Well... My 1Cs (each with its own 2Wq sub) are about 7 feet in front of me and about 5 feet apart. I listen to about 65% electronic rock, the balance being jazz and classical. Of any speaker I have heard in its price range, the 1Cs are as smooth as any, save perhaps the DCM TFE200. That being said, my system (posted in my profile) is not at the level where I look forward to listening to 2-channel music, especially rock. Although it may be the fault of source components, cabling or amplification, I find that most rock sounds too bright and etched for my tastes. And even when I play a better recording, my rig is listenable, but less than involving, emotionally. Once you've heard music reproduced in a way that allows emotional involvement, nothing less will do, IMHO.