54 weeks ago I traveled to a dealer to hear QLN P 3’s, R3 Arrete’s and anything else he might have. The demo was be done on the same integrated amp and streamer that I owned.
The speakers and seat were set up carefully in a very proper listening room.
For 5 or more years, I’d been actively searching for a speaker to replace my old but very very good 2-way floorstanders that had been modded way up using extremely good parts inside. Finding a speaker that was both the right size for my room and able to provide a very big step up in SQ had been elusive. For example, in a 2017 demo, I loved Audio Physic Codex but they are much too big for my room and I didn’t care for the smaller AP tower that would fit in my space.
I much preferred the R3 over the P3. Not trying to step on anyone’s toes by saying that. You are right to have them both on your list. And depending on one’s preferences, some will prefer the P3, per my dealer.
With good gear ahead of them and set up carefully, R3’s…in my opinion, are an astonishingly good speaker. Electrostat-fast, dynamic, dead silent (cabinet), capable of incredible LF, tons of resolution without a hint of harshness. The demo room was 34 by 22 by 10 and the R3’s ability to play loudly and fill that space without compressing was unreal. My room is a small fraction of that size btw and the R3’s sound great at low volume as well as high volume which is very important to me.
I’m not able to compare and contrast the SQ differences between the two at this point. But my preference for the R3 was not by a small margin nor limited to a few aspects of performance here or there. I liked it a lot better and in every way.
The R3’s will pass thru any changes you make in gear and set up, including raking. The drivers blend together extremely well as if a single point source and they utterly vanish while throwing a deep, wide soundstage. While looking directly at them, the perception is that the sound is simply not coming from them.
I plan to try the freedom grounding cable in the coming months.
Hope this helps.