Here is my two cents based on my experience. First of all identify kind of music you love. Jazz & Classical, or Rock & Pop or Rap & Country, etc. I assume you have your favorite music on CDs.
Select the 4 or 5 CDs. You may want to focus on voices Male & female, certain instruments electric guitar, acoustic guitar, double bass, kick drum, etc. Then take these CDs to nearest hi fi audio stores. You are in NY and there are a plenty of these.
Play these CDs on a number of systems focus on things such as how letter "s" and "t" sounds, is there enough bass or whether bass is boomy or soft. Pay attention to imaging from left to right and front to back. See if the soundstage goes outside of the speakers depending on how your CDs are recorded.
Some of us have CDs that specifically emphasize certain aspects of music. If you want to know if the system has good bass, then you should have a CD ex: One Night in Vienna. When you play this track, you should hear good solid bass right in the middle of the speakers with piano back in the soundstage.
Pay attention to the high frequency reproduction. Crashing symbols should not be ear-piercing. When system sound bright, listening fatigue will set very soon. Main idea is to listen to music all day long without any hiccups.
First thing is to identify the speakers you think fit your taste. KEF Q150 is a book shelf speaker. You may want to decide if you like floor standing speakers. With Uni-Q drives, I know KEF speakers can perform at a very high-level granted you are not dying to hear below 51 Hz. Your room play a big role in accurate reproduction of bass. If you think you can live with Q150, then see if you can find an amp to drive these. I think there are good tube amplifiers as well as SS that can bring magic out of these speakers without having to take a second mortgage.Hope this helps.
