I received some additional information from Axiom support. Just as I thought, the set up of the stands and the QS8's was a very straightforward process. The stands appear well constructed and I was very pleased overall with the fit and snugness of the finished product. I think if the instruction sheet was a bit more informative (something which one might expect when purchasing a quality speaker) that confusion to other consumers may be avoided. Thank you to all who replied to this post ...