One x 2 w/ sub vs Amp w/ Q Acoustic 3020 (or similar)

Thanks all. Hmmm, my finger accidentally hit the check mark icon on one of the posts and now it says “answered.” Don’t see any way to correct that, so please just ignore - would like to continue the conversation...

That isn't a surprise; it is not easy to overcome the sheer physics of a large speaker box volume. 

But for a price point comparison, the apples to apples one is to compare them with a One pair + Sub. Because the Qs need an amp to drive them which equates the price points.

The Sub subtly cleans up the sound from the Ones once the bass delivery requirement is taken away from them, as well as adding bass depth and richness by virtue of the much large enclosure/power of the Sub. 

While that certainly is a big advantage, casual placement does take away from the sound quality the Ones can deliver if placed on floor or desktop stands, lavishing the same care on placement as one would on any passive “HiFi” speaker.

Do that, add a Sub equally well spaced, run True play and the set up will hold its own against many a amp + speaker pair set up. At about the same price point. 

Actually the Sub does something else - it prevents the music from sounding thin at low volume levels. To the extent that for such listening, a One pair + Sub would sound better than the Q or even 5 pair. Counter intuitive to what one usually supposes a Sub would be useful for.

Oh! Sonos One in Pair cost me AUD $500, Q acoustics cost me AUD $350 + AUD $200 for the Vintage amp. So if I were to add a Sonos Sub which is at AUD $999, I might as well move to Kef LSX range. 

That is because Sonos is sold at silly prices in Australia, relative to other kit. See the second para of the first OP post.

Along with everything. 

There is also another approach to a great set up on a budget that incorporates Sonos at the front end.

If one has access to the used HiFi gear market, very good kit can be bought for a song thanks to the audiophiles that are trapped on the upgrading treadmill. Add a Sonos Port to the inputs of the amp; job done.

And if one only wants music in one room, even Sonos isn't necessary anymore. Wire even an Echo Dot/Input to the inputs of the amp, and you have all the internet music services at voice command, or, where Amazon Music is concerned, via a smartphone user interface as well.

Using this route, USD 1000 can fetch a very substantial stereo set up.

That’s actually where I started with this process. I have a McIntosh MC122 amp which is great. My plan was to add a Port to that and call it a day for the LR / FR, then add some Ones around the house in other rooms. But then I started thinking about how well my old Tannoy speakers are serving me. The system together has a great open, musical sound for more “sparse” music - Jason Isbell, Norah Jones, Nanci Griffith, etc., which is most of what I listen to. But for music with more pace, more attack, more bass then the sound gets muddier. I also have a room layout where optimal placement of traditional bookshelf speakers is tough. Playing with the stereo Ones got me curious what I might be able to get if I  switched everything out, without spending a fortune and still having the one network music solution for the house. So far can't say the 2xOnes w/ Sub is a clear winner over my old set up, but as I play with it I seem to be getting a really nice sound for a broader range of music, with the added benefits of no wires and flexibility for where I put the system in the room. 

The mc122 and the tannoys are great music makers, I am sure. Have you explored adding a quality sub to this set up to give it more go for the music that needs it?

And a quote from a review of the Tannoy that may be of interest:

I tried out the Tannoy 605s when they first arrived and was impressed by what I heard, so the rather indifferent response of the blind listening panel (self included) was disappointing. Had the panel got it wrong, or had I fooled myself in the first place?

Neither, as it turned out after a couple of hours of hands-on experimentation. What let the 605 down in the listening tests turned out to be the stand on which it was used — specifically a variation on Tannoy’s matching heavily damped central-pillar design, which somehow slowed and time-smeared the pace and the bass.