The system is almost complete. I ordered the QS8s today after word of my bonus being extra sweet this year. It leads me to a question though as now I actually have a choice.

I was experimenting with 7.1, only because I could. I was using HK bookshelves for my surrounds mounted near the ceiling just slightly behind the couch, closer to even almost. Since I had them sitting around, I also used some Sony satellites for rears. My room is everything it shouldn't be. Almost square at 16x15', wood floors, and very little to diffuse or break up reflection, at least for now.

Anyways, I found the little rears a waste of time. I never heard any rear effects from them unless I cranked the levels on them way up to the point they were annoying.

Soon the HK bookshelves will be freed up. They didn't impress me either for surrounds. Great sounding speakers but I played with angles and couch position and levels and I just wasn't happy. My up front section Rules! but I am really missing out on surround effects.

Do you think it might be worth trying them as rears or is my room to blame. Of course it never hurts to try stuff so I will but just looking for comments. I'll just be happy if I get back to a good 5.1 system. The 7.1 is just for fun since I have extra speakers.

I would thik that if the rears are calibrated properly you shouldn't have to crank it up just hear sounds from them. Could just be the source material is very weak. I would try them in a 7.1 and watch some good ol' action DVD's. The pod race in Star Wars I is quite good at showing off rears and surrounds.

Murph
You might want to read this recent thread where folks were debating the merits of 5.1 vs 7.1. It seems most folks who'd listened to both felt 7.1 added a bit, but not a lot to the 5.1 experience.

Paul

Thanks Paul & Jake.

As an update, I mounted the QS*s up where my surrounds used to be. Freakin Freak, those things are heavy for the size of them. Anyways, BIG improvement! I am now hearing lots of surround effects I wasn't getting before.

I also did try the newly freed HKs as rears. They worked better than the little satelites but still really didn't add a lot. I'm glad I didn't buy anything new to go to 7.1 or I would have been disapointed.

Also, it might be just me, but I found that I experienced more/better surround effects when I flipped back to true 5.1 on my receiver vs. whatever it does to trick stuff out into making it 7.1 and feed the extra two speakers.

Short answer, QS8s FTW!!! and the HKs are going out to my garage as I'm going back to 5.1 until they come out with 7.1 source material.

AFL!

Right on, Murph. It really depends a lot on your room. My experience is like yours - 5.1 with the QS speakers is very enveloping.

I was looking at ordering the QS4's but I don't really see much said about them anywhere. Does anyone know how good they are?

I think the general consensus around here is that for the extra little amount of money it costs to upgrade to the QS8s it is well worth it.

I have quite a small room, I love my QS8s, they are simply amazing. Worth every single penny. I am sure I could have gotten by with the QS4s, mabey not even noticed a difference, but I believe the QS8s are a little deeper in response and can obviously play to louder levels.

Both are great products.

Is it really necessary for the rears to play loud? Most of the time the rears are for the ambient sound. I think I'll go with the 4's and see if I'm happy with them. I think we always have a tendency to go with the higher priced component if it's just a bit more money. But sometimes you really don't need to spend that "just a bit more" to be happy.

If you talk to Axiom about your choices, they will tell you the most cost efficient choice without sacrificing quality.

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AFL!

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