In reply to:
One thing, my rears are only a few feet to the direct sides of the wall from my couch (and a few feet above ear level).
If the speakers are only a few feet away, you might be better off with the quadpolar design, since localization could be more of an issue, especially if you're talking about a 5.1 setup, as opposed to 6.1 or 7.1. It's a tough call since you also place a priority on music, but the Axiom quadpolar speakers are actually a compromise between direct radiating and bi/di-polar, so they might work well for you. At least with Axiom you always have the 30-day return period if you decide you want to go the other way.
