on those.
Good luck.
Thanks for the feedback. I found a review on the iQ7s (http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volum...06-part-1.html) that talked about them being a bit harsh at first but after about 100 hrs of use, they sounded entirely different. Don't know how many hours the ones you listened to had, but just thought I mention it. Another comment in the article addressed the forwardness but said that it was corrected by repositioning the speakers from a tow-in position to a straight ahead position. Ultimately I know I'm going to go and have a listen, but I thought I would get as much advice as I could prior to making the 7 hour round trip drive. Also, if there is no store that carries both speakers, I'm wondering how beneficial that is going to be if you listen to one pair of speakers at one store with a Denon amp, and then drive 30 minutes across town and listen to another pair of speakers driven by a Marantz amp. First of all the amp could have alot to do with any audible differences, and secondly how are you going to be able to keep the nuances of the first speakers sound in your head after driving across town, talking with new reps, and then listening to the other speakers...