I thought I was sending the speakers back but I couldn't give them up that easy so I decided to give them another try. A friend suggested I move the speakers away from the walls to reduce the bass. I moved the speakers forward away from the back wall from 2 feet to 3 feet. I also referred to the KEF manual and it is recommended the speakers be at least 3 feet from the side walls. So I moved them from 2-1/2 feet to 3 feet. I now sit 9 feet away from each speakers and the distance between the speakers is around 6-1/2 feet on center.

The result, the bass was reduced slightly and the speakers were less bright and harsh. It could be the speakers are breaking in. I read a review in AVguide to make sure these speakers are "thoroughly run-in" and "improve markedly after the first week". I haven't run them much since I live in an apartment and I don't want neighbors to complain.

I again compared them against the Q5's and noticed more definition all around. The bass lines were so smooth on the XQ5 and began to noticed how muddy the bass was on the Q5's. The mids were that much different but I could noticed the openness of the XQ5. The XQ5 also come with a foam inserts for the 2 drivers in each speakers. I didn't try them yet but I will experiment this weekend.

Looks like I changed my mind again. Oh well, I couldn't pass up a great deal!