In reply to:
I was planning to spend around $2.5K for all 8 speakers.
That statement has Axiom written all over it. The problem is that the law of diminishing returns plays a big role in speaker purchasing when you use Axiom as the base or standard. You can spend a lot more and get "better" but I don't think it is worth it unless you can some how snag an exceptional deal somewhere. You can wait a long time for that.
This is where the 30-day policy would be ideal for you. Try the W series and if you can swing some temporary mounts on the wall or from the floor (pedestals) then that will give you the best idea of what your sound will be like.
As others have stated here, the key is that time must be spent properly adjusting the levels of each driver. Once you have them "dialed-in" you will likely find that you enjoy the sound and get your wife to imagine what it would look like without all the wires and exposed components.
