Hey Sachin, as i said earlier and i reiterate again with added emphasis, Im surprised there isn't a stampede of customers cleaning out the QX-2 from stores while they last. While the popular notion exists that mass produced speakers are built to a cost and you can get better value if you go the DIY route etc, you'll really have to experience the QX-2 to know what I'm talking about. Their build quality is really second to none when it comes to other speakers even double or more the price range and while looks are subjective, i guess i have experienced quite a few different speakers (not nearly as many as some FMs around I'm sure) to make a somewhat informed statement to this effect.
But let me have a go since you consider that my earlier assessment may not be of much help to FMs around. Then again, i do not expect somebody who's not a seasoned audiophile to care about most of the things that I'm going to speak about next (this is a subjective assessment i suppose because i daresay i listen to a rather diverse genre of music and i didn't care two hoots about soundstaging, stereo imaging yada yada till very recently when I started pouring copious amounts of money into this hobby).
First of all, these speakers are warm sounding but are lively at the same time with highs that sparkle (some may define it as shimmering highs) not unlike KEF speakers though they don't have that extra zing of th KEFs which is not to everyone's liking (the entire debate about how metal dome tweeters hurt some ears). I suppose they are an amicable compromise between benign sounding speakers like Wharfedales and the like (emphasis on the 'like') and somebody looking to listen to popular music as well where such mellow laidback speakers usually (there are always exceptions to this rule) don't work too well. I didn't have an opportunity to check soundstaging since they are placed very close together but to my mind, that's strictly for audiophiles and i really didn't pay too much attention to it till i started listening critically and started pouring hours and hours into this hobby trying to understand every nuance which I don't expect a lot of casual listeners to do. What i do expect casual listeners to pick up on immediately when they listen to these speakers (as well as "audiophiles") is that they have excellent detail retrieval while being very refined at the same time with a warm overall signature but energetic and punchy enough to keep your foot tapping (something akin to my KEF Q350). Last but not least, they have very deep bass which is quite palpable.
Another tidbit(which may or may not point towards an objective assessment), i don't own the Missions but i did happen to hear them extensively when i was visiting family back home and i felt it went toe to toe with my KEF Q350 and Wharfedale Evo 4.2 insofar as refinement, detail retrieval, vocals and bass (bass was ever so slightly more substantial, definitely deeper and more nuanced than the Wharfedale Evo 4.2) is concerned. I found that it did well with most genres of music i listened through it with an energetic presentation that erred towards warmth. I have heard the Q acoustics 3020i and 3050i at my dealers and while the 3050is have more bass, i did not find the QX-2 to be lacking in that regard at all and were more energetic and revealing when it came to the highs and mids sounded more natural and organic. Another thing of note, I found that the amount of bass they can produce is rather surprising, especially considering the fact that i heard them while they were powered by a Marantz NR1509 (Marantz does not even advertise a 4ohm load capability for this receiver while the Missions are 4ohm).
Again, just because a product is exceptionally good does not necessarily mean that they always achieve the success (or audience) that they deserve. FMs can take my experience of these speakers with a pinch of salt. I did expect my posts about the QX-2 to be not devoid of controversy as are all posts ont he forum when somebody raves about any particular product but i do sincerely believe this is a deal too good to be true (at 27,990 or even their regular price of 34K) and i can't help but rave about them as the steal deal of the decade. Had it not been for the fact that i already have the speakers that i have, i would've definitely picked this one up in a heartbeat and would continue to do so for people who aren't too fussy about the sonic signature that their speakers have and have a varied choice in music cuz these are the perfect all rounders in my book.
The bottomline? I am smitten by them, not only because of their sound but due to the exceptional value proposition that they present, especially if you are just dabbling into this hobby (as these are entry level speakers, i don't not expect a seasoned audiophile to go for them). All in all, they are rather accomplished at everything and aren't one (or two) trick ponies like certain speakers found in similar price ranges which cater to certain niche listening habits.
